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The Harris Hawk a Breeder in California

Authors
Griffing Bancroft
Journal
Condor
Volume
22
Issue
4 (July-August)
Year
1920
Pages
156
Section
From Field and Study
Online Text

The Harris Hawk a Breeder in California

On March 30 of this year (1920) I noticed a pair of Harris Hawks (Parubuteo unicinctus harrisi) in the act of mating near Brawley in Imperial County. I was not able to find their nest, but the next day about eight miles away and three miles west of Calpatria I took a set of three eggs. These were very heavily incubated. As far as I am aware, this is the first record of the bird nesting in California, but judging from my own observation and that of others there is reason to believe that the bird will soon become a regular breeder in the Imperial Valley.

The nest was built in the crotch of a willow tree about thirty-five feet above the ground. It was on the outer fringe of a thick growth from the overflow of the Alamo River and easily visible from a near-by farm house. The climb was made for me by Ashton Rood, a young boy, and so I am unable to give an accurate description of the nest.

Griffing Bancroft

San Diego, California, May 27, 1920

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