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Nom de l'objet : specimen
Titre : Marsh Hawk (adult male)
Catégorie de l'objet : Unclassifiable Artifacts
Numéro d'accession : 1997.53.32
Culture : Canadian
Date de fin de production : c. 1900
Commentaires : Marsh Hawk, Family: Accipitridae, Genus: Circus, Species: Cyaneus. The Marsh Hawk is also sometimes known as the Northern Harrier or Hen Harrier. A summer resident of the Queens County area, the Marsh Hawk can be found all over North America. It is known to be a summer resident all across Canada and Alaska except for the coastal areas of Alaska, Nunavut, northern Quebec, and Labrador. As a permanent resident, the Mark Hawk can be found all along the northern and central United States. The Marsh Hawk can also be found wintering in the southern areas of the United States and towards Central America. The Marsh Hawk is known for its facial disk that surrounds its eyes and beak, which gives the bird a very owl-like appearance. The Marsh Hawk has a fair degree of sexual dimorphism, which gives the two genders a very differing appearance. The male Marsh Hawk has a very bluish-gray plumage overall, which is lighter on its head and gets darker as one moves downwards. The ventral side of the bird is whitish with light brown spotting. The male also has a dark color around the tips of its wings, in addition to very long tail feathers. The male Marsh Hawk will actually take several years to get its bluish-gray plumage. The female and the juvenile Marsh Hawk are quite similar in appearance. Instead of the bluish-gray coloring of the male, the female will have a dark brown and whitish color. Like the male, the underside of the bird will be lighter and more towards a white color. The juvenile will resemble the female, but will take on a more rusty color on its underside. The diet of the Marsh Hawk will normally consist of small mammals, frogs, snakes, small birds, carrion, and large insects. Their hunting style is to normally normally circle an area with a very low and slow flight and then when it detects prey, either by sound or by sight, it will dive very quickly to snatch it up. The Marsh Hawk has been know to circle the perimeter of grass fires in order to grab animals that are fleeing the flames. The male is known to have an impressive courtship display. Male Marsh Hawks are known to be both monogamous and polygamous. A solitary nester, the Marsh Hawk will build a nest out of stick and grass that will be placed about 1.5 meters above the ground in a marshy area. This nest will be built by both sexes, but the female is known to do more of the work. Once this nest is build, the female will lay about 3-9 bluish white eggs, about 4.6 cm long, that are occasionally spotted with brown. These eggs will be incubated by the female for 31-32 days. After hatching, the young will stay in the nest for an additional 30-35 days; during which time, they will be fed by both sexes. Only one brood is produced per year. The population of the Marsh Hawk is known to be decreasing due to a reduction of their marshland environment and pesticide use. They have also been affected previously by hunting of the bird. Prepared by Miss Leora Simpson (1856-1951) around the turn of the 20th century. She appears in 1891 Census and lists occupation as a "taxidermist". Upon her death, the collection was given to the Gagetown School.
Hauteur : 76
Largeur : 35
Unité de mesure linéaire : cm
Établissement : Queens County Heritage  Facebook-Queens County Heritage  Twitter-Queens County Heritage 
Ville de l'établissement : Gagetown
Province de l'établissement : New Brunswick

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