. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. THE EAGLE, KING OF BIRDS, AND HIS KIN 45. Photograph by William L- Finley A FULL-GROWN CALIFORNIA CONDOR ENJOYS A SUN BATH He differs from the South American members in dress, but not appreciably in size. His head and neck are much more colorful and there is no caruncle. The tremendous wing spread here shown gives this bird marvelous powers of flight. The most aberrant types in the entire order are the American vultures, which are far removed from the hawl<s and eagles and in some ways have pecuharities that set them o&
. [Articles about birds from National geographic magazine]. Birds. THE EAGLE, KING OF BIRDS, AND HIS KIN 45. Photograph by William L- Finley A FULL-GROWN CALIFORNIA CONDOR ENJOYS A SUN BATH He differs from the South American members in dress, but not appreciably in size. His head and neck are much more colorful and there is no caruncle. The tremendous wing spread here shown gives this bird marvelous powers of flight. The most aberrant types in the entire order are the American vultures, which are far removed from the hawl<s and eagles and in some ways have pecuharities that set them o& from most other birds. Aside from the pecuhar types just men- tioned, the various species of this order are fairly uniform in build and form, differing principally in length of legs, grasping power of claws, and size and degree of robustness of bill. Thus, the bill of the eagle is strong and heavy, but that of the everglade kite is extremely slender and elongated. The bateleur eagle {Tcrathopiiis ecau- dafiis) has the tail so short that it does not project beyond the wings—an anomaly in a group that as a whole has long, strong tail feathers. In spite of this peculiarity, the bateleur sails with ease, using its wings as planes, though it is said to have diffi- culty in keeping aloft when there are no wind or air currents to assist it. One of the striking phenomena of some of our American hawks has been the fall migrations, in which hundreds, or even thousands, move together in southward flight. Years ago, in eastern Kansas, in the pleasant weather of October, it was usual to encounter flights of red-tailed and American rough-legged hawks, in which these splendid birds drifted steadily across the sky for hours in never-ending procession. Occasionally, attracted by rising currents of air over some hill slope, they paused to wheel in enormous spirals. MIGRATION OF SO^tE HAWKS SPECTACULAR Often I lay on soft grass, in the warin sun, watching several hundred of these hawks turning
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