ACCIPITER.
Wing shorter and more rounded ; tarsus long, lower part bare ; swift, active and bold in hunting ; nest of sticks on trees or rocks ; eggs pale blue, spotless or blotched and spotted with reddish brown.
Accipiter nisus nisus (L.). SPARROW-HAWK. Fr.
Epervier ; Ger. Sperber ; I/al. Sparviere ; Sparfhok.
Above slaty grey, cheeks rufous, feathers of crown and nape with white bases ; beneath white barred rufous ; quills and tail above with dark bars, below greyish white with dark bars ; flanks rufous, under tail coverts uniform white or slightly spotted. ? Above browner, cheeks and feathers of crown and nape as in ; beneath white barred brown, flanks rufous in some, occasionally entire underparts rufous (said to attain plumage of 8' in advanced age). Bill slate, tip darker. Cere yellowish. Legs and feet yellow. Iris orange. Wing 183-205, ? 210-25o. Tarsus 8' ? 56-61. Middle toe over 4o. Bill 8' 10-12, ? 11-14. Young: more or less rufous about head and neck and brown with rufous margins on upper parts ; underparts white barred brown or with round spots and cross bars connected with shaft lines.
Breeds.—British Isles and Continental Europe, Urals, Caucasus and in \V. Asia. Partly migratory ; occurs in winter N.W. Africa, Egypt, Arabia and Soudan.
"A. nisus Kleinschmidt from France is not separ able.
Resident.—N.W. Africa ; probably also breeds S. Spain. Has occurred Malta.
A. nisus granti Sharpe. Founded on 9 ; hack darker, underparts in some more broadly barred and bars blacker. Size inclined to be smaller. Wing, d 189-199, 9 (II.). (All specimens of 9 can be matched in a series of "nisus," but too from Tenerife are very rufous on breast.) Resident.— Madeira, Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria).
A. nisus wolterstorifi Kleinschmidt. Smaller and darker, under tail coverts always barred or spotted (traces of these are seen in typical form). Wing d 181-183, 9 (H.).
Resident.—Corsica, Sardinia.
Accipiter brevipes (Severtzoff).
Resembles "nisus" but larger, cheeks grey, bars on under parts broader, bill, legs and feet more massive, tarsus and middle toe shorter. Bill black. Cere, legs and feet yellow. Iris reddish brown with inner yellow 9 Above brown grey ; beneath white, throat with brown spots, remainder with reddish brown bars becoming narrower near the vent and disappearing on under tail coverts. Wing 9 Tarsus 46-49. Middle toe 28-29. Bill from cere 12-13 (H.). Young : beneath white with very large drop-like brown streaks.
Breeds.—Balkan Peninsula, Greece, Rumania, and S. Russia to Caucasus ; also Asia Minor and Palestine. Migrates ; occurs Egypt, Arabia, and S.W. Persia in winter ; rare visitor to Europe west of breeding range.
MiLvus.
Tarsus short, lower half bare and covered with broad scales in front ; tail long, forked; resemble Eagles and Buzzards in habits but often seen soaring at high altitudes; food, small mammals and birds, reptiles, insects, etc. ; nest
on trees or cliffs; eggs resemble those of Buzzards, but variable.
Milvus milvus milvus (L.) KITE. Fr. Milan royal ; Ger. Gabelweihc ; Ital. Nibbio ; Swed. Glada.
8 9 Above dark brown, with conspicuous rufous margins ; tail deeply forked, rufous ; crown, neck and throat bully white with dark central streaks ; beneath chestnut broadly streaked black ; primaries with white on inner web of under surface. Bill blackish horn, bluish at base. Cere, skin round eye, legs and feet yellow. Iris whitish yellow. Wing 475-53o. Tail fork 70-86 (H.). Tarsus 51-55. Bill 29. Young : underparts huff with rufous margins.
Breeds.—British Isles (Wales) ; Europe south from about 61° N. in Scandinavia ; in Russia west of Dnieper to Tula and Moscow Govts., and in S.E. to Don Basin ; N.W. Africa, W. Canary Islands ; also Asia Minor and Palestine ; rare in Balkan Peninsula. Migratory in north. Winters in S. Europe and N. Africa.
Milvus migrans migrans (Boddaert). BLACK KITE. Fr. Milan noir ; Ger. Brauner Milan ; /ha/. Nibbio nero.
? Resemble "milvus" but less white on head, and little or no rufous on remainder of upper parts except on wing coverts ; tail less forked, brown barred darker ; beneath much duller chest nut, primaries grey or mottled on inner webs below, under wing coverts and axillaries chestnut. Bill black. Legs and feet dull yellow. Cere yellow. Iris yellowish brown. Wing 445-465. Tarsus 52-57. Bill 26-29. Tail fork 30-35. Young : dark brown with buff tips giving a spotted appearance.
Breeds.—Russia from 63° N. to extreme south and east, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, S. France, Spain and Portugal ; N.W. Africa ; also through Austria and Hungary to Balkan Peninsula, but not Greece ; W. Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. Rare visitor Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Britain.
M. migrans mgyptius (Gmelin). Resembles "migrans" but crown more rufous with narrow streaks, and rather more rufous on upper parts. Bill yellow in adults. Tail more deeply forked. Wing 430-458. Tail fork 35-47 (H.).
Breeds.—Egypt, Arabia, Jordan Valley. Apparently resident.
Milvus lineatus (Gray).
Resembles " M. migrans migrans " but head brown, ear coverts dark, inner web of outer primaries white at base (con spicuous in flight) ; underparts browner, less rufous, abdomen and under tail coverts much paler than breast. Wing 445-485, 9 475-520. Bill from core 25.5-30 (11.). Voting : chocolate boldly streaked with white or buff.
A Central Asian breeding bird, whose range extends to Perm, Ufa, and Orenburg.