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Introductory
one appreciative listener for a single half-hour out of each year,”
and so on.
But | must remind all readers that any one who does keep
pets incurs responsibilities along with the pleasure they bring.
To deprive any wild animal of its liberty and then neglect it is
sheer barbarity.
Having birds in this way affords almost the only means of
studying the remarkable individuality possessed by different
members of the same species. That each bird has a character
peculiar to itself may be doubted by some, but I have never seen
two individuals showing the same peculiarities. Two rose-
breasted grosbeaks that have been reared together from the same
nest, and are now eighteen months old, are different in almost
every way. One is intensely jealous and objects to attention being
paid to any other bird; the other seems not to know what
jealousy means. One wants to sleep at night; the other keeps
up a perpetual jumping from perch to perch until all hours.
The female (who has most of the bad traits) never lets her mate
have any little tid-bit in the way of food; no matter how much
she has, she immediately seizes whatever is given to her better-
natured companion. So it is with all the other birds; one will
be naturally wild and timid; another knows no fear; one, though
tame, cannot endure being touched; another, like a bluebird |
have, wants to be handled most of the time, and is quite content
if allowed to sit quietly (and go to sleep) inside a partly closed
hand.
The method of eating adopted by each of the birds is quite
individual. The wood thrush makes rapid and regular dips into
the food-cup, taking only a small mouthful each time, but repeat-
ing the operation until its hunger is satisfied ; feeding takes place
at rather long intervals. The yellow-breasted chat feeds some-
what after the same manner, but is not so quick or so dainty in
its movements, and eats more frequently. The mocking-bird eats
often and much, but does not draw his beak away from the cup
between each mouthful. The bluebird eats fairly frequently and
dips his beak into the food with a sharp jerk, pausing a second or
two between each mouthful, and making a snap with his beak
every time he takes the food. If given a live grasshopper, he
carefully kills it, then shakes off its legs and swallows the entire
body, afterwards gathering up the legs. The Baltimore oriole
9
[Introductory
seems to chew his food, and eats very frequently ; if given any-
thing, either eatable or otherwise, he holds it, hawk-fashion, with
his feet (or foot) and quickly picks it to pieces, usually prying it
apart with his sharply pointed beak. The rose-breasted grosbeaks
eat nearly all the time, even late at night, and I fancy this accounts
for their tendency to become very fat when in captivity. So it
may be seen that each bird is a study by itself.
Undoubtedly this same individuality exists in birds when in
their wild state, perhaps even to a greater degree, but it is more
difficult to discover. Some nests show individual peculiarities,
but whether the same bird builds the same kind of nest each year
is, of course, unknown.
The object of this book, I may repeat, is to stimulate the love
of birds ; and though descriptions of nests and eggs are given, as
well as instructions for egg-collecting, it must be borne in mind
that it is generally neither necessary nor advisable that collections
of eggs should be made. Remember that, as Mr. Frank Chapman
says, the two points of interest in a bird’s egg are ‘‘ what the egg
is in and what is in the egg.” Much more knowledge may be
gained by observing the birds themselves throughout the breeding
season than by taking the eggs. Leave egg-collecting to those
who are able, through scientific study, to make use of such col-
lections and devote your leisure hours to the far more interesting
process of collecting knowledge which will lend increased interest
to your every-day existence and give you new insight into the
fascinating world of bird-life.
10
Chapter II
BIRDS’ NESTS AND EGGS
A CAREFUL examination of a bird’s nest will convince any one
that it is a work of art. One cannot help wondering at the in-
genuity displayed by its architect. How carefully a bird adapts
itself to environment is well illustrated by endless examples : the
red-winged blackbirds (whose nests are usually built among
reeds, flags, or bushes) make their nests very much deeper when
the place selected is subject to strong winds than in more shel-
tered spots ; and then, as a further safeguard, the mouth of the
nest contracts so that the eggs will not fall out when the flags are
swayed by the wind. These clever birds have even been known
to place their eggs in a deserted woodpecker’s nest in places where
the fish crows were numerous—for the fish crow is worse even
than the jay as an egg and fledgling thief. In this way the red-
wings managed to elude their persecutors and saved their eggs
and young from destruction.
Some birds readily avail themselves of new and favourable
conditions. The phoebe formerly built its nest exclusively on
rocks, but now that houses and bridges are to be found through-
out the country, this bird has to a great extent changed its former
custom, and it now builds nests on aimost any sort of structure
erected by man. This also applies to the barn swallow, while the
chimney swift has taken possession of our chimneys, and almost
forsaken the hollow tree-trunks, in which, but a few years ago,
they built in large colonies.
How rapidly birds are changing their habits is not known,
but it is evident from the few examples we have about us that a
change is progressing, in some cases very noticeably.
Of course a bird’s main idea when depositing its eggs is that
they shall be safe from enemies of all kinds and from unfavourable
weather conditions. With these objects in view it is interesting to
II
Birds’ Nests and Eggs
note the different methods employed. The whippoorwill builds
no nest, but lays its eggs in a slight depression among the dead
leaves. When the parent bird is sitting, her colour, which matches
the leaves and dead wood, saves her from observation. The eggs
themselves are much like either stones or the under sides of leaves,
so they are difficult to find even when exposed. But if they are
discovered, the parent bird carries them away to a new hiding
place. The quail and many other birds, such as the meadow-lark
and some of the sparrows, often arch their homes over with either
the growing vegetation surrounding the nest, or with dry material
brought for the purpose, and in some cases they build covered
paths or entrances. The woodpeckers hide their eggs in natural
holes in trees, or in holes hollowed out after much tedious labour
by the birds themselves ; here the eggs are fairly safe ; squirrels,
snakes, and human beings are about the only enemies to be feared.
The crested flycatcher often makes use of a snake-skin in the
construction of his nest, which occupies a hole ina tree. It is
only reasonable to suppose that there is some object for his pref-
erence for this strange and apparently useless material. It may
be that it frightens away would-be thieves, squirrels, jays, or
crows (for the opening to the nest is often large enough to allow a
crow to enter without difficulty) ; here is a case where authentic
observations might tell us much of the bird’s life-history.
The ruby-throated humming-bird saddles his tiny nest usu-
ally on a high branch, and covers it with lichen so that it resembles
an excrescence on the branch. Why the long-billed marsh wren
builds so many ‘‘dummy”’ nests, most of which are usually near
the real nest, is not known, but it is presumably as a matter of
safety, and for the purpose of misleading intruders, just as a parent
bird will feign a broken wing to lure danger from the young.
The Baltimore oriole hangs his well-built nest, a masterpiece
of bird architecture, on the extreme end of an overhanging branch
where nothing but a winged enemy can reach it. To guard against
these the nest is made so that it looks something like a hornet’s
nest—with which the jays, crows, or hawks would not care to
interfere. Then, again, after all these precautions, the comfort as
well as the safety of the young is thought of when the nest is
built, the lower part being compactly and strongly made, while
the walls are loosely woven so as to admit of free circulation of
air. The eggs of the belted kingfisher are placed in a hole often
12
41S3N SNIAVST 3¥0338 SAVO OML 'SYBHOLVOATS asLssyo
Birds’ Nests and Eggs
six or eight feet deep, excavated in a bank by the birds themselves
after as much as two weeks’ work. One possible reason for the
choice of such a place is the fact that the young, which are fed on
fish, regurgitate large pellets of scales and bones and such indi-
gestible matter ; were these dropped beneath a nest built in a tree
or on the open ground it would betray the presence of the home
to the natural enemies of the bird. Why the cowbird declines the
responsibilities of maternity has never been satisfactorily explained.
It is certain, however, that there is some good and _ sufficient
reason.
The European cuckoo, like the cowbird, lavs her eggs in
the nests of other birds, those of the smaller birds being usually
chosen. A certain French writer gives as a reason the fact that
the cuckoo cannot lay eggs on succeeding days. How long the
interval is has not been decided, but if it is of many days’ duration
that would be an ample reason for the bird’s not building a nest
for itself, since the eggs might be stolen were they left unpro-
tected until the full complement were laid. The eggs of the yel-
low-billed cuckoo are said to be deposited at irregular intervals of
from two to five days, and are occasionally found in the nests of
other birds. Whether in days gone by they placed their eggs en-
tirely in the care of other birds or whether they will do so in the
future is of course a problem, but it is quite possible that some
such change is taking place. There are birds who, having laid
their eggs, cover them up and allow them to hatch by themselves,
trusting to the heat generated by the covering chosen. I know
of none of our eastern birds that do this, yet some of them make
use of vegetable substance that has heating qualities.
The grebes, for instance, use decayed and damp vegetable
matter, while many of our small birds place in their nests woolly
stuffs and other non-conducting material, probably to protect the
highly sensitive eggs from sudden changes of temperature.
The shapes of eggs show in many instances the forethought
of nature. Eggs that are laid on bare rocks and exposed places
where little or no nests are made, are generally rounded at the
larger end and come almost to a point at the other extremity ; this
makes it possible for them to be turned by the wind without roll-
ing away ; whereas the ovate or elliptical eggs that are found in
well-protected places, such as holes in trees, would soon be blown
off by a strong wind in such exposed situations.
13
Birds’ Nests and Eggs
The ways of birds are difficult to understand. Why should
some build in colonies, and others singly but in close proximity,
and others again miles away from their kind? The passenger
pigeon gives the best example of nest colonies, immense numbers
breeding in a very limited area. Prof. H. B. Rooney speaks of
a nesting area forty miles long and from three to ten miles wide,
where, in 1878, a millionand a half of the pigeons were killed for
food purposes, while if those that were taken alive and the dead
nestlings were included, the number would reach the enormous
total of a thousand millions. This is thought to be somewhat ex-
aggerated, but shows what an immense number of birds must
have been breeding in this limited space. Some of our small birds
nest in colonies ; among them the red-winged blackbird and some
of the swallows afford the most noticeable examples. The bobo-
link and marsh wrens also live in scattered communities during
the breeding season. Most of the larger hawks select a desirable
copse or fairly large tract of woodland as a common home, and it
is seldom that another nest of the same species is found within
that area. In Florida, where each cypress swamp is usually clearly
defined, it is seldom, except in the large swamps, that one finds
in each more than one nest of the Florida red-shouldered hawk—
a species very abundant throughout the more southern parts of
the State.
Some birds return regularly year after year to the same nest-
ing site, even after their nests have been robbed several times. |
have known a crested flycatcher to build in the same hole for
three years in succession though each set of eggs was taken.
Phoebes return with great regularity to the same bridge, building,
or rock, where they make one or two nests each season. Some
of the owls also use the same hole for many years, and hawks
and crows rebuild their old nests, so that each year the nest be-
comes larger as layer after layer is added.
Most, if not all, birds are governed in their habits by regular
rules—from which, however, they occasionally depart. just as
human beings depart from the rules which seem most generally
applicable.
The Wilson’s thrush, whose nest is commonly on oy near the
ground, has been known to build in a hole inatree. Bob-whites’
nests containing thirty-seven eggs have been reported—though
these were, of course, not all laid by one hen. The eggs were
14
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PLATE B.—Common Eggs.
7. White-throated Sparrow.
8. Brown Thrasher.
9, Nighthawk,
10. Prairie Horned Lark,
11, Seaside Sparrow.
12
13,
14,
15,
16,
7,
Grasshopper Sparrow.
Savanna Sparrow
Open Nests on the Ground
Breeding Range—The Eastern States, from Virginia to Massachu-
setts, ‘‘ westward to the edge of the plains.”
The nest is somewhat roughly built of coarse grass, placed
on the ground often in a slight depression, or close against a
tussock in the open fields. The eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are
white or nearly white, with distinct brown and purplish spots,
more numerous at the larger end. Size—.73 x .56.
This shy and unobtrusive sparrow is rather difficult to find,
owing to its habit of remaining in the thick grass unless forced
to fly. In its short, jerky flight it resembles its near relation, the
yellow-winged or grasshopper sparrow. Generally speaking, it
prefers the more moist fields to those that are very dry. The
nest, as in the case of other birds of similar habits, is well and
carefully hidden in the grass. In Illinois, eggs have been
found as early as April 20th and as late as August 12th. Mr.
Brewster says that this sparrow breeds commonly but very
locally in the eastern part of Massachusetts, quite numerously in
portions of Worcester County, sparingly and locally in Berkshire
County.
549. Sharp-tailed Sparrow: Ammodramus caudacutus
(Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts greenish brown; a light gray line through
centre of crown, which is brown; bend of wing light yel-
low ; throat and belly white or whitish ; breast light buffy
brown with dark streaks. The tail feathers, as the bird's
name implies, are very sharply pointed, the outer feathers
being much shorter than those in the middle. Length 5.85.
Breeding Range—From South Carolina along the coast to New
Hampshire.
The nest is placed on the ground in the sedge or grass in or
near the salt marshes ; it is built of dry sea-weed and grasses,
fine grasses being used for the lining. 4 or 5 eggs are laid,
usually 5; they are white or whitish with numerous fine brown
or reddish spots chiefly at the larger end. Size—.77 x .55. See
Fig. 1, Plate B.
The Sharp-tailed Sparrow resembles the seaside sparrow in its
choice of locality, being found always near the salt water, choosing
for its nesting place either the brackish or salt-water swamps, or
45
Open Nests on the Ground
the sandy ground near the swamps, where it may be seen running
in and out among the coarse grass, more like a mouse than a bird.
Great care should be observed in identifying the nests, as they
may easily be mistaken for the nests of the seaside sparrow, both
birds generally breeding near each other in the same swamp.
The eggs of the sharp-tailed sparrow are somewhat smaller and
more finely marked ; the nest is usually placed where it is rather
drier ; it is also more bulky.
The breeding season lasts from May to late July, two broods
being reared during that period. The young may be found until
well into August.
550. Seaside Sparrow: Ammodramus maritimus (Wils.)
Adult—General appearance dusky gray ; upper parts grayish ; tail
brown with narrow, sharply pointed feathers ; throat and
breast gray, slightly streaked with darker gray ; belly white,
shading into gray at sides ; light yellow patch in front of eye
and at bend of wing ; the toes are rather long, and the bill is
long and slightly thicker than the sharp-tailed sparrow’s,
though much the same shape. Length—6.oo.
Breeding Range—Along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina
northward, rarely on the coast of Massachusetts.
Nest, resembling closely that of the sharp-tailed sparrow, only
not so bulky, placed on the ground in or near brackish or salt water
swamps, built of reeds and grasses lined with fine grass. Usually
4 eggs are laid; they are white or whitish, finely speckled with
light reddish brown and lilac. Size—.80 x .63. See Fig. 11,
Plate B.
All that has been said of the sharp-tailed sparrow applies
equally to these lovers of the sea-coast. In exceptional cases the
nests are said to be found arched over.
550a. Scott’s Seaside Sparrow: A. m. peninsulz Allen
This is a southern sub-species of the seaside sparrow, being
found from the more northern parts of Florida on the Atlantic
coast to South Carolina, and on the Gulf coast from Florida to
Texas. The most noticeable difference is in the dark streaks on
46
NEST AND EGGS OF FIELD SPARROW ON GROUND IN FIELD OF DEAD GRASS
Open Nests on the Ground
the breast and sides, which are much more sharply defined in the
southern variety. The nesting habits are described as being
identical.
552. Lark Sparrow: Chondestes grammacus (Say)
Adult—Head reddish brown with a whitish line through crown
and over the eye ; upper parts ashy brown with dark streaks ;
tail feathers dark brown with white tips ; under parts white
or whitish, a black line on either side of throat, and a black
spot on breast. Length—6.25.
Breeding Range—‘‘ Throughout the Mississippi Valley, from east-
ern Texas and Louisiana on the south to lowa and southern
Michigan on the north.”” Accidental on the Atlantic coast.
The nest is usually placed on the ground in prairie land or
pastures ; it is made of grasses, twigs, and fine roots, lined with
hairs. 3 to 4, and not more than 5, eggs are laid. In some cases
they are said to resemble closely the eggs of the Baltimore oriole,
though as a rule the markings, consisting of very dark brown and
lilac scrawl-like lines, are more confined to the larger end ; the
ground colour is white, sometimes tinged with blue or buff. Size—
pSOL x O3-m See hiss ao i blaterbs
The Lark Sparrow, Lark Finch, Quailbird, or Road-bird, as he
is variously named, has scarcely the right to be called a resident
of the Eastern States, being but an occasional visitor. In localities
where they are regular residents they are said to “‘ often repair the
nests of the mocking-bird and orchard oriole with a lining of
grass, horse hairs, etc.” Their eggs have also been found ‘‘in
the nest of the scissor-tailed flycatcher,’ and though occasionally
the nest is built in bushes or even trees, it is usually on the
ground. The breeding season lasts from May to July.
558. White-throated Sparrow: Zonotrichia _ albicollis
(Gmel.)
Eggs white, tinged with either blue or yellow, with fine
marks and heavy blotches of various browns.
See Page 60, Chapter II.
47
Open Nests on the Ground
5683. Field Sparrow: Spizella pusilla (Wils.)
Adul¢t—Upper parts light chestnut brown, finely streaked with
brown ; under parts light buff shading into white on the
belly ; di// pinkish. Length—5.68.
‘“Young in first plumage have breast streaked with
black.” (Chapman.)
Breeding Range—From South Carolina to Canada.
The nest, which is placed either on the ground or in low
bushes, is built of grass, fine roots, and occasionally leaves, with
the lining of hair or fine grass. 3 to 5 eggs are laid, varying con-
siderably in their colour and markings ; some eggs have the ground
colour, which is white or greenish white, nearly covered with
small reddish spots—rarely blotches—while others have scarcely
any spots. Size—.70 x .52. See Fig. 5, Plate B.
These delightful little sparrows are easily recognised by the
distinctive reddish or coral-coloured bill and by the long light
chestnut tail. They lay their eggs about May 1st near New York,
laying two or three sets during the season, which lasts with them
until late July. The nests may be found in the open fields, in
thickets, and sometimes in scrubby clearings ; they are, as a rule,
placed on the ground, or ina tussock of either green or dead
grass. In some places, however, they are most often to be found
in low bushes. While on the nests these birds are usually averse
to human visitors ; they glide off quietly through the grass, flying
up when at some distance to a bush or tall weed, where they give
utterance to their anxious little note of reproach. Their song,
though small in volume, is decidedly sweet in tone ; it may be
heard most often in the early hours of the morning, almost before
dawn, or late in the afternoon and evening.
567. Snowbird; Junco: Junco hyemailis (Linn.)
Eggs greenish or bluish white with fine spots and some-
times blotches of reddish brown and lilac, chiefly in a wreath
round the larger end.
See Page 61, Chapter II.
48
SONG SPARROW'S NEST
———————— ee —e
Open Nests on the Ground
581. Song Sparrow: Melospiza fasciata (Gmel.)
Aduit—Upper parts rich brown streaked with black, the head
having a light gray line in the centre, either side of the crown
being brown ; throat and breast light gray, with brown
marks which usually form an irregular blotch on the breast.
Length—. 30.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States. ‘‘ East of the
Alleghanies, it breeds from South Carolina north to the Brit-
ish provinces.”
The nest varies greatly both as to the materials used in its
construction and to where it is placed ; sometimes it is a bulky
structure of coarse grass, weeds, leaves, and bark, lined with hair,
being as much as two and a half inches deep inside, and then
again it may be a flimsy, shallow affair made of grass and lined
with fine grass ; it is placed on the ground, in open fields or in
woody places, or it is sometimes built in bushes as high as five
feet from the ground. The eggs vary greatly, both as to colour
and size, ranging from .76 to .85 in length and from .55 to .60 in
diameter ; the ground colour is white, sometimes tinged with
green or blue, with irregular brownish blotches and markings,
which in some cases nearly conceal the ground colour. See Fig.
4, Plate B.
The Song Sparrow shows a nature of such extraordinary
adaptability to all sorts of conditions that in this one respect he
proves himself to be a remarkable little character—a character very
well worth studying. Everything about him is made and done
with apparently but little regard to rules of any kind. Each sea-
son he rears an indefinite number of families, ranging from one to
four. The nests are made in various sizes, of various materials,
and built in any sort of place, from an old tin can to a hole in a
tree, but usually either on the ground or ina bush ; if on the
ground it may be in a fine large breezy meadow, where the ground
is dry, or on the top of a tussock in a swampy thicket.
The time for singing his familiar song varies greatly both as
to hour and season ; one must not be surprised if at any hour of
the day or night his song is heard, whether it be on a bleak March
day or when the trees have taken on the glories of the rich au-
tumn colouring ; time and place matter but little to this happy
songster. Nesting begins about May Ist.
4 49
Open Nests on the Ground
588. Lincoln’s Sparrow: Melospiza lincolni (Aud.)
Eggs greenish white or brownish white spotted and blotched
with lavender and chestnut or brown, more thickly at the larger
end.
See Page 62, Chapter II.
604. Dickcissel; Black-throated Bunting: Spiza
americana (Gmel.)
Adult &—Forehead yellowish ; head gray ; back brownish, dark
streaked ; yellow line over and back of eye and on side of
throat ; throat white with black patch; breast yellow shad-
ing into white on the belly.
Adult 9 —General colour duller, with black patch on throat.
Length—6.0oo.
Breeding Range—‘‘From Texas to Minnesota” (Recent Eastern
Records).
The nest may be found either on the ground in ofen fields
and prairies or in bushes or trees ; it is built of ‘‘ leaves, g.asses,
rootlets, corn-husks, and weed stems ; the lining is of fine grass
and often horse hair.” 3 to 5 pale blue eggs are laid. Size—
.80 x .60.
In Iowa the nesting season begins in May, continuing until
August.
705. Brown Thrasher: Harporhynchus rufus (Linn.)
Aduilt—Upper parts bright orange-brown or rufous ; under parts
white with black spots forming longitudinal streaks ; bill
long with downward curve ; the tail is over five inches long.
Length—11.42.
Breeding Range—From the Gulf States to Canada.
The nest is placed indiscriminately on the ground or in low
bushes ; it is rather bulky and roughly made of twigs, vine ten-
drils, roots, bark, and leaves, ‘‘lined with horse hair and a few
feathers’’ (Davie). Those that I have found in New Jersey were in
every case lined with fine black rootlets. 3 to 5 and rarely 6 eggs
50
GNNOYDS 3HL NO YSHSVYYHL NMOYS 3O LSAN YSHSVYHL NMOYS 4O SODA ANY LSAN
Open Nests on the Ground
are laid ; they are whitish, bluish, or greenish, with numerous
fine light brown specks evenly distributed, Size—1.08 x .80,
See Fig. 8, Plate B.
The Brown Thrasher is also known under the names of
Ground Thrush, Brown Thrush, and in Virginia he is known as
the Sandy Mocking-bird, and further south as the French Mocking-
bird. In some localities they prefer bushes and thickets, while
in others they build almost exclusively on the ground. My own
experience has been that most of the nests were found on the
ground, near tall weeds, in an open field; very few were in bushes.
While on the nest these birds, like their relatives the wrens,
sit very close, allowing themselves to be almost caught, but once
they leave the nest their manner changes and they become in-
tensely noisy, making a great pretence of attacking the intruder,
uttering repeatedly their harsh, scolding note.
During the very early hours of the morning or late in the
afternoon the brown thrasher may be seen perched on the top-
most branch of a tree, singing a song, full and rich in tone, re-
sembling somewhat that of the European song thrush.
The nesting season begins about the second week in May.
6t
Chapter II
OPEN NESTS IN WOODS, THICKETS, SWAMPY
THICKETS
289. Bob-white; Quail: Colinus virginianus (Linn.)
White eggs.
See Page 35, Chapter I.
289a. Florida Quail: Colinus virginianus floridanus
(Coues)
White eggs.
See Page 36, Chapter I.
298. Canada Grouse; Spruce Partridge: Dendragapus
canadensis (Linn.)
Adult 6—General colour dark grayish brown or nearly black,
barred on the back ; breast mottled with whitish and buff,
excepting lower part of breast, which is black tipped with
white. Bright red skin over eye.
Adult 9 —Upper parts lighter than in the 6. Length—15.00.
Breeding Range—The more northern parts of New England and
New York, northward.
The nest, which is carefully hidden, generally beneath a
low-lying spruce branch, is composed of leaves, dry ferns, moss,
twigs, and sometimes weedy grass, placed on somewhat swampy
ground in the dense northern forest. The eggs, numbering from
8 to 16, are buff-coloured, with irregular blotches and spots of
brown. Size—1.71 x 1.22.
The Canada Grouse, or Spruce Partridge as it is more com-
monly called, is an inhabitant of the dense forest region of the
more northern parts of Maine and New York inthe United States,
$2
NEST AND EGGS OF RUFFED GROUSE
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
and in Canada as far north as the arctic timber line, where it lives a
secluded life among the trees—spruce, larches, and fir trees being
its favourites.
As a game bird it is fairly well known, though its extreme
tameness renders it by no means an exciting quarry. So tame is
it that in some places it has been caught by means of a noose
attached to the end of a fishing-rod. During the breeding season
this bird drums, after the manner of the ruffed grouse.
In Maine they breed in May. Incubation occupies 17 days.
800. Ruffed Grouse: Bonasa umbellus (Linn.)
Adult 6 —General colour yellowish brown or rusty ; upper parts
mottled with black and gray ; under parts light buff to
white or buffy white on the belly, with irregular dark mot-
tled bars, which are more pronounced on the breast and at
the sides ; on either side of the neck are large tufts of black
feathers, which may be distended at will.
Adult 2 —Somewhat lighter than the ¢, and with very small
tufts on the neck. Length—17.00.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from the higher
regions of Georgia northward.
The nest is on the ground, usually at the base of a tree,
sometimes against a fallen log or under a bush. It is made of
dead leaves with a few feathers, and is either very shallow or
fully five inches deep inside. From 8 to 14 and rarely 16 eggs are
laid ; they are creamy white, often much stained, and sometimes
speckled with brown. Size—1.56 x 1.13.
Under the different names of Ruffed Grouse, Pheasant, and
Partridge this bird is well known to all sportsmen as perhaps the
finest of our Eastern game birds. Its extraordinary habit of
drumming has been the cause of many a surprise, and even of
fright, to the novice, who, not knowing whence the sound pro-
ceeded, has attributed it to all sorts of wild and ferocious animals.
That it is really made by a bird is hard to believe. The sound is
made by the rapid striking of the wings either against the sides
of the body or against the air (this is a much-disputed question)
while the bird is standing on a fallen tree or a low bush ; and
though this is the mating call, it may be heard throughout the
shooting season in Maine and probably elsewhere.
53
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
The nesting season in the neighbourhood of New York begins
about April 25th. The period of incubation occupies about 18
days, the young leaving the nest as soon as hatched, and after a
few days being able to fly.
When the old bird is driven from her nest she starts off with
one or both wings, and perhaps a leg, apparently broken, and
after scrambling on the ground for a few yards, she scales along
until about a hundred feet away, and then takes flight. If she is
found with her brood of chicks she acts in a most remarkable
manner, either attacking the disturber or else feigning complete
powerlessness, thus diverting attention long enough to enable
the young to hide.
Near where I am now living (South Orange, N. J.) the
woodsmen say that the partridge always build at the foot of a
white oak. There seems to be some truth in the saying, so far
as this immediate neighbourhood is concerned, as all the nests I
have seen hereabouts were at the foot of white oaks.
300a. Canadian Ruffed Grouse: B. u. togata (Linn.)
This is a sub-species of the ruffed grouse. Its grayish instead
of buffy or rusty colour on the back, and the bars being more dis-
tinct on the under parts, especially on the belly, are the chief
points of variance.
Breeding Range—Northern New York, Maine, and Vermont, north-
wards.
These birds vary greatly in colour; in some instances they
may be mistaken for the common ruffed grouse, as specimens
showing all the intermediate gradations of colour have been
taken.
306. Heath Hen: Tympanuchus cupido (Linn.)
These birds bear a close resemblance to the prairie hen, the
principal difference being in the neck tufts, which are pointed
instead of rounded. Length—18.oo.
Breeding Range—Martha’s Vineyard.
Nest on the ground; eggs brownish drab or buff. Size—
1.73 X 1.29.
54
—
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
The Heath Hen is almost extinct, being restricted to the
island of Martha’s Vineyard, where they are ‘‘in imminent
danger of total extinction.”
310. Wild Turkey: Meleagris gallopavo Linn.
Differing in some degree from the darker varieties of the
domestic turkey, the smaller wattles and the dark buff or chest-
nut tip to the tail coverts and tail are characteristic of the wild
bird. The adult male is very much larger than the female, weigh-
ing usually about 25 pounds, and sometimes as much as 40
pounds, while the female weighs about 8 pounds. Length of
adult ¢—48.00.
Breeding Range—Canada to Florida; extinct in New England.
The nest is built on the ground among briars and thick
weedy places. 9 to 15 eggs are laid (some writers putting the
number as high as 24). They are cream-coloured with fine brown-
ish-red spots. Size—2.55 x 1.80.
Unfortunately, the Wild Turkey is becoming so scarce that
in a few years’ time it will be a rare bird. Laws made for its
preservation were adopted too late, and in many places are utterly
disregarded, which means that the birds will become restricted
to inaccessible places, such as the large tracts of swampy wood-
land. It has never been my good fortune to find a wild turkey’s
nest, sol cannot give any original data in connection with their
breeding habits. During the mating season each male fights for
the possession of a drove of hens, varying in number from 4 to
about 8 or even more; at other times the two sexes flock to-
gether, though it is usual for the very old gobblers to remain
solitary. Mr. Davis says that when the eggs are once touched
the female will abandon her nest.
810b. Florida Wild Turkey: M. g. osceola Scott.
The Florida Wild Turkey varies but little from the more
northern species, being somewhat smaller, darker in colour, and
has irregular white markings on the wings in place of the wide
white bars.
Breeding Range—Southern Florida.
55
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
The breeding habits are described as almost identical with
those of the northern wild turkey.
These magnificent birds are still fairly common in parts of
Florida, though much less so than they were a few years ago.
When I was in southern Florida in 1892 I sometimes saw in one
day as many as seven droves, numbering in all from twenty-five to
forty birds. During the seventeen days I camped out I secured
thirty-two specimens without very much trouble. This was
just before the mating season. The droves contained from three
to nine birds, and where both sexes were together the males
were usually birds of the previous year. The older males were
most often in flocks of about three, with no hens ; the very old
gobblers were invariably solitary. The males ranged in weight
from eight pounds (yearling birds) to twenty-three pounds. The
hens weighed rather under seven and a half pounds.
8316. Mourning Dove: Zenaidura macroura (Linn.)
Eggs white.
See Page 133, Chapter VIII.
8317. Zenaida Dove: Zenaida zenaida (Bonap.)
Eggs white.
See Page 133, Chapter VIII.
320. Ground Dove; Mourning Dove: Columbigallina
passerina terrestris Chapm.
Adult @—Various shades of ‘‘dove colour” ; breast somewhat
spotted ; iridescent feathers forward of the shoulder ; bill
red.
Adult 2—Grayer. Length—6.75.
Breeding Range—The Gulf States and Florida, north to North
Carolina.
The nest is aflimsy structure of twigs, with sometimes straw
or pine needles. It is placed either on the ground or in bushes,
rarely at any height from the ground. 2 white eggs are laid.
Size—.85 x .65.
The Ground Dove is easily recognised from its size alone, it
56
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
being much the smallest of our native doves. As its name im-
plies, it spends the greater part of its time on the ground, where
it may be seen moving its head, while walking or running, after
the habit of the domestic pigeon.
The nests are usually near cultivated land, frequently in
abandoned gardens or yards, and though the ground is perhaps
the favourite place for building, yet bushes, trees, or even tree
stumps are sometimes chosen. The breeding season lasts from
April to July ; eggs have been taken as late as October, but this
is probably quite exceptional.
822. Quail Dove: Geotrygon martinica (Linn),
Eggs white or buffy white.
See Page 133, Chapter VIII.
325. Turkey Vulture; Turkey Buzzard: Cathartes aura
(Linn.)
Adult—Black tinged with brown ; head and neck red, bare of
feathers. Length—About 30.00.
Breeding Range—From New Jersey southward; accidental in New
England.
The eggs are laid inside a hollow log or stump, or on the
ground, often beneath palmetto or small bushes in fairly open
places, or among rocks; the eggs are yellowish or grayish white,
splashed with chocolate and black, chiefly at the larger end ; the
number varies from 1 to 4. Size—2.75 x 1.90. See Fig. 1, Plate A.
These birds, so graceful in flight yet so awkward when on
the ground, are perhaps the most useful of the southern birds ;
as they, with their near relatives, the black vultures, are the scay-
engers that leave no track or trace of anything that might pollute
the air. The question, on which so much has been written and
which has, I believe, never been satisfactorily decided, is whether
it is by the sense of smell or sight that these birds discover the
whereabouts of food; that their sight is wonderful must be ad-
mitted, while their power of smelling does not appear to be at all
remarkable. It is scarcely possible that a bird flying at a height
that renders him scarcely visible to the naked eye, and which
57
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
must be at least several thousand feet, should be able to get the
scent of anything on the earth while the wind is blowing at the
rate of fifteen or twenty miles an hour ; yet when | have skinned
a small animal and thrown down the body, the birds, that were
seen to be flying at an immense height, immediately descended
and attacked the carcass. Another time, in order to test their
olfactory nerves, I took an alligator that had been dead several
days, and at night cut it in half ; the one-half was hidden by a
piece of sacking. These two pieces were placed about thirty feet
apart, and in the morning both black vultures and turkey vul-
tures were there in numbers. After finishing the exposed half,
they jumped about after their usual fashion and actually stood
upon the covered portion, but its presence was not discovered by
them. Surely, if they had such a highly developed sense of smell,
they would not have acted in this way.
The young are covered with white down for some time after
being hatched, and if handled have the disagreeable habit of dis-
gorging offensive matter ; so it is advisable to leave them alone.
The breeding season begins in April.
826. Black Vulture: Catharista atrata (Bartr.)
Adult—Black ; the head and neck black, and bare of feathers.
Breeding Range—North Carolina and the lower Mississippi Valley,
southward.
The nest, of which there is but a trace, is placed on the
ground beneath scrubby growth, in hollow prostrate logs, on
stumps, or among rocks. 2 or 3, usually 2 eggs, are laid ; they
vary greatly in colour; the average is dull white or pale blue,
rather heavily spotted and blotched with dark brown and choco-
late of various shades. Size—3.00 x 2.00.
The Black Vulture resembles in general characteristics its
near relation the turkey buzzard, but it is not as common inland.
The nesting habits of both species are very similar. These birds
usually make a path to their nests, along which they jump in an
awkward manner. The male assists in the tedious duty of incu-
bating, which occupies about twenty-eight or thirty days.
The breeding season commences about the end of February
or the beginning of March.
58
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
416. Chuck-will’s-widow: Antrostomus carolinensis
(Gmel.)
Breeding Range—From Virginia southward ; most common in
Florida.
This is a variety of the whip-poor-will breeding in the
warmer parts of the country. In general appearance it is much
the same, being somewhat larger, lighter in colour, and having
hair-like branches to the bristles at the base of the bill. Length
—12.00.
The eggs, two in number, are placed on the bare ground or
on leaves in thickets or woods. They are white or buff, mar-
bled with pale brown and lilac blotches and spots. Size—1.40
x 1.00. See Fig. 5, Plate A.
One of the most peculiar things about this bird is its habit of
carrying its eggs, or young, from place to place, inside its enor-
mous mouth. In its habits it resembles the more northern spe-
cies ; the notes are slightly different, having one more syllable.
The nesting season begins about the first week in April.
417. Whip-poor-will: Antrostomus vociferus (Wils.)
Adult 6—The general colour is a mixture of rich browns, buff,
gray, and black, with a white or whitish band below the
throat, and white ends to the three outer tail feathers ;
mouth very large, with bristles at base of bill. The middle
toe is toothed on the inner side.
Adult 2 —Has the white replaced by cream colour. Length—9.75.
Breeding Range—Throughout the northeastern States.
The eggs are laid on the ground, generally among dry leaves,
with no pretence of a nest. The ground colour is creamy white
or grayish, with dark or very faint lilac and brown markings and
spots ; only two eggs are laid. Size—1.18 x .84.
There are few common eggs more difficult to find than those
of the Whip-poor-will. The bird matches to perfection, both in
colour and marking, the surroundings chosen for the nesting, or
I should perhaps say the ground on which the eggs are depos-
ited, there being no nest. The eggs also are decidedly incon-
59
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
spicuous. The place generally chosen is in the dark woods,
where the ground is thickly strewn with dead leaves. The birds
look like large bats or moths as they glide away in noiseless flight
among the trees, to perch lengthways on a horizontal branch,
becoming, to all appearance, part of the bark. In order to find
the eggs, it is advisable to use a dog ; otherwise it is a most dis-
couraging task. As the birds remove the eggs if they have been
handled, it is as well to secure them at the time of finding,
as otherwise they may have disappeared when the place is re-
visited. The young are said to ‘‘run about much like young
partridge.”
In New Jersey the eggs are deposited about June Ist.
558. White-throated Sparrow: Zonotrichia albicollis
(Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts reddish brown streaked with black ; head
black on either side of crown, white between and below the
streaks ; throat white ; yellow between bill and eye, and at
bend of wing ; under parts gray. :
Immature—Breast darker, almost spotted; throat whit-
ish, with two undefined lines ; the white on the head re-
placed by a grayish colour. Length—6.74.
Breeding Range—From northern Michigan and northern New
York and northern New England, northward.
The nest is usually placed on the ground in woodland, or
sometimes in open pasture land, and occasionally built in a bush
or among the branches of a fallen tree. It is made of grasses,
weeds, fine roots, and moss, with a lining of fine grass. 4 or
5 eggs are laid; they have the ground colour varying from white
to bluish, or sometimes yellowish white, with fine marks and
heavy blotches of different shades of brown. Size—.79 x .61 to
BOO) 04, Seceuhiga 7 blateubs
Next to the white-crowned sparrow, the Peabody-bird or
White-throated Sparrow is the handsomest of the sparrows that
visit our Eastern States, but he is known to most of us only as
an autumn and spring visitor—ever welcome with his plaintive
little song.
In New England the breeding season commences about
June rst.
60 .
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
567. Snowbird; Junco: Junco hyemalis (Linn.)
Adult § —Dark slate colour with slight brownish tinge, except the
lower part of breast and belly, which, together with the outer
tail feathers, is white.
Adult 2 —ls less decided and lighter in colour. Length—6.27.
“Young in first plumage resemble the adults, but have the
upper parts, throat, and breast streaked with black.” (Chap-
man.)
Breeding Range—The more northern parts of New England, New
York, and Pennsylvania, southward along the Alleghanies to
Virginia.
The nest may be found among the roots of a fallen tree, in
crevices of banks, or in bushes, but usually it is on the ground in
a tangle of undergrowth. It is built of dry grass and moss, well
lined with fine grass and hair. The eggs are greenish or bluish
white with fine spots and sometimes blotches of reddish purple-
brown and lilac, chiefly in a wreath round the larger end. Size
—.76 x .56. See Fig. 14, Plate C.
Most of us have met this quiet-coloured bird, but only when
nearly all of our summer birds have gone to warmer climes ; he
then frequents the vicinity of dwellings, spending most of his
time either on the roadside or in places where he can find the
seeds that form his winter food. During the breeding season few
of us are fortunate enough to see him, as he betakes himself to
higher altitudes or to the more northern parts of New England.
In Ontario the Snowbird is said to begin nesting ‘‘ the first week
of May, and nests with eggs are found as late as August.”” Minot
says that in the White Mountains they lay their eggs in June.
567e. Carolina Snowbird or Junco: J. h. carolinensis
Brewst.
Resembles the common snowbird, but is slightly larger and
is without the brownish tinge to the slate colour of the head,
breast, and back.
Breeding Range—The southern part of the Alleghanies, in Virginia
and the Carolinas.
The nest is described as being similar to that of the common
61
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
snowbird, but larger, and built of coarser materials ; the eggs
are similar but larger.
The habits during the breeding season do not differ materi-
ally from those of the preceding species ; the nests being found in
bushes, trees, on the ground in open fields, in thickets, and in
banks. Two sets of eggs are laid, the first being laid in May.
575. Pine-woods Sparrow: Peucza eestivalis (Licht.)
Adult—Resembling somewhat the field sparrow in shape, having
the tail rather long ; upper parts warm brown or chestnut
streaked with black, the individual feathers being edged with
gray ; breast ash-coloured, occasionally spotted with black ;
belly white or whitish ; bend of wing yellow ; the outer tail
feathers are very short. Length—5.8o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the piney woods of southern Georgia
and Florida.
The nest is placed on the ground in the pine woods, amongst
the scrub or saw palmetto; it is a compact structure of fine grasses.
3 to 4 white eggs are laid in May or June. Size—.72 x .61.
As far as I know, not a great deal of data has been collected
in connection with the breeding habits of this little sparrow. Its
nest is difficult to find, owing to the vastness of the area of suit-
able country and to the fact that it is carefully hidden among the
palmetto, which in itself forms an adequate protection. Mr.
Chapman considers the song of this bird superior to that of any
of our northern sparrows.
581. Song Sparrow: Melospiza fasciata (Gmel.)
Eggs white tinged with green or blue, with irregular
brownish blotches.
See Page 49, Chapter I.
583. Lincoln’s Sparrow: Melospiza lincolnii (Aud.)
Adult—Upper parts grayish brown streaked with black and
darker brown; the tail has short outer feathers; under
parts gray and cream colour slightly streaked with black,
and a buff band on breast, which should serve to distinguish
62
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
it from other sparrows of somewhat similar appearance.
Length—5.75.
Breeding Range—Not very far south of the northern border of the
ee States, and in the high mountain regions further
south.
These nests, which are not very often seen, are placed on the
ground, much after the manner of the song sparrow’s ; they are
““composed entirely of grasses.” The eggs, 3 to 5 in number,
are greenish white or brownish white, spotted and blotched with
lavender and chestnut or brown, more thickly so at the larger
end. Size—.80 x .59.
The habit of skulking through the grass or bushes, so marked
in this sparrow, renders him inconspicuous, and consequently he
is often thought to be much less common than he really is. In
Colorado eggs have been taken in June and July.
584. Swamp Sparrow: Melospiza georgiana (Lath.)
Adult—Upper parts deep chestnut or warm brown with dark
streaks ; lower parts ashy gray ; throat white or whitish
gray. Length—5.8o.
Breeding Range—The northern United States, northward.
The nest is placed in a tussock of grass, usually in a swamp,
marshy thicket, or damp meadow, rarely in a low bush; it is
made of grasses, lined with fine grass and sometimes horse-hair.
4 or 5 eggs are laid ; they resemble the eggs of the song spar-
row, but are more broadly and less distinctly blotched ; they
vary greatly in their markings, which are chocolate or reddish
brown, the ground colour being white slightly tinged with green,
yellow, or pinkish brown. Size—.80 x .60. See Fig. 15,
Plate C.
The Swamp Sparrow is very frequently confused with its
near relation, the song sparrow; the duller and more uniform
colour of the pack, the absence of dark streaks on the under parts,
and the patch on the breast should serve to distinguish it. The
fact that it flies without jerking its tail is also worth remember-
ing. By any one who has sufficient perseverance the nest may
be found from about the middle of May ; it is carefully hidden in
the rank swamp growth. Two sets of eggs are laid.
63
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
587. Towhee; Chewink: Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Head, throat, breast, and back black ; tail black with
white tips to the three outer feathers ; side bright chestnut ;
belly white ; the eye has the iris red.
Adult 2 —The parts that in the male are black are replaced by
brown. Length—8.35. ‘‘ Young in first plumage have the
back and under parts streaked with black.” (Chapman.)
Breeding Range—Georgia, northward to Canada, westward as far
as eastern Dakota.
The nest is rather large and roughly made of dead leaves, fine
roots, grass, twigs, grape-vine bark and tendrils, and lined with
fine grass and roots. It is placed on the ground or in exceptional
cases in bushes. Damp or dry woods, sunny slopes, thickets, or
thick grassy clearings may be chosen for the nesting place. 4 and
sometimes 5 eggs are laid; they are white, or white tinged with
pink or blue, speckled and rarely blotched with brown, chestnut,
and lilac, chiefly at the larger end. Size—.95 x .72. See Fig. 8,
Plate C.
These birds, so spick and span in their fine plumage, are
conspicuous only by their peculiar note, which sounds something
like the word ‘‘chewink,” pronounced with a rising inflection.
They may be seen in the thickets or scrubby woods or in brush
heaps, ever alert and on the move, jumping from twig to twig,
or scratching vigorously among the dead leaves, creating as much
bustle and disturbance as would a barn-yard hen. Their nest is
so arranged that it is exceedingly difficult to find, the materials
used in its construction corresponding both in colour and texture
with the immediate surroundings. When near their home the
birds are silent, unless you happen to find and disturb the nest,
when both male and female join together in making the most
piteous cries. The eggs are laid about the second week in May;
probably but one brood is reared. Chewinks are also known as
Ground Robins and Jorees.
587a. White-eyed Chewink: P. e. alleni Coues
Breeding Range—Florida and southeastern part of South Carolina.
The White-eyed Towhee differs from the northern bird in
being somewhat smaller, in having only two instead of three of
64
NEST OF THE WORM-EATING WARBLER IN A BANK
|
:
‘
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
the tail feathers tipped with white, and in having, as, the name
indicates, the iris of the eye nearly white. Length—8.oo.
In most respects the habits of these two birds are very simi-
lar ; the nest of the white-eyed is perhaps more frequently built in
bushes, and pine needles, in addition to the other materials, are
used in its construction. The eggs are bluish white, unmarked,
or ‘‘thickly speckled with pinkish-vinaceous and pearl gray”’
(Davie).
6386. Black and White Warbler or Creeper: Mniotilta
varia (Linn.)
Adult é —Streaked all over with black and white, except middle
of belly, which is white.
Adult 9 —Very similar, but with almost imperceptible brownish
tinge. Length—s. 30.
eee een States, from Virginia and Kansas north-
ward.
The nests are built on the ground except in very rare in-
stances, when they are placed in holes in trees (Minot). The ma-
terial used consists of leaves, grass, fine roots, and thin strips of
bark, with the lining of hairs. The eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are
white, spotted with brown and purple, most of the spots forming
a wreath around the larger end. Size—.65x.55. See Fig. 17,
Plate C.
It is impossible to confound these warblers with any other
of their family ; the colour alone is quite distinctive, as also is their
method of creeping along the tree trunks or branches. This is
done by no other warbler, except to a very limited extent by the
worm-eating. The nuthatches and brown creeper also ‘‘creep,’’
but with these there is no chance of confusion. The nests are
carefully concealed, generally at the foot of a tree, under a log or
projecting stone, in thickly wooded places. The eggs are laid
about the third week in May.
639. Worm-eating Warbler: Helmintherus vermivorus
(Gmel.)
Adu/t—Buff line through centre of crown and above the eye,
black lines on either side of crown and back of eye ; upper
parts greenish buff ; under parts buff. Length—5.51.
5 65
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
Breeding Range—Eastern States, from southern New England
southward.
The nest is composed of leaves, weed stems, strips of bark,
lined with fine roots and occasionally hair ; it is placed on the
ground at the foot of a tree, under a log or in a slight depression
or hole in a bank. Usually it is in hilly woodland, but some-
times a more open place is chosen. The eggs, 3 to 5 in number,
are white or pinkish white, with fine spots of cinnamon and
purplish brown, chiefly at the larger end. Size—.72 x .58.
Should you happen to venture at all near to the nest of the
Worm-eating Warbler, she will tell you of its proximity by falling
on the ground with seemingly broken wings, and apparently on
the verge of death from some unknown cause ; she will even roll
over and over down the side of a hill while in this condition, in
the hope of luring you away from her home, which is usually
concealed with the utmost care. When on the nest the parent
bird will almost allow herself to be caught, so close does she sit.
As a rule, these warblers live and feed on or very near the
ground, most frequently in damp woods or thickets, but I have
seen them creeping along the overhanging branches somewhat
after the manner of the black-and-white creeper. Ido not, how-
ever, think this is a common habit, as I have seldom seen it done.
The nesting season commences towards the end of May in the
vicinity of New York.
641. Blue-Winged Warbler: Helminthophila pinus
(Linn.)
Adult 4 —Upper parts light olive green ; wings and tail bluish ;
wing shows two broken white bars ; crown and under
parts brilliant yellow. The black line in front and back of
the eye is a distinctive feature.
Adult 2 —Under parts somewhat less bright. Length—4.80. The
young in first plumage are nearly as bright as the adult °.
Breeding Range—Eastern States, from Connecticut and southern
New York southward.
The nest is placed on the ground in clearings, scrubby
places, and in the undergrowth of woodland or second growth.
It varies greatly, being sometimes a very rough structure of
66
NEST OF BLUE-WINGED WARBLER ON GROUND IN DAMP SCRUB
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Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
coarse grass, weeds, leaves, bark, and tendrils, and sometimes a
compact and well-made nest of the same materials. to 6 eggs
are laid ; they are white, with very few spots of brownish red,
except round the larger end, where they are more numerous.
Size—.62 x .51.
Although in some places this warbler is very common, the
nest is always hard to find. I have seen as many as twenty
pairs of these birds in a day during the breeding season, and yet
not one nest could I find. When the young are hatched it is, of
course, much more easy to find the nest, as the female may then
be seen carrying food to them. As far as I have been able to
ascertain by observation, the female alone supplies the young
with food, the male usually accompanying her until within a
short distance of the nest, or even to the nest itself, but I have
never seen him carry food. When these birds are seen to be
very much excited there is every reason for believing that the
young, which in all probability have very recently left the nest,
are not far away ; they may easily be found, as the parent birds
(both male and female take part in feeding the young after they
have left the nest) feed them constantly. Near New York nest-
ing begins about the third week in May.
642. Golden-winged Warbler: Helminthophila
chrysoptera (Linn.)
Adult 6—Head : Crown bright yellow ; a white line over the
eye, then comes a broad black line, level with and below
the eye, then a wide white line on either side of the throat,
which is black ; upper parts grayish; wings bluish gray,
with yellow patch; breast and belly white, shading into
gray at the sides.
Adult? —Duller in colour, dark gray taking the place of the black.
Length—5. 10.
Breeding Range—‘‘ Georgia, North and South Carolina” in the
more elevated parts, northward to the more southern parts
of New England, also in ‘‘ Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Mich-
igan, and is a rather common summer resident of Ohio.”
The nest may be found either on the ground or in low
bushes, usually the former ; it is built of grass, strips of bark, fine
roots, and leaves—the leaves being generally outside and under-
neath ; lining of fine grass. The eggs, 4 to 6 in number, are
67
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
white with brownish and lilac spots, mostly at the larger end,
where they form an irregular wreath. Size—.62 x .48.
Golden-winged Warblers generally choose rather damp
places for their nests, something after the manner of the Maryland
yellow-throats or blue-winged warblers ; second-growth clear-
ings and such like scrubby places suit their fancy.
Intergradations between the golden-winged warbler and
blue-winged warbler are considered hybrids, and are known as
Brewster’s warbler (Helminthophila leucobronchialis [Brewst. ]})
and Lawrence’s warbler (Helminthophila lawrence [Herrick ]).
645. Nashville Warbler: Helminthophila ruficapilla
(Wils.)
Adul/—Head bluish gray with chestnut patch on crown ; rest of
upper parts light olive green ; under parts light yellow ; no
white on any part. Length—4.77.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Northern States, from northern
Illinois to Long Island, northward.
The nest is composed of leaves, strips of bark, moss, fine
roots, lined with fine grass and often hair; sometimes pine
needles are used almost exclusively. It is placed on the ground
in open woods, in second-growth woods, and in shrubbery. The
eggs are white, thinly or thickly speckled, mostly at the larger
end, rarely blotched, with cinnamon brownand lilac. 3 to 5 are
laid. Size—.63 x .48.
In Massachusetts the nesting season begins ‘‘ about the first
of June.”
675. Water-thrush: Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmel.)
Eggs white with rather large spots or markings of cinna-
mon brown or hazel, more thickly distributed about the larger
end.
See Page 91, Chapter V.
675a. Grinnell’s Water-thrush: S. n. notabilis (Ridgw.)
Eggs identical with those of the water-thrush.
See Page 91, Chapter V.
68
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
676. Louisiana Water-thrush: Seiurus motacilla (Vieill.)
Eggs creamy white with numerous spots and specks of
chestnut and lilac.
See page 92, Chapter V.
677. Kentucky Warbler: Geothlypis formosa (Wils.)
Adult 6—Upper parts light olive green, except the crown, which
is black ; from the bill, over and back of the eye, is a thin,
yellow line ; below it there is a black patch, which narrows
below the cheek, then again becoming slightly wider ;
under parts bright yellow.
Adult 2 —Colours rather less brilliant. Length—5.40.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from the Gulf of
Mexico to Illinois and Connecticut.
The nest is placed on the ground or among the roots of a
fallen tree, usually in woods that are more or less damp ; it is a
large structure of leaves (mostly on the outside), grasses, and fine
roots, lined with fine roots and sometimes hair. The eggs, num-
bering from 4 to 5, ‘‘rarely 6,” are white, spotted or blotched,
more so at the larger end, with varying shades of brown and
gray. Size—.73 x .57-
This bird may be easily mistaken by the novice for the Mary-
land yellow-throat, being about the same size and colour ; the
black crown and the light yellow line over the eye, together with
the fact that it wa/ks, should serve to identify it. Near New York
the eggs are laid about the end of May, in Kansas about ten
days earlier.
679. Mourning Warbler: Geothlypis philadelphia (Wils.)
Eggs white, with reddish-brown spots at the larger end.
See Page 164, Chapter VIII.
681. Maryland Yellow-throat: Geothlypis trichas (Linn.)
Adult 6—Upper parts brownish olive green ; forehead, cheeks,
and side of throat black, with a light grayish edge back of
it; breast, throat, and sides bright yellow ; belly grayish
white.
69
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
Adult 2 —Plumage duller and without the black patch; the sides
yellowish brown, shading into grayish white on the belly.
Length—s. 33.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from Georgia
northward ; westward to the plains.
The nests are usually placed on the ground; they are also
built in low bushes, in almost any kind of place; they vary greatly
both in size, shape, and in the materials used in their construction ;
they may be made of nothing but fine grass, very shallow. re-
sembling the nest of the field sparrow, or they may be very
bulky, being as much as six inches high, outside measurement,
and made of weeds, strips of bark, tendrils, grass, and leaves,
the leaves only on the outside, with the lining of fine grass and
hair. Some of the nests are made entirely of reeds and other
coarse grass. The eggs are white with fine specks or spots of
chocolate and purple, brown and lilac; the spots are not very
numerous, and are mostly at the larger end. Usually the num-
ber of eggs is 4, sometimes 5 and rarely 6. Size—.70 x .53.
See Fig. 16, Plate C.
The Maryland Yellow-throat is perhaps the most common of
our warblers during the breeding season; he may be found in
almost any thicket, but he undoubtedly prefers places that are
damp or even marshy. Wherever he is, he will be found very
much in evidence, being of an inquisitive nature and ever on the
move, hopping about among the grass or, more often, in a tangle
of low bushes.
The nest is described as difficult to find. Why, I do not quite
understand; it seems much more easy to find than most of the
other ground nests, unless it happens to be arched over, but that
is rare. | have found the nests in raspberry vines, as shown in the
accompanying illustration, but they are more oftenfound in damp,
grassy tangles. The young leave the nest when about five days
old.
681b. Florida Yellow-throat: G. t. ignota Chapm.
This bird is very similar to the preceding. The bill, tail,
and wing are longer, upper parts much browner, the black
patch larger, and the yellow rather deeper in colour on the under
parts. It is resident in the southern parts of Georgia and in
7°
NEST AND EGGS OF MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT
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Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
Florida. Nesting habits are described as being identical with
those of the more northern bird. It is also known as the Palmetto
Bird.
686. Canadian Warbler: Sylvania canadensis (Linn.)
Eggs creamy white, spotted chiefly at the larger end with
reddish brown and lilac.
See Page 92, Chapter V.
705. Brown Thrasher: Harporhynchus rufus (Linn.)
Eggs whitish, bluish, or greenish, with numerous fine light
reddish-brown specks evenly distributed.
See Page 50, Chapter I.
756. Wilson’s Thrush; Veery: Turdus fuscescens Steph.
Adult—Upper parts reddish or golden brown; under parts white
or grayish white, except the breast, which is tinged with
buff and spotted with brown. Length—7.52.
Breeding Range—‘‘ From northern Illinois and Pennsylvania to
Manitoba and Newfoundland, and southward along the
Alleghanies to North Carolina.” (Chapman.)
The nest is most commonly placed on the ground, or among
the roots of a fallen tree, rarely in bushes, and they ‘‘ have been
found in hollow trunks of trees fifteen feet from ground ” (Davie).
It is generally a well-made structure about three inches in diam-
eter by two and a half deep inside, and as much as five or six
inches deep outside. The materials used in its construction are
principally leaves and skeleton leaves, also weeds, fern stalks,
reeds, and fine roots, the inside being lined with leaves and
fine black roots. 3 to 5 eggs are laid, 3 being perhaps the most
common number. They are pale greenish blue, somewhat
darker than arobin’s eggs. Size—.87 x.64. See Fig. 11, Plate C.
The Wilson’s Thrush confines himself chiefly to the low,
damp woods, where, in some places, they are very abundant.
Their choice of residence, however, renders them almost un-
known, except to people who are directly interested in birds.
In appearance they may be said to resemble a very dull-coloured
71
Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets
wood thrush without the bright rufous tail, and the markings
on the breast are not nearly so conspicuous. Their note is very
peculiar, sounding almost like the sharpening of a scythe witha
whetstone. It is a sound that cannot be confounded with any
other bird’s note. The place chosen for nesting is on the ground
in the damp woods, not far from water as arule. The nest is
very often built at the foot of a sapling, or between the stems of
a bush, or on a mound of moss and grass, and not infrequently
in dry clearings with shrubby undergrowth. I! have never found
a nest in a bush, but | am told that such places are sometimes,
though rarely, chosen, From my experience with these denizens
of the dark, wet woods | should be inclined to believe they have
but scanty confidence in man. I have tried repeatedly, and in
vain, to secure a photograph of the sitting bird. The eggs are
laid about the third week in May.
759b. Hermit Thrush: Turdus aonalaschke pallasii
(Cab.)
Adult—Upper parts dusky olive brown; tail bright rufous; under
parts white or whitish, tinged on the breast with buff, and
marked with large dark spots. Length—7.17.
Breeding Range—From Michigan and northern New England
(including northwestern Connecticut), the higher regions of
New York, northward.
The nest is always on the ground, generally in damp, woody
places or on shrubby slopes. It resembles the nest of the Wil-
son’s thrush, but is rather larger, and pine needles and moss, as
well as leaves, roots, weeds, etc., are used in its construction.
3 or 4 eggs are laid; they are plain bluish green; in very rare cases
they are said to be spotted. Size—.88 x .69.
These birds well deserve the name given them, for their usually
solitary habits are truly hermit-like. In the deep, dark forests,
where all is hushed and quiet, the sweet sympathetic notes of
this famous songster may be heard; few other birds are there to
join with him in his song to the woods.
The Hermit Thrush need never be mistaken for any other of
the thrush family ; his rufous tail and brownish back are entirely
distinctive. In northern New England the nesting season com-
mences towards the end of May.
72
THRUSH.
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NEST OF
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Chapter III
COVERED OR ARCHED NESTS ON GROUND
Part I.—IN OPEN COUNTRY
289. Bob-white; Quail: Colinus virginianus (Linn.)
Eggs white; nest rarely and but roughly arched.
See Page 35, Chapter I.
501. Meadowlark: Sturnella magna (Linn.)
Aduit—Summer plumage: Back and head warm lightish brown,
marked with black and brown; yellow line from the bill
over the eye, dark brown line from eye to back of neck;
throat and breast bright yellow, with black crescent on
breast beginning above bend of wing; tail—outside feathers
white or partly white, middle feathers light brown with dark
transverse markings. The winter plumage is much less
brilliant. Length—1o.75.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is built on the ground in open fields, generally
where there is high grass or young grain. It is formed of grass
and is frequently arched or partly so.
The eggs, varying from 4 to6 in number, are white, speckled
chiefly at the larger end with reddish brown and lilac. Size—
1.10x.80. See Fig. 7, Plate C.
The Meadowlark’s nest is not easy to find, even where the
birds are plentiful, and unless the old bird is seen to rise from it,
and the place is then very carefully marked, many weary miles
may be walked through grassy fields without a nest being dis-
covered. Built entirely of grass, and placed in a tuft of tall grass
or grain, it is difficult to see even when the nest is an open one,
73
Covered or Arched Nests on Ground
but when arched or covered, and with a winding hidden passage
leading to the opening, which is on the side, it is decidedly
inconspicuous.
In the neighbourhood of New York the breeding season
begins early in May.
546. Yellow-winged or Grasshopper Sparrow: Ammo-
dramus savannarum passerinus (Wils.)
Eggs white or whitish, finely spotted with reddish brown.
See Page 44, Chapter I.
550. Sea-side Sparrow: Ammodramus maritimus (Wils.)
Eggs white or whitish, finely speckled with light reddish
brown and lilac.
See Page 46, Chapter I.
575. Pine-woods Sparrow: Peucza zestivalis (Licht.)
Eggs pure white.
See Page 62, Chapter II.
Part Il—ARCHED NESTS IN WOODS OR THICKETS
575a. Bachman’s Sparrow: Peucza zstivalis bachmani
(Aud.)
Adult—Upper parts rufous with dark streaks; lower parts light
brownish buff; warm gray or buff line over eye; yellow at
bend of wing; the tail has the outer feathers the shortest.
Length—5.75.
Breeding Range—The Southern States, from Kentucky and North
Carolina, and southern Illinois, southward.
The nests in all probability are invariably arched or roofed,-
with the opening well hidden on the side; grass alone is used in
their construction, with the grass tops for lining. The eggs are
white, 3 to 4 in number. Size—.75 x .60.
This sparrow resembles closely the pine-woods sparrow,
but it has no spots on the under parts, and few, sometimes none
at all, on the back. Its habits are terrestrial.
74
MOUYYYdS ‘OSONIM“MOTMISA YO ‘Y3ddOHSSVYD JO SONS GNV LSAN
1S3N G3HOUV S.HYVYTMOOVSW
Covered or Arched Nests on Ground
The places chosen for nesting are the pine or oak woods,
or scrubby open ground, seldom far from trees. The nests
are very difficult to find, owing not only to the fact that they are
carefully covered, but the bird, instead of flying up directly from
the nest, runs along the ground for some distance before taking
flight. From April to July nests may be found.
674. Golden-crowned Thrush; Oven-bird: Seiurus
aurocapillus (Linn.)
Aduit—Upper parts brownish olive; crown dull orange with
dark line on either side; under parts white, slightly tinged
with yellow, with numerous dark spots forming lines from
the throat downwards. Length—6.17.
’ Breeding Range—From Virginia and Kentucky northward, and
in the higher regions of the Carolinas.
The arched or domed nest is formed of dead leaves, skeleton
leaves, and roots, with the lining mostly of fine hair-like roots,
and sometimes hair; the opening is at the side, and is fairly large,
about three inches high; the nest is placed among dead leaves,
either on a bank or on the level ground in dry woods. The eggs
vary in number from 3 to 6, sets of 5 being the most common;
they are pinkish white, with either few or many fine specks of
light chocolate colour or sometimes blotches of reddish or lilac,
chiefly at the larger end. Size—.78x.58. See Fig. 12, Plate C.
This thrush-like warbler may be found throughout our
woods—perhaps the most common of the woodland birds, and
certainly the one most frequently seen during the earlier part
of the breeding season; he is easily identified by his size,
being much smaller than any of the thrushes except Bicknell’s
thrush (which is but little larger); by the dull orange crown, the
feathers on the head being elevated when the bird becomes
excited, and by the fact that he walks. .
When the nest is threatened these birds become greatly
excited, coming close to the intruder, and then feigning broken
wings and general demoralisation, uttering all the time a rather
sharp and piteous note; the nest is carefully hidden amongst the
dead leaves and young spring growth, and is somewhat difficult to
find. It is often completed several days before the eggs are laid.
76
Covered or Arched Nests on Ground
The young remain with and are fed by their parents until fully
grown. The old birds show clearly the whereabouts of the young
by their excitement when one comes even within a hundred
yards of them.
In the vicinity of New York the nests are finished by May
14th; probably two and perhaps three broods are reared, as |
have seen the young being fed as late as the end of August.
In Massachusetts the season is about ten days later.
681. Maryland Yellow-throat: Geothlypus trichas (Linn.)
Eggs white, with fine specks or spots of chocolate and purple
brown, the spots not being very numerous and mostly at the
larger end. Nests rarely and then only partly arched.
See Page 69, Chapter II.
ARCHED OR DOMED NEST OF OVEN-BIRD ON THE GROUND IN WOODS
Chapter IV
Part. I—OPEN NESTS IN MARSHES, REEDS,
SAW-GRASS, AND LOW BUSHES IN OPEN
COUNTRY
830. Everglade Kite; Snail Hawk: Rostrhamus socia-
bilis (Vieill.)
Adult —Dark slate colour; upper tail coverts and beneath the
tail white; tail tipped with white.
Adult? and immature—Dark brown, feathers tipped with rusty
colour, under parts somewhat mottled. Length—18.oo.
Breeding Range—Southward from middle Florida.
Nest of coarse grass or saw-grass, either in tall rank grass or in
low bushes among the saw-grass; ‘‘they measure about a foot
in diameter, with a cavity three inches deep” (Davie). 2 to 3
eggs are laid; they are dusky white or brownish, with blotches
and spots of dark reddish brown. Size—1.85 x 1.47.
The name Snail Hawk is well applied to these birds, as their
food consists largely of a kind of snail that is to be found in shal-
low water.
The breeding season in Florida begins in March.
498. Red-winged Blackbird: Agelaius phceniceus (Linn.)
Adult § —Black except the shoulders, which are bright scarlet
edged with light buff.
Immature & —Somewhat rusty coloured, with the scarlet of the
shoulders replaced by dull orange and black.
Adult 3 —Upper parts dull buff and black streaked; under parts
streaked blackish and white, the throat tinged with dull
orange buff, and shoulders sometimes tinged with pinkish
red. Length (¢)—9.51.
77
Open Nests in Marshes, Reeds, and Saw-Grass
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from Florida
northward.
The nest varies greatly both in its construction and situation;
usually of weeds and coarse grasses, lined with hair, placed in a
large tussock of grass, cat-tails, or reeds; very oftenin alders and
sometimes in wild rose or other bushes, generally within four
or five feet of the ground though occasionally it is placed at a
much greater height.
Most nests are about three inches deep inside, but some that
are built like the orchard oriole’s are much deeper.
The eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are very pale greenish blue or
pearly white, with either blotches or scrawls of dark purplish
brown, faint cloudy blotches of dull purple brown, and spots of
black. Some few eggs have no distinct markings, only faint
cloudy blotches of purplish brown. Size—1.00 x .75. See Fig.
6, Plate C.
These common but strikingly coloured birds may be found
during the breeding season in almost any swampy place where
there is a river or pond nearby. In the neighbourhood of New
York they begin nesting about the first week in May, and lay
two sets of eggs, the second set being laid towards the end of
June. Ihave found these nests in a wild rose bush, hung over
and within twenty-one inches of the water, resembling in con-
struction the nest of the orchard oriole, but much more
roughly made.
498b. Florida Redwing: A. p. bryanti Ridgw.
A small sub-species of the Red-winged Blackbird found in
Florida.
The breeding habits and eggs of this bird are described as
identical with those of the more northern variety.
584. Swamp Sparrow: Melospiza georgiana (Lath.)
Eggs white or whitish, broadly blotched with reddish brown
or chocolate.
See Page 63, Chapter II.
78
@
-
Globular Nests in Marsh-Grass, Reeds, etc.
ParT I].—GLOBULAR NESTS IN MARSH-GRASS,
REEDS, ETE.
724. Short-billed Marsh Wren: Cistothorus stellaris
(Licht.)
Aduit—Black and brown streaked with buff and white ; under
parts white or whitish tinged with buff. Length—z4.oo.
Breeding Range—The Eastern States from New Hampshire and
Manitoba southward.
The nest, which is globular or spherical, with the entrance
on the side, is made of coarse grasses or thin reeds, with the lin-
ing of plant down; it is attached to upright reeds in marshes.
5 to 7 eggs are laid; they are usually pure white, but are
sometimes marked faintly with rather large spots of pale lavender.
Size—.64 x.45.
This energetic little wren, which builds such a remarkable
nest, is found more often in the damp meadows than in the regu-
lar swamps where his cousin, the long-billed marsh wren, lives.
The habit of building more nests than are ever used for laying
eggs in, is one of the peculiarities of the marsh wrens. Where
one nest is found there are sure to be others not far away, some
finished and some scarcely more than begun. Whether these
are for roosting in, or simply experiments, or as a method of
protection, it is difficult to say. Two sets of eggs are usually
laid ; the first about the end of May, and the second in July.
725. Long-billed Marsh Wren; Cistothorus palustris
(Wils.)
Aduit—Upper parts very dark brown or nearly black, the rump
being a reddish brown or chestnut ; white line from the bill
over the eye, and white streaks on the back; under parts
dusky gray or whitish. The young birds have the breast
light yellow. Length—s.20.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States northward to
Massachusetts.
The nest is built of reeds, grasses, weeds, and sometimes mud,
with the lining either of grass or plant down, the seed from the
79
Globular Nests in Marsh-Grass, Reeds, etc.
cat-tails being frequently used. It is globular, often rather long
and narrow, with very irregular outline ; the entrance, which is
on the side, is in some nests almost concealed; the reeds or
grass to which the nest is attached form part of the structure
itself, being interwoven with the other materials. Swamps, even
where the water is several feet in depth, are the places most often
selected for the nesting, but damp meadows are not infrequently
chosen.
The number of eggs ranges from 5 to 8 and rarely 9. They
are so thickly covered with spots and blotches of various shades
of brown that in most cases the white ground colour is entirely
obliterated. Size—.65 x.49. See Fig. 20, Plate C.
The Long-billed Marsh Wren is generally to be found in
swamps of either brackish cr fresh water, and there he and his
mate may be seen during the breeding season, industriously feed-
ing, building nests (for they build many that are apparently never
used), singing while perched oa the top of a cat-tail, or scolding
the intruder, but never for a moment quiet.
The nests may be found within a few inches of the ground,
or in tall reeds eight feet or more clear of either ground or water.
The accompanying photograph shows the young bird at the
time of leaving the nest, its brothers and sisters having already
left.
The eggs are laid about the third week in May.
725b. Worthington’s Marsh Wren: C.p. griseus (Brewst.)
A southern sub-species of the long-billed marsh wren, being
lighter and more gray in colour; its breeding habits are probably
identical.
Breeding Range—‘‘The coast region of South Carolina and
Georgia.” (The A. O. U. checklist.)
725.1. Marian’s Marsh Wren: C. p. marianz Scott.
Resembling the long-billed marsh wren, but darker, smaller,
and with the under parts barred.
Breeding Range—The Gulf coast of Florida.
These birds are found in salt-water or brackish marshes,
where they breed ; the nests are described as similar to those of
the long-billed marsh wren.
$0
Chapter V
NESTS SIN: (BUILDINGS, “BRIDGES, | WALLS;
ROCKS, BANKS, AMONG ROOTS, BRUSH
HEAPS, AND IN HOLES IN THE GROUND
349. Golden Eagle: Aquila chrysaetos (Linn.)
Adult—Dark brown; back of head and neck rusty, with pointed
feathers; the lower part of leg (tarsus) covered with white
feathers. ‘‘ Length— 4 30.00 to 35.00. @ 35.00 to 40.00.”
Breeding Range—Rarely east of the Mississippi, breeding prob-
ably in the mountainous regions of New York and New
England.
The nest is placed usually on rocky cliffs, but sometimes in
trees; it is very large, being as much as ‘‘ four feet in depth and
five feet in diameter,’ and is made of ‘‘sticks and lined with
straw stubble, green grass, and twigs in leaf’ (Davie).
The eggs, 2 or 3 in number, are whitish, blotched, spoéted,
and faintly clouded with chestnut brown and pale lavender.
Size—2.95 x 2.28.
The Golden Eagle breeds in the mountains of the West, and
is rarely found nesting in the Eastern States. In California the
eggs are laid toward the end of February.
356. Duck Hawk; Peregrine Falcon: Falco peregrinus
anatum (Bonap.)
Adult—Upper parts dark slate colour; tail darker, tipped with
white; under parts cream, barred with dark slate colour or
black, except upper part of breast. ‘‘Length—é 16.00;
2 19.00.”
Breeding Range—The Eastern States—breeding very locally.
6 81
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
The nest is usually placed in the ledges of rocks in the
mountainous districts, but sometimes a hollow in a large tree
is used. 3 to 4 eggs are laid; they vary greatly in colour;
some are creamy white with dark chocolate blotches, and others
are reddish brown, spotted and blotched with various shades of
the same colour. Size—2.08 x 1.63.
Few people associate the name of Duck Hawk with the Pere-
grine Falcon of history, yet this is the bird that was used when
falconry was the fashionable pastime ; at that time almost any
price was paid for a well-trained tercel, as the male bird was
called; now that falconry has almost died out, the name of pere-
grine will probably go, and the more common name of duck
hawk will be the only name by which this bird will be known.
The breeding season in the South begins in March.
357. Pigeon Hawk: Falco columbarius Linn.
Aduit—Upper parts slate colour; tail with white bars; under
parts buff, marked with deep brown.
Jmmature—Upper parts brownish or ashy brown; tail barred
with buff; under parts light rusty buff with streaks of deep
brown. Length—10.00 to 13.00.
Breeding Range—Seldom very far south of the northern boundary
of the United States.
The place chosen for nesting may be on a cliff, in the hollow
of a tree, or on the branches. 4 to 5 eggs are laid; they are
light cinnamon or creamy white with blotches, clouded and
spotted with chestnut and brown. Size—1.56 x 1.22.
865. American Barn Owl: Strix pratincola Bonap.
Adult—Upper parts a general mixture of yellowish buff and
gray; under parts and face white or creamy white; no ear-
tufts; eyes black. Length—18.00.
Breeding Range—From Connecticut, southward.
The nest is placed either in some part of an old building,
a bridge, or in a hollow branch of a tree, rarely in banks or ‘‘holes
in the ground” (Davie). The eggs are white and vary in number
usually from 4 tog. ‘‘ Authentic sets of eleven” are mentioned
by Davie.” Size—1.72 x 1.35.
82
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
The American Barn Ow] closely resembles its European cousin;
in fact it may be found in most parts of the world, with but
slight changes in its appearance. A set of eggs was taken at
Princeton, New Jersey, on April 23d.
373. Screech Owl: Megascops asio (Linn,)
Eggs white.
See Page 98, Chapter VI.
373a. Florida Screech Owl: M.a. floridanus (Ridgw.)
Eggs white.
See page 99, Chapter VI.
8378a. Florida Burrowing Owl: Speotyto Cunicularia
floridana (Ridgw.)
Aduit—Upper parts grayish spotted and brokenly barred with
white; under parts barred gray, white, and brown; throat
white; legs long and very slightly feathered; no ear tufts.
Length—9.oo.
Breeding Range—Southern Florida prairies.
The eggs, numbering 5 to 7, are laid in burrows made by
the birds themselves; they are white. Size—1.23 x 1.03. In
the prairie lands of southern Florida these diurnal owls may be
seen perched on the mounds near their burrows; they are very
similar to the Western burrowing owl, being somewhat smaller
and colder in colour; they are quite common in the open country
west of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, where they breed in consider-
able numbers during April. They have known to breed in cap-
tivity. These birds probably remain paired for life.
890. Belted Kingfisher: Ceryle alcyon (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Upper parts grayish blue; wing feathers tipped with
white; under parts white, with grayish-blue band across
breast, and the same colour on the sides; long feathers on
the head, forming a crest.
Adult 9 —Resembles the male except that the band on the breast
and the sides is chestnut instead of gray. Length—13.02.
Breeding Range—Throughout the United States.
83
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
The eggs are laid in a deep hole made by the bird; it some-
times is as much as eight or nine feet, though usually not more
than about four feet in depth; this is generally excavated in a bank
of sand, gravel, or earth, rarely in a cliff; it often takes the bird
two weeks to make the hole. The nest is occasionally made of
grass, though the eggs are more frequently deposited on the
ground among bones and refuse ejected by the parent bird.
The eggs are white, and number from 5 to 7 and sometimes
8. Size—1.35 x 1.05.
This is the only representative of the kingfisher family found
in the Eastern States; he may be seen along the banks of a
stream or river or pond, but lacking confidence in man, he will
not admit of a near approach.
The breeding season begins the first week in May, and
probably only one set of eggs is laid.
420. Nighthawk: Chordeiles virginianus (Gmel.)
Eggs olive, buff, or light gray, with numerous specks and
blotches of darker gray, olive and purplish, sometimes spots of
dark purplish gray evenly distributed.
See Page 39, Chapter I.
423. Chimney Swift: Chimney Swallow: Chetura
pelagica (Linn.)
Adult—Dull grayish brown; the stiffened shafts of the tail
feathers extend about half an inch beyond the vanes. Length
—5-43-
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is formed entirely of short sticks, fastened together
and to the support with a glutinous substance from the birds’
salivary glands (which shrink after the breeding season), and is
nearly always placed in a chimney that is not in use; probably in
more remote districts the nest is still built in hollow trees, as in
former times, before chimneys were to be found throughout the
country.
The eggs are white, and number from 4 to 6. Size—
.80 x .50.
84
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
These birds may be easily identified by the dusky colour, thin,
short, spinous tails, and by their flight, which consists of alter-
nate strokes of the wings. (After careful observation I am prac-
tically sure that such is the case, though I believe this is a dis-
puted point.) The twigs that form the nest are broken off while
the bird is in flight.
The breeding season begins toward the end of May in the
neighbourhood of New York. Possibly two sets of eggs are laid,
as | have found a nest containing young birds not more than a
day or two old on July 26th.
456. Phoebe: Sayornis phoebe (Lath.)
Adult—Upper parts grayish olive brown; top of head darker;
under parts grayish white, slightly tinged with yellow.
Immature birds have the yellow more pronounced.
Length—6.99.
Breeding Range—The Eastern States, from South Carolina north-
ward.
The nest is built chiefly of moss and sometimes lichen,
cemented together with mud and lined with hair. It is placed
beneath the eaves of a house, on beams of a house or wooden
bridge, against the perpendicular side of a stone bridge or cul-
vert, against the face of a cliff, beneath projecting stones, or in
almost any available place. The eggs are generally pure white,
but it is not at all uncommon to find among a set one or two
that have a few light reddish or dark brownish spots; the usual
number is 4 or 5. Size—.78 x .57.
The Phcebe is perhaps one of the most common as well as
one of the tamest of our birds. Year after year they will build
or rebuild their nests in the same place, and that place is fre-
quently over a door that is in constant use, the birds thus evinc-
ing but little fear of man.
The nesting place in former times was probably the face of a
cliff, and even now it is not uncommon to find nests thus situ-
ated, though in the vicinity of buildings. During the past season
] found no less than three nests on large stones or cliffs, and two
of them were within a hundred yards or so of both a building
and a bridge. Two successive broods are reared in different
85
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
nests, the first nest being begun about the middle of April and
the second toward the middle of July. Both nests are built near
or about in the same place, the first often being torn down to
make room for the second. The birds will seldom forsake the
nest, even when most of the eggs are taken; and I have removed
a nest containing three eggs in order to photograph it, and even
though it was not returned to its original place the female con-
tinued laying as if it had never been disturbed. After the young
leave the nest they stay together, generally sitting close to each
other on a low branch, taking short flights together or singly;
this they do for five or six days, when they gradually become
separated, the parent bird in the meantime feeding them.
468. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Empidonax flaviven=
tris Baird.
Aduit—Upper parts dark olive green; tail and wings dull grayish
brown, the wings having two very pale yellowish bars; the
belty lemon yellow, breast and side greenish yellow.
Length—5.63.
Breeding Range—The more northern parts of the United States;
not south of Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
The nest is made of moss, lined with fine grass and fine black
roots and pine needles, usually imbedded in moss in the upturned
roots of a fallen tree, or even in a decayed stump. 4 and pos-
sibly 5 eggs are laid; they are creamy white, speckled or spotted,
chiefly at the larger end, with light chestnut. Size—.7o x .50.
Not very much is known of the breeding habits of this bird,
comparatively few nests having been taken; breeding, as they
usually do in the forests remote from civilisation, together with the
fact that the nest is carefully concealed and therefore very hard to
find, renders the studying of their nesting habits an extremely
difficult task. ‘
The breeding season probably begins in June.
486a. Northern Raven: Corvus corax principalis Ridgw.
It is possible that this sub-species of raven breeds within the
United States, although I find no authentic record of its doing so.
The bird is blue black, and is about four or five inches longer
than the common crow (Corvus americanus).
86
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Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
The nest is usually built on cliffs in more or less inaccessible
places, and sometimes in trees; it is composed of ‘‘large sticks
closely and artistically arranged, with a lining of coarse grasses,
sea-weed, and wool’’ (Davie). 2 to 7 eggs are laid; they are
greenish blue, spotted, blotched, and streaked more or less
heavily with olive brown. Size—1.go x 1.27.
English Sparrow: Passer domesticus (Linn.)
This bird of foreign extraction was brought here from Eng-
land in 1851, and for some years confined itself to the larger
cities; since about 1870, however, it has been rapidly spreading,
and may be found everywhere, in country and town, through-
out the Eastern States; it has even crossed the great plains,
and will probably soon be common in the West. The nest is
placed either in buildings or trees, more often the former; it is
of very irregular size, and of no particular shape, its size and
shape depending on the amount of vacant space and the num-
ber of broods reared. The breeding season begins almost before
winter has gone and lasts till late in the autumn. The eggs
are generally whitish, thickly marked with dark gray or olive;
sometimes they are plain gray. Size—About .80 x .60.
567. Snowbird; Junco: Junco hyemalis (Linn.)
Eggs greenish or bluish white, with fine spots and some-
times blotched with reddish and purple, brown and lilac, chiefly
in a wreath round the larger end.
See Page 61, Chapter II.
567e. Carolina Junco: J.h. carolinensis Brewst.
Eggs same as the preceding, but somewhat larger.
See Page 61, Chapter II.
611. Purple Martin: Progne subis (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Blue black.
Adult 2 —Upper parts blue black; under parts grayish, with
indistinct white tips to the feathers; belly white. Length
—8.00.
Breeding Range—Throughout the United States.
87
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc,
The nests are built of any available material, and are gen-
erally placed in bird boxes or in buildings; formerly they nested
in hollow trees, and perhaps they continue doing so in more
remote districts.
The eggs, numbering 4 to 5, are white. Size—.98 x .73.
These birds are gradually leaving their old resorts. What is
the cause of their so doing is hard to say; some people attribute
it to the increasing numbers of the English sparrows. Some
places that I know of (near South Orange, New Jersey) have been
used during years past for nesting purposes; this year | was told
the birds arrived about the usual time; after stopping for two
days they left, and have not been seen again; but in this place
the English sparrow had been carefully killed off, so that there
were but few left. Z
The breeding season begins about the middle of May.
611. 1. Cuban Martin: Progne cryptoleuca Baird.
Very similar to the purple martin, but smaller, and with
narrower tail feathers.
Breeding Range—Southern Florida.
Nest and nesting habits described as identical, except that it
breeds in hollow trees as well as in buildings, and the eggs are
slightly smaller.
612. Cliff Swallow; Eave Swallow: Petrochelidon luni-
frons (Say.)
Adult—Upper parts dark steel blue; forehead nearly white; tail
short and scarcely pointed; throat chestnut; breast gray
shading into white on the belly; a blue-gray patch on upper
part of breast; rump pale rufous or chestnut. Length—6.o1.
Breeding Range—Throughout North America, north of Florida,
breeding locally.
The nest is built of pellets of mud, with sometimes small
bits of straw and grass; the lining is of grass and feathers; it is a
queer-shaped nest, inf the form of a retort, with the neck more or
less formed, and is fastened beneath the eaves, or on the rafters
of a building; in remote districts it is attached to cliffs or em-
88
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
bankments, the birds nesting in colonies. 4 or 5 eggs are laid;
they are white, with dots and spots of reddish brown. Size—
.82 x .56. ;
These birds somewhat resemble the barn swallows; the
light chestnut rump and the shortness of the tail serve to dis-
tinguish them. The eggs of these two species are often identical.
The nesting season begins towards the end of May.
613. Barn Swallow: Chelidon erythrogaster (Bodd.)
Adult—Upper parts dark steel blue; forehead, throat, and upper
part of breast chestnut; under parts light chestnut buff; tail
forked. Length—6.95.
Breeding Range—Throughout North America.
The nest is placed on rafters and similar supports, either
inside or outside a barn or other building; it is made of pellets ot
mud with straws intermixed, and a deep lining of hay and
feathers, the feathers usually overhanging the edge of the nest.
The eggs, 4 to 6 in number, are white, with spots, dots, and
blotches of reddish brown and purplish. Size—.75 x .55.
These birds are surrounded by superstition, and all sorts of
ill-luck is promised to the person who kills one or even destroys
its nest.
Probably, in former days, tarmers realised more fully the value
of these insect-eating birds, as threats were made in order to
protect them from mischievous boys.
Two broods are reared, the first set of eggs being laid about
the beginning of May, the second about five or six weeks later.
614. White-bellied Swallow; Tree Swallow: Tachycineta
bicolor (Vieill.)
Aduit—Upper parts greenish blue steel colour; under parts white.
Length—5.9o.
Breeding Range—‘‘ From the fur countries south to New Jersey,
the Ohio Valley, Kansas, and Colorado” (A.O.U. check-list).
Nest either in bird boxes, in hollow trees, or in cliffs. 4 to
6, or sometimes 7, unmarked white eggsare laid. Size—.75 x .55.
In some parts of the country these swallows have not yet
abandoned their ancient custom of breeding in hollow trees and
89
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
other natural cavities, while in the more thickly settled regions
they have utilised the nesting places provided for their conven-
ience by man. It will probably not be many years before hollow
trees will no longer be used, except possibly as roosting places.
The breeding season lasts from the middle of May until July, two
broods being reared; after the young of the first brood are strong
enough they commence flocking, and may be seen early in July
flying in large numbers over the low lands; these are joined by
the second broods and the parents about the beginning of August,
so that the flocks contain countless numbers. In the early
morning, as the sun appears on the horizon, these birds sit along
the telegraph wires sunning themselves and making their morn-
ing toilet.
616. Bank Swallow: Clivicola riparia (Linn.)
Aduit—Upper parts and band on breast grayish brown; under
parts white. Length—5.20.
Breeding Range—Throughout North America.
The nest is composed of small twigs, grass, and feathers,
placed in a hole made in the face of a bank, usually near water,
the banks of a river being most suitable. The eggs are white,
the number being usually 4 or 5, sometimes as many as 7.
Size—.68 x .50.
The Bank Swallows generally breed in large colonies, occu-
pying the entire face of a bank, which they honeycomb with their
nesting holes; these excavations are usually about twenty inches
deep, but some are as much as four feet from the surface.
These birds are rather smaller than the rough-winged swal-
low, and may be distinguished by the grayish band across the
breast. The breeding season begins about the middle of May,
two broods being reared.
617. Rough-winged Swallow: Stelgidopteryx serripennis
(Aud.)
Adult—Upper parts grayish brown; under parts gray, breast
shading into white on the belly. The outer wing feather
(first primary) is edged with ‘‘recurved hooklets,” and is
rough to the touch. Length—5.75.
Breeding Range—Throughout North America; in the Eastern
States from Connecticut southward.
go
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
The nest, scarcely worthy of the name, is a small collection
of feathers, grass, and straw, placed under bridges, in stone walls,
or in holes in banks. 4 to 6, and rarely 8, white eggs are laid.
Size—.71 x .50.
These birds generally build near water, the nests being
frequently placed in crevices between the stones of bridge abut-
ments, or even on the beams.
The eggs are laid early in May, many days being occupied
in building the nest.
675. Water-thrush: Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts olive brown, somewhat darker on the head;
line above the eye buff, or nearly white; under parts white,
more or less tinged with light yellow, numerous spots form-
ing broken streaks, less numerous on the belly; the indi-
vidual spots, particularly those on the breast, are V-shaped.
Length—6.04.
Breeding Range—The Northern States, from northern New Eng-
land northward.
The nest is composed principally of moss, with leaves and
roots, and lined with fine hair-like roots. It is placed among the
roots of a tree where the bank has fallen away, in a bank, or
similar place. The eggs are white, with rather large cinnamon
or hazel-brown spots, more thickly distributed about the larger
end. Size—.76 x .59.
To find the nest of any of the Water-thrushes requires more
than ordinary patience and skill, as they are most cleverly hidden
among the overhanging roots along the banks of a stream, or in
a mossy bank, usually not far from water. These birds may be
seen in damp words, dried up watercourses, but most frequently
along a shallow stream, where they stand or walk on the stones,
moving their tails up and down, after the manner of the wag-
tails, and making short, rapid flights to catch the various insects
that fly near the surface of the water. The breeding season
begins during the second week in May.
675a. Grinnell’s Water-thrush: S. n. notabilis (Ridgw.)
Very similar to the water-thrush, but somewhat larger and
darker on the upper parts. Nesting habits, nests, and eggs identical.
Breeding Range—From Illinois westward and northward.
9g!
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
676. Louisiana or Large-billed Water-thrush: Seiurus
motacilia( Vieill.)
Adult—Upper parts warm olive brown; white line over eye;
under parts white, tinged with yellow, and streaked with
dark brown or blackish; V-shaped spots except on the throat;
bill rather large. Length—6. 28.
Breeding Range—Southern Michigan, New York, and southern
New England, southward to North Carolina and _ possibly
further south.
The nest is made of leaves with mud adhering to them,
moss, ‘‘ grape-grass, and sometimes hair”; it is placed in banks
among roots, etc., in moist or swampy woods. The eggs are
white to creamy white, speckled and spotted with reddish or
yellowish brown and pale lilac. Size—.76 x .62. See Fig. 13,
Plate C.
In the neighbourhood of New York the nesting season begins
during the first week in May.
In habits these birds resemble the water-thrush, frequenting
the streams and rivers and damp woods; their song is remark-
ably fine, considered by some to be finer than that of any other
of our Eastern birds.
686. Canadian Warbler; Canada Flycatcher: Sylvania
canadensis (Linn.)
Adult@—Upper parts rather dark gray; forehead and front of
crown spotted black; line from bill, under eye, and on sides
of throat black; spots across breast black; under parts bright
yellow; rather long bristles at base of bill. Length—s.61.
Aduit 2 —Similar, but less brilliant.
Breeding Range—From New England, northern Pennsylvania, and
Michigan, northward.
The nest is usually placed in a bank or among the roots of
a fallen tree, or on the ground beneath bushes in swampy woods,
and is carefully concealed; it is made of moss, leaves, weeds,
strips of bark, and fine roots, sometimes lined with hair. The
eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are white, speckled principally round the
larger end with hazel, reddish brown, and lilac. Size—.68 x .51.
The breeding season begins early in June.
92
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
718. Carolina Wren: Thryothorus ludovicanius (Lath.)
Adult—Upper parts chestnut brown; white line from the bill
over and back of eye; wings and tail barred; throat nearly
white, shading into buffy gray on breast and belly. Length
—5.50.
Breeding Range—From southern Connecticut southward.
The nest, placed in hollow trees, or about buildings, is
composed of corn-leaves, grass, leaves, feathers, and hair. 4 to
6 eggs are laid; they are white or pinkish, with numerous light
pinkish brown and lilac gray markings; in some examples the
ground colour is almost concealed by these spots. Size—.74 x
61. See Fig: 3) Plate €-
This large wren is most often to be found, except during the
nesting season, in or near damp places, usually near the ground;
the nest, however, is generally in a drier situation, such as a
wood or brush pile, inside a barn, or in the hollow of a tree.
The birds are not common in the more northern portion of their
range. In South Orange, New Jersey, | noticed a pair of them
frequently during June and July, and have every reason to believe
they nested here. A nest was found not far from this locality in
a barn. The nesting season begins in the early part of May.
718a. Florida Wren: T. 1. miamensis Ridgw.
A larger and darker-coloured sub-species of the Carolina
wren. Nesting habits and nests probably identical.
Breeding Range—Southern Florida.
719. Bewick’s Wren: Thryothorus bewickii (Aud.)
Aduit—Upper parts dark cinnamon brown ; feathers of the rump
with concealed downy white spots; primaries not barred;
central tail-feathers barred; outer ones black, tipped with
grayish; a white line over the eye; under parts grayish-
white; flanks brownish. Length—5.00 (Chapman).
Breeding Range—From latitude forty degrees southward; ‘‘ rare
east of the Alleghanies.”
The nest, like that of the house wren, is placed in houses,
holes in stumps or trees, brush heaps, etc. The eggs, varying
93
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
in number from 4 to 6, and sometimes 7, are white or pinkish,
with numerous reddish brown and purplish spots and specks
more thickly distributed about the larger end. Size—.64 x .50.
See Fig. 17, Plate B.
Bewick’s Wren may be distinguished from the house wren
principally by its longer tail; the habits are very similar.
721. House Wren: Troglodytes aédon Vieill.
Adult—Upper parts grayish hazel brown, more or less barred;
under parts light gray, faintly barred with brownish on the
flanks. Length—5.oo.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is composed of almost any material, twigs, hay,
and feathers being most often used, the lining being of soft feathers;
any sort of place is selected for a building site, such as a hole in
a tree, crevices or niches in walls or houses, behind shutters, on
rafters, etc.
The eggs are usually so thickly covered with reddish or
pinkish brown or chocolate markings that the white or whitish
ground colour is partly or entirely hidden; the number varies
from 4 to 7, sometimes 9. Size—.60 x .48. See Fig. 18,
Plate C.
The nesting season begins about the middle of May, and the
places selected may well cause surprise, nests having been found
in the skulls of cattle lying in open fields, but I think buildings
are most often chosen. I have known of a case where a nest
was built in an inhabited room. The name of House Wren fits
these birds to perfection, especially during the breeding season,
when they may be seen almost invariably within a short distance
of a building.
722. Winter Wren: Troglodytes hiemalis Vieill.
Aduit—Upper parts reddish brown, more or less barred and
slightly spotted; under parts brownish gray, barred, par-
ticularly on the sides; tail and bill short. Length—4.06.
Breeding Range—From the Northern States northward, and in
the mountainous regions, southward to North Carolina.
The nest, which is placed in hollow stumps among the roots
94
Oven-bird.
Louisiana Water-Thrush.
Slate-colored Junco; Snowbird,
Swamp Sparrow
Maryland Yellow-throat
.
PLATE C.—Common Eggs.
1, Bluebird. 7. Meadowlark. 12,
2. Crested Flycatcher. 8. Towhee 13
3. Carolina Wren. 9, Red-winged Blackbird. 14.
4. White-breasted Nuthatch. 10. Baltimore Oriole. 15.
5. Orchard Oriole. 11, Wilson's Thrush. 16.
6. White-eyed Vireo
Black and White Warbler
House Wren
Chickadee
Long-billed Marsh Wren.
Parula Warbler.
”~
Nests in Buildings, Bridges, Walls, Etc.
of a tree, in brush heaps, or in deserted buildings, is of ‘‘ small
twigs, with moss and leaves interwoven, and warmly lined with
feathers of hawks, crows, grouse, or any that are at hand”
(Davie). 4 to 7 eggs are laid, varying from pure white with
reddish brown and purple spots to creamy white with but few
specks of reddish brown. Size—.69 x .49.
Though something like the house wren in appearance, the
habits of the Winter Wren are very different; instead of nesting
near the habitations of man, they usually select places away from
human beings. In the autumn they may be seen hopping about
from stone to stone or in the tangle alongside a broken-down
wall in the vicinity of small rapid-running brooks, generally
solitary, two being rarely seen together.
The breeding season begins about the last week in May.
726. Brown Creeper: Certhia familiaris americana
(Bonap.)
Eggs white, spotted with reddish brown, chiefly at the larger
end.
See Page 108, Chapter VI.
761. American Robin: Merula migratoria (Linn.)
Eggs greenish blue. Nests sometimes in stone walls or
buildings.
See Page 170, Chapter VIII.
95
Chapter VI
NESTS. IN| HOLES’ IN ‘TREES? SPUMPS; "OR
LOGS
325. Turkey Vulture; Turkey Buzzard: Cathartes aura
(Linn.)
Eggs yellowish or grayish white, splashed with chocolate
and black, chiefly at the larger end.
See Page 57, Chapter II.
326. Black Vulture: Catharista atrata (Bartr.)
Eggs grayish or bluish white, more or less blotched and
spotted with dark brown.
See Page 58, Chapter II.
356. Duck Hawk: Falco peregrinus anatum (Bonap.)
Eggs creamy white or light reddish brown, with dark and
light chocolate and reddish brown blotches.
See Page 81, Chapter V.
357. Pigeon Hawk: Falco columbarius Linn.
Eggs light cinnamon or creamy white, blotched, spotted, and
clouded with chestnut and brown.
See Page 82, Chapter V.
360. American Sparrow Hawk: Falco sparverius Linn.
Adult &—Upper parts chestnut red or rufous ; lower part of back
barred ; head bluish ; a black patch beneath eye, and another
96
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
back of ear ; tail rufous, with a broad black bar and tipped
with white ; under parts buff and pinkish buff shading to
white and spotted with black on the sides.
Adult 2 —Upper parts duller rufous barred black; under parts dull
buffy white, streaked with black spots. Length—1o.0o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The eggs are laid in a hole in a tree, often a woodpecker’s
hole being used ; there is no lining. The colour of the eggs varies
greatly, the ground colour being white, buff, or pinkish buff,
marked with irregular spots and blotches of dark or light chestnut,
brown, or chocolate, sometimes entirely concealing the ground
colour atthe larger end. Size—1.35 x 1.15. See Fig. 3, Plate A.
While the Sparrow Hawk may be said to nest almost exclu-
sively in the hollow of a tree, there have been instances of varia-
tion from this rule, eggs having been found ‘‘in crevices in rocks,
in holes in banks, along rivers, or nooks about buildings ” (Davie).
The breeding season begins about the middle of April. Incu-
bation occupies about three weeks.
865. American Barn Owl: Strix pratincola Bonap.
Eggs white.
See Page 82, Chapter V.
868. Barred Owl: Syrnium nebulosum (Forst.)
Aduit—Upper parts gray or grayish brown, marked with white
and drab; under parts whitish, the breast barred and the belly
streaked ; head large and round, without ear tufts; feet and
toes feathered. Length—20.00.
Breeding Range—Eastern States from northern Florida northward.
The eggs are usually deposited in a hollow in a tree, at some
height from the ground; sometimes old crows’ or hawks’ nests
are used. Minot writes, ‘“‘ Evidence indicates that the Barred Owls
usually build their own nest, choosing for a site some crotch next to
the trunk of a pine or oak.” | find no corroboration of this state-
ment, however, though this may possibly be the case in some parts
of the country. 2to 4 white eggs are laid. Size—2.00 x 1.65.
These are by far the most common of the larger owls throughout
the Eastern States. They breed in the neighbourhood of New
7 97
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
York about the middle of March; the same hole may be used for
many years.
368a. Florida Barred Owl: S.n. alleni Ridgw.
Breeding Range—Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.
A larger and darker sub-species of the more northern barred
owl, having the toes but scantily feathered. Nesting habits are
probably identical, two eggs being the number most frequently
laid.
372. Saw-whet Owl; Acadian Owl: Nyctala acadica
(Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts grayish, streaked and spotted with white ;
under parts white, with few broad streaks of grayish or red-
dish brown; legs and feet fully feathered; no ear tufts.
Length—8.0oo.
Breeding Range—Northern New York and northern New England,
rarely in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The white eggs are laid in hollows in trees, deserted wood-
peckers’ and squirrels’ nests, also in crows’ and even herons’ nests ;
rarely in boxes made of bark and fastened to a tree, at some height
from the ground. There is nothing in the way of a nest, a few
feathers from the parent bird being sometimes used. 4 to 6 and
rarely 7 eggs are laid. Size—1.20 x 1.02.
These diminutive owls are easily recognised by their size
alone, as they are the smallest of the owls found in the Eastern
States ; they are strictly nocturnal, and may be seen during the
day sitting on the branch of hemlock, spruce, or other trees afford-
ing shade from the bright daylight.
The breeding season begins about the end of March.
873. Screech Owl: Megascops asio (Linn.)
Adult—Either red or gray, independent of age or sex ; every gra-
dation between the extreme red and gray phases may be
found. Extreme red phase: Upper parts brilliant rufous,
streaked with black ; under parts white or very light gray,
streaked and cross-marked with black, particularly on the
98
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
upper part of breast. Extreme gray phase: Upper parts
cold gray, with black streaks; under parts almost white,
with black streaks and cross-markings. These birds have
pronounced ear tufts, sometimes called horns, and an irregu-
Jarly defined black circle round the face ; eyes various shades
of light yellow ; feet nearly covered with fine hair-like
feathers. Length—g.4o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States from Georgia
northward.
The eggs are generally to be found in the hollow of a tree,
rarely in a barn or outhouse. There is practically no nest, but a
few feathers, together with some small chips, rotten wood, rarely
leaves and sticks, serve the purpose. 4 to 6 and sometimes 8
white eggs are laid. Size—1.45 x 1.22.
An old apple orchard is by far the most likely place for the
Screech Owl's nest, and the most likely orchard is one situated
near a farm where mice are plentiful. The hole selected for the
nest may be within five or six feet of the ground or up high in
the tree. Before examining the inside of a hole, much unneces-:
sary trouble may be avoided by noticing whether there is a cob-
web over the entrance ; if there is, it shows that the hole is
uninhabited by any bird.
The breeding season begins about the end of March or the
first week in April. The young birds can be easily reared, but
do not make good pets, as they show a most unamiable disposi-
tion, and do not become really tame. The fact that they practise
cannibalism is also somewhat against keeping them as pets.
873a. Florida Screech Owl: M.a.floridanus Ridgw.
These resemble the common screech owl, but are rather
smaller and darker in colour. Nesting habits probably identical.
Breeding Range—Florida, northward to the southern part of South
Carolina.
8382. Carolina Paroquet: Conurus carolinensis (Linn.)
Eggs white.
See Page 134, Chapter VIII.
99
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
392. Ivory-billed Woodpecker: Campephilus principalis
(Linn.)
Adult —Upper parts black, with two white stripes beginning
at the bill and meeting on the back ; the wings have the
secondaries white, so that in flight these seem to be a broad
white band across the bird ; crest scarlet ; under parts black ;
bill white.
Adult 9 —Has the crest black, but is otherwise the same. Length
—20.00.
Breeding Range—The Gulf States and lower Mississippi Valley.
The nest is in ahole in the upper part of a tall tree; eggs
white, complement undetermined. Size—1.45 x 1.00.
This, the largest as well as the wildest of our woodpeckers,
has been but little observed during the breeding season. In
former years it was found in North Carolina, and even as far north
as Indiana ; but the presence of man has forced it farther south,
and now it is to be found chiefly in the dense cypress swamps
of the Gulf States, where in some parts it is fairly common,
though always shy and difficult of approach. The breeding
season begins in all probability towards the end of March.
898. Hairy Woodpecker: Dryobates villosus (Linn.)
Adult 4 —Upper parts black, divided by a broad white line ; head
black, with nape deep scarlet, and a broad white line above
and another below the eye; wings spotted with white ;
under parts white.
Adult 2 —Lacks the scarlet on the head. Length—g9. 40.
Breeding Range—From North Carolina northward. The eggs are
laid in a hole in a tree ; usually a dead or partly dead tree is
chosen, a new hole being made every year. 4 to 5 and
sometimes 6 white eggs are laid. Size—.97 x .70.
This bird might easily be mistaken for the downy wood-
pecker, its markings and colour being very similar; it is, how-
ever, so much larger that there should be little difficulty in its
identification. When searching for a tree suitable for their nest-
ing purposes, these birds commence excavations in a great num-
ber of places, often making holes several inches deep before de-
100
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
ciding for or against some particular tree ; and I believe that if,
after having found one that is thoroughly suitable, they imagine
themselves observed while excavating, they will immediately
abandon the tree.
The breeding season begins rather before the middle of May.
8393b. Southern Hairy Woodpecker: D. v. audubonii
(Swains.)
A smaller sub-species of the hairy woodpecker found south
of North Carolina. Nesting habits and eggs identical.
394. Southern Downy Woodpecker: Dryobates pube-
scens (Linn.)
and
894c. Downy Woodpecker: Dryobates pubescens medi-
anus (Swains.)
Adult 4—Upper parts black, with a white line down the back ;
head black, with a white line above and another below the
eye ; back of head deep scarlet ; under parts white.
Adult 2 —No scarlet on the head. Length—6.83.
Breeding Range—Southern Downy Woodpecker, Florida to South
Carolina. Downy Woodpecker from there northward.
Eggs ina hole, usually in a partly decayed tree, apple trees
being perhaps the favourites, a fresh hole being made each season.
4 to 6 white eggs are laid on the bed of very fine chips at the
bottom of the hole ; the entrance is very small and. usually per-
fectly round, about one and a quarter inches in diameter. Size of
eggs—.80 x .57.
The Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest and undoubtedly
the tamest of the members of their family found in the Eastern
States. In apple orchards they are generally to be found during
the summer months, and there it is that they choose their nesting
tree, laying their eggs about the first of May.
395. Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Dryobates borealis
(Vieill.)
Adult 4—Upper parts black barred with white ; wings spotted
with white ; a scarlet tuft on either side of the head, back of
Iol
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
the ear ; under parts white ; a black line from bill to shoulder,
and blackish spots and bars on the sides and below the tail.
Adult 2? —Has no scarlet, otherwise similar. Length—8.4o.
Breeding Range—From Virginia southward.
The eggs, 3 to 5, rarely 6, are white, and are deposited in a
hole in a tree or stump, usually at a considerable height. Size of
eggs—.gI x .68.
These birds are found in the pine regions of the south, where
they are said to breed in March.
400. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker: Picoides arcticus
(Swains.)
Adult ¢—Upper parts black ; wings spotted with white; crown
yellow ; white line back of and in front of eye ; under parts
white, barred on the sides with blackish ; three toes, two of
which are in front.
Adult 2—No yellow crown. Length—9.50.
Breeding Range—From slightly south of the northern boundary of
the United States northward.
Eggs in a hole, usually in an evergreen tree, and not far from
the ground. 4 to 6 white eggs are laid. Size—1.00 x .70.
The Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker is found chiefly in the
large coniferous forests in the mountainous regions. The breeding
season begins probably during the early part of June.
401. American or Banded Three-toed Woodpecker:
Picoides americanus Brehm.
Adult 6—Upper parts black and white barred ; orange patch on
head ; under parts white, barred black on the sides ; three
toes, two being in front.
Adult 2 —Similar, without the yellow crown. Length—8.75.
Breeding Range—Rarely south of the northern boundary of the
United States.
The eggs, which are white, are deposited in the hollow of a
tree. Size—.93 x.70. There are only isolated cases of this bird
nesting within the United States. The breeding habits are pro-
bably very similar to those of the arctic three-toed woodpecker.
102
THE DOWNY WOODP KERS HOME,
In the dead branch of an apple
(Upper hole shows entrance to nest, made by the bird. The lower opening was made to show the eqqs.)
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
402. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Sphyrapicus varius
(Linn.)
Adult 4—Upper parts black, white, and pale lemon; top of head
scarlet ; a broad white line from bill beneath the eye ; throat
deep scarlet, bordered with black ; black also on the breast ;
belly pale lemon yellow; side streaked roughly with blackish.
Adult 2 —No scarlet ; the breast grayish. Length—8.56.
Breeding Range—From the northern United States northward.
The nest is ina hole in a tree, usually from 30 to 45 feet from
the ground. 5 to 7 not very highly polished white eggs are laid.
Size—.85 x .60.
In speaking of this bird, Mr. Brewster mentions the dead
birch as being preferred to any other tree for nesting purposes,
and the locality chosen is usually not far from water.
405. Pileated Woodpecker: Ceophlceus pileatus (Linn.)
Adult 4—Upper parts black, and line below cheek scarlet ; rest
of head mostly whitish ; under parts blackish ; throat white.
Adult 2? —Without the red. Length—17.00.
Breeding Range—Rare throughout the Eastern States from Canada
southward, except in the thickly wooded regions remote
from civilization.
The excavation for the nest is usually in the upper part of
a tall tree, sometimes as much as eighty feet from the ground.
3 to 5 glossy white eggs are laid. Size—1.30 x .96.
This is the second largest of our woodpeckers ; in fact, the
novice has often mistaken him for the ivory-billed, but he differs
- greatly in his habits, and is much less wild. In Maine I have
watched them hammering at the large evergreen trees within a
few feet of where I was standing, and they did not appear to
object to my presence.
406. Red-headed Woodpecker: Melanerpes
erythrocephalus (Linn.)
Adult—Entire head and throat crimson ; back, tail, and primaries
black ; rump, tail coverts, and belly white. Length—9.75.
Breeding Range—From northern New York southward ; rare in
New England.
103
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
4 to 6 glossy white eggs are laid in a hole in either tree or
stump, or even telegraph pole. . Size—1.00 x .78.
These birds, in their bright tricolour of red, white, and black,
are conspicuous wherever found ; it is difficult to imagine a much
more striking plumage ; whether in the air, against the tree trunk,
or in the foliage, one of their broad patches of colour is sure to be
visible.
In some respects these woodpeckers almost resemble fly-
catchers ; they sit on an isolated tree or stump, making short
sallies after insects ; these they catch with great dexterity in mid-
air, invariably returning to the same place, which is sometimes
within a few feet of their nest. The breeding holes, which are
new each season, are often in large, live trees of almost any
variety, but I think stumps and dead or partly dead trees are per-
haps preferred ; in some instances the eggs have been deposited
in buildings.
The breeding season begins rather before the middle of May.
409. Red-bellied Woodpecker: Melanerpes carolinus
(Linn.)
Adult 6 —Upper parts black and white barred ; head and neck
crimson ; under parts whitish.
Adult 9? —Back of head and nostrils crimson. Length—g.50.
Breeding Range—TVhe Eastern States, ‘‘from Florida to Maryland,
and in the interior to Ontario and southern Dakota” (Chap-
man).
The nests are in holes in trees, usually less than twenty feet
from the ground. The eggs, 4 to 6 in number, are white.
Size—1.00 x .78.
The breeding season begins early in May.
412. Flicker; Golden-winged Woodpecker: Colaptes
auratus (Linn.)
Adult 6—Upper parts grayish brown, with narrow bars of
black ; rump white ; tail black, with yellow shafts ; head
gray, with a scarlet band across the neck and black patch
below eye ; primaries black above, with yellow shafts, and
104
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
yellow beneath ; under parts light pinkish brown, shading
into whitish on the belly, with numerous black spots ; black
crescent across upper part of breast.
Adult 2 —Has no black below the eye. Length—12.00.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The eggs are white, and vary greatly in number, from 4 to
9 being common numbers ; they are laid in holes excavated by
the birds themselves, in natural cavities, and in deserted holes
made either by their own species or by other woodpeckers. Any
tree may be chosen, but the apple tree is perhaps the favourite.
Size—1.10 x .90.
The Golden-winged Woodpecker is one of the most hand-
somely coloured and best known of the Eastern woodpeckers,
nearly every orchard containing a pair or more during the breed-
ing season, which begins early in May. The nests may be found
within four feet of the ground, but more frequently from ten to
twenty-five and sometimes as much as sixty feet high ; dead
stumps or almost any sort of tree may be chosen. Probably no
other woodpecker found in the Eastern States will use an old
deserted nest ; the golden-winged, however, does so frequently.
When a new hole is to be made, both male and female take turns
at excavating, the work being done at odd times during the day,
and not only in the early morning and evening, which are the
working times of the downy woodpecker. This unfortunate
bird is subjected to various nicknames, some of which are mis-
nomers, such as the name ‘“‘ Yellow-hammer,” which is the
name of a European bunting (Emberiza citrinella); and some of
the names given him, such as ‘‘Flicker,” ‘‘ High-hole,” ‘‘ Wood-
cock,” ‘‘ Pigeon Woodpecker,” and ‘‘Clape,” are not altogether
appropriate, and certainly not euphonious.
The nesting season near New York begins early in May.
452. Crested or Great Crested Flycatcher: Myiarchus
Crinitus (Linn.)
Aault—Upper parts olive brown or gray ; tail and edges of pri-
maries chestnut ; feathers on crown rather long, forming a
short crest ; under parts pale gray on throat and breast,
shading into pale lemon yellow on the belly. Length—9.o1.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
105
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
Nest in a hollow in a tree; it is rather bulky, composed
of grasses, weeds, feathers, and frequently cast-off snake skins.
The eggs, 3 to 6 in number, are buff-colored, with numerous
light and rather dark wine-colored or purplish longitudinal
streaks and scratches. Size—.82 x .62. See Fig. 2, Plate C.
This noisy flycatcher is in some places a very common bird.
He chooses almost any sort of hole for his nest, the size making
but little difference to him ; neither does he seem very particular
as to the kind of tree, though most of the nests I have found were
in dead or partly dead apple trees. Once | knew of a bluebird’s
nest containing young about four days old ; near this nest a pair
of Crested Flycatchers were constantly to be seen. Day after day
I visited the place in order to watch and photograph the young
bluebirds, and my friends the flycatchers were invariably either
on some part of the tree or very near to it. This was during the
third week in May, and therefore rather early for them to be
nesting. A week after the bluebirds had flown, the flycatchers
commenced building, placing their collection of material on the
top of the bluebird’s abandoned nest. Usually the hole chosen
is not more than twenty feet from the ground, and often not
more than six feet.
The nesting season commences about the last week in May.
511. Purple Grackle; Crow Blackbird : Quiscalus
quiscula (Linn.)
Eggs greenish, dashed and streaked with reddish brown or
black ; very variable.
See Page 140, Chapter VIII.
511a. Florida Grackle: Q. q. agleeus (Baird.)
Eggs similar to the preceding.
See Page 140, Chapter VIII.
511b. Bronzed Grackle: Q. q. zneus (Ridgw.)
Eggs greenish or dull bluish, scrawled, blotched, and spotted
with browns ; very variable.
See Page 141, Chapter VIII.
106
NEST AND EGGS OF CRESTED FLYCATCHER
Opening made to show nest
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
614. White-bellied or Tree Swallow: Tachycineta
bicolor (Vieill.)
Eggs white.
See Page 89, Chapter V.
637. Prothonotary Warbler: Protonotaria citrea
(Bodd.)
Adult 4—Upper parts greenish ; entire head and under parts
brilliant orange, lighter on the belly.
Adult 2—Not so richly coloured. Length—5.50, See Fig. 20,
Plate D.
Breeding Range—From Illinois and Virginia southward, rare
farther north. The nest of leaves, twigs, moss, and fine
roots is placed in a hole in a tree or stump, in the bottom-
lands. 4 to 6 and rarely 7 eggs are laid ; they are glossy
white or pale buff, ‘‘spotted, blotched, and dotted with
rich chestnut brown ; in some the ground colour being
almost obscured by the markings” (Davie). Size—.73
x) 252.
These beautiful Warblers frequent streams and swamps,
building their nests in stumps or trees that overhang or stand in
the water, the deserted nests of the woodpeckers and chicka-
dees being in much demand ; the hole selected is very low, some-
times within two feet, and seldom more than fourteen feet, of the
ground. The breeding season is in May.
718. Carolina Wren: Thryothorus ludovicianus (Lath.)
Eggs white or pinkish white, with numerous pinkish brown
and lilac gray markings, the ground colour being sometimes
concealed.
See Page 93, Chapter V.
718a. Florida Wren: T. |. miamensis Ridgw.
Eggs similar to the preceding.
See Page 93, Chapter V.
107
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
719. Bewick’s Wren: Thryothorus bewickii (Aud.)
Eggs white or pinkish, with numerous reddish brown and
purplish spots and specks, more thickly distributed about the
larger end.
See Page 93, Chapter V.
721. House Wren: Troglodytes aédon Vieill.
Eggs usually so thickly covered with reddish brown or
chocolate markings that the white or whitish ground colour is
partly or entirely hidden.
See Page 94, Chapter V.
722. House Wren: Troglodytes hiemalis Vieill.
Eggs white or creamy white, with reddish brown and pur-
ple spots and specks.
See Page 94, Chapter V.
726. Brown Creeper: Certhia familiaris americana
(Bonap.)
Adult—Upper parts brownish gray, white, and buff, somewhat
barred ; under parts white ; tail stiff, and sharp at the points;
bill very pointed and with a slight downward curve. Length
—5.66.
Breeding Range—The northern United States, northward.
The nest is usually placed inside the loose bark of a tree or
stump—sometimes within the rift of a tree that has been struck by
lightning—and is composed of felted material, soft feathers, moss,
twigs, spider cocoons, etc. 5 to 8 eggs are laid; they are creamy
white, spotted with reddish brown chiefly at the larger end.
Size—.59 X .47.
Ever busy with his endless task of climbing tree after tree
in his search for the necessaries of life, the Brown Creeper lives up
to his name ; he methodically creeps up a tree till he arrives at
108
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
the place where the bark is smooth, then he drops either to an-
other branch or to the foot of the next tree, and there he goes
through just the same performance again; this continues, as far as
one can judge, from early morning till nearly dark. During the
breeding season, which begins about the middle of May, this bird
has a pleasing, though short, song.
727. White-breasted Nuthatch: Sitta carolinensis Lath.
Adult 6 —Upper parts gray; crown black, extending partly down
the back ; under parts white; under tail feathers and lower
part of belly light chestnut.
ae ?—Crown and upper part of back dark gray. Length—
OF:
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States from Georgia
northward.
The nest, of feathers, leaves, and hair, is placed in a hole in a
tree, a natural cavity, or the abandoned excavation made by a
woodpecker may be used indiscriminately, the height from the
ground being from sixty feet downwards.
The eggs, numbering 5 to 9, or even 10, are creamy or pinkish
white, with numerous spots and specks of light reddish, yellowish,
and purplish brown, rather more thickly distributed about the
larger end. Size—.77 x .56. See Fig. 4, Plate C.
The White-breasted Nuthatch may be easily distinguished
from other nuthatches by his superior size and the absence of
black on the cheek. The breeding season begins about the middle
of April, two broods being frequently reared.
727b. Florida White-breasted Nuthatch: S. c. atkinsi
Scott.
A smaller sub-species of the common white-breasted nut-
hatch, the female resembling the male in having the black crown.
Range, Florida and South Carolina.
728. Red-breasted Nuthatch: Sitta canadensis Linn.
Adult 6—Upper parts gray; head black, with a white line over
the eye; under parts buffy red, except the throat, which is
white.
109
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
Adult 2 —The black of head replaced by gray. Length—4.62.
Breeding Range—‘‘ May be roughly defined as embracing the entire
spruce-forested regions of northern New England, including
portions of Berkshire and Worcester counties, Massachusetts ”
(Brewster).
The nest, of fine grass, is in a cavity, usually in a decayed tree,
from four to fifteen feet from the ground. 4 to 6 eggs are laid;
they are creamy white, with numerous reddish brown and laven-
der spots. Size—.60 x .48.
In writing of this small nuthatch, Davie mentions a curious
fact connected with its nests: ‘‘ The bark at their entrance is coated
with fir-balsam or pitch, from an inch to three or four inches
around the hole. In one instance the pitch extended down for
twenty-one inches, and was stuck full of the red breast feathers
of the nuthatches.” The breeding season begins in June, occa-
sionally two broods being reared.
729. Brown-headed Nuthatch: Sitta pusilla (Lath.)
Adult—Upper parts gray ; top and back of head grayish brown,
with a spot of white over the nape ; under parts light gray
or whitish. Length—4.5o.
Breeding Range—From Virginia southward.
Nest placed usually in a hole, made by the birds themselves,
in a stump or tree, within a few inches of, or as much as sixty
feet from, the ground.
It is composed of ‘‘ short pieces of grass, bits of cotton wool,
feathers, and the leaf-like substance of ‘ pine seed leaves ’”’ (Davie).
The eggs, 4 to 6 in number, are more or less heavily spotted
and blotched with reddish brown and pale lilac. Size—.56 x.46.
The Brown-Headed is the smallest of the Eastern nuthatches,
and is readily identified by the white spot on its neck. Breeding
season in March.
731. Tufted Titmouse: Parus bicolor Linn.
Adult—Upper parts gray ; forehead black ; crest gray ; under
parts light gray, to white on the belly ; the sides washed
with reddish brown. Length—6.oo.
Breeding Range—From northern New Jersey southward.
19 fe)
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
The nest, simply a collection of short hair, moss, leaves,
and strips of bark, is placed most frequently in a deserted wood-
pecker’s hole, or in a natural cavity in a tree, usually one that is
dead. 4 to 8 eggs are laid ; they are white or creamy, with
large spots and specks of reddish and purplish brown, chiefly at
the larger end. Size—3.74 x .52.
These delightful little birds may be seen in the somewhat
damp woods, usually in company with the ever-busy chickadee.
They breed in April.
735. Chickadee: Parus atricapillus Linn.
Aduit—Upper part of head and nape black; back gray ; under
parts, throat black, breast white, shading into grayish or
buff on the sides and belly. Length—5. 27.
Breeding Range—‘‘ From southern Illinois and Pennsylvania north-
ward to Labrador, and southward along the Alleghanies to
North Carolina” (Chapman).
The nest is made of moss, feathers, wool, plant fibre, fur,
and sometimes entirely of short hairs. It is placed in a hole
which may be either a natural cavity, a deserted woodpecker’s
nest, or made by themselves ; in the latter event they choose a
decayed tree, by preference the white birch. Thehole is seldom
more than seventeen feet from the ground. The eggs number
from 5 to 8 ; they are white, sparsely marked with light brown,
purplish, and lilac spots and specks, chiefly at the larger end.
Size—.57 x .47. See Fig. 19, Plate C.
These little acrobats of the forest, with their cheerful notes
and confidential manners, are among the most delightful of our
bird friends; they have but little fear of man, and their restless
hopping from bough to bough, standing one moment on the
twig and the next moment turning over and hanging beneath
it, ever seaching for food, and uttering at intervals that note
so peculiar to themselves, is a constant source of interest and
amusement to the onlooker. The eggs may be found from
about the middle of May, near New York. Damp woods and
woodland swamps or ponds are the localities to which they
retire during the nesting season. The young resemble the adult
birds.
Ill
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
736. Carolina Chickadee: Parus carolinensus Aud.
A Southern species of the chickadee, its smaller size being
the most distinctive point of difference. Length—4.06 to 4.75.
Breeding Range—From central New Jersey and Illinois southward.
Nesting habits and eggs similar to the preceding.
740. Hudsonian Chickadee: Parus hudsonicus Forst.
Very similar to the chickadee, the principal differences be-
ing upper part of head brown instead of black ; back brownish
gray ; sides chestnut.
Breeding Range—Northward from the northern part of New Eng-
land, and probably in the Adirondacks.
Nesting habits very similar to those of the chickadee.
766. Bluebird: Sialia sialis (Linn.)
Adult 6 — Upper parts intense blue; under parts terra cotta, belly
whitish.
Adult 2 —Grayish blue, sides and breast lighter. Length—7.01.
Immature 6 —Bird three months old, upper parts grayish blue,
spotted with pale gray ; wings and tail blue ; upper part of
breast terra cotta; the centre of each feather buffy white ;
lower part of breast and sides terra cotta ; belly whitish.
Breeding Range—From the Gulf States northward. The nest is
of grass, placed in a hole in a tree or ina bird-box. 3to 6
pale blue, sometimes white, eggs are laid. Size—.84 x .62.
Seeskion,) plate G:
When the song of the Bluebird is heard, we who love not
the cold weather are glad, for we know that in a few weeks the
frost will leave the ground and the pure white flower of the
bloodroot will lift its leaf-encircled head from the damp, dead
leaves of the year that has past. But that is not our only reason
for gladness ; we look on the bluebird as a friend, one that spends
his summers near us, leaving only when the frosts of late Novem-
ber come to tell him that ’tis time to go south, as food is becom-
ing scarce. He is my favourite bird ; and while lam writing of
112
NEST AND EGGS OF BLUEBIRD IN THE BRANCH OF AN APPLE TREE
An opening was made so that the nest might be seen
Nests in Holes in Trees, Stumps, or Logs
him, a pet one, but three months old, is sitting on my paper,
seeming to wonder what I am doing, and why I do not play with
him. He nips my pencil, but I pay no attention to him ; then he
tries to creep up my sleeve, and still | pay no attention ; so, dis-
gusted, he flies off to search for ants or other small insects. After
a time I raise my hand and call ; back he comes like a flash, and,
hovering more like a large moth than a bird, he perches on my
fingers, singing at the same time a soft little song that is his
method of speech. Having a bird that is so thoroughly com-
panionable makes me regard all bluebirds with the greatest pos-
sible affection.
Near New York the breeding season begins early in April ;
two broods are reared during the season. The young remain in
the nest until about fifteen days old. It is noticeable that their
claws are exceedingly sharp ; this is, in all probability, that they
may be able to climb out of the hole in which their nest is placed.
8
113
Chapter VII
SEMI-PENSILE, PENSILE OR HANGING NESTS
465. Acadian or Green-crested Flycatcher: Empidonax
virescens (Vieill.)
Aduit—Upper parts olive green; wings and tail dark brownish
black; under parts greenish white on the breast to pale yel-
low on sides of belly; throat and belly white. Length—
5:75+
Breeding Range—The Eastern States from Connecticut south-
ward.
Davie, in speaking of the nest of the Acadian Flycatcher, says:
‘In the manner of attachment it resembles the nests of the vireos,
being fastened by the rim, while the bottom is unsupported; ”’
it is made of grasses, weeds, seeds, and shreds of bark, and is
frequently suspended over running water. The eggs, numbering
only 2 or 3, are buff, with spots and specks of reddish brown,
chiefly round the larger end. Size—.74x.54.
These birds are found mostly in the dense forest regions,
where they breed early in June. The nests are often found in
the witch-hazel bush.
498. Red-winged Blackbird: Agelaius phoeniceus (Linn.)
Eggs pale greenish blue or pearly white with either blotches
or scrawls of dark purplish brown, faint cloudy blotches of the
same colour, and spots of black.
See Page 77, Chapter IV.
498b. Florida Redwing: A. p. bryanti Ridgw.
Egg similar to those of the preceding species.
See Page 78, Chapter IV.
I14
NEST OF ORCHARD ORIOLE
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
506. Orchard Oriole: Icterus spurius (Linn,)
Adult 6 —Head and upper part of back black; lower part of back
and under parts rich chestnut brown; wings and tail nearly
black, with light edges to the longer feathers.
Adult 9 —Head and back olive green; wings nearly black; breast
and under parts dull greenish yellow. Length—7. 32.
Immature 6—Much the same as adult ¢ during first year; the
throat becomes black, and the chestnut shows during the
second year.
Breeding Range—From the Gulf States northward to the south-
ern parts of New England.
The nest is a wonderful basket-like structure of fresh
grass, carefully and delicately woven, the upper edge being
securely laced to small branches and leaves. Though usually
placed in fruit trees, it may be found in almost any kind
of tree, and at almost any distance from the ground up
to about twenty-five feet. The eggs are pearly or bluish
white with irregular deep brown and lilac gray lines and
blotches. Number of eggs, 3to5. Size—.80x.58. See Fig. 5,
Plate C.
To find an Orchard Oriole’s nest requires more than or-
dinarily keen eyes, especially when newly built, as the fresh
grass so nearly matches the surrounding leaves; when the
grass dies and becomes yellow, it is far more easily seen, but
by that time the young are probably hatched. The sides of
the nest are so thin that in some cases the contents may
readily be seen from below. An apple or pear orchard is by
far the most likely place in which to find the nest, but it may
be found in a cedar or almost any kind of tree, frequently with-
in a short distance of a house.
The nesting season begins towards the end of May.
507. Baltimore Oriole: Icterus galbula (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Head, throat, and upper part of back black; breast, belly,
and rump brilliant orange, sometimes reddish orange; wings
black with white bar; outer tail feathers orange with black
base; middle tail feathers black to the tips.
115
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
Adult? —Greenish or grayish orange in general appearance ;
head, back, and sometimes the throat slightly mottled with
black; breast lighter grayish orange. Length—7.53
The young resemble the adult 9 but haveno black thatitiags
Breeding Range—From the Gulf States northward.
The nest is so peculiar that it cannot be mistaken. It is pen-
sile or hanging, about six or seven inches deep, and is built of
fine grasses, plant fibres, downy seeds, wool, cotton string, hairs,
and sometimes strips of cloth ; these are woven together so as to
form a perfect bag, the sides of which are very thin. The inside
is lined with fine grass, hair, and wool. The nest is securely
laced to small twigs, usually at the end of a branch. From 4 to
6 eggs are laid. They are very pale gray, drab, or almost white,
with a few strange cabalistic scroll-like lines and blotches of a
dark purplish brown; some of these lines are so light in colour
that they are scarcely perceptible. Size—.g2x.62. See Fig. 10,
Plate C.
Although the Baltimore Oriole’s nest is so easy to find, being
generally placed far from the ground, at the extreme end of an
overhanging branch of an elm tree, it is difficult to see whether
it contains eggs or young. Two nests are sometimes found in
asingletree. The elm seems to be preferred to all others, although
frequently the black-walnut, maple, apple, weeping-willow, or
almost any other tree may be selected. The most likely place to
find the nest is in the large trees along the roadside, near houses.
The young may be reared without much difficulty, and I
know of few other birds that better repay the trouble of bringing
up; they are thoroughly sociable, and are a constant source of
amusement and interest; seldom quiet, they delight in finding
pieces of thread or string, which they weave and unweave in a
truly wonderful manner. (I have some reason to think that the
male birds do not weave.) They become so tame that even
when allowed to fly out of doors they will return to their cage.
The nesting season begins about the third week in May.
623. Black-whiskered Vireo: Vireo calidris barbatulus
(Cab.)
Adult—‘‘ Similar to the next species, but somewhat duller above,
and with a fuscous streak on either side of the throat.”
(Chapman.)
Breeding Range—The southern part of Florida.
116
PENDANT NEST OF THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
The nest is a cup-like structure, hung at the fork of a branch;
tt is made of shreds of bark, grasses, lichen, and spiders’ web,
with the lining of cotton-like fibre. The eggs, numbering 3 to 4,
are pinkish white, with fine spots and specks of brown. Size—
AIS Gi
624. Red-eyed Vireo: Vireo olivaceus (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts olive green; a dark line on either side of
crown; a whitish line over the eye; under parts white; the
iris is red. Length—6.23.
Breeding Range—From the Gulf States northward.
The nest is made of grasses, thin strips of bark, lichen,
spiders’ web, and plant fibre, with the lining of grass and some-
times hair. It is cup-shaped, the rim being securely laced to the
forked twigs; from four to forty-five feet from the ground. 3 to5
eggs are laid; they are white with a few dark specks. Size—
.85 x .56.
This is the most common of our vireos, being found through-
out the woodland. The nests vary greatly in appearance, some
being roughly made of coarse grass and bark, while others are
beautifully decorated with white web, or some sort of white
silky material, which is fastened all over the outside, for what
purpose it is difficult to imagine. Almost any sort of tree or
sapling is chosen, but the oak has the preference in most places;
apple trees are occasionally used.
The breeding season begins towards the end of May; prob-
ably two broods are reared.
626. Philadelphia Vireo: Vireo philadelphicus (Cass.)
Adu/t—Upper parts olive green, more grayish on the crown; a
whitish line over the eye; under parts pale lemon yellow,
somewhat tinged with green. Length—4.75.
Breeding Range—Northern New England northward. ‘‘It has
been found in the breeding season at Franconia and Dixville
Notch, in New Hampshire, and in the region about Lake
Umbagog; in western Maine, it is not uncommon during the
entire summer.” (Brewster.)
The nest and eggs resemble those of the red-eyed vireo,
probably the first authentic set of eggs having been found by Mr.
Ernest E. Thompson in Manitoba.
117
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
627. Warbling Vireo: Vireo gilvus (Vieill.)
Adult—Upper parts olive green or grayish green; under parts
white, slightly tinged with yellow; line over the eye indis-
tinct grayish white. Length—5.8o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is similar to that of the red-eyed vireo; the eggs
white, spotted and sometimes blotched with reddish brown.
Size—.75 x .52.
This bird is difficult to distinguish from the red-eyed vireo;
it is somewhat smaller, the line over the eye less distinct and the
song totally different, being more prolonged and melodious.
The breeding season begins towards the end of May.
628. Yellow-throated Vireo: Vireo flavifrons Vieill.
Aduit—Upper parts yellowish olive; rump gray; ring around
the eye yellow; breast light lemon yellow; belly grayish
white; distinct white bars on wings. Length—5.95.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest resembles a good example of the red-eyed vireo’s,
from five to forty feet from the ground.
Eggs white with a tinge of pink; rather more thickly spotted
than those of the red-eyed vireo. Size—.83 x .61.
The bright yellow breast serves to distinguish this bird from
other members of the vireo family; the breeding habits are not
very different from those of the red-eyed vireo, except that
nesting begins.rather later.
629. Blue-headed, or Solitary Vireo: Vireo solitarius
(Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts greenish; head blue gray, with conspicuous
white ring round tne eye, and white between eye and bill;
under parts whitish, tinged on the sides with greenish
yellow; wings have two white bars. Length—s.61.
Breeding Range—Chiefly in the northern part of the United States,
and in the higher parts of the Alleghanies further south;
rarely in northern New Jersey.
18
O3YIA ONITSYYM SHL 40 ISSN G3dVHS-LEyXSVE 1IS3SN S,O3YIA G3A3-03Y¥ SHL 40 3IdWVXS UlVs V
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
The nest is of the regular vireo type. The eggs, 3 to 4 in
number, are white with few dark spots, sometimes in a wreath-
like cluster around the larger end. Size—.81 x .62.
These birds are inhabitants of the woods, though they some-
times breed in apple trees near houses. A pair bred in an apple
tree that almost touched a house, and the young could be seen
from my window, as they left the nest; this was in South
Orange, New Jersey.
629c. Mountain Solitary Vireo: V. s. alticola Brewst.
Resembles the preceding, but is larger, and more gray than
green on the back.
Breeding Range—Higher portions of the Alleghanies in North and
South Carolina.
The nest is much like that of other vireos, but larger, and
having in addition to the usual materials pieces of decayed wood
fastened on the outside with spiders’ or caterpillars’ webs. 3 to
4 eggs are laid; they are white, with fine spots and dots of
brown. Size—.80 x. 58.
631. White-eyed Vireo: Vireo noveboracensis (Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts greenish ; two wing bars of yellowish white;
under parts whitish, the breast and sides being tinged with
yellow ; iris white until after the breeding season ; yellow
eye-ring and in front of eye. Length—5.27.
Breeding Range—From Maine southward.
The nest is much deeper than most of the vireo nests, being
about two inches deep inside, and three and a half to four and a
half deep outside. It is made of moss, lichen, plant fibre, grass,
with chips of wood (taken often from a woodpecker’s excava-
tion) fastened on the outside ; the lining is of fine grass. It is
sometimes attached to the forked branch by numerous threads of
caterpillar silk. The eggs are white, with either very few or
many small spots or specks of dark purplish brown. 3 to 5 are
laid. Size—.76 x.56. See Fig. 6, Plate C.
These little songsters may be found nesting in the damp
thickets, the nest being hung within a few feet of the ground ;
the birds sit very close and will not readily desert their nests. In
taking the accompanying photograph I was able to arrange and
119
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
focus the camera and give a time exposure without disturbing the
bird, even though the camera was within three feet of the nest.
They become highly indignant if the nest is touched, coming
almost to one’s hand while they alternately scold and sing.
The irregular song, which is delivered with great energy, is par-
ticularly sweet and of surprising volume for so small a bird.
The breeding season in the neighbourhood of New York be-
gins about the third week in May.
68la. Key West Vireo: V.n. maynardi (Brewst.)
Closely resembling the preceding, it is rather smaller and
lighter in colour.
Range—Southern Florida.
Nest and eggs described as being identical with those of the
white-eyed vireo.
648. Parula, or Blue yellow-back Warbler: Compsothly-
pis americana (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Upper parts gray blue, with a yellowish green patch in
the middle of the back ; throat and breast yellow, with a
dark brown or black patch ; sides rufous ; belly white.
Adult? —Very similar, sometimes lacking the rufous colour on
the sides. Length—4.73.
Breeding Range—Locally throughout the Eastern States where
the usnea moss is found.
The nest is placed within tufts of hanging moss (usnea) ; it
is perhaps more strictly speaking globular than pensile, as the
entrance is often at the side ; it is usually at a distance of from
‘‘three to forty feet” from the ground, and may be found in trees
or bushes. The eggs, 4 to5 in number, are white, speckled
with various shades of light reddish brown and lilac, chiefly at
the larger end. Size—.67 x .49.
It is in the swampy woods where on the trees and bushes
the grey moss hangs in graceful festoons that the Parula makes his
summer home; the nest being completed towards the end of May.
748. Golden-crowned Kinglet: Regulus satrapa Licht.
Adult 8 —Upper parts olive green, crown orange bordered by black;
an undefined whitish line over the eye; under parts whitish.
120
VIREO.
EYED
TE-
=
Ww
x
JEST OF
HANGING f
Semi-Pensile, Pensile or Hanging Nests
Aduit ? —Has yellow instead of orange on the crown. Length—
4.07.
Breeding Range—The elevated and more northern part of the
United States.
The nests seem to vary greatly,,both in form, method of
support, and in the materials used in their construction. Minot
describes a nest he found in the White Mountains as being
“olobular, with an entrance in the upper part; it was composed
of hanging moss, ornamented with bits of dead leaves, and lined
chiefly with feathers.” Three nests found by Mr. Brewster *
were in brief as follows: First, within two feet of the top of a
spruce tree sixty feet from the ground, suspended among the fine
pendent twigs, resembling the Baltimore oriole’s nest in its posi-
tion; second, twenty feet below the top of a large spruce, in a
cluster of stiff twigs, built something after the manner of the
vireo’s nest, but supported on all sides by radiating twigs; third,
in a spruce tree, five feet from the end of the branch, the nest sus-
pended from above and resting on a platform of sticks. It is
difficult to know whether these birds habitually build a pensile
or a globular nest, or a combination of the two. The material
used in constructing these nests is green moss, lichen, usnea
(moss), lined with strips of bark, fine roots, and feathers. The
eggs, white to dark cream colour, with small dots or blotches of
light brown and pale lavender, vary in number from 6 to 10.
Size—.56 x .44. See Fig. 21, Plate C.
749. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Regulus calendula (Linn.)
Aduit§—Upper parts olive green; middle of crown scarlet
(partly concealed); under parts whitish; wing has two whit-
ish bars. Length—4.41.
Breeding Range—The higher mountains, and from the northern
border of the United States northward.
The nest, usually pensile or semi-pensile, is placed at from
twelve to thirty feet from the ground, and is made of mosses,
strips of soft bark, and feathers. The eggs, 5 to 9 in number, are
whitish, with spots of light brown, chiefly at the larger end.
Size—.59 x .43.
The descriptions of the nests of these Kinglets are taken (in
brief) mainly from Davie’s ‘‘ Nests and Eggs of North American
Birds.”
* “The Auk,” v., pp. 337-344.
12!
Chapter VIII
OPEN NESTS IN TREES, BUSHES, AND VINES
Part IL.—LARGE NESTS IN TREES
327. Swallow-tailed Kite: Elanoides forficatus (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts blue black, except the head, which, together
with the under parts, is white ; tail deeply forked. Length
—24.00.
Breeding Range—The Southern States, northward along the Mis-
sissippi Valley to Illinois ; ‘‘casually east to Pennsylvania
and southern New England.”
The nest, composed of sticks, and sometimes green moss, is
placed on the topmost branches of a tall tree, usually near water-
courses ; it is a bulky structure. ‘‘Outwardly it measures eigh-
teen inches in diameter, depth twelve inches.’”’ (Davie.) 2 to 4
eggs are laid ; they are white tinged with green or yellow, with
specks, spots, and blotches of various shades of brown and chest-
nut. Size—1.85 x 1.46.
These birds are said to fight desperately when their nests
are threatened, and abandon the nest if it be disturbed. In the
southern portion of their range the breeding season probably be-
gins early in April.
828. White-tailed Kite: Elanus leucurus (Vieill.)
Adult—Upper parts ashy gray ; whiter on the head ; wing coverts
black ; tail and under parts white. Length—15.50.
Breeding Range—Probably South Carolina, southern Illinois, and
Florida.
The nest is placed at the topmost branch of a tree, near
water ; it is a shallow structure of sticks, thinly lined with bark
and sometimes straw. 3 to 5 eggs are laid (Davie) ; they are
“dull creamy white, thickly blotched, dotted, and tinged with
122
Large Nests in Trees
deep chestnut, in some cases almost completely covering the
whole ground.” Size—1.71 x 1.31. In South Carolina the nest-
ing season begins early in March.
329. Mississippi Kite: Ictinia mississippiensis (Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts: Head gray; back slate colour ; tail black ;
under parts gray. Length—14.00.
Breeding Range—From South Carolina, southward ; casually from
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and lowa in the interior (A. O. U.
check-list).
The nests are built in trees at from twenty to fifty feet from
the ground ; they are made of dry and green twigs, leaves, and
moss, and are rather bulky, the walls being very thick. The
eggs, numbering from 2 to 3, are dull white or slightly tinged
with green or blue. Size—1.64 x 1.28.
The breeding season probably begins about the end of April
or early in May.
830. Everglade Kite: Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieill.)
Eggs dusky white or brownish, with blotches and spots of
reddish brown.
See Page 77, Chapter IV.
332. Sharp-shinned Hawk: Accipiter velox (Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts bluish slate colour ; tail, which is square, is
gray, barred with blackish brown ; under parts barred with
white, buff, and rusty brown. Length—4, 11.25; @, 13.50.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest of sticks and twigs is placed in a crotch, or against
the tree trunk, at a height of from ten to sixty feet. The tree
selected varies according to locality ; in some places pines are
most often chosen, but oak, birch, or dead trees are also used ;
the nest is rarely in cavities or on ledges of rock. The eggs, num-
bering from 3 to 5 or 6, are white, tinged with green, blue, or
gray, ‘“‘sometimes unmarked,” but usually spotted, blotched,
clouded, and streaked with various shades of browns, rust colour,
chocolate, and lilac. Size—1.50 x 1.16.
123
Large Nests in Trees
The nesting season begins ftom early in April to early in
June, according to locality.
SSS. Cooper’s Hawk: Accipiter cooperii (Bonap.)
Adult—Resembling the sharp-shinned hawk ; the dark crown,
rounded tail, and superior size, are the most marked differences.
Length— 2, 15.50; @, 19.00.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is large and bulky ; it is made of sticks. Often a
deserted crow’s or hawk’s nest is used, otherwise the nest is
placed near the top of a tree, generally ina crotch. The eggs
number from 4 to 6; they are white, more or less tinged with
green or blue, either immaculate or with light reddish-brown
spots. Size—1.97 x 1.50. See Fig. 4, Plate A.
This is one of the many so-called chicken hawks, and it de-
serves the name far better than many of the other hawks, as it
destroys a great number of poultry.
The breeding season, near New York, begins about the end
of April, and in the South about the first of April.
334. American Goshawk: Accipiter atricapillus (Wils.)
Adu/t—Upper parts slate colour ; head much darker; line over
eye white ; under parts whitish, with broken bars of dark
gray.
Immature—Upper parts dark brown ; under parts buff, streaked
with very dark grayish brown. Length—é, 22.00; 9,
24.00.
Breeding Range—From the more northern parts of the United
States northward.
The nest is made of sticks, lined with coarse pieces of bark
and grass ; it is placed in tall trees, usually evergreens. The
eggs, numbering from 2 to 5, are whitish, sometimes tinged with
blue or green, either unmarked or with light brownish spots.
Size—2. 32 X 1.75.
This bird resembles the European goshawk, which was
used to catch hares and rabbits in the time when falconry was so
much the fashion.
124
Large Nests in Trees
8387. Red-tailed Hawk: Buteo borealis (Gmel.)
Aduit—Upper parts dark brown ; the feathers marked with rust
colour and buff ; tail bright chestnut, with a dark band and
whitish tip. Under parts: Breast buffy white, with heavy
streaks on the upper part, and few or none on the lower
part ; belly whitish ; sides streaked with brown.
Immature—The tail brown instead of chestnut. Length—é,
20.00 ; ¢, 23.00.
Breeding Range—The Eastern States.
The nest, which is very large and shallow, is made of sticks,
moss, and grass, and sometimes feathers ; it is placed against the
trunk, usually at a considerable height. Pine trees situated in
the dense forests are most often used. 2 to 3, and sometimes
4, eggs are laid ; they are whitish, either unmarked or heavily
blotched with shades of reddish and ‘yellowish brown and lilac,
occasionally the markings confined to the larger end. Size—
2.36 x 1.80.
These large and handsome hawks usually build their own
nests every year ; but in some instances they have been known
to use the old nests of either hawks or crows.
The breeding season, varying according to locality, begins
in April or May ; in the neighbourhood of New York nests may
be found early in April.
337d. Harlan’s Hawk: Buteo borealis harlani (Aud.)
Breeding Range—‘‘ The Gulf States and Lower Mississippi Valley,
north to Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Kansas.’”’ (Davie.)
A sub-species of the red-tailed hawk, being somewhat
smaller, darker in colour on the back, belly spotted, and the tail
mottled with rusty red, black, gray, and whitish.
The nest is placed in a large tree; it is composed of sticks,
lined with leaves and moss.
2 eggs mentioned by Davie measure 2.40 x 1.81 and
2.45 x 1.83; ‘‘their ground colour is bluish white, blotched with
brown; in one somewhat sparingly over the small end, and in
the other specimen sprinkled over the entire surface.”
125
Large Nests in Trees
339. Red-shouldered Hawk: Buteo lineatus (Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts dark brown, slightly marked with rusty
brown; shoulders rufous; tail very dark, with white bars;
under parts reddish buff, with very fine white bars; in the
immature birds the under parts are white, spotted with
brownish gray. Length—¢, 18.30; 2, 20.35.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is much like that of the red-tailed hawk. The
eggs are very similar, but smaller and usually more heavily
marked, but they vary greatly, some being very faintly washed,
while in others the ground colour is almost hidden by the heavy
splotches of reddish brown. Size—2.15 x 1.65.
The Red-shouldered Hawk is the most common of the larger
hawks, and may be found frequenting the damp woods and the
vicinity of ponds.
The breeding season commences in April.
839a. Florida Red-shouldered Hawk: B.|I. alleni Ridgw.
Breeding Range—Texas, Florida, and on the Atlantic coast to
South Carolina.
A southern sub-species of the red-shouldered hawk; it is
smaller, the head is lighter, and the under parts are not so dis-
tinctly barred.
The nest is placed in large trees, and is made of twigs, green
leaves, and Spanish moss. The eggs resemble those of the pre-
ceding species. This is a very common bird in Florida, being
found throughout the pine woods and particularly near the rivers
and in the cypress swamps, where it may frequently be seen
perched on the lower branch of a tree, watching for its prey. - It
is aremarkably tame bird, and will seize any small rodent or other
prey without the slightest regard for the onlooker. Iam inclined
to believe this southern variety destroys far more birds than does
the more northern red-shouldered hawk.
The breeding season begins in March.
342. Swainson’s Hawk: Buteo swainsoni Bonap.
Adult 4—Upper parts dark brown; feathers margined with
rufous; forehead nearly white; under parts and throat white;
126
Large Nests in Trees
breast reddish or rufous; belly creamy white, spotted with
grayish brown.
Adult 2 —Has the breast and back dark brown. Length—4,
20.00.
Breeding Range—West of the Mississippi. It has been found
further east, and New York and New England records are
not very rare, but 1 can find no mention of its breeding in
the Eastern States. It occurs in the West at times in vast
numbers.
343. Broad-winged Hawk: Buteo latissimus (Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts brownish ; the feathers edged with grayish
buff; tail dark, with two bars, and the tip light gray ;
under parts white, barred with brownish ; the throat is
streaked very heavily on either side. Length— 4, 15.89.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is a rude structure of twigs, moss, and sometimes
feathers, placed in a tree at a height of from ten feet upwards.
2 to 4 eggs are laid ; they are whitish, marked with blotches and
spots of yellowish and purplish brown, or with dulllilac. Size—
1.90 X 1.54.
In common with so many hawks, this bird often makes use
of an abandoned crow’s nest.
The breeding season begins early in April. The male assists
in the duties of incubation.
344. Short-tailed Hawk: Buteo brachyurus Vieill.
Adult—‘‘ Upper parts slaty gray or fuscous brown ; forehead
whitish ; tail barred with black and narrowly tipped with
white, its under surface grayish; sides and breast with
some rufous-brown markings; rest of under parts pure
white.” Length—17.00.
Breeding Range—Florida.
But little is known of the breeding habits of this hawk,
which is rare in the United States. The eggs are described as
dull white or bluish, blotched and spotted at the larger end with
reddish brown. Size—2.17 x 1.61.
127
Large Nests in Trees
$52. Bald Eagle: Haliaetus leucocephalus (Linn.)
Adult—The entire head, neck, and tail white ; other parts dark
brownish. Length—4, 32.85; 2, 35.50.
Breeding Range—Throughout North America.
The nest is a very large structure of sticks, sometimes ‘‘ partly
composed of sods,” and more or less lined with grass; it is
placed in large trees (in parts of Florida the pine is used almost
exclusively), in mangroves, and rarely on rocks. The eggs, 2 in
number, are white or whitish. Size—2.85 x 2.20.
The Bald Eagle found in Florida is much smaller than the
northern bird ; its eggs also are somewhat smaller ; then, again,
the Florida bird feeds to a great extent on carrion, and may be
often seen feeding with large numbers of the turkey vultures.
Some writers say that on the approach of the eagle the turkey
vultures disperse. I have, however, seen them feeding together
in comparative harmony.
The breeding season begins very early. In Florida eggs
may be found in January.
357. Pigeon Hawk: Falco columbarius Linn.
Eggs light cinnamon or creamy white, blotched, clouded, and
spotted with chestnut and brown.
See Page 82, Chapter V.
862. Audubon’s Caracara: Polyborus cherivay (Jacq.)
Adult—Crown and back black ; upper back and nape slightly
barred. Under parts: Throat and breast buff, the breast
finely barred with black ; belly black ; feathers on crown
slightly elongated ; face bare. Length—23.00.
Breeding Range—Southern Florida and Texas.
The nests, which are not very bulky, are made of sticks and
grass, either with or without lining, and placed in trees, amongst
others the cabbage palmetto, and in bushes, rarely in cliffs. 2
to 3 eggs are laid ; they are reddish or yellowish buff with small
and large markings and cloudings of rich purplish brown, chest-
nut, and reddish brown. Size—2.40 x 1.70.
128
Large Nests in Trees
These beautiful birds are fairly abundant in southern Florida ;
and though they sometimes come near the smaller towns, it is
only when there is some special attraction, such as a slaughter-
house, that they assemble with the flocks of turkey vultures.
More often they frequent the somewhat open country, away from
human _ habitation.
The breeding season begins in early March.
364. American Osprey; Fish Hawk: Pandion haliaetus
carolinensis (Gmel.)
Adult 6—Upper parts grayish brown, with more or less white
markings on top of head ; under parts white, sometimes
marked with dark gray or brown. Length—23.10.
Adult 2—Has the breast invariably spotted.
Breeding Range—Throughout North America, chiefly along the
sea-coast.
The nest, which is very large, is made of sticks, sea-weed,
and various other materials, depending on locality. It is placed
in trees, either dead or alive, on stumps, and on almost any avail-
able place, and is used for succeeding years. Several nests are
usually to be found near together. Seldom more than 3 eggs are
laid, 4 being an uncommon number. They vary very greatly
both in their ground colour and markings ; in some the dark red-
dish-brown blotches completely cover the ground colour, while
in others the whitish ground colour is almost immaculate ; usu-
ally the markings are fairly heavy. Size—2.40 x 1.75. See Fig.
2, Plate A.
366. American Long-eared Owl: Asio wilsonianus
(Less.)
4dult—Upper parts dark brown, finely mottled with white, with
some buff showing ; under parts white, buff, and dark gray-
ish brown, streaked on the breast and barred on the belly.
Ear tufts about one inch long. Length—14.8o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the United States.
The nest is seldom made by the birds themselves ; usually a
crow’s or squirrel’s nest is used, some small work in the way of
repairing being done, and a few feathers and leaves added. 3 to
6 white eggs are laid. Size—1.60 x 1.32.
129
Large Nests in Trees
The breeding season begins early in April. The period of in-
cubation occupies about three weeks.
S68. Barred Owl: Syrnium nebulosum (Forsi.)
Eggs white.
See Page 97, Chapter VI.
868a. Florida Barred Owl: S. n. alleni Ridgw.
Eggs white.
See Page 98, Chapter VI.
372. Saw-whet or Acadian Owl: Nyctala acadica
(Gmel.)
Eggs white.
See Page 98, Chapter VI.
375. Great Horned Owl: Bubo virginianus (Gmel.)
Aduit—Upper parts mottled buff brown and black ; under parts
same colours, barred ; ear-tufts two inches long ; feet and
legs feathered. Length— 4, 22.00.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is a large structure of sticks, leaves, bark, and
feathers, placed usually in a coniferous tree ; very often a squir-
rel’s, crow’s, or hawk’s nest is used. Sometimes the nest is in a
hole in a tree, and rarely amongst rocks. 2 to 3 (Minot gives the
limit as 4) white eggs are laid. Size—2.25 x 1.85.
These large feathered prowlers of the night roam through the
darkened forests in search of birds and small animals, upon which
they prey ; neither do they scorn to enter the barn-yard, and
many a chicken is taken to satisfy their own appetite or to feed
their hungry owlets. Their dismal hooting is one of the most
uncanny sounds heard during the night ; to thoroughly appre-
ciate it one should be alone in the woods, when it brings up by
no means pleasing thoughts.
The nesting season begins towards the end of February.
130
PLATE A—Common Eggs
Large Nests in Trees
488. American Crow: Corvus americanus Aud.
Adult—Entirely blue black. Length—19. 3o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the United States.
The nest is variable in size, usually very bulky ; it is made
of sticks, grape-vine and cedar bark, dried dung, sods, horse
hair, moss, grass, etc. It is placed in trees, or even tall bushes,
from fifteen feet up. The eggs, numbering from 4 to 6 or 7, are
pale bluish green or nearly white, with few or many small light
brownish markings. Size—1.65 x 1.15.
The Common Crow is so well known that but little need be
said of it here. The nesting season begins early in April ; prob-
ably more than one brood is reared. The nest is usually in the
woods, and occasionally along hedges.
488a. Florida Crow: C. a. floridanus Baird.
Very similar to the preceding species. Nesting habits and
eggs identical.
Breeding Range—Florida.
490. Fish Crow: Corvus ossifragus Wils.
Adult—Entirely blue black. Length—16.00.
Breeding Range—The Gulf coast, and the Atlantic coast from Long
Island southward.
The nest and eggs are very similar to those of the common
crow, the eggs being somewhat smaller. Size—1.50 x 1.06.
This crow lives near the sea-shore or along rivers, never very
far from the sea-coast. It builds most often in cedars or other
evergreens, many nests being found near together. It may be
distinguished from the common crow by the extreme harshness
of its voice.
The breeding season begins in May.
131
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Part II.—NESTS. IN| TREES,’ BUSHES, OR
VINES
3814. White-crowned Pigeon: Columba leucocephala
Linn. —
Adult 4 —Dark slate colour, with iridescent feathers on the neck;
front of crown pure white.
Adult 2—Dull slate colour ; wings tinged with brownish ; the
crown dull white. Length—1 3.50.
Prete Range—The keys of southern Florida, including Key
est.
The nest is placed in bushes or trees, and is a more ambi-
tious structure than is usual with pigeons ; it is made of sticks,
without lining. 2 pure white eggs are laid. Size—1.41 x 1.02.
This pigeon is easily recognised by its dark colour and white
forehead ; throughout the West Indies it is fairly abundant, and
is used greatly as an article of food, the flesh being considered a
luxury, especially during the pimento (allspice) season. These
birds are usually gregarious during the breeding season, many
nests being built in a single tree.
815. Passenger Pigeon: Ectopistes migratorius (Linn.)
Adult ¢—Upper parts slate colour, tinged in parts with brown,
with iridescent feathers on the neck ; under parts purplish
or pinkish buff, shading into white on the belly ; tail long
and rather pointed.
Adult 9 —Upper parts more brownish; breast more grayish
brown, and belly dull white. Length—16. 29.
Breeding Range—Very local, probably ‘‘ from northern Maine to
northern Minnesota.” Perhaps now more common in Mich-
igan and the Red River country than elsewhere.
The nest is loosely made of sticks and placed in a tree. 1 or
2 white eggs are laid. Size—1.48 x 1.04.
These pigeons, once so numerous that they were netted in
thousands, are now nearly extinct, but few having been seen dur-
ing the past five years.
132
B33ul Alddv NV NI AVf 3N18 3O ISSN 3AO0 WNINOYVD SHL JO S993 ANY ISSN
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
816. Mourning Dove; Carolina Dove: Zenaidura ma-
croura (Linn.)
Adult 6—Upper parts purplish brown ; forehead pinkish buff ;
a small black patch on cheek ; neck with iridescent feathers ;
under parts pinkish or light purplish buff to creamy buff on
the belly ; tail pointed.
Adult 2 —Very similar ; less brilliant. Length—11.85.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States to Maine.
The nest is a slight platform of small sticks, loosely placed in
a bush or tree, usually not more than twelve feet from the
ground ; it is sometimes found on a stump, often on a deserted
nest of a thrush, and in some parts of the country it is situated
on the ground. 2 white eggs are laid. Size—1.12 x .82.
This is the commonest of the doves found in the Eastern
States. It begins breeding in the early spring, and rears two or
three or even more broods. In Princeton, New Jersey, nests
containing eggs have been found as early as April 5th.
317. Zenaida Dove: Zenaida zenaida (Bonap.)
Adult—Much like the mourning dove ; the tail is square, and the
under parts darker. Length—10.00.
Breeding Range—The Florida Keys and southward.
Like the nests of other doves, it is a rude platform of sticks
if placed in bushes ; when placed on the ground, a more com-
pact structure of leaves and grass is made. The eggs, | to 2, are
white. Size—1.19 x .94.
820. Ground Dove: Columbigallina passerina terrestris
Chapm.
Eggs white.
See Page 56, Chapter II.
8322. Quail Dove: Geotrygon martinica (Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts reddish or light chestnut buff ; a whitish line
below the eye ; under parts pinkish or purplish buff. Length
—11.00.
Breeding Range—The Florida Keys and southward.
133
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nest is of sticks placed on the branch of a tree or bush.
2 buffy-white eggs are laid. Size—1.22 x .94.
This is really a West Indian species, but it has been found in
Key West and other Florida keys. In habits it is largely terres-
trial, though not as much so as the ground dove. In the West
Indies it is found almost exclusively in the thickly wooded
regions.
8382. Carolina Paroquet: Conurus carolinensis (Linn.)
Adult—Forehead and cheeks orange; rest of head and neck light
yellow; band of wing orange; other parts grass green.
Length—12.50.
Breeding Range—Somewhat uncertain ; probably the uninhabited
part of Florida is the only breeding place east of the Missis-
sippi.
There is a great difference of opinion in regard to the nest of
this bird; according to some writers it is in a hole in a tree, and
others say it is something like the nest of the Carolina dove,
being a slight structure placed in the branches of a cypress. The
eggs are white; 2in number. Size—1.44 x 1.12.
The Carolina Paroquet was formerly very abundant in Florida,
and ranged northward as far as the Great Lakes ; now it is nearly
extinct, being restricted to the southern part of Florida and to some
few places further west.
386. Mangrove Cuckoo: Coccyzus minor (Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts brownish fawn colour ; the tail has the outer
feathers black and white; inner feathers brownish fawn;
under parts buff. Length—12.50.
Breeding Range—The Florida Keys, Florida, and Louisiana.
The nest is a rude platform of sticks in the lower branches
of trees and bushes. 3 to 4 greenish-blue eggs are laid.
386a. Maynard’s Cuckoo: C.m. maynardi (Ridgw.)
Somewhat smaller than the mangrove cuckoo and lighter in
colour, particularly on the breast.
Range—The Florida Keys.
Nest and eggs unknown.
134
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
887. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: Coccyzus americanus
(Linn.)
Aduit—Upper parts drab; wings mostly rufous; under parts whit-
ish; outer tail feathers black and white; upper mandible
black; lower one yellow except at tip, which is black.
Length—12.20.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nests vary greatly both in size and construction; some
are little more than a mere platform of sticks, with a leaf or two
for lining, while others are fairly large nests, well lined with dry
ferns, leaves, catkins, and skeleton leaves; they are always shal-
low and ragged. The usual situation is in a small tree, bush, or
briar; of the trees I think the oak seems to be preferred, in some
localities particularly. 2 to 5 very pale greenish-blue eggs are laid;
they have no polish. Size—1.15 x .84.
That so dainty and trim a bird as the Yellow-billed Cuckoo
appears to be should have such a slovenly nest is always a cause
of surprise, but that the nest and its surroundings should be kept
in such disorder and filth is still more extraordinary.
The young when hatched are entirely naked. In a few days
blue pin-feathers appear ; these remain in their envelopes until
the bird is completely covered. The day before the young leave
their nest they present a remarkable appearance, more like porcu-
pines than birds, as all the pin-feathers are long and sharply
pointed ; then comes the transformation, and in twenty-four
hours the bird possesses a fine coat of beautiful soft feathers, with
no pin-feathers visible; the tail is then about one inch and a half
long. With the exception of the bill, which is blue, the young
resemble the parent birds in colour. The period of incubation is
about fourteen days. Eggs may be found from early June until
about the first week in August. The eggs are in all probability
not laid on consecutive days—how long the interval, is somewhat
uncertain.
888. Black-billed Cuckoo: Coccyzus erythrophthalmus
(Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts drab; tail the same colour, with white tips ;
under parts pearly white; bill black. Length—11.83.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
135
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nest is usually larger than that of the preceding species
and is less ragged; it is often placed at a greater height from the
ground; the material used is about the same. 2 to 5, very rarely
7, greenish-blue eggs are laid (it is probable that where sets of 7
are found they were laid by two birds); they are rather darker than
those of the yellow-billed cuckoo, and are without any gloss.
Size—1.14 x .80.
The Black-billed Cuckoo may be identified by its black bill,
and by the fact that the tail is the same colour as. the back and
is tipped with white. The nesting habits of this and the preced-
ing species are very similar. The black-billed commences laying
about two weeks earlier. Both birds will desert their nest upon
small provocation, and will notas a rule allow of anear approach
while sitting. In exceptional cases cuckoo’s (both yellow and
black-billed) eggs are found in the nests of other birds.
There is some doubt as to whether they destroy the eggs of
small birds; it is quite possible that they do so, but I have never
seen any evidence of it, and, with Dr. Shufeldt, I am inclined to
discredit such stories.
444. Kingbird: Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.)
Aduli—Upper parts dull grayish slate colour; entire head much
darker, with concealed crest of bright orange; tail tipped
with white; under parts white. Length—8.51.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is usually placed in a fruit tree near the end of a
branch, at from six to twenty-five feet of the ground. It is a
fairly well-made structure of weeds, grass, moss, fine roots, strips
of grape-vine bark, leaves, string, and catkins, lined with thin strips
of bark and horse hair. The number of eggs varies from 3 to 5,
5 being a common number ; they are creamy white, sparsely
spotted and blotched with blackish or chestnut brown and light
lilac gray; there are great variations both in size, colour, and
markings. Average size—.98 x .72. See Fig. 4, Plate D.
These somewhat pugnacious birds may be found in the more
open country and orchards; their peculiar flight and white-tipped
tail render them easy of identification. In most places they are
very common, several nests being often found in a single orchard.
136
NEST AND EGGS
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Near New York they nest about the beginning of June or end
of May.
445. Gray Kingbird: Tyrannus dominicensis (Gmel.)
Very similar to the preceding, but somewhat larger and with-
out the white at the tip of the tail.
Breeding Range—South Carolina, southward.
The nest is not as large or compact as that of the common
kingbird; the materials used in its construction are much the same;
it is placed indiscriminately in bushes or trees, usually not very
far from water. 3 to 4 eggs are laid; they are pinkish buff, with
spots and blotches of dark brown and lilac. Size—1.00x.75.
The breeding season begins in May.
466a. Alder Flycatcher: Empidonax traillii alnorum
Brewst.
Adu/t—Upper parts greenish brown; under parts whitish; grayish
on the breast ; tinged with yellow on the belly, and the sides
light greenish or grayish brown. Length—6,o9.
Breeding Range—Northern New England and Michigan.
The nest is built in the crotch of a small bush within eight
or nine feet of the ground, usually near water. It is composed of
grasses, weeds, bark, and plant-down, sometimes lined with horse
hair, and somewhat resembles the nest of the yellow warbler; it
is, of course, rather larger. The eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are white
or creamy white, dotted, spotted, or blotched, chiefly at their larger
end, with dark reddish or purplish brown. Size—.74 x .51.
This bird is the more eastern sub-species of Traill’s flycatcher,
and resembles it closely.
467. Least Flycatcher: Empidonax minimus Baird
Eggs white or creamy, rarely speckled.
See Page 174, Chapter IX.
137
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
477. Blue Jay: Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts bluish, somewhat tinged with purple; head
crested ; under parts grayish white; lighter on throat and
belly; a black line across the breast, neck, and head; forehead
black ; wings and tail blue, barred with black. Length—
11.74.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is placed in any sort of tree or bush, from four to
thirty-five feet up. It is a rather bulky and ragged affair of twigs,
roots, weeds, rags, and string. The nest shown in the accom-
panying photograph was made of twigs, rags, and a fair amount
of mud. I do not, however, think that mud is often used in
their construction. The eggs number from 3 to 6; they are
greenish or yellowish drab, thickly spotted with greenish or
reddish brown and dull lilac. Size—1.12 x .82. See Fig. 16,
Plate D.
The many peculiarities of this bird render him most interest-
ing; his voice and some of his habits are decidedly against him,
while his appearance and cleverness are so greatly in his favour that
the bad traits are or should be lost sight of. As a pet he has no
equal, his tricks causing endless amusement, and his general
character is good.
The young are very helpless at first, and are without down or
feathers ; when about nine days old their eyes open ; they have
pin-feathers and down, and to some extent they are able to use
their feet. By the time they are about sixteen days old they are
ready to leave the nest. The breeding season begins about the
first week in May.
As they feed largely on acorns a grove of oak trees proves a
great attraction to the blue jay population of any locality.
477a. Florida Blue Jay: C. c. florincola Coues
This is a rather smaller and grayer sub-species of the com-
mon blue jay. It is found in Florida and southern Texas. The
nesting habits and eggs do not differ materially from those of the
preceding species.
138
NEST AND EGGS OF BLUE JAY
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
479. Florida Jay; Scrub Jay: Aphelocoma floridana
(Bartr.)
Adult—Back grayish brown ; rest of upper parts bluish ; throat
and breast whitish, more or less streaked with bluish gray,
which colour forms band across breast ; belly the same colour,
without the streaks. Length—11.50.
Breeding Range—Florida.
The nest is composed of twigs, leaves, moss, roots, etc.,
and is placed in bushes or scrub. 4 or 5 eggs are laid ; they are
light bluish green with reddish or black spots. Size 1.13 x .75.
The Florida or Scrub Jay is locally distributed through Flor-
ida, usually fairly common near water. The nesting season be-
gins in March.
484. Canada Jay; Whiskey Jack; Meat Hawk; Moose-
bird: Perisoreus canadensis (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts gray ; the back of head and neck black ; a
large white spot on the front of head; under parts delicate
gray, with whitish on the throat and sides of neck. Length—
12.00.
Breeding Range—Northern New England and northward.
The nest is composed of twigs and strips of bark, with a
thick lining of moss and feathers, and is placed in a fir tree close
to the trunk, at no very great distance from the ground. The
eggs, which number from 4 to 6, are grayish white, marked
evenly or chiefly at the larger end with distinct and faint spots of
brown. Size—1.12 x .80.
This graceful fluffy bird is at once the companion and the
tormentor of the sportsman when camping out in the lonely
forests of Maine or northward. If he happens to be alone it is a
pleasure to have these birds frequent the camp, even at the cost
of the dainty morsels that attract these keen-eyed thieves, who
will drop from their look-out perch and seize the treasure, rapidly
retreating towards a place of safety.
A piece of meat must indeed be carefully covered to protect
it from these active pilferers ; they are so absolutely tame (unless
fired at) that they will even eat from one’s hand upon slight
acquaintance.
139
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nests are begun as early as February, even when the
snow lays thick on the ground and the temperature is far below
zero.
498. Red-winged Blackbird: Agelaius phoeniceus
(Linn.)
Eggs pale greenish blue or pearly white, with either blotches
or scrawls of dark purplish brown, faint cloudy blotches of dull
purplish brown, and spots of black.
See Page 77, Chapter IV.
511, Purple Grackle; Crow Blackbird: Quiscalus
quiscula (Linn.)
Adult 4 —Purple, blue, and green iridescent black, the irides-
cence on the rump forming bars. Length—12.00.
Adult 9 —Much less iridescence.
Breeding Range—‘‘\n the lower Mississippi Valley and east of
the Alleghanies, from Georgia to Massachusetts.” (Chap-
man.)
The nest is a bulky structure of twigs, grasses, and some-
times mud, with lining of grass ; it is placed ina bush or tree
(usually an evergreen) from six to sixty feet from the ground,
and occasionally in the hollow of a stump or tree. The eggs
number from 3 to 6; they vary greatly both in colour and mark-
ing ; the ground colour is creamy, bluish, light green, gray, or
even brownish, while the markings may be blotches, spots,
cloudings, large broad or small fine scrawls of faint lilac, blackish,
and various shades of brown and purple. Size—1.18 x.84.
See Fig. 3, Plate D.
The breeding begins from early in April to the middle of
May, according to locality.
511a. Florida Grackle: Q. q. agleeus Baird
Closely resembling the preceding species, but smaller.
Breeding Range—Florida and the southern part of the Gulf States
to Texas ; north along the Atlantic coast to Virginia. (A.
O. U. check-list.)
Nesting habits vary only according to natural conditions ;
eggs similar to those of the purple grackle.
140
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
511b. Bronzed Grackle: Q. q. zneus (Ridgw.)
Adult 4 —Iridescent blue, purple, green, and bronze, without the
bars on the rump, very similar to the two preceding species ;
nearly the same as Quiscalus quiscula.
Adult? —More brown than the male, with more or less irides-
cence.
Breeding Range—‘‘ From Texas to Great Slave Lake, east to the
Alleghanies, as far north as Pennsylvania, and north of
this eastward to Connecticut, and northward to Labrador.”
(Chapman. )
The breeding habits, nests, and eggs are almost, if not quite,
identical with those of the two preceding species.
518. Boat-tailed Grackle: Quiscalus major Vieill.
Adult 6 —Brilliant blue black, or almost blue. Length—16.00.
Adult? —Upper parts brownish ; under parts dull buff or snuff
colour. Length—12.50.
Breeding Range—Florida, north to Virginia (near the Atlantic
coast), and on the Gulf coast to Texas.
The nest is a large structure of grass, saw-grass, sea-weed,
yoots, mud, sticks, and bark, placed in saw-grass or other
swamps, or in bushes or trees, usually in the immediate vicinity
wf water. The eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are bluish or greenish
white or drab, with scrawls, spots, and blotches of dark purplish
brown or black. Size—1.24 x .81.
These beautiful birds, so resplendent in their bright blue-
black coats, appear almost like flashes of blue fire as they dart
among the deep shadows of the Florida alder swamps. They
are strictly gregarious during the breeding season, which begins
in April, large numbers nesting within a small area.
515. Pine Grosbeak: Pinicola enucleator (Linn.)
Adult 4 —Reddish rose colour, tinged with slaty gray, especially
on the back and belly ; wings brown, with whitish edgings.
Adult 2 —Grayish, tinged with yellowish where in the male the
rose colour is most pronounced. Length—9.08.
Breeding Range—Chiefly to the north of the United States, and
probably in northern New England.
141
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nest, which is in coniferous trees, is ‘composed of a
basement of twigs and rootlets, within which is a more compact
fabric of finer materials. Eggs, usually 4, pale greenish blue,
spotted and blotched with dark brown surface markings and lilac
shell spots. Size—1.05 x .74.”
The Pine Grosbeak is an inhabitant of the coniferous forests
of the north, visiting the United States chiefly during the winter
months.
517. Purple Finch: Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.)
Adult 4—Rosy purple or reddish, with more or less brown, and
on the belly white.
Adult? —Brownish, streaked with black on the back ; under
parts whitish, with spots of dark brownish gray. Length—
GuaDe
Breeding Range—The northern United States (including Long
Island, New York), northward.
The rather shallow nest is composed of fine twigs, roots,
thin strips of bark, tendrils, grass, and lined with grass and
hairs. It is usually placed in evergreen trees, at a height of from
about six to twenty or thirty feet from the ground. The eggs,
numbering from 4 to 6 (Chapman), are pale blue or greenish, with
faint purple and dark brown spots or small blotches. Size—
.80 x .60. See Fig. 21, Plate D.
As a songster, the Purple Finch is known principally in New
England and the other States that border on Canada. By the
time he arrives in the vicinity of New York City his song is almost
gone ; nothing but a soft warble remains to remind one of the
beautifully mellow song of the mating season. The nests are built
towards the end of May, and frequently two broods are reared.
Care should be taken that the female is not mistaken for a sparrow,
her colouring and shape making such a mistake quite possible.
521. Red Crossbill; American Crossbill: Loxia
curvirostra minor (Brehm.)
Adult 4 —Red or reddish, except the wings and tail, which are
brown.
Adult? —Dull yellowish ; back slightly mottled ; under parts
whitish, somewhat streaked ; the tips of the bill are crossed.
Length—6. 19.
142
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Breeding Range—In the Alleghanies, from North Carolina north-
ward, and in the Northern States.
The nest is usually placed in evergreens at a height vary-
ing from fourteen feet upwards. It’ is composed of strips of
bark, small twigs, roots, and leaves, lined with moss, hair, grass,
and pine roots. The eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are pale green-
ish, with spots, dots, and blotches of purple brown and light
lilac gray, chiefly at the larger end. Size—.83 x .55.
These eccentric-looking birds may be readily distinguished
from the white-winged crossbills by the fact that they have no
white on the wings; their crossed bills serve to distinguish them
from any other of the finches. The breeding season begins as
early as February or March. (Davie.)
522. White-winged Crossbill: Loxia leucoptera Gmel.
Adult 4 —Upper parts pinkish red ; somewhat streaked with deep
brown on the back; under parts pinkish red, shading into
grayish on the belly; wings black, with white markings.
Adult 2 —Upper parts dull greenish yellow, somewhat mottled
with dark brown; under parts grayish yellow, with dark
brown mottling; wings have white markings; tips of bills
crossed. Length—6.05.
Breeding Range—From the Northern States, northward.
The nest is composed of ‘‘twigs and strips of birch bark,
covered exteriorly with moss (Usnea) and lined with soft moss
and hair, on the fork of an evergreen in deep forests.”
The eggs are pale blue, rather thickly covered at the larger
end with fine dots of blackish and lilac gray. Size—.80 x .56.
Thisis by no means so common a bird as its relative, the
American or red crossbill, and but little is known of its breeding
habits. During the present winter (1899-1900) these birds have
been very common in South Orange, New Jersey, and have
usually been seen in company of the American crossbill.
529. American Goldfinch; Yellow-bird: Spinus tristis
(Linn.)
Adult 4 —Lemon yellow, except the crown, wings, and tail, which
are black.
Adult? —Dull greenish or olive yellow ; nearly white on the
143
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
lower breast and belly; wings and tail dark brownish gray.
Length—+s. 1o.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States north of South
Carolina.
The nest is a compact cup-like structure of fine grass, moss,
vegetable fibre, snugly lined with thistle and other plant-down.
It is placed in the crotch of a bush or tree, and sometimes in a
coarse fern or a large thistle. It is seldom more than thirty-five
feet fromthe ground. The eggs, 3 to 6 in number, are very pale
blue, very rarely marked with fine dots. Size—.65 x .52.
Thoroughly good companions are these cheerful little birds;
their very note as they fly from field to field or from one tall
seed-bearing stalk to another is full of overflowing good spirits.
Except during the short nesting season, which is usually delayed
until the thistle-down is ready for the lining of their cozy nests,
they keep together in small flocks, frequenting the fields where
seeds are abundant.
In winter, when the males have lost their bright yellow
colouring, they may be seen hanging from the dried stems of the
golden-rod, feeding on the fluffy seeds. The nesting site may
be in an open field where small bushes are scattered about, or
it may be in openings or clearings in the woods where the tall
ferns or scrubby growth are to the birds’ fancy. The regular
time for nest-building is towards the end of June, but it is often
delayed until July, or even August, and only in exceptional cases
is it early in June.
533. Pine Siskin; Pine Finch: Spinus pinus (Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts brownish and buffy gray, streaked ; base of
tail and wing feathers sulphur yellow; under parts light
buffy gray or “whitish streaked with dark brown. Length
—5.00.
Breeding Range—Northern New England, New York, and Michi-
gan, northward.
The nest is placed at a considerable height from the ground,
usually in coniferous trees, and is made of grass, pine needles,
and fine roots, lined with plant-down, hair, and feathers. 4 eggs
are laid; they are very pale greenish blue, spotted more or less
with purplish or reddish brown. Size—.68 x .48.
144
NEST AND EGGS OF CHIPPING SPARROW
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Within the United States these nests are rare, as the birds
breed chiefly further north. The season for nesting in northern
New York is from early in May to the middle of June.
552. Lark Sparrow; Lark Finch: Chondestes
grammacus (Say)
Eggs resembling those of the Baltimore oriole, whitish, with
spots and dark purplish scrawl-like markings.
See Page 47, Chapter I.
558. White-throated Sparrow: Zonotrichia albicollis
(Gmel.)
Eggs white or bluish white, with fine marks and heavy
blotches of different shades of brown.
See Page 60, Chapter II.
560. Chipping Sparrow: Spizella socialis (Wils.)
Adult—Upper parts streaked with black, rufous gray, and buff ;
top of head rufous; under parts light gray. Length—5. 37.
The young are without the rufous crown, and with
streaks on the breast in first plumage.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is composed chiefly of fine grass and fine roots,
with hairs for lining. It is shallow, and is placed in vine, bush,
or tree, at a height from the ground of from one to twenty-five
feet; there are very exceptional instances of the nest being on
the ground.
3 to 5 eggs are laid; they are rather light blue, tinged with
green, with few fine spots, and sometimes fine scrawls of light
and dark purplish brown at the larger end. Size—.7o x .51.
See Fig. 8, Plate D.
These common little sparrows are well known as being of a
social disposition, breeding usually in the immediate vicinity of a
dwelling, and often building their frail nest in the vines that grow
against the house. When in captivity they lose to a great
10 145
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
extent their sociable qualities, and are, therefore, not very desirable
pets. The eggsare laid early in May, and usually two broods are
reared during the season.
561. Clay-coloured Sparrow: Spizella pallida (Swains.)
Closely resembling the preceding species ; the upper parts
are colder in colour, and the under parts lighter.
Breeding Range—From northern Illinois westward.
The nest is of grass and hair, and is placed in low bushes or
on the ground, near brush or at the edge of woods. The eggs,
from 3 to 6 in number, are similar to those of the chipping spar-
tow. ;
563. Field Sparrow: Spizella pusilla (Wils.)
Eggs white or greenish, with numerous small reddish spots
or blotches ; some eggs are very sparsely spotted.
See Page 48, Chapter I.
567. Snow-bird; Junco: Junco hyemalis (Linn.)
Eggs greenish or bluish white, spotted or blotched with red-
dish and purplish brown.
See Page 61, Chapter II.
567e. Carolina Snow-bird, or Junco: J. h. carolinensis
Brewst.
Eggs similar to the preceding.
See Page 61, Chapter II.
581. Song Sparrow: Melospiza fasciata (Gmel.)
Eggs white, tinged with blue or green with irregular brownish
blotches or markings.
See Page 49, Chapter I.
146
AN bwy>
Wood Pewee.
Pine Warbler.
Purple Grackle.
Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Yellow-breasted Ch-
“Swon~
Painted Bunting.
Chipping Sparrow.
Catbird.
American Robin,
Wood Thrush.
12
PLATE D—Common Eggs
12,
13,
14,
15,
16,
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Scarlet Tanager.
Yellow Warbler.
Chestnut-sided Warbler.
Blue Jay.
17,
18,
19,
20.
21
Cardinal.
Mockingbird
Cowbird.
Prothonotary Warbler.
Purple Finch.
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
587. Chewink; Towhee: Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Linn.)
Eggs white, tinged with blue or pink, evenly speckled and
rarely blotched with brown.
See Page 64, Chapter II.
587a. White-eyed Chewink, or Towhee: P. e. alleni
Coues
Eggs bluish white, unmarked or thickly speckled with pinkish
vinaceous and pearly gray.
See Page 64, Chapter II.
5983. Cardinal; Red-bird: Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Rich red or cardinal; wings and back tinged with reddish
gray; throat and region round bill black; crest conspicuous.
Adult 92 —Upper parts brownish, with a tinge of dull purplish ;
under parts lighter and more gray, with a tinge of red; crest
dull red. Length—8.25.
Breeding Range—From Florida northward ; common locally in
northern New Jersey, less common in southern New York,
and rare as far north as southern New England.
The nest is in a bush, usually in a thick tangle, either in a damp
or dry place, at a height of from three to twelve feet from the
ground.
It is composed of twigs, tendrils, grape-vine bark, leaves,
coarse grass, and fine roots, lined with fine grass, roots, and rarely
horse hair. In general appearance it is larger and more compact
than the nest of the rose-breasted grosbeak. The eggs, number-
ing from 3 to 4, rarely 5, vary greatly; the ground colour is whitish
or tinged with blue, green, or ashy, with numerous irregular spots
and sometimes blotches of light and dark brown, and light pur-
plish gray chiefly at the larger end. Size—1.00 x .72. See Fig.
17, Plate D.
This beautiful songster is one of the best known birds of the
Southern States; his fine colouring together with his splendid sing-
ing qualities combine against him, and as a result he is a constant
article of commerce both in this country and abroad.
147
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The female cardinal, though more subdued in colouring, is
by no means inferior to her mate in her powers of singing ; her
song is rather softer, but not less beautiful. The breeding sea-
son begins about the third week in April.
593d. Florida Cardinal: C. c. floridanus Ridgw.
A geographical race of the common cardinal, rather smaller
and not so intensely coloured. The nesting habits and eggs are
identical with those of the more northern bird.
Breeding Range—Florida.
This isa very common bird in most parts of Florida, frequent-
ing the vicinity of houses, clearings, or hummocks ; they are ex-
ceedingly tame, and lend a cheerful bit of colour and song to the
somewhat monotonous scenery of most parts of Florida.
595. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Habia ludoviciana (Linn.)
Adult ¢—Head, throat, and back black ; breast carmine ; under
wing coverts rose colour ; belly white ; wings black, with
white markings ; tail black tipped with white ; the beak, as
the bird’s name implies, is very thick and strong. Length—
8.15.
Adult ?—Head, back, and breast warm gray or buff, with brown
markings ; the head has a buff line onthe crown, with a dark
line on either side, and a conspicuous white line over the
eye ; wings and tail grayish brown ; the under wing coverts
are bright golden yellow.
Immature é and 2 —Resemble each other, the colour being much
the same as that of the adult 92, but rather lighter, the only
marked difference being in the under wing coverts, which
in the 2 are bright yellow, and in the ¢ rose colour. When
about three months old the 4 shows a decidedly warm buff
colour on the breast, with undefined wine-coloured mark-
ings ; the back becomes darker and also warmer in tone.
The ¢ has the line over the eye nearly white; the throat
very pale gray, with dark brownish gray markings, and is in
general appearance much colder in tone than the 4.
2, eighteen months old—The head and back black, mot-
tled with buff ; line over eye light buff; throat and upper
part of breast buff, with reddish suffusions and fine black
marks ; breast rather dull carmine, with a few dark spots
and a tinge of buff ; sides light buff, streaked slightly with
148
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
dark brown; belly white ; wings black, with white feathers,
each white feather tipped with buff.
Breeding Range—The Eastern States, from North Carolina (in the
more elevated regions) northward to New England.
The nest is shallow, and loosely constructed of dry vine ten-
drils and small twigs, at a height of seven to fifteen feet from the
ground, placed in blackberry or other vines, in bushes, or in
trees. The eggs, from 3 to 5 in number, are pale greenish
blue, nearly covered by small irregular brownish and lilac mark-
ings. Size—.96 x .73. See Fig. 12, Plate D.
It is not a difficult nest to find, as the male bird, whose brilliant
colour makes him so conspicuous, is generally to be discovered near
by, and when the nest is threatened by the intruder he becomes
greatly excited, uttering an oft-repeated sharp, piercing note, and
occasionally breaking into that beautiful soft song so peculiar to
the grosbeak. When he is seen to act in that manner there is
sure to be a nest not far away, and a little patient searching will
discover its whereabouts. The nest when found will probably
cause some surprise by the apparently insecure manner in which
itis placed. Most birds weave their nests around branches or
vines, but the grosbeaks seldom take such precaution ; they usually
build their nest in or on the fork of a branch, from which it may
be removed without disturbing it in any way. A likely place for
the nest is near the banks of a stream, where the bushes grow
thick.
The young leave the nest when about eleven days old. If
taken at that age they may be easily reared, as they are remark-
ably hardy and become absolutely tame in a very short while.
Few birds make better pets; they are sociably inclined—even
affectionate, if 1 may use the term when speaking of birds—beau-
tiful in appearance, and the male bird sings a delightfully sweet
song, which he commences when ten weeks old. If left ina
lighted room, they sing until late at night. The breeding season
near New York begins about the third week in May.
597. Blue Grosbeak: Guiraca czrulea (Linn.)
Adult 4—Deep and rather obscure blue ; nearly black on the
back ; chin and in front of eyes black.
149
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Adult 2 — Upper parts grayish brown, tinged more or less with
blue ; under parts creamy brown. Length—7.00.
Breeding Range—From southern New Jersey and southern Illinois,
southward.
The nest is composed of leaves, plant stems, and some-
times a piece of snake skin, and is lined with fine roots and hair.
It is placed in bushes or vines, usually from five to thirty feet
from the ground. 3 to 4 pale bluish eggs, rarely spotted with
reddish brown, are laid. Size—.84 x .63.
These rather rare birds frequent scrubby ground and thickets,
where they commence nesting in May.
598. Indigo-bird; Indigo Bunting: Passerina cyanea
(Linn.)
Adult 4—Intense blue on the head ; other parts rather lighter.
Adult °—Upper parts plain brownish ; under parts grayish, the
breast being indistinctly streaked. Length—5.59.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is composed of grass, leaves, downy seeds, and
fine roots, lined with fine grass and hair. It is usually near the
ground (sometimes within one foot), in a low bush or weeds ; if
in a bush, it is placed in a crotch ; if in weeds, such as the Joe-
pye weed, nettle, or others of a similar nature, it is hung from
the stems, with practically no support from beneath. 3 to 4
white eggs are laid ; they are slightly tinged with blue and rarely
marked with fine dots. Size—.75 x .55.
While the male Indigo-bird perches on the telegraph pole—
a blue spot against a blue sky—and sings throughout the summer
day, his sparrow-like mate is attending to her household duties
in the scrub below. She attracts no attention ; her dusky colour
and quiet manner will never draw any person to her carefully
hidden nest. During the tedious duties of incubation she is
visited repeatedly by her mate, but he goes to and from the nest
in such an erratic manner that it is most difficult to follow him.
The nest, which is not at all a neat structure, requires from two
to four days to build. The eggs hatch after ten days of incuba-
tion, and in a surprisingly short time the young are ready to leave
the nest and hide themselves in the tangle of vines and bushes.
150
INDIGO-BIRD'S NEST, ATTACHED TO UPRIGHT STEMS
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
In the neighbourhood of New York the breeding season begins
towards the end of May.
601. Painted Bunting: Passerina ciris (Linn.)
Adult 6—Entire head and sides of neck deep blue ; back rich
yellowish green; rump dark red; the wings and tail are
brownish gray, tinged with red ; under parts vermilion.
Adult 2 —Upper parts greenish ; under parts grayish or yellow-
ish. Length—5.25.
Breeding Range—From North Carolina and southern Illinois,
southward.
The nest is placed either in a bush or tree, and is composed
of grass, leaves, weed stalks, and strips of bark, lined with fine
roots and sometimes hair. It resembles the nest of the indigo-
bird, but is more neatly made. 3 to 5 eggs are laid ; they are
white or slightly tinged with blue or gray and spotted or blotched
with chestnut brown and lilac. Size—.79 x .58. See Fig. 7,
Plate D.
These buntings, on account of their brilliant colouring, are
much sought after as cage birds ; their shyness saves them to
some extent, for, even though they are very common in places,
they are not particularly in evidence. They breed from about
the middle of May and frequently rear two broods.
604. Dickcissel; Black-throated Bunting: Spiza
americana (Gmel.)
Eggs pale blue.
See Page 50, Chapter I.
608. Scarlet Tanager; Red-bird: Piranga erythromelas
Vieill.
Adult 6—In summer bright scarlet, except the wings and tail,
which are black.
Adult 2 —Yellowish green; more yellow and lighter on the breast;
wings and tail dull brown. Length—7.25.
In the autumn and winter the male is greenish, with black
wings and tail.
Breeding Range—From South Carolina northward.
151
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nest is a thin, flimsy structure of fine roots, tendrils, small
sticks, and sometimes straws, placed in a tree, usually on a hori-
zontal branch (seldom in a crotch) at from six to twenty-five feet
from the ground.
The eggs, numbering from 3 to 5 (3 being a very common
number), are clear greenish blue, finely spotted, mostly at the
larger end, with chestnut and purple. Size—-.96 x .65. See Fig.
13, Plate D.
The Scarlet Tanager builds his nest in almost any sort of tree
and in almost any sort of place. In orchards the nests are common;
along the roadsides, on the edge of woods, they often build, and
occasionally a nest is found in the deep woods, at some distance
from a clearing. The breeding season commences towards the
end of May; in the vicinity of New York, before June 1st. The
period of incubation occupies thirteen days.
610. Summer Tanager; Summer Red-bird: Piranga
rubra (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Bright scarlet; the wings and tail brownish, edged with
red.
Adult ? —Olive green ; under parts tinged with yellow. Length
—7.50.
Breeding Range—Southern New Jersey, southward (casually north
to Massachusetts and Ontario [A. O. U. check-list] ).
The nest is composed of leaves, weed stalks, grass, catkins,
and strips of bark, and is placed on a horizontal branch, at a height
of from six to twenty-five feet from the ground. 3 to 4 eggs are
laid; they resemble the eggs of the scarlet tanager, but the mark-
ings are heavier and more brown. Size—.94 x .64.
The nesting season, which begins about the middle of May,
continues until well into July.
619. Cedar-bird; Cedar Waxwing: Ampelis cedrorum
(Vieill.)
Adult—Rich light grayish or purplish brown, with conspicuous
crest; throat, forehead, and line in front and back of eye
black ; small scarlet tips to the wing (secondaries) and tail
feathers ; tail tipped with yellow; belly pale yellow. Length
—7.19.
152
NEST OF SCARLET TANAGER IN APPLE TREE, NINE FEET FROM GROUND
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Breeding Range—From Virginia, the southern Alleghanies, Ken-
tucky, Kansas, Arizona, etc., northward. (A. “O. U. check-
list.)
The nest is composed of grass, bark, fine roots, catkins,
moss, rags, and twine, a fine, well-formed structure, which some-
times has mud added to its long list of building materials. It is
placed from five to twenty-five feet from the ground, usually in
fruit trees or cedars. The eggs are pale gray or with a slight
tinge of green, and thinly spotted with purplish black and light
dull purplish ; the number varies from 3 to 5. Size—.85 x .60.
See Fig? 12; Plate B:
There is no bird so well groomed as the Waxwing ; his
toilet is made with the most scrupulous care ; never is there a
feather out of place, nor a spot of dirt on his velvety coat. Well-
drilled companies of these birds may be seen flying rapidly from
tree to tree in search of berries and seeds at all times, except
during the immediate breeding season. When they are seen to
be feeding on the alders, you may know it will not be long be-
fore the nest will be built. In the vicinity of New York, eggs
may be found about the first week in June.
622. Loggerhead Shrike; Butcher Bird: Lanius
ludovicianus Linn.
Adult—Upper parts gray ; wings black, with white markings ;
tail black, with white tips ; outside feathers white ; a broad
black line from base of bill to back of cheek ; under parts
white or pearly gray. Length—g.oo.
Breeding Range—East of the Alleghanies, from northern Virginia
southward, and occasionally. north to southern New Jersey.
West of the Alleghanies, ‘“northward to the Great Lakes,
and eastward through central New York to Vermont and
Maine.”
Note—The shrike found breeding in northern New England some-
times resembles more or less the white- rumped shrike (L.
excubitorides), and is occasionally classified as such, but I
believe it has been decided not to change the name of /udo-
vicianus, as the differences are too slight and inconsistent.
The nest is composed of twigs, leaves, weeds, bark, grass,
fine roots, and lined with grass, sometimes wool or feathers ; it
is rather bulky and loosely made, and is placed in a bush or tree,
153
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
often a thorny bush or tree being chosen. The eggs number from
3 to 6; they are white, more or less tinged with yellow or green
gray, thickly spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with yellowish
brown and lilac. Size—.98 x .80. See Fig. 5, Plate D.
So much has been written on the evil propensities of this
bird that he possesses a thoroughly bad reputation, and is spoken
of as a murderer; and that simply because he is provident and
lays up a store of food for the proverbial rainy day. His method
leaves something to be desired, it is true, but there must be rea-
son in what he does, and | cannot believe that any bird is cruel
and kills for the sake of killing ; that is left for man. The Log-
gerhead Shrike catches his prey, consisting chiefly of grasshop-
pers, and impales them, often before they are dead, on a thorn,
to be eaten at leisure. The breeding season begins, according
to locality, from May to June, two broods being usually reared.
638. Swainson’s Warbler: Helinaia swainsonii Aud.
Adult—Upper parts, including wings and tail, olive brown ; the
crown chestnut ; a yellowish-white stripe over the eye ;
under parts yellowish white, shading into gray on the sides.
Length—5.oo.
Breeding Range—South Carolina, southward.
The nests are ‘‘made outwardly of leaves placed in layers,
and lined with pine needles and fine fibrous roots” (Davie).
They are placed in bushes, scrub, palmetto, or cane, either in
damp or dry places. 3 to 4 pale bluish-white (unmarked) eggs
are laid. Size—.78 x .57.
This rare warbler was lost sight of for many years, and was
rediscovered by Mr. A. T. Wayne, of Charleston, South Carolina,
in 1885. The breeding season probably begins early in May.
640. Bachman’s Warbler: Helminthophila bachmani
(Aud.)
Adult 4 —Upper parts: Forehead yellow ; a black patch in front
of crown; crown and back of head dull gray ; back and
rump Olive green ; tail grayish ; under parts yellow, with a
black patch on breast.
Adult 2 —Without the black on the head; under parts whitish
yellow. Length—4.25.
154
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Breeding Range—Somewhat uncertain; it has been found during
the summer in Missouri and Arkansas, and a nest was found
on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia.
The nest is described as placed in vines or low bushes, and
as being composed of grasses and fine weeds, lined with hair-
like fibre and fine grass. The number of eggs is probably 4;
they are dull white, spotted chiefly in a wreath-like cluster round
the larger end with brown and lavender. Size—.74 x .60.
642. Golden-winged Warbler: Helminthophila
chrysoptera (Linn.)
Eggs white, with brownish and lilac spots, mostly in a
wreath round the larger end.
See Page 67, Chapter II.
647. Tennessee Warbler: Helminthophila peregrina
(Wils.)
Adult 4—Head and sides of face bluish gray, abruptly changing
to bright olive green on the back ; the wing and tail feathers
are edged with green; under parts white tinged with yellow,
and shading into gray on the sides.
Adult 2 —The crown is tinged with olive green, and the under
parts are more yellow. Length—5.0o.
Breeding Range—From northern New England and New York,
northward.
The nest is placed near the ground in a bush; it is composed
of fine vegetable fibre, grass, and moss, and lined with hair. The
eggs are pearly white, with a circle of brownish and purplish spots
round the larger end. Size—.60 x .50.
652. Yellow Warbler; Canary; Summer Warbler;
Yellow-bird: Dendroica zstiva (Gmel.)
Adult—Upper parts bright greenish yellow ; under parts bright
yellow, more or less streaked, chiefly on the sides, with chest-
nut. Length—5. 10.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is made chiefly of silver-coloured plant fibre, with
155
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
leaves, grass, and caterpillars’ silk, lined with hairs, feathers, and
the downy material from fern stems. It is a beautiful, compact
nest, placed usually in a low bush or in a tree, but by no means
always within ten feet of the ground. 3 to 5 eggs are laid; they
are white or whitish, with a wreath of spots and blotches of
chestnut and lilac or lavender, and a few very dark irregular
markings round the largerend; the region enclosed by the
wreath sometimes is light brownish with reddish spots, and there
are a few spots of chestnut scattered over the rest of the surface.
Size—.65 x .46. See Fig. 14, Plate D.
This is one of our commonest warblers; it is usually to be
found in rather swampy thickets or in orchards. The nests, which
are made early in May, are exquisite examples of bird architecture;
they are very frequently placed in elder bushes, and are usually
at no great distance from water. They may be easily found
by watching the conspicuous yellow birds as they gather the
down from the young fern-stalks; this they collect in large quan-
tities and fly directly to the site of their building operations, at-
tracting attention during flight by their oft-repeated chee-wee.
The parent birds are very solicitous for the welfare of their young
and become greatly excited if the nest is threatened.
The breeding season lasts from early May to about the mid-
dle of June and as a rule only one set of eggs is laid.
654. Black-throated Blue Warbler: Dendroica
ceerulescens (Gmel.)
Adult 4 —Upper parts slaty blue; throat, side of head, and sides
of breast black; breast and belly white.
Adult 3 —Upper parts dull olive green, a white spot on the wing,
under parts buffy white. Length—5.28.
Breeding Range—Along the Alleghanies, from South Carolina
northward, and from northern United States northward ;
rarely in Connecticut.
The nest is placed in a laurel, a yew, or other tree, according
to locality, at a distance from the ground of two feet and up-
wards. It is composed of bark, grass, pine needles, and cocoons,
lined with hair and fine black roots. The eggs, usually 4 in
number are white, tinged with either buff or green, blotched and
156
NEST OF YELLOW WARBLER IN ELDER BUSH, FIVE FEET FROM GROUND
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Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
spotted with chestnut and olive brown, chiefly at the larger end.
Size—.72 xX .50.
These warblers may be easily identified—the male by his
black, white, and gray blue colouring, and the female by the white
patch on the wing.
The breeding place is often in the damp woods, the nests
being finished about the middle of May.
655. Myrtle or Yellow-rumped Warbler: Dendroica
coronata (Linn.)
Adult 8 —Upper parts bluish gray, streaked with black ; bright
yellow on the crown and rump ; cheeks black ; throat and
belly white ; breast heavily marked with black, and with
a yellow patch on either side ; wings with two white bars.
Adult 2 —Similar, but the plumage is duller. Length—5.65.
Breeding Range—From the northern United States northward.
(A. O. U. check list.)
The nest is composed of hemlock twigs and various soft
vegetable fibres, lined with fine grass, feathers, and occasionally
hair. It is placed usually within eight feet of the ground, in
coniferous trees and sometimes bushes. The eggs, 3 to 5 in
number, are white or whitish, spotted and blotched with light
and dark purplish and reddish brown and lilac gray, sometimes
wreathed round the larger end. Size—.7o x .54.
These unmistakable warblers, with their yellow patches, are
found breeding principally in the large forests from Maine to
northern Ohio. They usually choose somewhat damp places for
their nesting purposes, but at other times they are found in scat-
tered flocks throughout the more open country. The breeding
season begins late in May.
657. Magnolia or Black and Yellow Warbler: Dendroica
maculosa (Gmel.)
Adult 2 —Upper parts black, a white patch on the wing ; rump
yellow ; crown ashy blue ; a short white line over and back
of eye ; cheek black ; under parts yellow, with heavy black
streaks.
Adult 2 —Very similar, but less brilliant. Length—5. 12.
157
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Breeding Range—The higher parts of the Alleghanies, from
Virginia northward; northern New England to northern
Michigan, northward.
The nest is composed of twigs (principally hemlock), grass,
pine needles, and weeds, lined with fine roots and hair-like fibre.
It is usually placed on the horizontal branch of a coniferous tree,
from three to thirty-five feet from the ground. The eggs, num-
bering 4 to 5, are white or creamy white, blotched and spotted
(sometimes clouded at the larger end) with hazel, brown, and
lilac wreathed round the larger end. Size—.65 x .48.
The nest is generally to be found on the edge of paths or
clearings, in woods of firs and hemlocks; ‘‘sometimes the nests
are built in the tops of young hemlocks, ten to fifteen feet up, or
in the heart of the forest, thirty-five feet above the ground.”
The breeding season begins about the beginning of June.
658. Cerulean Warbler: Dendroica czrulea (Wils.)
Adult 6 —Upper parts pure blue, streaked with black on the back
and sides of head; under parts white, streaked with blackish
on the sides, and on the breast, across which the streaks form
an irregular band.
Adult 2 —Upper parts greenish ; under parts white, tinged more
or less with yellow. Length—4.5o.
‘* Breeds in the Mississippi Valley as far north as Minne-
sota, and eastward as far as Lockport, New York” ; rare
east of the Alleghanies.
The nest is made of grasses, spider web, and lichen, lined
with fine grass; it is a compact structure placed at a considerable
height from the ground, probably not less than twenty, and from
that up to fifty feet. The eggs are white, tinged with cream,
blue, or green, and spotted and blotched (sometimes chiefly at
the larger end) with brownish red and lilac gray. The full com-
plement is probably 4. Size—.65 x .50.
The nests of this beautiful blue warbler are rather rare, not
only from the fact that the birds themselves are common in but
few places, but because the nests, being placed on high branches
in the forests, are exceedingly difficult to find. The breeding
season probably begins about the middle of May, or perhaps
rather earlier:
158
NEST AND EGGS OF CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER IN AZALEA, TWO FEET FROM GROUND
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
659. Chestnut-sided Warbler: Dendroica pennsylvanica
(Linn.)
Aduit—Upper parts greenish, streaked with black ; crown yellow;
a black line from base of bill on sides of throat to upper part
of breast, where it joins the chestnut patch on either side of the
breast and belly; rest of under parts whitish. Length—s.14.
Breeding Range—In the Alleghanies, northward from South Caro-
lina, and from northern New Jersey and Illinois northward.
The nest is placed in low bushes at a height from eighteen
inches up to seven or eight feet. It is a fairly compact nest, about
an inch and a half deep inside, composed of grass, thin strips of
bark, a small amount of plant fibre, and lined with fine grass,
hair, and hair-like roots. Seldom more than 4 eggs are laid; they
are white, with light reddish-brown and pale lavender spots, most
of which form an irregular wreath round the larger end. Size—
.68 x .50. See Fig. 15, Plate D.
The Chestnut-sided Warbler arrives at the southern portion
of his lowland range (New Jersey) about the first week in May,
and he and his mate, who lacks but little of the brilliancy of his
colouring, choose some suitable place, such as the scrubby second
growth of a clearing, or near a brook where the underbrush is
thick, and there they remain until time for nest-building, which
begins about the last week in May. During this period and for
about a month or so after, the sweet note of the male bird may
be heard at almost any time of day. While his mate is perform-
ing the tedious duty of incubating, he remains near by and sings
at frequent intervals. The accompanying photograph was taken
in South Orange, New Jersey, the nest being placed within eigh-
teen inches of the ground, in an azalea plant.
660. Bay-breasted Warbler: Dendroica castanea
(Wils.)
Adult 4—Upper parts ashy gray or brownish, streaked with
black ; crown chestnut ; forehead and cheeks black ; two
white wing bars ; tail tipped broadly with white. Under
parts, throat, breast, and sides reddish chestnut ; lower part
of breast and belly white.
Adult 2 —Less brilliant and with less chestnut, especially on the
crown, which is a mixture of greenish and rufous. Length
—5.63.
159
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Breeding Range—Northward from northern New England and
northern Michigan.
The nest is placed in coniferous or other evergreen trees, at
a height of from five to as much as twenty feet from the ground.
It is a compact structure of fine strips of bark, twigs, hair, plant
fibre, and downy substance gathered from plants. The eggs
are white, with fine spots of reddish brown at the larger end,
sometimes forming a wreath. The number is usually 4. Size—
.7O X.50.
661. Black-poll Warbler: Dendroica striata (Forst.)
Adult $—Upper parts gray, streaked with black; nape and
cheeks white ; crown black; under parts white, shading
into gray on the flanks ; throat and sides of breast and belly
streaked with black.
Adult ¢ —Upper parts dusky olive green, streaked with black ;
under parts more or less tinged with yellowish, with dusky
streaks. Length—5.56.
Breeding Range—From northern New England and the Catskills
northward. (A. O. U. check-list.)
The nest, which is placed in coniferous trees (usually spruce),
at a height of about six or eight feet from the ground, is com-
posed of fine twigs, roots, weeds, lichen, and moss, lined with
grass and feathers. 4 or 5 eggs are laid ; they are white or
creamy white, spotted and blotched chiefly at the larger end
with various shades of reddish brown and lilac. Size—.72 x .52.
It is principally in the regions far north of the United States that
these hardy little birds have their summer homes, and there in
the forests of fir and spruce they hide their nests.
In the more northern parts of New England a few belated
pairs remain during the summer, building their nests towards
the latter part of June.
662. Blackburnian Warbler: Dendroica blackburnize
(Gmel.)
Adult 4 —Upper parts streaked black and white ; crown bright
orange, surrounded by black ; bright-orange line from bill
over eye to back of cheek ; under parts, throat, and breast
bright orange ; belly yellowish white, streaked with black.
160
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
Adult 2? —Upper parts dull olive instead of black ; the yellow parts
are replaced by dull orange. Length—5.25.
Breeding Range—From southern Maine, eastern Massachusetts,
and northern New York northward ; also along the Alle-
ghanies from South Carolina northward.
The nest is described as being compactly made of spruce
twigs, fine roots, shreds of bark, and soft plant down (especially
cat-tail down), lined with hair, grass, tendrils, and sometimes
feathers. It is placed in coniferous trees, at about twenty feet
from the ground. 4 eggs are laid ; they are white, tinged with
green or blue and spotted or faintly blotched with various shades
of brown and ashy lilac. Size—.69 x .50.
These warblers, the most brilliant-coloured of their family,
are known to most of us only as migrants, reaching the neigh-
bourhood of New York about the middle of May, on their way
to their breeding places in the evergreen forests of Maine and
northward.
The nests are completed probably about the end of May or
beginning of June.
668. Yellow-throated Warbler: Dendroica dominica
(Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts gray; darker on the forehead ; over the eye
there is a white line, which changes to yellow between the
eye and bill ; sides of face and sides of throat black, back
of which is a white patch; under parts yellow to white on
the belly, and streaked on the sides with black. Length—
5.25.
Breeding Range—Virginia (casually to southern New England),
southward.
The nest is placed on a branch of a pine tree, or in tufts of
hanging moss, at a height of eighteen feet and upwards. It is
composed of twigs, bark, and Spanish moss, lined with plant-
down, and sometimes feathers.
The eggs, numbering from 4 to 5, are whitish, with spots
of brown and drab evenly distributed, or in a wreath at the larger
end. Size—.74 x .53.
The breeding season commences towards the end of April
or early in May.
II 161
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
663a. Sycamore Warbler: D. d. albilora Ridgw.
Closely resembling the preceding, but rather smaller, and
without yellow in front of the eye.
Breeding Range—‘‘ The Mississippi Valley north to Kansas, south-
ern Indiana, and southern Illinois ; east to western South
Carolina” (Chapman). Davie gives the range as, ‘‘ North
to Lake Erie and southern Michigan, and east to western
North Carolina.”
The nest is usually placed in sycamore trees. ‘‘It is com-
posed of fine shreds of vegetable material intermingled with
short, slender twigs as the base.”
The eggs are identical in markings with those of the yellow-
throated warbler, but are slightly smaller in size.
667. Black-throated Green Warbler: Dendroica virens
(Gmel.)
Adult 6—Upper parts olive green ; two white wing bars, bright
yellow cheeks, and line over eye; under parts, throat,
breast, and streaks on sides of flank black; belly white,
more or less tinged with yellow.
Adult 2—Very similar, the throat having yellow mixed with
black. Length—5. Io.
Breeding Range—The higher parts of the Alleghanies to South
Carolina, and northward from Connecticut and northern
Illinois.
The nest is a beautiful compact structure of small twigs
(usually of hemlock or spruce), lichen, moss, grass, wool, and
bark, lined with plant down, hair, grass, and feathers. It is
generally placed in a coniferous tree, at a height varying from
ten or fifteen to fifty feet. The eggs, 3 or 4in number, are creamy
white, spotted, specked, and rarely blotched with orange brown,
chiefly at the large end. Size—.64 x .52.
These birds during the breeding season inhabit almost ex-
clusively the dense coniferous or mixed forests, where in June
they build their nests.
162
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
671. Pine Warbler: Dendroica vigorsii (Aud.)
Adult 8 —Upper parts olive ; under parts bright yellow, shading
into white on the belly, with more or less black streaks on
the sides.
Adult 9 —Less brilliant ; under parts more grayish. Length—
5.52.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from Florida
northward ; almost exclusively confined to regions where
the pitch pines are abundant.
The nest is placed towards the outward end of a branch in
evergreens, usually pines, at a considerable distance from the
ground. The materials used in its construction are leaves, strips
of bark, weeds, and caterpillars’ or spiders’ web, with the lining
of hair and feathers. 3 to 4 and sometimes 5 eggs are laid ; they
are white or dull white, with specks and spots of various shades
of brown and lilac gray, most of which form a wreath round the
larger end. Size—.68 x .52. See Fig. 2, Plate D.
The breeding season begins from the middle of March to the
latter part of May, according to locality.
678. Prairie Warbler: Dendroica discolor (Vieill.)
Adult 4 —Upper parts bright olive green, more or less spotted
with chestnut ; a single wing-bar of yellow ; above and
beneath the eye yellow, divided and bordered by black ;
under parts bright yellow, streaked on the sides with black.
Adult 2 —Very similar ; the chestnut spotting on the back some-
times lacking. Length—4.75.
Breeding Range—From southern New England southward.
The nest is composed of fine grass, plant fibre, and down,
and lined with fine roots and hair, resembling to some extent the
nest of the yellow warbler. It is placed near the ground, in
scrubby bushes or saplings, often in young cedars. 3 to 5 eggs
are laid; they are white, with a few brown or purplish brown
and faint lilac spots wreathed round the larger end. Size—
260)>¢)50s See nion Ov blaterB:
The breeding season commences at any time from the be-
ginning of May to the first or second week in June, according to
locality.
163
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
679. Mourning Warbler: Geothlypis philadelphia (Wils.)
Adult 6 —Upper parts rather dark olive green ; head, neck, and
throat gray, shading into black on the breast ; beily, lemon
yellow.
Adult 9—Less brilliant; entire upper parts greenish olive ;
under parts gray, lighter on the throat and shading into
yellow on the belly. Length—5.63.
Breeding Range—Northern New York and New England north-
ward, and in the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania.
The nest is composed of strips of bark, leaves, and grass,
lined with fine grass and hair. It is placed in low bushes, ferns,
or weeds, either on or near the ground. The eggs, 4 in number,
are whitish, with dots and spots of chestnut or reddish brown,
chiefly at the larger end. Size—.71 x .54.
Mr. Brewster speaks of these birds breeding in positive
abundance on Mount Graylock, in western Massachusetts, but
elsewhere in southern New England known only as a rare spring
and still rarer autumn migrant.
681. Maryland Yellow-throat: Geothlypis trichas (Linn.)
Eggs white with fine specks and spots of chocolate brown,
the spots not very numerous and mostly at the larger end.
See Page 69, Chapter II.
681b. Florida Yellow-throat: G. t. ignota Chapm.
Eggs similar to those of the preceding species.
See Page 70, Chapter II.
683. Yellow-breasted Chat: Icteria virens (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts olive green ; white line from the bill to the
eye ; white ring round the eye ; throat, breast, and upper
part of belly bright yellow; lower part of belly white,
shading into gray at the sides. Length—7.44. Young birds
are brownish gray, lighter on the breast, the yellow showing
when they attain their full size.
Breeding Range—The Eastern States, from southern New England
southward.
164
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nest is large and compact, built of leaves, grass, and
thin strips of bark, with the lining of fine grass. It is placed usu-
ally within four or five feet of the ground in the crotch of a small
shrub, and occasionally in a tangle of vines. Number of eggs
from 3 to 5; they are white or pinkish white, rather sparsely and
evenly marked with reddish brown spots; the spots are rarely
confined to the largerend. Size—.92 x .72. See Fig. 6, Plate D.
A chat’s nest may be found hidden in the dense undergrowth
of a clearing, in swampy places, or in any kind of open thicket.
It seems curious that, while the Chat is so crafty in hiding
himself from view, he manifests but little skill in concealing his
nest. By any one who does not object to penetrating the dense
thickets of briers and undergrowth, the nest may be easily found,
for it is large and usually but poorly concealed by leaves. The
builder appears to rely almost entirely on the natural fence of
growing barbed wire for protection from human enemies. The
bird seems to glide off its nest without being seen or heard, and
makes scarcely any commotion if the nest be disturbed. Young
chats may be reared by hand and become fairly tame, but un-
fortunately they show too great an independence of spirit, and
do not appear particularly desirous of human companionship.
During the breeding season, which begins about the middle
of May, the chats may be heard giving voice to their varied notes,
which can be readily imitated and will immediately attract the
inquisitive bird. The song is frequently performed while the
bird is in mid-air, not flying in an orthodox way, but flapping its
wings in a most extraordinary manner, presenting more the ap-
pearance of a large moth than a bird. In the vicinity of New
York the nesting season commences about the second week in
May.
684. Hooded Warbler: Sylvania mitrata (Gmel.)
Adult 6—Back, wings, and tail olive green; forehead and cheeks
bright yellow; a black hood on head and neck, extending to
the throat and upper part of breast ; rest of under parts
yellow.
Adult 2—Very similar, the black hood being less defined.
Length—5.67.
Breeding Range—The Eastern States, from southern Connecticut
southward.
165
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
The nest is placed in low bushes or scrub within four feet,
and sometimes within a few inches, of the ground. It is com-
posed of leaves, shreds of bark, and scales of beech buds all com-
pactly woven and secured together with spider webs ; the lining
in some nests is entirely of horse or cattle hair ; others are found
lined with fibres of grape-vine bark. 3 to 5 eggs are laid; they
are white, with specks and spots of reddish brown and lilac often
forming an irregular wreath at the larger end. Size—.71 x .52.
In damp woods, where the undergrowth is fairly dense,
these warblers will be found nesting during the latter part of May
or early in June.
687. American Redstart: Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.)
Adult 6 — Upper parts black ; patch on the wing and basal half
of tail feathers (except those in the middle) yellowish red ;
under parts, throat and upper part of breast black; sides
bright orange red ; belly white.
Adult 2 —Upper parts greenish gray ; under parts white ; instead
of orange yellow on the sides, wing, and tail, the female has
light yellow. Length—5.41. See Fig. 6, Plate B.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from North Caro-
lina northward.
The nest is placed either in a crotch or on a branch against
the tree trunk, at a height of from five to thirty feet from the
ground. Itis a beautiful, neat, cup-shaped nest, about two inches
inside diameter, and one inch deep. The materials used in its
construction are fine dried grass, a silver-coloured vegetable fibre,
plant down, and thin strips of bark, with a lining of fine grass
and hair. 3 or 4 and sometimes 5 eggs are laid; they are white
or whitish, with spots and small blotches of reddish brown and
lilac chiefly at the larger end. Size—.66 x .51.
In the damp woodland these beautiful warblers may be seen
darting through the rich mass of green foliage like tiny flashes of
fire. The rare combination of black and flame colour, together
with their habit of constantly spreading their tail, renders them
easy of identification. They are seldom seen on the ground
except when in search of food for their young. The breeding
season begins towards the end of May.
166
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NEST AND EGGS OF CATBIRD IN TANGLE OF VINES, THREE FEET FROM GROUND
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
708. Mocking-bird: Mimus polyglottos (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts bluish or ashy gray ; under parts buffy or
grayish white.
Immature birds have the breast and sides spotted.
Length—10.50.
Breeding Range—From southern Illinois and New Jersey (rarely
Massachusetts) southward.
The nest is built of twigs, strips of bark, fine roots, weeds,
and sometimes rags; the lining is of feathers, hair, and fine roots.
It is placed either in a tangle of undergrowth or in trees such as
the orange, cedar, water oak, etc. The eggs are pale green or
buffy gray, with spots and blotches of reddish or yellowish
brown. Size—.95 x .7o. See Fig. 18, Plate D.
So well known is the Mocking-bird as a songster that but
little need be said of ithere. The young are easily reared, but
my experience leads me to believe that they are not easily tamed ;
those that I have had were nervous and rather wild, and never
cared to be handled even when quite young. | am rather sur-
prised to see that certain writers speak of the immature mock-
ing-bird as being similar to the adults. All those that I have
reared have kept the spots on the breast until almost four months
old. The breeding season begins early in May, and several
broods are reared.
704. Catbird: Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts dark slaty gray ; crown and tail dull black ;
under parts slaty gray ; under tail coverts bright chestnut.
Length—8.95.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is ragged but well made of sticks, leaves, fine roots,
weeds, grass, strips of bark, and lined chiefly with fine roots.
It is placed in briers or low bushes, usually not more than about
seven feet from the ground. The eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are
rather dark greenish blue. Size—.95 x .70. See Fig. 9, Plate D.
These well-named and well-known birds rank high in the
list of our songsters ; their song, which, though small in volume,
is full of sweetness, may be heard at almost any time of day
167
tO tii ee
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
and in almost any thicket. When the nest is threatened, the
Owners call together all the other catbirds in that particular
thicket, and each one tries to outdo the other in vocal remon-
strance.
Knowing them to be highly intelligent, I decided to rear one,
thinking, of course, that he would make a delightful pet, but I
never succeeded in determining whether the bird was extremely
clever or entirely lacking in sense of any sort. His behaviour
from the very beginning was a cause of Surprise ; not a sound
did he utter, even when hungry, and that was most unusual, as
young birds are not renowned for their quietness. Then he was
very late in learning to feed himself, far later than any of my
other birds. But his most peculiar conduct was when he was
taken out of his cage to fly about in the large wire enclosure;
instead of taking advantage of this freedom, he instantly flew to
the topmost part, and there sat by the hour immovable, looking
much like an awkwardly mounted bird. During the two months
I had him there was no change in his behaviour, and seeing noth-
ing to be gained by keeping so uninteresting a pet, I set him
free ; immediately his whole manner changed, and he resembled
a real live catbird. With tail erect in proper catbird fashion, he
commenced searching for insects, which previously he had never
even noticed, so I decided after all that he was exceeding clever.
The breeding season commences about the middle of May,
and two broods are frequently reared.
705. Brown Thrasher: Harporhynchus rufus (Linn.)
Eggs usually greenish with numerous small light brown
spots.
See Page 50, Chapter I.
Tail Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Polioptila czerulea (Linn.)
Eggs white tinged with green or blue and spotted with
various shades of brown.
See Page 174, Chapter IX.
168
NEST OF WOOD THRUSH, WITH PIECES OF NEWSPAPER USED IN CONSTRUCTION
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Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
755. Wood Thrush: Turdus mustelinus Gmel.
Adult—Upper parts reddish brown or cinnamon, rump and tail
less brilliant; under parts white tinged slightly with buff on
the breast, and heavily marked with round black spots.
Length—8. 30.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, northward from
Virginia and Kentucky, rare north of Massachusetts.
The nest is bulky, somewhat deeper than the robin’s, which
it otherwise resembles. It is made of dead leaves (usually beech
leaves), used chiefly as the foundation, weed stems, roots, mud,
paper, rags, and sometimes snake-skin. It is placed either in a
crotch or on a horizontal branch, usually within ten feet of the
ground. 3 to 4, rarely 5, eggs are laid ; they are greenish blue,
lighter and less green than those of the catbird. Size—1.05 x
70: see Fis. 11, Plate D:
Either in the woods, or in the shrubbery near the house, the
Wood Thrush builds his nest, damp or dry places being indis-
criminately chosen. During the period of incubation, which
occupies twelve days, the parent bird sits closely and will allow
the onlooker to approch within a few feet of the nest. The ac-
companying illustration was taken in the dark woods and an
exposure of four seconds was made. So closely did the bird sit
that I was able to secure three photographs, changing the plates
and setting the shutter each time without disturbing the confid-
ing mother, though the lens was not more than four feet from
her nest. The young, which leave the nest when ten days old,
are intensely nervous little fellows, and are difficult to photo-
graph.
In the neighbourhood of New York the breeding season
begins rather before the middle of May. Occasionally two
broods are reared.
756. Wilson’s Thrush; Veery: Turdus fuscescens
Steph.
Eggs bluish green.
See Page 71, Chapter II.
169
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
757a. Bicknell’s Thrush: Turdus alicie bicknelli (Ridgw.)
Adult—Upper parts rich olive ; under parts white, slightly tinged
on the breast with buff, shading into gray on the sides ;
throat, breast, and sides spotted with dark brown ; ring
round the eye dull white. Length—6.25 to 7.25.
Breeding Range—The mountainous regions of the Northeastern
States.
The nest is placed in bushes or low trees, not far from the
ground, usually in damp woods. It is composed of leaves, grass,
moss, sticks, strips of bark, and lined with grass. The eggs are
bluish green (darker than those of the olive-backed thrush), finely
spotted with reddish brown. Size—.87 x .63.
This bird resembles closely the gray-cheeked thrush; it is
somewhat smaller and brighter in colour.
758a. Olive-backed or Swainson’s Thrush: Turdus
ustulatus swainsonii (Cab.)
Adu/t—Upper parts dusky olive ; under parts, breast, and throat
buff ; belly white ; sides gray with blackish spots except on
the belly ; eye ring and lores buff. Length—7.17.
Breeding Range—In the higher mountains of Pennsylvania, and
from northern New England northward. Mr. Brewster
speaks of it breeding commonly on Mount Graylock in
western Massachusetts.
The nest is placed in a bush or tree within ten feet of the
ground. It is made of leaves, grass, twigs, moss, and fine roots,
and is rather bulky. The eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are pale bluish
green with specks or spots of light reddish brown and dull lilac.
Size—.93 x .68.
The Olive-backed Thrush is an inhabitant of the secluded
woods, and during the breeding season, which commences about
the middle of June, they live almost exclusively in the regions
where coniferous trees abound.
761. American Robin: Merula migratoria (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Head black with white eye ring ; back slate colour ; tail
black with white tips at the ends of the outer feathers ; throat
170
Nests in Trees, Bushes, or Vines
nearly white, spotted and streaked with very dark slate
colour ; breast and sides chestnut ; belly white.
Adult 2 —Less decided in colour, the head being dark slate colour.
Length—10.00.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States, from Virginia and
Kansas northward.
The nest, which is very bulky and sometimes rough in appear-
ance, is formed of leaves, roots, and grasses (sometimes entirely
of grass and mud), plastered together with an inner wall of mud,
lined with fine grass. It is placed either on a branch or in a
crotch at from four to thirty-five feet from the ground. The eggs
are of a beautiful pale greenish blue, giving the name to the colour
known as ‘‘robin’s egg blue.” Number of eggs, from 3 to 5.
Size—1.15 x .80. See Fig. 10, Plate D.
During the breeding season the robins are probably the best
known of our Eastern birds, as they build their nests quite fre-
quently in the vines that grow on our verandas, and in the shrubs
around the house. They do not then appear to fear man, and
will perform their various domestic duties within a few feet of the
onlooker. It is always interesting to watch the parent birds feed-
ing their ever-hungry young; from early morn till nearly dark
they keep up an almost incessant search for worms, which form
the principal diet of the young. Owing to the size and to its
being generally placed in a conspicuous situation, the robin’s nest
is by no means difficult to find. They usually build near cultiva-
tion, probably because they find it easier to obtain their supply
of worms. The nest may be found in almost any sort of tree
along the roadside, or on the outskirts of a wood. An apple
orchard is an almost sure place, especially so if the trees be old.
The young leave the nest when about eleven days old. If
taken even before they can fly, they are remarkably wild. In
trying to photograph them | have experienced the utmost dif-
ficulty, as it is almost impossible to induce them to remain on a
branch, or, in fact, in any place one may select. I know of no
young birds that are so difficult to tame, except, perhaps, the vari-
ous other varieties of thrushes. They appear to be delicate and
are not easily reared.
The nesting season begins about the middle of April, and
continues until well into July.
171
Chapter IX
NESTS SADDLED ON BRANCHES
428. Ruby-throated Humming-bird: Trochilus colubris
Linn.
Adult 6 —Upper parts metallic green, wings and tail brownish ;
under parts, throat metallic red or deep orange red, breast
and belly light gray shading into gray on the sides.
Adult ? —Lacks the ruby throat. Length—3.74.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is, as Minot says, a perfect type of bird architecture.
It is composed of woolly vegetable substance and other soft ma-
terial, covered on the outside with small pieces of lichen, fastened
on with spiders’ or caterpillars’ web or plant fibres. The nest is
about three-quarters of an inch inside diameter, and usually rather
more than half an inch deep (inside). It is saddled on the branch
of a tree at from ten to fifty feet from the ground. There are
instances on record of the nests having been found attached to
tree trunks and on tall weeds. 2 white eggs are laid. Size—
-50 X .30.
Of about four hundred species of humming-birds known to
ornithology the Ruby-throat is the only variety found east of the
Mississippi.
About the first week in May they arrive in the vicinity of
New York, and begin nesting about three weeks later. The
young remain in the nest for some three weeks.
459. Olive-sided Flycatcher: Contopus borealis
(Swains.)
Adult—Upper parts olive brown ; under parts, throat, belly, a
line down the middle of the breast, and the flanks white,
more or less tinged with lemon yellow ; rest of under parts
olive brown. Length—7.4o.
172
NEST AND EGGS OF RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD
Natural size
Nests Saddled on Branches
Breeding Range—From Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, and
Massachusetts northward.
The nest is of twigs, thin strips of bark, weed stalk, and
lined with grass and moss. It is rather shallow, and is placed
usually on a branch of an evergreen tree at some distance from
the trunk, at a considerable height from the ground. The eggs,
numbering from 3 to 4, and rarely 5, are creamy white, spotted,
chiefly at the larger end, with reddish brown and dull lilac.
Size—.82 x .62.
The breeding season commences late in May or early in June,
according to locality.
461. Wood Pewee: Contopus virens (Linn.)
Adult—Upper parts dark olive brown, more or less tinged with
dull green ; wings dull brown with two white bars ; under
parts pale gray, slightly tinged with yellow. Length—6.50.
Breeding Range—Throughout the Eastern States.
The nest is a compact structure, with a thin floor and fairly
thick low sides. It is composed of fine grass, moss, and strips
of bark, with a coating of lichen fastened on the outside with fine
webs, and is saddled on a branch or sometimes placed in a fork
at from ten to fifty feet from the ground. Usually a large tree is
chosen, and the nest is often placed near the extremity of a
branch. 3 to 4 eggs are laid ; they are white or pale buff, with
spots of various shades of brown and lilac forming a wreath
about the larger end. Size—.7o x .54. See Fig. 1, Plate D.
These little flycatchers, who hide their nests so carefully on
the branch ofa tree, are found chiefly in the woods. Their pe-
culiarly plaintive note sounds as though they were always
brooding over some great sorrow, and yet there is no reason for
supposing them less happy than others of the feathered tribes.
Next to the phcebe, they are probably the tamest of the fly-
catchers. I have known one to build her nest within three feet
of a window near which people frequently sat during many
hours of the day, but she never seemed to object to the close
scrutiny to which she was frequently subjected.
The breeding season begins from the latter part of May to
the middle of June, according to locality.
173
Nests Saddled on Branches
467. Least Flycatcher: Empidonax minimus Baird
Adult—Upper parts olive ; under parts pale gray, slightly tinged
with yellow on the belly. Length—5.40.
Breeding Range—From Pennsylvania and New Jersey northward.
The nest, which is either saddled on a branch or placed in a
crotch at from seven to twenty-five feet from the ground, is a
neat structure of soft plant fibre, fine grass, thin strips of bark,
and hair ; some nests are built entirely of grass and strips of bark,
with no soft materials. The eggs, which number from 3 to 4,
and very rarely 5, are buff or white. Size—.62 x .50.
These, the smallest of our flycatchers, are found in abundance
throughout their range, though their distribution is somewhat
local. Apple orchards seem to be their favourite nesting places.
| have found no less than four of these nests in one small orchard
containing not more than thirty trees.
The breeding season begins in central New Jersey about the
second week in May.
751. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Polioptila coerulea (Linn.)
Adult 6 —Upper parts bluish gray, a black band on the forehead ;
tail, middle feathers black, outer one white, the interme-
diate feathers shading from dark to light gray.
Adult 9 —Lacks the black on the forehead, but is otherwise
similar. Length— 4.50.
Breeding Range—From the Southern States northward, on the
coast, to Connecticut; of accidental occurrence in Maine, and
inland to the Great Lakes.
The nest is a delicately built cup-like structure, about one
and a half inches deep inside, and is composed of leaf stems,
plant fibre, hair, grass, and thin strips of bark. The lining is of
woolly plant substances, and the outside is usually decorated
with small pieces of lichen. It is placed either in a crotch or
saddled on a branch at from ten to fifty feet from the ground ;
fifteen or twenty feet is the usual height. The eggs, 4 or 5 in
number, are very pale green or blue, with numerous specks and
spots of chestnut and brown. Size—.57 x .45.
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is an energetic, busy little fel-
low who lives in the woods, usually preferring those that are
somewhat damp. He commences building during the month
174
_
NEST OF LEAST FLYCATCHER
Saddled on branch of an apple tree
Pan om. op aly
‘ End
A yg Se
er 4 oy Wie Py te 5 ae
’ : td u 7 Te 7
dip 1, ee eae ee a oes
< SRST eas
Nests Saddled on Branches
of May, and his dainty nest, which viewed from below resembles
a knotty excrescence, is difficult to find.
761. American Robin: Merula migratoria (Linn.)
Eggs greenish blue.
See Page 170, Chapter VIII.
495. Cowbird: Molothrus ater (Bodd.)
Adult 8 —Lustrous black with metallic sheen ; head, neck, and
upper part of breast snuff colour.
Adult 2 —Dull brown, lightest on the throat. Length—7.90.
Breeding Range—T hroughout the Eastern States ; rare in the higher
parts of Massachusetts.
The eggs, which are invariably laid in the nests of other
birds, are dull white, sprinkled more or less thickly with small
brown and faint lilac spots. Number undetermined. Size—
.85 x .65.. See Fig. 19, Plate D.
The Cowbird (named from the habit of perching on cattle)
has, I fear, earned a bad reputation for herself, through the habit
of laying her eggs in the nests of other birds. Why she does so
is not known, but we can be certain there is some good reason
for an act which seems entirely contrary to nature. The nest of
almost any of the smaller birds is chosen, such as that of the
yellow warbler, worm-eating warbler, blue-winged warbler,
bluebird, and any of the sparrows or vireos. Minot thought that
the eggs were not laid in the nest, but outside, and then carried
to it. I have, however, seen the cowbird on the nest, and have
every reason to believe she had laid her egg there.
Eggs are laid from about the middle of May.
Ilk happy bird, wee helpless thing,
That in the weary months o’ spring
Delighted me to hear thee sing,
What's come o’ thee ?
Whare wilt thou cower thy chittering wing
And close thy e’e?
—Burns.
175
INDEX TO COMMON NAMES
B
D
Baldpate, see White-crowned Pigeon, | Dickcissel, 50.
Dove, Carolina, 133.
132.
Blackbird, Crow, 140.
Florida Red-wing, 78.
Red-winged, 77.
Bluebird, 112.
Bobolink, 41.
Bob-white, 35.
Florida, 36.
Bull-bat, 39.
Bunting, Bay-winged, 42.
Black-throated, 50.
Indigo, 150.
Painted, 151.
Butcher-bird, 153.
Buzzard, Turkey, 57.
Cc
Canary (wild), 155.
Caracara, Audubon’s, 128,
Cardinal, 147.
Florida, 148.
Catbird, 167.
Cedar-bird, 152.
Chat, Yellow-breasted, 164.
Chebec, see Least Flycatcher, 173.
Cherry-bird, see Cedar-bird, 152.
Chewink, 64.
White-eyed, 64.
Chicadee, 111.
Carolina, I12.
Hudsonian, 112.
Chippy, 145.
Chuck-will’s-widow, 59.
Clape, see Flicker, 104.
Cowbird, 175.
Creeper, Black and White, 65.
Brown, 108.
Crossbill, American, 142.
Red, 142.
White-winged, 143.
Crow, American, 131.
Fish, 131.
Florida, 131.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 135.
* Mangrove, 134.
Maynard's, 134.
Yellow-billed, 135.
i2
Ground, 56.
Mourning, 56-133.
Quail, 133.
Zenaida, 133.
Eagle, Bald, 128.
Golden, 81.
F
Falcon, Peregrine, 81.
Finch, Grass, see Vesper Sparrow, 42.
Lark, 47.
Pine, 144.
Purple, 142.
Firebird, see Baltimore Oriole, 115.
Flicker, 104.
Florida Red-wing, 78.
Yellow-throat, 70.
Flycatcher, Acadian, 114.
Alder, 137.
Canada, 92.
Crested, 105.
Green-crested, I14.
Great Crested, 105.
Least, 174.
Olive-sided, 172.
Traill’s, see Alder Flycatcher, 137.
Yellow-bellied, 86.
G
Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, 174.
Golden-crowned Thrush, 75.
Goldfinch, American, 143.
Goshawk, American, 124.
Grackle, Boat-tailed, 141.
Bronzed, I4I.
Florida, 140.
Purple, 140.
Grosbeak, Blue, 149.
177
Pine, I4t.
Rose-breasted, 148.
TA SBT
Index to Common Names
Grouse, Canada, 52. L
Saran Ruffed, 54. Lark, Field, see Meadowlark, 73.
» 53: Meadow, 73-
Prairie Horned, 40.
H Loggerhead Shrike, 153.
Harrier, Marsh, 37- M
Hawk, American Sparrow, 96. Marsh Wren, Long-billed, 79.
Broad-winged, 127. Marian’s, 80.
Cooper's, 124. Short-billed, 79.
Duck, 81. Worthington’s, 80.
Fish, 129. Martin, Cuban, 88.
Florida Red-shouldered, 126. Purple, 87.
Harlan’s, 125. Maryland Yellow-throat, 69.
Marsh, 37. Meadowlark, 73.
Meat, see Canada Jay, 139. Meathawk, 139.
Pigeon, 82. Mockingbird, 167.
Red-shouldered, 126. Moosebird, 139.
Red-tailed, 125. N
Sharp-shinned, 123.
Short-tailed, 127. Night-hawk, 39.
Snail, 77. Florida, 4o.
Sparrow, 96. Nuthatch, Brown-headed, 110.
Swainson’s, 126. Florida White-breasted, 109.
Heath Hen, 54. Red-breasted, 10g.
Hen, Heath, 54. White-breasted, 109.
Prairie, 36. :
High-hole, see Flicker, 104. oO
Humming-bird, Ruby-throated, 172. Oriole, Baltimore, 115.
Orchard, 115.
I Osprey, American, 129.
Oven-bird, 75.
Indigo-bird, 150. Owl, Acadian, 98.
American Barn, 82.
American Long-eared, 129.
J Barn, 82.
Barred, 97.
Jack, Whiskey, 139. Florida Barred, 98.
Jay, Blue, 138. Florida Burrowing, 83.
Canada, 139. Florida Screech, 99.
Florida, 139 Great Horned, 130.
Florida Blue, 138. Long-eared, 129.
Scrub, 139. Monkey-faced, see Barn Owl, 82.
Joree, 64. Saw-whet, 98.
Junco, 61. Screech, 98.
Carolina, 61. Short-eared, 38.
Slate-coloured, 61.
12
K Palmetto Bird, 70.
Paroquet, Carolina, 134.
Kingbird, 136. Partridge, 53.
Gray, 137. Spruce, 52.
Kingfisher, Belted, 83. Peabody-bird, 60.
Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 120. Pewee, Wood, 173.
Ruby-crowned, 121. Phoebe, 85.
Kite, Everglade, 77. Pigeon, Passenger, 132.
Mississippi, 123. White-crowned, 132.
Swallow-tailed, 122. Wild, 132.
White-tailed, 122 Prairie Hen, 36.
178
Quail, 35.
Florida, 36.
R
Raven, Northern, 86,
Redbird, 151.
Summer, 152.
Redstart, American, 166,
Redwing, Florida, 78.
Reedbird, see Bobolink, 41.
Ricebird, see Bobolink, 4r.
Robin, American, 170.
Ground, see Cheewink, 64.
Ss
Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, 103,
Shrike, Loggerhead, 153.
Siskin, Pine, 144.
Snowbird, 61.
Carolina, 6r.
Sparrow, Bachman’s, 74.
Chipping, 145.
Clay-coloured, 146,
English, 87.
Field, 48.
Grasshopper, 44.
Henslow’s, 44.
Lark, 47.
Lincoln’s, 62.
Pine-woods, 62.
Savanna, 43.
Scott’s Seaside, 46.
Seaside, 46.
Sharp-tailed, 45.
Song, 49.
Swamp, 63.
Vesper, 42.
White-throated, 60.
Yellow-winged, 44.
Swallow, Bank, go.
Barn, 89.
Chimney, 84.
Cliff, 88.
Eave, 88.
Rough-winged, go,
Tree, 89.
White-bellied, 89.
Swift, Chimney, 84.
Tr
Tanager, Scarlet, 151.
Summer, 152.
Thistle-bird, see Goldfinch, 143.
Thrasher, Brown, 50,
Index to Common Names
Thrush, Bicknell’s, 170,
Brown, see Brown Thrasher, 50.
Golden-crowned, 75.
Grinnell’s Water, gr.
Hermit, 72.
Large-billed Water, 92.
Louisiana Water, 92.
Olive-backed, 170.
Swainson’s, 170.
Water, gr.
Wilson’s, 71.
Wood, 169.
Titmouse, Tufted, r1o.
Towhee, 64.
White-eyed, 64.
Turkey Buzzard, 57.
Turkey, Florida Wild, 55.
Wild, 55.
Vv
Veery, 71.
Vireo, Black-whiskered, 116.
Blue-headed, 118.
Key West, 120.
Mountain Solitary, 119.
Philadelphia, 117.
Red-eyed, 117.
Solitary, 118.
Warbling, 118.
White-eyed, r19.
Yellow-throated, 118.
Vulture, Black, 58.
Turkey, 57.
Ww
Warbler, Bachman’s, 154,
Bay-breasted, 159.
Black and White, 65.
Black and Yellow, 157.
Blackburnian, 160.
Blackpoll, 160.
Black-throated Blue, 156.
Black-throated Green, 162,
Blue-winged, 66.
Blue Yellow-backed, 120,
Brewster's, 68.
Canadian, g2.
Cerulean, 158.
Chestnut-sided, 159.
Golden-winged, 67.
Hooded, 16s.
Kentucky, 69.
Lawrence’s, 68.
Magnolia, 157.
Mourning, 164.
Myrtle, 157.
Nashville, 68.
179
Index to Common Names
Warbler, Parula, r20. Woodpecker, Hairy, 100,
Pine, 163. Ivory-billed, too.
Prairie, 163. Pileated, 103.
Prothonotary, 107. Red-bellied, 104.
Summer, 155. Red-cockaded, ror.
Swainson’s, 154. Red-headed, 103.
Sycamore, 162. Southern Downy, tot.
Tennessee, 155. Southern Hairy, ror.
Worm-eating, 65. Wren, Bewick’s, 93.
Yellow, 155. Carolina, 93.
Yellow-rumped, 157. Florida, 93.
Yellow-throated, 161, House, 94.
Water-thrush, 91. Long-billed Marsh, 79.
Grinnell’s, gt. Marian’s Marsh, 80.
Large-billed, 92. Short-billed Marsh, 79.
Louisiana, 92. Winter, 94.
Waxwing, Cedar, 152. Worthington’s, 80.
Whip-poor-will, 59.
Whiskey Jack, 139. Y
Woodpecker, American Three-toed, 102.
Arctic Three-toed, 102. Yellow-bird, 143-155.
Banded Three-toed, 102. Yellow-hammer, see Flicker, 104.
Downy, fot. Yellow-throat, Florida, 70.
Golden-winged, 104. Maryland, 69.
180
INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC NAMES
A Chondestes grammacus, 47.
Chordeiles virginianus, 39.
Accipiter atricapillus, 124. virginianus chapmani, 40.
cooperii, 124. Circus hudsonius, 37.
velox, 123. Cistothorus palustris, 79.
Agelaius pheeniceus, 77. palustris griseus, 80.
phceniceus bryanti, 78. palustris mariane, 80.
Ammodramus caudacutus, 45. stellaris, 79.
henslowii, 44. Clivicola riparia, go.
maritimus, 46. Coccyzus americanus, 135.
maritimus peninsule, 46, erythrophthalmus, 135.
sandwichensis savanna, 43. minor, 134.
savannarum passerinus, 44. minor maynardi, 134.
Ampelis cedrorum, 152. Colaptes auratus, 104.
Antrostomus carolinensis, 59. Colinus virginianus, 35.
vociferus, 59. virginianus floridanus, 36.
Aphelocoma floridana, 139. Columba leucocephala, 132.
Aquila chrysaétos, 81, Columbigallina passerina terrestris, 56.
Asio accipitrinus, 38. Compsothlypis americana, 120,
wilsonianus, 129. Contopus borealis, 172.
virens, 173.
Conurus carolinensis, 134.
B Corvus americanus, 131.
americanus floridanus, 131.
Bonasa umbellus, 53. Corvus corax principalis, 86,
umbellus togata, 54. ossifragus, 131.
Bubo virginianus, 130. Cyanocitta cristata, 138.
Buteo borealis, 125. cristata florincola, 138.
borealis harlani, 125.
brachyurus, 127,
latissimus, 127. D
lineatus, 126,
lineatus alleni, 126. Dendragapus canadensis, 52.
swainsoni, 126, Dendroica zestiva, 155.
blackburniz, 160,
cerulea, 158.
c czerulescens, 156.
castanea, 159.
Campephilus principalis, too. coronata, 157.
Cardinalis cardinalis, 147. discolor, 163.
cardinalis floridanus, 148. dominica, 161.
Carpodacus purpureus, 142. dominica albilora, 162,
Catharista atrata, 58. maculosa, 157.
Cathartes aura, 57. pensylvanica, 159.
Ceophlceus pileatus, 103. striata, 160.
Certhia familiaris americana, 108. vigorsii, 163.
Ceryle alcyon, 83. virens, 162.
Cheetura pelagica, 84. Dolichonyx oryzivorus, 41,
Chelidon erythrogaster, 89. Dryobates borealis, 101,
181
Index to Scientific Names
Dryobates pubescens, ror.
pubescens medianus, Io1.
villosus, 100.
villosus audubonii, ror.
E
Ectopistes migratorius, 132.
Elanoides forficatus, 122.
Elanus leucurus, 122.
Empidonax flaviventris, 86.
minimus, 174.
traillii alnorum, 137.
virescens, II4.
¥F
Falco columbarius, 82.
peregrinus anatum, 81.
sparverius, 96.
G
Galeoscoptes carolinensis, 167.
Geothlypis formosa, 69.
philadelphia, 164.
trichas, 69.
trichas ignota, 70.
Geotrygon martinica, 133.
Guiraca cerulea, 149.
H
Habia ludoviciana, 148.
Halizetus leucocephalus, 128.
Harporhyncus rufus, 50.
Helinaia swainsonii, 154.
Helminthophila bachmani, 154.
chrysoptera, 67.
lawrencei, 68.
leucobronchialis, 68.
peregrina, 155.
pinus, 66.
ruficapilla, 68.
Helmitherus vermivorus, 65,
I
Icteria virens, 164.
Icterus galbula, 115.
spurius, 115.
Ictina mississippiensis, 123.
J
Junco hyemalis, 61.
hyemalis carolinensis, 61,
L
Lanius ludovicianus, 153.
Loxia curvirostra minor, 142.
leucoptera, 143.
M
Megascops asio, 98.
asio floridanus, 99.
Melanerpes carolinus, 104.
erythrocephalus, 103.
Meleagris gallopavo, 55.
gallopavo osceola, 55.
Melospiza fasciata, 49.
georgiana, 63.
lincolni, 62,
Merula migratoria, 170.
Mimus polyglottos, 167.
Mniotilta varia, 65.
Molothrus ater, 175.
Myiarchus crinitus, 105.
N
Nyctala acadica, 98.
oO
Otocoris alpestris praticola, 40,
P
Pandion haliaétus carolinensis, 129.
Parus atricapillus, III.
bicolor, 110.
carolinensis, I12.
hudsonicus, I12.
Passer domesticus, 87.
Passerina Ciris, I5I.
cyanea, 150.
Perisoreus canadensis, 139.
Petrochelidon lunifrons, 88,
Peuczea estivalis, 62.
zstivalis bachmani, 74.
Picoides americanus, 102.
arcticus, 102.
Pinicola enucleator, 141.
Pipilo erythrophthalmus, 64.
erythrophthalmus alleni, 64.
Piranga erythromelas, I51.
rubra, 152.
Polioptila czerulea, 174.
Polyborus cheriway, 128.
Pooczetes gramineus, 42.
Progne cryptoleuca, 88.
subis, 87.
Protonotaria citrea, 107.
182
Q
Quiscalus major, 141.
quiscula, 140.
quiscula zeneus, 141.
quiscula aglaeus, 140,
R
Regulus calendula, 121.
satrapa, 120.
Rostrhamus sociabilis, 77.
Ss
Sayornis phcebe, 85.
Seiurus aurocapillus, 75.
motacilla, 92.
noveboracensis, QI.
noveboracensis notabilis, 91.
Setophaga ruticilla, 166,
Sialis sialis, 112.
Sitta canadensis, 109.
carolinensis, 109.
Sitta carolinensis atkinsi, 109.
pusilla, 110.
Speotyto cunicularia floridana, 83.
Sphyrapicus varius, 103.
Spinus pinus, 144.
tristis, 143.
Spiza americana, 50.
Spizella pallida, 146.
pusilla, 48.
socialis, 145.
Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 90.
Strix pratincola, 82.
Sturnella magna, 73.
Sylvania canadensis, 92.
mitrata, 165.
Index to Scientific Names
Syrnium nebulosum, 97.
nebulosum alleni, 98.
a
Tachycineta bicolor, 89.
Thryothorus bewickii, 93.
ludovicianus, 93.
ludovicianus miamensis, 93.
Trochilus colubris, 172.
Troglodytes, aédon, 94.
hiemalis, 94.
Turdus aliciz bicknelli, 170.
aonalaschke pallasii, 72.
fuscescens, 71.
mustelinus, 169.
ustulatus swainsonii, 170.
Tympanuchus americanus, 36.
cupido, 54.
Tyrannus dominicensis, 137.
tyrannus, 136.
Vv
Vireo calidris barbatulus, 116,
flavifrons, 118.
gilvus, 118.
noveboracensis, IIg.
noveboracensis maynardi, 120.
olivaceus, II7.
philadelphicus, 117.
solitarius, 118.
solitarius alticola, 119.
Z
Zenaida zenaida, 133.
Zenaidara macroura, 133.
Zonotrichia albicollis, 60.
183
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Ss
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