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MAP OF THE LIFE ZONES
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Issued October 12, 1911.
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY—BULLETIN No. 38
HENRY W. HENSHAW, Chief
BIRDS OF ARKANSAS
BY
ARTHUR H. HOWELL
Assistant Biologist, Biological Survey
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
19i1
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY,
Washington, D. C., April 13, 1911.
Str: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for publication as
Bulletin 38 of the Biological Survey, a report on the Birds of Arkan-
sas, by Arthur H. Howell. This report fills an important gap in our
knowledge of the avifauna of the Mississippi Valley. In mapping
the life zones of the region, the lack of definite information as to the
number of species within the State of Arkansas, their distribution,
and the nature of their occurrence, whether as visitants, migrants,
or strays, has been seriously felt, and the present report is designed
to supply the needed data. It is the first detailed study to be pub-
lished of the avifauna of this State, which is remarkable for the
variety and abundance of its bird life, and, although by no means
complete, the list marks a long step in advance, adding materially
to our knowledge of the birds of the region treated.
Respectfully,
Henry W. HENSHAW,
Chief, Brological Survey.
Hon. JAMES WILsonN,
Secretary of Agriculture.
2
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NUD eTOLeSPeClCS as sean sry ee thea a ees a eke ae le ee
List of species
DAL US res TRO Nise
PLATES.
Page.
PLare: lL, Map‘of the lite zones oftArkansas 2622 4ee2 2 oe ee Frontispiece.
II. Fig. 1.—St. Francis River. Fig. 2.—Canebrake in primitive hard-
Wood forests 522.3 ia 3. aoa os A aaa aes ames ee 6
its "Che wood ducks n os ee se Sieh ho Se eee en 20
IV. Fig. i.—Cypress swamp, Walker Lake. Fig. 2.—Great blue herons
ad MEStSs oe 2.ce ee See de ee Naa ee Er ke 24
V. The goatsuckers of Arkansas—nighthawk, whippoorwill, and chuck-
wall’ s-wiadOWiss ie a2 Ses eee cose eee eet eee See ee eee ee 50
VI. A winter seed-eater—the white-throated sparrow............--..---- 64
VII. A summer resident insect-eater—the Kentucky warbler............ 80
TEXT FIGURES.
Fie. 1. Breeding area of the chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) in
Arkansas 2033 o.0c;5- Sade sae soa oetae Ske ee ee ee ee 50
2. Breeding area of the whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus) in Arkansas. - 51
3. Breeding area of the scarlet tanager (Piranga erythromelas) in Arkansas. - 69
4. Breeding area of the brown thrasher ( Toxostoma rufum) in Arkansas. . - - 85
BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
INTRODUCTION.
Arkansas, although long known as a paradise for sportsmen, has
been strangely neglected by ornithologists. No detailed study of
the avifauna of the State has hitherto been made and very little
on its animal life has been published. In mapping the life zones
of the Mississippi Valley the Biological Survey has been hampered
by the lack of definite information on the distribution of birds in
Arkansas, and in order to obtain the data necessary to complete its
maps it was found necessary to make a special investigation of the
birds of the State and to compile the published records.
Arkansas is remarkable for the abundance and variety of its bird
life, and many interesting problems of distribution are presented as a
result of its topography and geographical position. Situated in the
heart of the Mississippi Valley, it forms part of the great highway of
migration for a large majority of the birds of passage which summer
in the Northern States and Canada, while it affords a congenial win-
ter resort for myriads of waterfowl and great numbers of the smaller
land birds driven south by the severity of more northern climes.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The most prominent topographic features of the State are the
bottom lands of the Mississippi Basin, in which are included the
famous Sunken Lands, the Ozark Plateau of the northwest, and the
group of more or less isolated mountain ranges south of the Arkansas
River sometimes referred to collectively as the Ouachita Mountains.
THE MISSISSIPPI BOTTOM LANDS.
The so-called Sunken Lands are extensive areas of swamp and
overflowed bottom land occupying a large part of Mississippi County
and portions of Clay, Greene, Craighead, and Poinsett Counties.
The largest of these sunken areas are Big Lake and the broad basin
of the St. Francis River, but there are many smaller lakes and
sloughs in Mississippi County between Little River and the Missis-
sippl. Many of these lakes, including Big Lake (also Reelfoot Lake,
in Tennessee), were formed by the disturbances of the land accom-
panying the great earthquakes of 1811-1813, usually referred to as
the New Madrid earthquake. At that time large forests were
prostrated, immense fissures were formed, and profound changes
9)
6 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
took place in the bed of the Mississippi River.t Evidences of these
remarkable disturbances still remain; parts of the bed of Big Lake
are covered with a fallen forest of hardwoods of species usually
found on high ground, and in Reelfoot and other lakes many dead
stubs of old cypresses stand in deep water far from the present shore
line. In late summer and fall most of the lakes and rivers in the
Sunken Lands shrink greatly in size and some become entirely dry.
From November to March this region is populated with countless
numbers of waterfowl of many species. In spring and summer it fur-
nishes ideal breeding grounds for wood ducks, cormorants, snakebirds,
herons, egrets, and many species of small land birds, but the larger
birds, particularly the egrets, have in recent years been greatly
reduced in numbers by indiscriminate shooting.
All the counties bordering the Mississippi River are similar in
topography to the Sunken Lands, but the preportion of overflowed
and swamp land is considerably less. Extensive areas of inundated
bottom lands are found also in the valleys of Black River, White
River, Cache River, and the Arkansas below Little Rock. The
lowlands of the State support a magnificent growth of the finest
hardwood timber, much of which is still in its primeval grandeur.
Large bodies of cypress and tupelo gum occupy the swamps and wet
bottoms along the larger rivers.
In Lonoke, Prairie, and Arkansas Counties considerable tracts of
level prairie land, formerly of little value for agriculture, have
recently become valuable through the successful introduction of rice
farming. Smaller areas of prairie land occur in other parts of the
State, chiefly in Sebastian and Logan Counties.
From the bottom lands of the eastern counties the land rises
eradually to the westward, becoming hilly through the middle of
the State and mountainous in the northwestern and west central
parts. In the southwest occur large tracts of pine timber of two
species, Pinus echinata and P. teda.
THE OZARK REGION.
This region occupies the northwestern part of the State north of
the Arkansas Valley from Izard, Stone, and Cleburne Counties west-
ward. It is a rough, mountainous area, varying in altitude from
1,000 to 1,800 feet, with a few peaks reaching somewhat above 2,000
feet. The prevailing forests are of deciduous trees, with considerable
tracts of mixed pine and hardwood timber. Small land birds are
numerous in this region, and several northern-breeding forms, such as
the whippoorwill, yellow warbler, brown thrasher, and robin, find
their southern limit here.
1 For a full account of this earthquake, see N. S. Shaler, Atlantic Monthly, XXIV, pp. 549-559, 1869. A
brief account is given also in Bull. 230 (Part I), Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Dept. Agric., 1911.
PLATE Il.
Bul. 38, Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.
TREE SWALLOWS,
HOME OF Woop DUCKS
MARSH WRENS
FRANCIS RIVER SUNKEN LANDS
oT:
1
FIG
Enc:
s]
, REDWINGS,
SWIFTS
ARK. HOME OF
Fic. 2.—CANEBRAKE IN PRIMITIVE HARDWOOD FOREST, TURRELL
BACHMAN AND SWAINSON WARBLERS.
LIFE ZONES. (
THE OUACHITA MOUNTAIN REGION.
South of the Arkansas Valley and west of Perry and Garland
Counties lies a group of rugged mountain ranges—the highest in the
State—known as the Ouachita Mountains. These ranges have a gen-
eral east and west direction and are steeper and more isolated than
the ranges of the Ozarks. Some of the highest peaks are Magazine
Mountain (2,800 feet), Fourche Mountain (2,800 feet), Rich Mountain
(2,750 feet), Black Fork Mountain (2,650 feet), Petit Jean Mountain
(2,600 feet), and Poteau Mountain (2,550 feet).
Both hardwood and pine timber grow on these mountains, the
former prevailing in most localities. This region forms the southern-
most extension of the Upper Austral Zone in the Mississippi Valley,
and several species of birds characteristic of that zone reach their
southern limit here.
LIFE ZONES.
LOWER AUSTRAL ZONE.
The greater part of the State is occupied by the Austroriparian
division of the Lower Austral Zone, which fills all the lowlands and
extends up on the mountain sides to an altitude of approximately
1,200 feet in the southern mountains and 800 to 1,000 feet in the
northern mountains. A broad area of this zone occupies the Arkan-
sas Valley, and a narrow tongue extends along the upper White River
Valley to or beyond the State line.
In this zone cotton is the prevailing crop, and, except where the
boll weevil has become abundant, the most profitable. Rice growing
has in recent years been introduced on a large scale in the prairie
regions with great success. Corn is raised extensively and wheat and
oats in less quantity. Fruits have been little cultivated, but a large
variety may be successfully grown.!| One of the most valuable of
the native trees is the pecan, whose cultivation might be profitably
extended.
This zone is characterized in Arkansas by the presence of a large
number of southern plants, mammals, and birds, among which the
following are the most conspicuous:
PLANTS OF THE LOWER AUSTRAL ZONE.
Bald cypress (Tazodium distichum). Overcup oak (Quercus lyrata).
Loblolly pine (Pinus texda). Winged elm ( Ulmus alata).
Palmetto (Sabal glabra). Planer tree (Planera aquatica).
Large cane (Arundinaria macrosperma). Mississippi hackberry (Celtis mississip-
Corkwood (Leitneria floridana). piensis).
Swamp poplar (Populus heterophylla). Large - leaf magnolia (Magnolia macro-
Pecan (Hicoria pecan). phylla).
Water oak (Quercus nigra). Water locust (Gleditsia aquatica).
Basket oak (Quercus michauat). Tupelo gum (Nyssa aquatica).
Swamp Spanish oak (Quercus pagodxfolia). Pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda).
Oe ea ep Re TM
1 See Life Zones and Crop Zones of the United States, Bull. 10, Biol. Survey, pp. 46-49, 1898,
8 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
BREEDING BirDS OF THE LOWER AUSTRAL ZONE.
Water turkey (Anhinga anhinga).
Mississippi kite (Ictinia misisippiensis)..
Black vulture (Catharista urubu).
Little blue heron (Florida cxrulea).
Florida barred ow! (Strix varia allent).
Florida screech owl (Otus asio floridanus).
Ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus
principals).
Southern hairy woodpecker (Dryobates
villosus audubont).
Red-cockaded woodpecker (Dryobates
borealis).
Florida nighthawk (Chordeiles virginianus
chapman).
Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus caro-
linensis).
Bachman sparrow (Peucxa exstivalis bach-
mani).
Blue grosbeak (Gutraca cxrulea).
Painted bunting (Passerina ciris).
Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria
citrea).
Swainson warbler (Helinaia swainsont).
Bachman warbler ( Vermivora bachmant).
Sycamore warbler (Dendroica dominica
albilora).
Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).
Brown-headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla).
MAMMALS OF THE LOWER AUSTRAL ZONE.
Cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus
megacephalus).
Golden mouse (Peromyscus nuttalli au-
reolus).
Rice rat (Oryzomys palusiris).
Golden harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys
aurantius).
Swamp wood rats (Neotoma floridana
rubida and WN. f. ilinoensis).
UPPER AUSTRAL
Cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus).
Louisiana pocket gopher (Geomys brevi-
ceps).
Swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus).
Louisiana skunk ( Mephitis mesomelas).
Evening bat (Nycticetus humeralis).
Carolina shrew (Blarina brevicauda caro-
linensis).
ZONE.
The Carolinian division of the Upper Austral Zone covers the
greater part of the Ozark region and the slopes of the higher Ouachita
Mountains above an altitude of approximately 1,200 feet.
In this zone lumbering and fruit raising are the principal indus-
tries.
Apples are grown very successfully, as well as corn, oats, and
hay. Following are some of the most characteristic species occurring
in this zone in Arkansas:
PLANTS OF THE UPPER AUSTRAL ZONE.
Chestnut (Castanea dentata).
Red oak (Quercus rubra).
Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea).
Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria).
Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor).
Umbrella tree (Magnolia tripetala).
Ohio buckeye (4sculus glabra).
Black ash (Fraxinus nigra).
BREEDING BrirRDS OF THE UPPER AUSTRAL ZONE.
Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus).}
Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrop-
thalmus).
Hairy woodpecker (Dryobates
villosus).
Whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus).
Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe).
villosus
Goldfinch (Astragalinus tristis).
Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus).
Scarlet tanager (Piranga erythromelas).
Yellow warbler (Dendroica xstiva).
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus).
Brown thrasher ( Toxostoma rufum).
Robin (Planesticus migratorws).
MAMMALS OF THE UPPER AUSTRAL ZONE.
Woodchuck ( Marmota monaz).
Attwater cliff mouse (Peromyscus boylet
attwatert).
Weasel (Putorius sp.).
Spotted skunk (Spilegale sp.).
1 Exterminated.
SERVICES RENDERED BY BIRDS. 9
ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIRDS.
In the early days of the settlement of this country birds were
considered of value to man chiefly as a source of food. Modern
scientific investigation, however, has demonstrated that most birds
are of infinitely more value to the agriculturist through their de-
struction of noxious insects, destructive mammals, and weed seed.
The great abundance of insects and the widespread injury to
crops caused by a host of herbivorous species are well known to
every farmer, but the important service rendered by birds in keeping
within bounds these destructive swarms is less widely recognized.
‘“‘The examination of birds’ stomachs,” says Prof. Beal, ‘‘has shown
that nearly all of the smaller species, and many of the larger ones,
such as the crow, subsist largely upon insects in the summer time,
while rearing their young, and, as a general rule, all the small birds
feed their nestlings on this food, no matter what the adults may eat.’
In fields and gardens the birds most useful in the war against
insects are the robin, bluebird, catbird, indigo bird, chipping spar-
row, the orioles, blackbirds, meadowlarks, flycatchers, and quail.
Swallows, martins, swifts, and nighthawks supplement the work of
eround-feeding species by capturing insects in the air as they fly
over the fields, and in the orchard and forest a host of keen-eyed
foragers, including woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, chickadees,
warblers, vireos, tanagers, and cuckoos, search out and destroy
ereat numbers of insects destructive to the bark and foliage of fruit
and forest trees.
Among the special services rendered by birds in the South may
be mentioned the destruction of crawfish by various herons, of mos-
quitoes by many species, chiefly shorebirds, swifts, swallows, night-
hawks, and flycatchers,! and of the cotton boll weevil by no fewer
than 53 species. The relations of birds to this latter insect are of
particular interest in view of the rapid spread of the pest in Arkansas.
Investigations in Texas and Louisiana have shown that many birds
feed extensively on this weevil, and some species, for instance the
orioles, show a special liking for it and have learned how to find it
in its hiding places in the cotton ‘‘squares.”’
Besides the orioles, the birds most useful in keeping down the
weevil in summer are swallows, nighthawks, flycatchers, and the
painted bunting, while in winter splendid service is rendered by
meadowlarks, blackbirds, pipits, wrens, and Savannah sparrows,
which seek out and destroy the weevils in their hibernating quarters.
Cotton growers should see that every species of bird known to feed
on the weevil is protected on their lands and should, in addition,
strive to increase the numbers of such species as martins and wrens
by providing nest boxes for their accommodation.
1 Cf. McAtee, Auk, XXVIII, pp. 141-142, 1911.
10 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Perhaps the most maligned birds in this country are the hawks
and owls. A deep-seated though baseless prejudice against them
has persisted to the present day, although it is now nearly 20 years
since the Biological Survey demonstrated, as a result of hundreds
of stomach examinations, that most of this prejudice is unfounded
and that in reality nearly all of our hawks and owls confer a decided
benefit on the farmer by destroying field mice, rats, rabbits, other
rodents, and insects. The only birds of prey found in Arkansas
which are not beneficial are the duck hawk, the sharp-shinned hawk,
the Cooper hawk, and the fish hawk.
GAME RESOURCES AND LEGISLATION.
In the abundance of its game birds Arkansas holds an enviable
position among the States of the Union, but in the adoption of meas-
ures for their conservation she has lagged somewhat behind her sister
States. In pioneer days quail, prairie chickens, wild turkeys,
passenger pigeons, the mallard and other ducks, and wild geese were
so abundant that there seemed to be no danger of their extermination.
To-day the pigeons are exterminated, the prairie chickens are on the
verge of extinction, and turkeys have become very scarce save in a
few specially favorable regions.
The history of the exploitation of these game resources strikingly
illustrates the effect which the bird life of a State may have on the
development of its legislation and on its attitude toward game
protection.
Market hunters were early attracted to the game fields, and with
the development of railroads and the introduction of cold storage in
the handling of game, came an unexpected drain on the resources of
the State. Quail, prairie chickens, pigeons, and ducks were trapped
or killed in enormous numbers to supply the markets of St. Louis,
Chicago, and other cities, and considerable trade was built up in
handling game chiefly for shipment to other States. To regulate this
traffic a law was passed in 1875 requiring a $10 market-hunting license
of nonresident hunters. The first law fixing seasons for hunting
game birds was enacted in 1885, and at the same time protection was
extended to the nests and eggs of all wild birds except birds of prey,
crows, and blackbirds. In 1889 export of game from the State was
prohibited, and in 1897 the market-hunting license was increased to
$25. In the same year, through the public-spirited efforts of Mrs.
L. M. Stephenson, of Helena, was enacted the first comprehensive law
protecting nongame birds and one of the first laws of its kind in any
of the Southern States. In 1903, not only was killing of game for sale
and the sale itself prohibited, but the privilege of hunting was restricted
to residents of the State. No close season for ducks or geese has ever
been established, and no restriction has been placed on the numbers
of these birds which may be legally killed. It is evident, therefore,
SOURCES OF INFORMATION. ei
that the abundance of game has caused less attention to be paid to
legislation regarding hunting seasons and methods of hunting, while
numerous restrictions have been placed on shipment, sale, and market
hunting, particularly by nonresidents.
These drastic laws were not permitted to stand unchallenged. The
nonresident license law of 1875 was set aside by the circuit courts of
Craighead and Poinsett Counties in 1887,' and in 1904 the act passed
the previous year prohibiting nonresidents from hunting in the State
was carried to the supreme court of Arkansas, and this court held the
statute unconstitutional in so far as it prevented property owners
from hunting on their own land.? The nonexport law enacted in 1893
authorized express companies to examine packages suspected of
containing game and held them responsible for the transmission of
such shipments out of the State. This broad power of examining
shipments with the accompanying responsibility was apparently not
relished by the carriers, and a few years ago became the basis of a test
case carried to the supreme court. The court sustained the law and
held the express companies liable for game shipments intrusted to
their care.*
Restrictions on the shipment of game and on hunting by nonresi-
dents have aroused most opposition in the northeast section of the
State, particularly in the Sunken Lands, where enormous numbers of
waterfowl attract not only market hunters but sportsmen from other
States. Several wealthy clubs have acquired property at favorable
points in the region and have erected expensive club houses on their
erounds. In the attempt to reap the greatest amount of benefit from
the enormous numbers of birds which annually visit this section, there
has been a constant effort on the part of club members and market
hunters to secure legislation favorable to their interests. This has
resulted in bringing about conditions far from satisfactory, and has
left the game without that measure of protection which is considered
essential in other States.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
Audubon was probably the first naturalist to visit the State.
He passed through Arkansas at various times between the years 1811
and 1819, but no account of his expeditions has been preserved, and
the published results consist only of scattered records in his ‘‘ Birds
of America” and the description there of a new species of flycatcher
(Empidonaz trail), which he procured on the prairies of the Arkansas
River.
In 1819 Thomas Nuttall made a journey down the Mississippi to
the mouth of the Arkansas and up the Arkansas to Fort Smith, but
1 American Field, XX XVII, p. 49. 1892; XX XVIII, p. 3, 1892.
2 State v. Mallory, 83 S. W. 955.
3 Wells Fargo Express Co. v. State, 96 S. W. 189.
1D BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
he was primarily a botanist and his account of the trip, while abound-
ing in interesting descriptions and valuable plant notes, contains
only casual allusions to the birds seen along the route. -
In 1820 Maj. Long’s exploring party, on its return from the Rocky
Mountains, crossed the State from Fort Smith to Little Rock and
thence overland to Cape Girardeau, Mo., but with one or two excep-
tions the published account of the expedition contains no reference
to Arkansas birds.
Several of the later Government exploring expeditions to the
Western States made Fort Smith their point of departure, but on
account of the location of that place so near the western boundary
of the State practically no observations were made until the explor-
ing parties had crossed into what is now Oklahoma.
The ornithology of Arkansas remained practically unknown until
the later years of the last century. Frequent references to the birds
of the State, chiefly game birds, are found in the pages of Forest
and Stream and American Field, and occasional short articles have
appeared in the Auk and other natural history magazines, but only
three local lists treatmg of Arkansas birds have been published.
The first of these is a brief account by H. S. Reynolds of 29 species
observed in White County in the winter of 1876-77.1. In the summer
of 1881 O. P. Hay made a few observations near Hopefield, on the
Mississippi River, and in a list, published the following year, recorded
29 species from the State? In 1902 N. Hollister published a list of
51 species of winter birds, which he observed in 1899 and 1900,
chiefly on the Grand Prairie of Arkansas County.* This paper sup-
plied four additions to the State list and many valuable distribution
notes.
When Prof. W. W. Cooke began the study of bird migration in
the Mississippi Valley, in 1882, only a single observer, Prof. F. L.
Harvey, of Fayetteville, was found in Arkansas to contribute notes.
In 1884 one more observer, W. A. Monroe, of Newport, was added
to the force, and in 1889 and 1890 C. E. Pleas, of Clinton; furnished
valuable notes on the birds of the mountain region near that place.
Some of the data furnished by these observers were published in
Prof. Cooke’s Report on Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley.*
As early as 1886 Mrs. L. M. Stephenson, of Helena, began to record
observations on the birds of that locality, and from 1894 to the
present date she has furnished each year to the Biological Survey
detailed notes on migration. The data supplied by this series of
observations have proved of the greatest value in the preparation of
the present report, furnishing many new records and the most im-
portant migration dates at present available.
1 Amer. Nat., XI, pp. 307-308, 1877.
2 Bull. Nuttall Orn. Club, VII, pp. 89-94, 1882.
3 Wilson Bull., IX, pp. 10-15, 1902.
4 Bull. 2, Div. Econ. Ornith. [Biol. Surv.], U. S. Dept. Agric., 1888.
NUMBER OF SPECIES. 13
In the spring of 1910 Mr. Walter G. Savage moved to Delight,
Pike County, and at once began to make observations on the birds
of that region. His notes, based in many cases on specimens which
he collected, have added much to our knowledge of the birds of the
southwestern part of the State. In the winter of 1910-11 Mr.
G. Dallas Hanna spent about six weeks at Van Buren collecting
birds, chiefly the smaller land birds. His specimens have been
examined and identified by the Biological Survey, and these records,
together with his notes on 65 species, have added 11 forms to the
State list and many new facts on the distribution of winter birds.
Most of the information on breeding ranges contained in the
present report was gained by the writer during a collecting trip
extending from April 28 to July 7, 1910. The principal localities at
which observations were made are as follows: Mammoth Spring,
Cotter, Lake City, Waiker Lake (Mississippi County), Turrell (Big
Creek Station), Stuttgart, McGehee, Wilmot, Camden, Delight,
Womble, Mena, Rich Mountain (Polk County), Pettigrew, and
Conway.
Several other members of the Biological Survey staff have visited
the State for short periods. Edward A. Preble collected at Fort
Smith and Fayetteville from September 15 to October 1, 1892.
B. H. Dutcher worked at Hardy, Batesville, Beebe, and Benton in
April, 1894. C. E. Brewster‘visited Big Lake for a few days in No-
vember, 1909, and December, 1910, and Wappanocka Lake (Turrell)
on December 20, 1910. W. L. McAtee collected from November 12
to 24, 1910, at Mud Lake (St. Francis County), Wappanocka Lake,
and Menasha Lake and made observations at Big Lake from June
20 to 23, 1911.
NUMBER OF SPECIES.
In the list which follows 255 species and subspecies are accredited
to the State. No bird is admitted to the list unless there is an
actual record of its occurrence, based on a specimen, a published
record, or a report by a competent observer. 7
On account of the very limited number of observers many species
have escaped detection which, by reason of their known range in
adjacent regions, must certainly occur in the State. These species,
35 in number, are included in a hypothetical list, distinguished from
the species actually recorded by being printed in smaller type.
Dividing the list of birds actually and probably occurring in the
State into several categories, we find that 67 species or subspecies
may be considered as permanent residents, either nonmigratory
birds breeding within its limits or migratory species that occur
in both summer and winter; 75 are summer resident breeding spe-
cles; 60 are winter residents; 69 are transients—that is, migrating
species occurring in either spring or fall; and 19 occur irregularly as
14 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
accidental visitors. Many species listed as summer residents and
winter residents occur also more abundantly as transients. More
thorough field investigations will doubtless increase the number of
birds known to occur in the State to about 300 forms.
LIST OF SPECIES.
Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps.
This little grebe, known locally as ‘‘didapper” and ‘‘hell-diver,”’
‘may be found during the spring and fall migrations on almost any
lake or slough in the State. In the nesting season, however, it is
rare, and the only record at hand is that of a bird which I saw at
Wilmot on June 29. The last migrants at Clinton were reported
November 5 (Pleas, 1890), but a few were seen between November
15 and 21 (McAtee, 1910) at Mud Lake, St. Francis County; Turrell,
Crittenden County; and Menasha Lake, Mississippi County. It is
possible that small numbers may spend the winter in the Sunken
Lands.
The demand for grebes’ feathers for millinery has worked havoc
among the larger species, and doubtless this little bird has suffered
to some extent with the rest; but its small size, retiring habits, and
wonderful diving powers preserve it in a measure from destruction,
and under present conditions it is likely to hold its own. It is a
harmless and interesting bird and should be everywhere protected.
Loon. Gavia immer.
The loon breeds from the Arctic Ocean south to Iowa and Illinois
and winters from southern Canada to the Gulf coast. It probably
occurs in Arkansas as an uncommon spring and fall migrant and
has once been reported as a winter resident—at Clinton, in 1890.
Herring Gull. Larus argentatus.
The herring gull, the largest of its family found in the Mississippi
Valley, is widely distributed in both North America and Europe,
chiefly along the seacoasts and on large lakes and rivers. It has
been reported in winter near Clinton and probably occurs regularly
in migration. Mr. 8. C. Dowell, of Walnut Ridge, has a specimen
which was killed in the vicinity of that town.
Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarensis.
The ringbill breeds in Canada and the northern United States and
winters from the Great Lakes south to Mexico and Cuba. The only
definite record from Arkansas is that of a bird in the possession of
Mr. S. C. Dowell, which was killed near Walnut Ridge, but the
species is doubtless a fairly common migrant in both spring and fall,
GULLS AND TERNS. 15
[Franklin Gull. Larus franklin.
This small black-headed gull is a common summer resident in the upper Mississippi
Valley from Iowa north to southern Canada, and winters from the Gulf coast southward
to South America. It undoubtedly occurs in Arkansas in migration. |]
Bonaparte Gull. Larus philadelphia.
This species, one of the smallest of the gulls, is probably a regular,
though uncommon, transient visitant. No recent records of its
occurrence are at hand, but Audubon mentions a specimen which he
shot November 12, 1820, on the Mississippi River, a few miles below
the mouth of the Arkansas.!
[Forster Tern. Sterna forsterv.
This tern is widely distributed in the Mississippi Valley, breeding on the coasts of
Louisiana and Texas and also from Nebraska and Illinois northward. It is recorded
as a regular transient visitant in Missouri, and probably occurs in Arkansas. |
[Least Tern. Sterna antillarum.
The least tern is known as a summer resident in the Mississippi Valley, formerly
common, now very rare as a result of persecution by plumage hunters. It formerly
bred north to Iowa and Nebraska and has been observed in summer in recent years at
Tallulah, La.2 Oberholser found it fairly common in June, 1902, near Texarkana,
Tex., within a few miles of the Arkansas ine. In former years it undoubtedly occurred
in Arkansas and it may still be found in the State. |
[Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis.
The black tern breeds from Missouri and Ohio northward to northern Canada and
winters south of the United States. It undoubtedly occurs regularly in Arkansas as
a spring and fall migrant. |
Water Turkey. Anhinga anhinga.
The water turkey or ‘‘snake bird” is fairly common locally in the
swamps of eastern Arkansas. It. breeds at Helena, Wilmot, and
Walker Lake and has been recorded from Osceola and Newport—at
the last-named place in winter.
The birds are frequently hunted for food or sport, and as they are
easily approached, their numbers have been much reduced. If not
protected by the enforcement of the existing game law, the species
is likely to be exterminated. A bird so harmless and interesting
should be preserved for future generations.
Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus auritus.
Cormorants were formerly abundant in the rivers and swamps of
eastern Arkansas, but as a result of the drainage and settlement of
the land they are now found only in the wilder and more remote
sections, where they are comparatively free from persecution. A
large colony, probably the only large one now remaining in the State,
1 Orn. Biog., IV, 212, 1838. 2 Beyer, Allison, and Kopman, Auk, XXIV, p. 315, 1907.
16 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
breeds in a rookery at Walker Lake, Mississippi County, in company
with great blue herons and water turkeys. When I visited this
rookery the first week in May, 1910, I found the cormorants sitting
on their nests in the tops of the tall cypresses growing in the lake.
The nests, of which there were between 100 and 200, were placed in.
crotches either close to the trunks or some distance out on the limbs
and were compactly built of green cypress twigs with a few strips of
bark as a lining. Most of the nests examined contained three or four
bluish eggs, but in one were four little naked coal-black cormorants
a few days old. The number of nests in a single tree varied from
1 to 6—usually 3 or 4—and in many instances the cormorants shared
the tree with several great blue herons. Specimens taken in this
colony are referable to the northern form, and this is probably the
southern limit of its breeding range.
Cormorants feed chiefly upon fish and often fly long distances to
obtain their favorite food. With the approach of winter many of
the birds seek more southern waters, but some remain till cold
weather. Migrants were observed at Helena between September 15
and October 14, 1894 (Stephenson), and quite a number on Menasha
Lake November 22-24 (McAtee, 1910). In 1882 they were reported
as very abundant along White River near Crocketts Bluff. Many
persons call this species ‘‘water turkey” as well as the species properly
sonamed. Cormorants may be easily recognized by their hooked bill
and their uniform glossy black color.
White Pelican. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos.
White pelicans were formerly very abundant in migration along
the larger rivers and they still visit the State in some numbers. In
1895 and 1896 Mrs. L. M. Stephenson reported flocks of 100 to 300
at Helena between September 3 and November 9. Mr. W. D.
Brooks, of Turrell, states that numbers of them come to the lake at
that place each year in August, and one was killed there about Novem-
ber 15, 1910. Occasional flocks are seen on Walker Lake and on Big
Lake, and the birds doubtless occur regularly in small numbers in all
parts of the Sunken Lands.
Merganser. Mergus americanus.
This duck, known commonly as “shelldrake,”’ is probably an
uncommon winter resident. Audubon speaks of observing it on the
Arkansas River,? and Mrs. Stephenson reports it on the authority of
local hunters at Helena, but definite records of its recent occurrence _
are lacking.
[Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus serrator.
The red-breasted merganser is a common winter resident in Louisiana and a rare
winter resident in Missouri. It should be found occasionally in Arkansas. ]
—=
1 Forest and Stream, XVIII, p. 27, 1882. 2 Birds ofAmer., VI, p. 387, 1843.
DUCKS. 1
Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus.
A fairly abundant summer resident throughout the Mississippi
Valley, the hooded shelldrake or ‘‘sawbill”’ breeds in favorable local-
ities in Arkansas, nesting in hollow trees, after the manner of the
wood duck. Strong-flying young were seen at Big Lake June 22,
1911 (McAtee). It is common in migration on lakes and sloughs,
and is reported to occur plentifully on Big Lake from October to
March. McAtee found it common at Mud Lake November 14 and
at Turrell November 17-19, 1910. The food of this species is chiefly
crawfish, frogs, small fishes, and insects.
Mallard. Anas platyrhyncha.
The mallard is the most abundant duck and the most important
game bird in the State. It has been the chief factor in the develop-
ment of extensive market hunting and shipping interests and in the
srowth of several large and wealthy sportsmen’s clubs.
The first fall migrants arrive about the middle of October, but the
main flight occurs in November, and the species is found in numbers
until the middle of April, although the majority go north in March.
The shallow lakes and overflowed bottom lands of the eastern part of
the State are particularly attractive to this bird, and on these waters it
reaches its greatest abundance. Many thousands are killed each
season by market hunters and thousands more by local gunners and
members of sportsmen’s clubs. Widmann states that in the winter
of 1893-94 150,000 ducks, four-fifths of which were mallards, were
sent to market from the Big Lake region. In spite of the tremendous
annual slaughter the species is still found in great abundance, but
according to experienced gunners is decreasing yearly in numbers.
It was recorded as abundant on the Grand Prairie around Stuttgart
in November and January (Hollister, 1899 and 1900) and at Mud
Lake, Menasha Lake, and Wappanocka Lake in November (McAtee,
1910). It winters in small numbers in the vicinity of Fayetteville
(Harvey), and has been reported from Clinton in February (Pleas) and
from Van Burenin December (Hanna). The food of the mallard con-
sists largely of the seeds and stems of water plants (such as duckweed,
pondweed, and hornwort), together with acorns, beechnuts, and
various grains. The birds are fond of both corn and rice, and when
living near grainfields are said to feed in them regularly. They con-
sume more or less animal food, such as snails, aquatic insects, an occa-
sional meadow mouse or frog, and will not reject even dead fish or
other offal. In the timbered sloughs of eastern Arkansas the mallard
feeds extensively on acorns, but on lakes in the Sunken Lands lives
to a great extent on seeds and water plants.
1 Auk, XII, p. 354, 1895.
94869°—Bull. 38—-11——2
18 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Black Duck. Anas rubripes.
Although common along the Atlantic coast, the black duck is com-
paratively rare in the Mississippi Valley. A specimen taken in Mis-
sissippi County November 5, 1887, has been recorded by Mr. William
Brewster.: McAtee saw a few at Mud Lake November 13 and 14,
many at Menasha Lake November 21 and 22, and one at Turrell
November 19 (1910), and took specimens at each of these localities.
Gadwall. Chaulelasmus streperus.
The gadwall, known frequently as “gray duck” or “red wing,” is
a common winter visitant in the State. Mr. O. Widmann speaks of
it as plentiful on Big Lake? and Mrs. Stephenson reports it at
Helena. McAtee found it common at Mud Lake November 13-15
and abundant at Turrell November 17-19 (1910). It was common
at Menasha Lake December 10, 1909, when 50 were killed by the
club members. According to Goss, this bird feeds upon insects,
snails, tadpoles, crawfish, bulbous roots, tender blades of grass, and
cereals.? On Big Lake it is said to feed in open water in company
with coots (Fulica americana), and its food there consists largely of
seeds of aquatic plants.
Baldpate. Mareca americana.
The baldpate or American widgeon is a common migrant in the
Mississippi Valley, breeding from Kansas and Wisconsin northward
and wintering mainly from the Gulf States southward. It doubtless
occurs regularly in Arkansas in fall and spring, but there are few
available records. Hollister states that he saw very few in the bags
of market hunters at Stuttgart, and McAtee secured only two speci-
mens in November—one at Mud Lake, November 14, and one at
Turrell, November 19. C. EH. Brewster saw a few on Big Lake,
December 17, 1910, but it is not usually common there. The food
of the baldpate is said to consist of roots and seeds of aquatic plants,
water insects, beechnuts, etc. It is accused of robbing the canvas-
back and other diving ducks of the food which these birds bring to
the surface.
Green-winged Teal. Nettion carolinense.
The green-winged teal is an abundant migrant in both spring and
fall, and small numbers spend the winter in the State. Southbound
migrants are first seen in early October, and by the middle of Novem- -
ber the species is abundant on the lakes and sloughs of the Sunken
Lands. A few remain on Big Lake all winter, but most of them leave
with the coming of severe weather. The first small flight was noted
1 Auk, XIX, p. 188, 1902. 3 Birds of Kansas, p. 59, 1891.
2 Auk, XII, p. 355, 1895,
DUCKS. 19
at Crocketts Bluff on October 22 (1882),' and Savage saw a flock of
seven at Delight on November 9 (1910). McAtee found the species
abundant by the middle of November at Mud Lake and Wappanocka
Lake, but Hollister states that few were seen at Stuttgart in Jan-
uary. In spring the first arrivals have been noted at Fayetteville
March 20, but they doubtless reach the lowlands of the State in
February. The food of this teal consists principally of the seeds of
aquatic plants (including various grasses, sedges, wild rice, and pond-
weed), small acorns, fallen grapes or berries, aquatic insects, and
small snails.
Blue-winged Teal. Querquedula discors.
The bluewing is a common transient visitant, but as it migrates
south before the fall hunting season is fairly under way compara-
tively few are killed by market hunters or by sportsmen. The ear-
liest migrants reach Arkansas in late August or early September,
becoming common the last of September or first of October, and by
November nearly ail have passed southward to their winter home.
In mild winters a few may remain in the State, as in the winter of
1893-94, when they were reported in small numbers from Big Lake.’
A writer in the American Field speaks of their occurrence in December
on Rose Lake, Crawford County.’ In spring this is one of the latest
ducks to migrate, the majority passing north between March 15 and
April 15. Many linger even later than that, and I noted a small
flock on the St. Francis River, north of Bertig, April 29. This duck
feeds upon the seeds, roots, and tender blades of water plants, and is
said to be especially fond of wild rice. It eats also snails and insects.
Shoveler. Spatula clypeata.
The shoveler, or spoonbill, as it is usually called, is a fairly com-
mon migrant and an uncommon winter resident. McAtee took a
few specimens at Mud Lake, Wappanocka Lake, and Menasha Lake
between November 14 and 22, and it is reported in December from
the latter place and from Rose Lake, Crawford County.‘ Two were
killed on Big Lake, December 17 (1910), and a few are found there
throughout the winter (Eason). Its principal breeding range is in
the prairie region from Iowa and South Dakota northward to the
Saskatchewan, but since it has once been found breeding in east
Texas it may occasionally nest in Arkansas. The food of this duck
includes seeds of various water plants, snails, earthworms, and
aquatic insects.
1 “Byrne,” Forest and Stream, XIX, p. 286, 1882.
2 Widmann, Auk, XII, p. 354, 1895.
3 “Old Timer,”’ Am. Field, LII, p. 181, 1899.
4 Amer. Field, LII, p. 181, 1899.
20 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Pintail. Dajila acuta.
The pintail, or ‘‘sprig,’”’ is an abundant migrant, especially in
spring, and an uncommon winter resident. First arrivals in fall
have been noted at Osceola October 5, and by November i1 the
birds were common on Mud Lake. At Wappanocka Lake McAtee
found them abundant November 17-19, and at Stuttgart Hollister
recorded a few seen in January. Mr. W. B. Eason says of the pin-
tail on Big Lake: ‘‘Not many stop here on the southward flight,
but on the return in February there are thousands of them, and
they furnish good shooting for several weeks.” The first north-
bound migrants were observed at Fayetteville January 27 and the
last on March 20. This species feeds on the seeds and stems of
rushes, duckweed, and other aquatic plants, snails, and insects. It
is said to be fond of beechnuts and acorns.
Wood Duck. Aix sponsa.
This handsome duck is one of the commonest of its family in both
summer and winter. Formerly abundant in many parts of the
State, its numbers have been greatly reduced by constant persecution,
and it is now rare or absent in many localities. In the heavy swamps
of the eastern counties it is still common, but will not long remain so
unless protection is afforded it by both law and public sentiment. At
present it may be killed at any time and gunners often begin shooting
the young birds in June, when they are not more than two-thirds
grown. In the Sunken Lands it finds ideal nesting haunts, and there
it breeds abundantly, nesting in hollow trees over water. It nests
also, but less frequently, in swampy bottoms throughout the State,
having been observed at Clinton, Fayetteville, Newport, Turrell, Big
Lake, Helena, Wilmot, and Alma. In winter it has been reported
from Alma, Fayetteville, and Stuttgart (3 killed February 8); but, as
at other seasons, is probably most numerous in the big swamps of the
northeastern counties. Hollister reported it very common on Bayou
Meto, Arkansas County, in November, and McAtee found it in small
numbers at Turrell November 17-19. The food of the wood duck
consists of the seeds and leaves of aquatic plants (such as the water
lily, pondweed, and wild rice), acorns, beechnuts, chestnuts, wild
fruits, and insects.
Redhead. Marila americana.
The redhead occurs in favorable localities as a regular and not
uncommon migrant and winter resident, preferrimg usually the
deeper lakes and streams for its feeding grounds. It has been
reported as a migrant at Clinton and Helena and was observed in
numbers by McAtee at Menasha Lake November 22-24. A writer in
the American Field says it is occasional in winter (December) on
Rose Lake, Crawford County,' and Mr. W. B. Eason reports a few
1“*Old Timer,” Amer. Field, LII, p. 181, 1899.
PLATE III.
Bul. 38, Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.
WONd GOOM 3HL
pe
se
Winey ee
DUCKS. DA
occurring on Big Lake all winter. Hanna saw a flock of 30 at Van
Buren November 28. Audubon states that the food of this duck
consists of small fishes, tadpoles, snails, acorns, beechnuts, and
blades of grass. To this list should be added insects and the seeds and
stems of water plants.
Canvasback. Marila valisineria.
The famous canvasback occurs as a moderately common migrant
and a few remain through the winter. It breeds from Minnesota and
Nebraska northward, and on its southward migration reaches Arkan-
sas usuallyin November. McAtee found it numerous on Wappanocka
Lake November 17-19, 1910, but it is not usually common there.
One specimen was taken also on Menasha Lake November 23, and the
species has been reported from Big Lake (a few all winter), Osceola,
and Helena. The canvasback feeds mainly on the seeds, tubers, and
stems of various water plants (such as pondweed, eel grass, arrow-
head, and rushes), and consumes also some mollusks, crustaceans, and
insects. | |
Lesser Scaup Duck. Marila affinis.
The scaup, or ‘‘blue-bill,” as it is frequently called, occurs regu-
larly in moderate numbers as a winter resident. On Menasha Lake
one was taken December 1 (1909), and seven on November 22 and
23 (1910). It is reported plentiful at Big Lake about the middle of
November (Eason), and one was killed there December 17 (1910).
Kumlien reports ‘‘a few seen in Arkansas near Ft. Gibson, Ind. Ter.,’”!
probably not far from Fort Smith.
Ring-necked Duck. Marila collaris.
The ring-neck or ‘‘black jack” is a common migrant and winter
resident. It occurs abundantly in autumn on the waters of the
Sunken Lands and less numerously on other lakes and sloughs.
McAtee found it common at Mud Lake November 13-15 and at
Turrell November 17-19. It was abundant at Menasha Lake between
November 21 and December 10, 13 birds having been killed there
on the latter date. On Big Lake in November and December it is
often the most abundant duck, and gunners there frequently kill as
many as 50 birds in a few hours. A few remain all winter (Eason).
The food of the rimg-neck consists mainly of the seeds and stems of
pondweed, hornwort, and other aquatic plants, with many nymphs
and larvee of water insects.
Golden-eye. Clangula clangula americana.
This hardy northern duck is of rare occurrence south of Missouri
and Illinois, but is occasionally found in Arkansas in winter. C. E.
Brewster observed several on Big Lake December 17, 1910, and Mr.
W. B. Eason, custodian of the Big Lake Club, reports a good many
there in January, 1911. There are no other records from the State.
SSS a es ee ee ee
1 Field and Forest, II, p. 130, 1877.
29 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Bufflehead. Charitonetta albeola.
The bufflehead or ‘‘butter-ball,”’ one of the smallest ducks, is a
fairly common migrant in the Mississippi Valley and, although
reported but a few times from Arkansas, doubtless occurs there quite
regularly. At Helena, Mrs. Stephenson reports it on the authority
of a local hunter. Dr. D. A. Richardson noted it as a rare migrant
at Osceola in 1886, and it is reported by local hunters at Paragould
as fairly plentiful in Mississippi County. C. EH. Brewster killed one
apd saw a number that had been killed on Big Lake in November,
1909, but they are said to be rare there.
Ruddy Duck. Erismatura jamaicensis.
The little ruddy duck, sometimes called ‘‘bristle-tail”’ or ‘‘booby,”’
occurs in the Mississippi Valley as a common migrant and less fre-
quently as a winter resident from Illinois southward. The only
records from Arkansas are furnished by McAtee, who found it com-
mon at Turrell November 17, and saw several on Menasha Lake
November 21, 1910.
Snow Goose. Chen hyperboreus hyperboreus.
Greater Snow Goose. Chen hyperboreus nivalis.
Snow geese, undoubtedly representing both forms of the species,
occur regularly in migration in the Mississippi Valley, where they are
almost universally known as ‘‘brant”’ or ‘‘white brant.”’ They were
seen at Helena, October 19—November 21, i895, by Mrs. Stephenson,
at Fayetteville, March 20-31, 1883, by Prof. Harvey, and at Delight,
March 28, 1911, by Mr. Savage, these being the only definite records
from the State.
[Biue Goose. Chen cxrulescens.
The range of this goose is imperfectly known, but since it occurs as a common
migrant in Illinois and as an abundant winter resident on the coast of Louisiana, it
will undoubtedly be found in Arkansas during migrations. ]
White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons gambeli.
The ‘‘speckle-belly”’ or ‘‘speckled brant,’ as this goose is often
called, is a fairly common bird in the Mississippi Valley and probably
occurs regularly in Arkansas in migration. The only record from
the State is by Audubon, who states that ‘‘numbers [were] seen high
on the Arkansas River.”’ !
Canada Goose. Sranta canadensis canadensis.
The wild goose is a common migrant and winter resident in the
State and a few pairs remain to breed in the most secluded parts of
the Sunken Lands. At Walker Lake on May 4, 1910, I saw a pair
and was told that several pairs breed there each season. This is
1 Birds of Amer., VI, p. 209, 1848.
GEESE AND SWANS. 23
probably the extreme southern limit of this bird’s breeding range
in the Mississippi Valley, its principal summer home being in the
interior of Canada. Migrating geese begin to arrive by the last of
September (earliest seen at Helena, September 26) and are present
in varying numbers until late March or early April.
Audubon found wild geese abundant on the Arkansas River in
winter! and Hollister records their occurrence on the Grand Prairie
about Stuttgart at the same season. McAtee found them abundant
at Menasha Lake November 22-24, and C. E. Brewster saw several
bunches, numbering about 75 in all, at Turrell December 20, 1910.
The species has been reported in migration from Osceola, Little
River, Monticello, and Fayetteville.
The food of the wild goose includes a variety of wild plants, such
as grass wrack (Zostera), wild rice, arrowhead, sedges, and marsh
grasses. Sprouting grain, including wheat, corn, barley, and oats,
is a favorite food and the birds sometimes cause much damage by
destroying the roots of grain. They frequently eat wild berries, as
well as insects, crustaceans, small clams, and snails.
Hutchins Goose. Branta canadensis hutchinst.
This small form of the wild goose is probably a fairly common
migrant and winter resident. The only record at hand is that by
Hollister, who saw two birds at Stuttgart in 1899.?
A goose weighing only about 3 pounds, shot at Mud Lake, St.
Francis County, early in November, 1910, was probably of this
subspecies.
[Whistling Swan. Olor columbianus.
This species is a rare migrant in the Mississippi Valley, and is found locally in
winter from Illinois to Louisiana and Texas. It doubtless occurs occasionally in
Arkansas. ]
Trumpeter Swan. Olor buccinator.
The trumpeter swan is the species usually found in the Mississippi
Valley in migration. Audubon reported it as visiting the Arkansas
River annually, and he shot a specimen on a lake near the mouth of
that river.’ Large flocks of swans, probably of this species, were
seen flying north at Helena, April 29, 1890, and April 20, 1891
(Stephenson). The bird is occasionally seen at Mud Lake, but in
recent years has become very rare in the State.
Wood Ibis. Mycteria americana.
This large, storklike bird, often called ‘‘gourdhead,” is a regular
summer visitant in many parts of the State. It apparently does not
nest in Arkansas, but wanders northward in July or August from its
breeding grounds in the Gulf States. On July 7, 1910, I saw six in
eS a a ETA
1 Birds of Amer., VI, p. 178, 1843. 3 Orn. Biog., IV, pp. 537-538, 1838.
* Wilson Bull., IX, p. 12, 1902.
94 . BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
an open, swampy tract of woodland near Camden. When approached
they rose leisurely and circled slowly over the tops of the trees for
several minutes, but at the discharge of a gun sailed away into the
thicker timber.
This species is reported to appear regularly in August at Turrell,
and Mrs. Stephenson states that great numbers are seen in the fall
at Helena, ‘‘drilling high in air.” Mr. 8S. C. Dowell, of Walnut
Ridge, has a mounted specimen which was killed in that vicinity.
Oberholser, in 1902, reported the species as occurring abundantly in
July and August along Red River north of Texarkana.
Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus.
)
The bittern, ‘‘stake-driver,’ or ‘‘thunder-pump,”’ is a common
migrant in Arkansas and may occasionally breed there, though its
normal summer home is from Missouri northward. The first spring
migrant was noted at Fayetteville March 31 (Harvey, 1883) and at
Delight April 11 (Savage, 1911). The species was common on the
St. Francis River, north of Bertig, between April 25 and 30 (1909).
It was reported as a summer resident at Newport in 1895. In
autumn it has been recorded as arriving at Delight September 15 and
16 (Savage) and at Crocketts Bluff October 22.1 Bitterns frequent
marshes and the borders of streams, where their curious pumping
notes may be heard and where they are often flushed and wan-
tonly killed by duck hunters. Their food consists largely of frogs,
snakes, lizards, crawfish, meadow mice, and fish.
[Least Bittern. Jzobrychus exilis.
This diminutive member of the heron family is a locally abundant summer resident
throughout the Mississippi Valley, and will doubtless be found as a breeder in the
swamps of Arkansas. |
Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias.
This fine bird, often called ‘‘blue crane,” is a fairly common
summer resident and a few remain during the winter. It has been
observed in the breeding season at Clinton, Walker Lake, Turrell,
and Wilmot, and in fall and winter at Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Mud
Lake, and Menasha Lake. It is most common in the bottomlands of
the eastern part of the State, and at Walker Lake there is a large
rookery containing several hundred nesting pairs. I visited this
colony on May 4 and 5, 1910, and found the birds in the midst of
their breeding season. The nests were concentrated in an area of a
few acres in the middle of a big cypress swamp in which the water was
at that time from 3 to 5 feet deep. They were placed near the tops
of the larger trees, usually at a point where several limbs forked,
and single trees contained from 1 to 10 nests. , = rn ee 7 a
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GOATSUCKERS. 51
Nighthawk. Chordeiles virginianus virginanus.
The nighthawk, or ‘‘bullbat,” occurs as a common migrant and a
rare and local summer resident. It arrives from the south about
the 20th of April, and migrating individuals are more or less common
for a month or more. In the fall the southward movement begins
late in August and continues through September, the birds being
most abundant during the latter month. The species is reported to
breed at Clinton, Pea Ridge, and near Newport. I observed it in
small numbers at Mena (May 24), Pettigrew (June 1), and Mammoth
Spring (June 15). A flock of 10 seen at Womble, May 22, may have
Monticello
fo)
5
Wilmop fi
eN
SS sila
POE fi
Fie. 2.—Breeding area of the whippoorwill (A ntrostomus vociferus) in Arkansas.
been migrants. Preble found them common at Fort Smith on Sep-
tember 15 and noted them daily at Fayetteville from September 24
to October 1. Savage observed a few at Delight between August 26
and September 24. Nighthawks are strictly insectivorous and emi-
nently beneficial. They are adepts at capturing insects on the wing,
and their stomachs are often gorged with the fruits of their chase.
Among other destructive species which they assist in keeping down
is the cotton-boll weevil, a pest now rapidly spreading over Arkansas.
Cotton growers in the State would do well to see that the law pro-
tecting this valuable bird is strictly enforced, more especially as in the
fall many are shot by irresponsible boys and thoughtless hunters,
to whom the temptation of a flying mark is irresistible.
59 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Florida Nighthawk. Chordeiles virginianus chapmani.
The occurrence of this southern form of the nighthawk in Arkansas
was unknown until I secured a typical specimen at Stuttgart, May 12,
1910. The subspecies probably breeds in favorable localities in the
southern part of the State. It was observed in small numbers on the
Grand Prairie around Stuttgart, and one was seen at Eldorado
July 3.
Chimney Swift. Chetura pelagica.
¢
This bird, commonly known as ‘‘chimney swallow,” or ‘‘chimney
sweep,” is one of the most abundant species in the State and is found
in practically all localities. From their winter home south of the
United States the first ones arrive about the last of March (earliest
at Helena, March 21; average, March 25) and remain until October
(last seen at Helena, October 19).
As is well known, their ordinary breeding places are in unused
chimneys, but in thinly settled districts a few may still retain their
ancient habit of nesting in hollow trees. Pleas, in 1890, stated that
such situations were used by the swifts at Clinton, Ark., and more
recently Widmann has recorded their use of hollow tupelo gums in
the swamps of southeastern Missouri.t. In the fall, just prior to the
southward migration, large numbers of swifts often gather into a
flock and roost by thousands in some large chimney.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Archilochus colubris.
This tiny hummingbird is a common summer resident in most
parts of Arkansas. The earliest date of its arrival at Helena is March
31 (average, April 9) and it remains until October (average, October 6;
latest, October 8). At Delight it was seen as late as October 25.
Hummingbirds readily adapt themselves to civilized surroundings
and are often seen in town and city gardens, but are equally at home
in the depths of the wilderness. I observed them frequently on
Rich Mountain from base to summit and found them also in the
timbered bottoms at Turrell and McGehee. They are reported as
breeding at Pea Ridge, Clinton, Pettigrew, Mammoth Spring, Big
Lake, and Delight.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Muscivora forficata.
This handsome flycatcher is a summer resident of the prairies from
Kansas to southern Texas. [ts range extends east to eastern Okla-
homa and casually to Arkansas. Bendire, in giving its distribution,
says: ‘‘Occasional in * * * western Arkansas” and, although
no definite locality is given, this statement doubtless refers to the
region about Fort Smith, where Capt. Bendire was stationed in 1860.
On May 28, 1910, I saw from the train one of these birds a little south
of Spiro, Okla., about 10 miles west of the Arkansas boundary.
1 Birds of Missouri, p. 132, 1907.
FLYCATCHERS. 53
Kingbird. Tyrannus tyrannus.
The kingbird is a common and generally distributed summer resi-
dent, arriving in spring about April 15 and remaining until late Sep-
tember (last seen at Helena September 27). It is recorded as breed-
ing at Clinton, Pea Ridge, and Big Lake, and I found it in the breeding
season at Stuttgart, Mammoth Spring, Conway, Pettigrew, and Rich
Mountain (2,600 feet). Its food consists almost wholly of insects, in-
cluding many noxious species, supplemented by a small percentage of
wild berries and fruits. It has been accused of preying extensively
upon honeybees, but examination of 624 stomachs in the Biological
Survey showed only 22 containing these insects, 61 in all, including
51 drones, 8 workers, and 2 indeterminate. It is evident, therefore,
that the species as a whole is not greatly injurious to apiaries.
Crested Flycatcher. Myiarchus crinitus.
This large flycatcher occurs as a common summer resident in all
parts of the State. The earliest arrivals in spring are noted at Helena
April 12 (average, April 17), and the fall migration is performed chiefly
in September. The species has been reported as breeding at Clinton,
Newport, Helena, and Delight. I found it in the breeding season at
Mammoth Spring, Stuttgart, Wilmot, Pettigrew, Conway, and Rich
Mountain. At the latter place it was common everywhere on the
mountain from base to summit. The food of this bird consists of
beetles, locusts, crickets, ants, flies, moths, and other insects, with
some wild fruit.
Phebe. Sayornis phebe.
The phoebe or “bridge pewee”’ is one of the commonest of the
flycatchers in summer in the mountains and foothills, but is not
found at that season in the lowlands. It has been recorded from
Fayetteville, Pea Ridge, and Clinton. I found it at Pettigrew, Ches-
ter, Cotter, Mammoth Spring, and Rich Mountain, the latter point
marking its southern limit as a breeder. The bird is common all over
this mountain, and a nest with eges was found May 27 at the summit.
It is the hardiest member of the family and in winter occurs nearly
throughout the State. The first migrants from the north were seen
at Delight on October 11, and by October 27 the species was common.
It has been recorded at Clinton and Helena in January.
The phoebe is one of our most useful birds, its food consisting
mainly of insects, among them many noxious species, such as click
beetles, May beetles, and weevils, including the boll weevil. Its nest
is fixed on the side of a cliff, the rafters or abutments of a bridge, or
under the eaves of a house or farm building.
[Say Phebe. Sayornis sayus.
This is a western species, breeding east to western Texas and Kansas, and has
occurred also as a straggler in Missouri, Wisconsin, and other eastern States. The only
record for Arkansas is the very indefinite one given by Audubon, who includes the
State in its range, without comment.']
1 Birds of Amer., I, p. 218, 1840.
54 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Olive-sided Flycatcher. Nuttallornis borealis.
The olive-sided is one of the northern-breeding flycatchers, found
in Arkansas only during migration. It passes north in May and south
in September. A specimen was taken by Mr. W. G. Savage at
Delight, September 12, 1910—the only record for the State.
Wood Pewee. AMyiochanes virens.
The wood pewee is perhaps the best known of our flycatchers, and
is generally distributed as a summer resident. Its favorite haunts
are open woodlands and orchards, and in such situations its pleasing
song may be heard throughout the heat of summer.
The first migrants reach Helena about the middle of April (earliest
date, April 12) and remain till October (latest, October 12). The
species is recorded as breeding at Mammoth Spring, Wilmot, Delight,
Rich Mountain, Pettigrew, Clinton, Camden, and other places. Like
the other flycatchers, it chooses as food mainly insects, including
beetles, crane flies, dragon flies, ants, grasshoppers, tent caterpillars,
and moths.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Empidonar flaviventris.
This is one of the smaller flyeatchers and so quiet and inconspicuous
that it is rarely seen. It breeds in the northern States and Canada
and passes south in winter to Central America. It may be found in
Arkansas durmg May and again in September. Savage has taken
two specimens at Delight, September 3 and 16, 1910, and these are
the only records from the State.
Acadian Flycatcher. Empidonaz virescens.
This retiring little bird is a lover of wooded ravines and bottom-
land timber, occurring commonly as a summer resident. The first
arrivals in spring reach Helena about April 23 (earliest record,
April 20), and the last seen at Delight were noted September 12.
The species is reported as nesting at Clinton and Helena, and I found
it at nearly every locality visited, including Mammoth Spring, Cotter,
Pettigrew, Chester, Rich Mountain, and Wilmot. A¢t the latter place
I found a nest, June 26, in a cypress tree growing in the edge of the
lake near town; the parent birds were feeding young in the nest.
This flycatcher feeds upon various insects, such as beetles, flies, and
wasps, and occasionally eats wild berries.
Traill Flycatcher. Empidonaz trailli.
This species is rather rare and of local distribution in Arkansas. _
It is an inhabitant of the prairies and open valleys, but is not found
in heavy timber. On the Grand Prairie at Stuttgart I found it
fairly common, living in orchards, dooryards, and about small clumps
of trees on the prairie.t A specimen was taken there May 13 and
1 This is the type region of trailli, Audubon having described the species in 1828 from a pair of birds
which he collected on the “‘prairie lands of the Arkansas River.’’
LARKS AND JAYS. 55
another was secured at Chester, June 4, in a clump of bushes along a
creek running through a cultivated field. The only other record
for the State is furnished by Miss Cavaness, who reports the bird
breeding at Monticello.
[Least Flycatcher. Hmpidonax minimus.
This little flycatcher, although difficult to distinguish by its colors from the Traill,
is easily recognized by its abrupt call. It isa common and regular migrant in the
Mississippi Valley, occurring in April and May and again in September and October.
Further observations will undoubtedly reveal its presence as a bird of Arkansas. ]
Prairie Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris praticola.
The horned lark occurs as a migrant and winter visitant and locally
as a breeder in the Ozark region. It has been found nesting at
Helena only once, in May, 1911. Harvey reports it as ‘‘resident”’
at Fayetteville, and since it is known to occur in summer in several of
the southern counties of Missouri‘ it will probably be found breeding
in suitable localities in northern Arkansas. At Helena it is reported
to occur in migration, and at Van Buren, December 28, 1910, Hanna
saw a flock of 22, from which he collected 5 specimens. Horned
larks are hardy birds, nesting in early spring often before the snov’s
have melted. They are ground dwellers for the most part, but at
mating time often indulge in a flight song after the manner of the
famous skylark of Europe.
[Magpie. Pica pica hudsonia.
The only evidence of the occurrence of this western species in Arkansas is Audubon’s
inclusion of that State in his definition of the bird’s range.? It may still occasionally
wander into the western part of the State.]
Blue Jay. Cyanocitta cristata.
The blue jay is common throughout the State, occurring both in
the lowlands and on the mountains. Although partially migratory
in the northern part of its range, it is found in Arkansas during the
entire year. Probably the native birds migrate to some extent, or
at least wander rather widely in search of food, and in winter their
numbers are increased by the arrival of migrants from the north.
Blue jays are reported abundant in winter at Fayetteville, Van Buren,
Clinton, Stuttgart, and Helena. They breed at all those places and
have been noted also in summer at Lake City, McGehee, Wilmot, Rich
Mountain, Pettigrew, and Mammoth Spring. The food of the jay
is made up mainly of acorns and other nuts, with the addition of
various insects, such as beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars, and a
relatively small amount (about 19 per cent of the total) of grain,
chiefly corn.
‘Found by Mr. O. Widmann near West Plains, Howell County, and between Doniphan and Pleasant
Grove, Ripley County. (Reported in a letter to the author.)
* Birds of America, IV, p. 103, 1856.
56 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Raven. Corvus corax sinuatus.
Ravens formerly occurred rarely in the mountains of Arkansas
and there may still be a few remaining in the wilder and more inac-
cessible parts. Pleas reported in 1890 that they bred on cliffs in the
highest hills of Van Buren County, near Copeland, and Monroe
reported them breeding in the region about Newport in 1884—
probably in the hills to the westward.
Crow. Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Crows are generally distributed in the State in both summer and
winter, but apparently are nowhere very abundant. They are re-
ported to breed at Clinton (rare), Newport, Helena (rare), and Delight
(uncommon). I noted them in small numbers at Cotter, Womble,
Mena, Pettigrew, and Chester, and at Conway and Mammoth Spring
they were fairly numerous. With the exception of 3 or 4 in the heron
rookery at Walker Lake, none were seen in the bottom lands of eastern
Arkansas. In winter the species is recorded as rare at Stuttgart,
Clinton, Van Buren, Helena, and Fayetteville.
The crow subsists on a great variety of food. Careful study of its
diet by the Biological Survey shows that about 26 per cent of its food
consists of insects, mainly injurious species, about 21 per cent of corn,
and the rest of various grains, nuts, seeds, etc.
Clarke Nutcracker. Nucijraga columbiana.
The only record of this bird’s occurrence in Arkansas is given by
Mr. Robert H. Mitchell, who states that a specimen was Killed at
Earl, Crittenden County, about April 1, 1891.1. The species inhabits
the mountains of the western United States, and is only a straggler
east of Colorado and the Black Hills.
Bobolink. Dolichonyx oryzivorus.
The bobolink, or ‘‘ricebird,”’ as it is called in the South, is an
irregular migrant in the Mississippi Valley, and probably never is so
abundant as on the Atlantic coast. Its summer home is on the
prairies from northern Missouri northward and in the northeastern
States. Migrating flocks have been observed at Helena, May 13,
1894, and April 20, 1904, and at Newport it was reported abundant
in 1884 from May 7 to 19. At Stuttgart, May 11 to 14, 1910, I saw
several hundred birds, mostly males, in flocks numbering 10 to 20.
No records of its fall migration are at hand, but the species is known
to leave Missouri the latter part of August and arrive southern
Louisiana between September 1 and 15. A decidedly useful bird in
its northern home, the bobolink becomes a serious pest when it reaches
the rice fields of the South Atlantic States. It may prove injurious
1 Auk, XI, p. 327, 1894.
BLACKBIRDS. 57
to the rice industry of Arkansas, but on account of the comparatively
small number of these birds which migrate through the Mississipp1
Valley the damage done by them will be much less severe than on the
Atlantic coast.
Cowbird. Molothrus ater.
The cowbird occurs locally in moderate numbers over most of the State.
It has been reported as a breeder at Clinton, Newport, Big Lake, and
Delight, and I found it in the breeding season at Stuttgart, McGehee,
Wilmot, Camden, Gurdon, Mena, Pettigrew, and Mammoth Spring.
At McGehee it was fairly numerous in the clearings and more open
timber, and one of its eggs was found, May 16, in a yellow-breasted
chat’s nest. There is only one report of its occurrence in the State
in winter—at Helena—but doubtless it will be found to be plentiful
at that season. At Stuttgart I was told that this species joins other
blackbirds in depredations on rice, but up to date no serious damage
to this newly established industry has been reported. The food of
the cowbird consists largely of weed seed, with the addition of grain
and insects in about equal proportions. It has been found to capture
limited numbers of boll weevils.
Yellow-headed Blackbird. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus.
This western species probably occurs occasionally in western Arkan-
sas, since it is known to breed as near the State as Jasper County,
Mo. The only record seems to be that given by Cabot, of a speci-
men said to have been taken in Arkansas by Maj. Townsend and
donated to the Boston Society of Natural History.
Red-winged Blackbird. Agelaius pheniceus pheniceus.
The redwing is an abundant resident in many sections of the
State, particularly on the prairies and throughout the marshy areas
of the eastern part. It is known to breed at Lake City, Stuttgart,
Mammoth Spring, Helena, Wilmot, and Chester. It was abundant
on the prairie at Stuttgart and several nests were found, May 12,
containing one to foureggs. Inthatlocality, blackbirds were reported
to do some damage to sprouting rice, and probably this species
is largely responsible for the depredations. In winter also the
redwing is abundant in the State, as indicated by reports from
Fayetteville (Harvey), Van Buren (Hanna), and Stuttgart (Hol-
lister). Its food consists largely of weed seed, with a small amount
of grain (oats, corn, and wheat) and a fair proportion (about 25 per
cent) of insects, among which a few boll weevils have been found.
Thick-billed Redwing. Agelaius pheniceus fortis.
This northwestern form of the red-winged blackbird occurs in
Arkansas only as a migrant and winter visitant, and it is probably
rather rare. Only one record is known—that of a bird taken by
Mr. G. Dallas Hanna at Van Buren, December 10, 1910.
1 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., IJ, p. 259, 1847.
58 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Northern Redwing. Agelaius pheniceus arctolegus.
Like the preceding, this subspecies is a winter visitor in the State,
known thus far only from 5 specimens taken by Hanna at Van
Buren, December 10 and 17, 1910.
Meadowlark. Sturnella magna magna.
The meadowlark or ‘‘field lark,” as it is often called, is a locally
common resident in the State, but is rare or absent from mountain-
ous and heavily timbered areas.
The northern form (magna) is not known to breed within our
limits, but when summer specimens are secured from the Ozark
region, they may prove to be of this subspecies. It is reported as.
occurring in mild winters at Fayetteville (Harvey), and Hanna col-
lected two specimens from a flock of 35 at Van Buren on December 17.
This is a highly beneficial species, its food consisting mainly of inju-
rious insects, with a small percentage of seeds and some grain,
mostly waste corn picked up about the fields in winter and early
spring. It has been shown to be an important enemy of the cotton-
boll weevil, and for this reason, if for no other, should be carefully
protected.
Southern Meadowlark. Sturnella magna argutula.
The southern form of the meadowlark occurs. as a summer resi-
dent in favorable situations over the greater part of the State, exclu-
sive of the Ozark region. Specimens taken in summer have been
examined from Blytheville, Stuttgart, Conway, and near Mammoth
Spring, and the bird is reported to breed also at Newport and Helena.
I found it abundant on the prairie at Stuttgart and in old fields at
Wilmot, and fairly common at McGehee, but it is apparently very
scarce in the southwestern part of the State. Savage reports it
absent in summer at Delight, but appearing there in migration Sep-
tember 29 and becoming common by the middle of October. Some
of these migrants, however, may be the northern form (magna).
Both forms probably occur together in winter throughout the low-
lands of the State. The species is reported abundant at that season
at Stuttgart (Hollister) and Judsonia.t
[Western Meadowlark. Sturnella neglecta.
Since the breeding range of the western meadowlark overlaps that of the eastern
species in western Missouri (Johnson and Vernon Counties), the bird may be looked for
as a migrant and possibly as a breeder in extreme western Arkansas. Although diffi-
cult to distinguish by its markings, the western bird is easily recognized by its
striking song. ]
Orchard Oriole. Icterus spurius.
The orchard oriole is a common summer resident in most parts of
Arkansas. The average date of its arrival at Helena in spring is
April 10 (earliest date March 30). It departs early, usually in late
August or early September. It has been reported from Newport,
1 Reynolds, Am. Nat., XI, p. 307, 1877.
ORIOLES AND BLACKBIRDS. 59
Clinton, and Delight, and I found it fairly common at Stuttgart,
Conway, Mammoth Spring, Camden, and Wilmot. At the latter
place, young just out of the nest were observed June 24. The species
seems to be rather rare in the mountainous sections of the State. I
noticed only one bird at Mena, and there are no records for the
Ozark region except at Clinton, where it is reported rare. Orioles
are mainly insectivorous in their diet, and among the good quali-
ties of these very useful birds is their pronounced liking for boll
weevils. Investigations in the cotton fields of Texas and Louisiana
showed that nearly one-third of the stomachs of this species collected
there contained remains of this pest.
Baltimore Oriole. JIcterus galbula.
This handsome oriole is fairly common locally in summer, mainly
in the eastern part of the State. It is reported common at Helena,
where it arrives from the south about April 10 (earliest date, April 4),
At Clinton it is given as a rare breeder, at Hopefield as tolerably com-
mon,! and it is reported as breeding at Newport, Big Lake, and Pea
Ridge. I found the species at Stuttgart (May 14), Mammoth Spring
(June 15), and a few other places in the eastern part of the State, but
nowhere was itcommon. At Delight it is a rare migrant, first seen in
autumn on September 1. The food of this oriole consists mainly of
insects, and caterpillars form a large part. Like the other orioles, it
is an important enemy of the boll weevil. A little fruit is included in
its diet, but not enough to counterbalance its usefulness as an insect-
destroyer.
Rusty Blackbird. Huphagus carolinus.
The rusty blackbird is a northern-breeding species and occurs only
in migration and as a winter resident. Hollister reports it common
near Stuttgart in winter, and Pleas gives it as a migrant at Clinton,
seen November 5, 1889. Hanna noted a flock of 10 at Van Buren on
December 17 and collected several specimens on that date and 1 on
January 7. This blackbird forages mainly in pastures and swamps,
where it destroys many noxious insects. In winter it eats some grain,
most of which is probably waste picked up in the fields.
Brewer Blackbird. Huphagus cyanocephalus.
This blackbird is the western representative of the rusty and ranges
east in winter casually to Arkansas and Louisiana. Hollister reports
a few seen in winter on the prairie at Stuttgart in company with rusty
blackbirds.? Savage noted a flock of 13 at Delight November 17, and
2 birds on January 5.7 2
1 Hay, O. P., Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, VII, p. 92, 1882.
2 Wilson Bull., IX, p. 14, 1902.
60 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Bronzed Grackle. Quiscalus quiscula xneus.
The crow blackbird, as this species is often called, is common over
a large part of the State, particularly in the bottom lands of the eastern
half and in certain valleys of the western part. None were seen in
the mountains proper. It is reported as breeding at Clinton, New-
port, Helena, and Hopefield, and was noted as common at Fayette-
ville in March and September (probably breeding). Several flocks
were seen at Van Buren in December (Hanna) and a large flock at
Delight on February 2 (Savage, 1911). I found it common and
breeding at Mammoth Spring, Lake City, Turrell, Conway, and Wil-
mot. McAtee found it abundant at Big Lake June 20 to 23, 1911.
The adults were feeding well-grown young and were alert in seizing
minnows which sprang upon the banks to escape larger fishes. At
Helena it is common both summer and winter, and after the breeding
season large flocks are often seen flying to and from theirroosts. The
diet of this bird includes both animal matter (insects) and vegetable
matter in the proportion of about 30 per cent of the former to 70 per
cent of the latter. The vegetable matter consists mainly of corn, with a
little other grain and considerable mast. A good share of the corn
iswaste picked up in the fields, but the grackles are sometimes destruc-
tive to corn in the ear. Among the insects eaten are grasshoppers
and various beetles, including the boll weevil.
English Sparrow. Passer domesticus.
The English sparrow is said to have been introduced at Hot Springs
between 1876 and 1880, but prior to this (in 1871) it had been intro-
duced into Memphis, Tenn., and doubtless spread first into Arkansas
from that point, so that by the end of the year 1886 it had established
itself over a considerable area in the northeastern part of the State,
with a few isolated colonies in the western part. Here, as every-
where in America, it has increased with amazing rapidity and is now
found in practically every town and village in the State, as well as on
a great majority of the farms. Almost everywhere it is regarded as
a pest by reason of its destruction of grain, fruit, and garden vege-
tables, its defacement of public buildings and of dwelling houses, and
its habit of driving away native birds. At times it feeds to some
extent on insects, but its destruction of them compensates to only a
slight degree for the damage it does, and hence its destruction is
advocated in a circular issued by the Biological Survey describing
the best methods of ridding localities of this feathered nuisance.
Purple Finch. Carpodacus purpureus.
The purple finch is a regular and not uncommon migrant and winter
resident. In 1910 the first flock, numbering about 20, arrived at
Delight November 10 and in a few days the species became common,
remaining so all winter. It has been reported at Helena at various
FINCHES AND SPARROWS. 61
dates between January 21 and April 23 and is given as a winter visit-
ant at Clinton. Hanna collected 6 specimens at Van Buren between
November 29 and December 22. Purple finches are usually found
in flocks during the winter season, when they feed largely on the
buds and seeds of various trees.
Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra minor.
The red crossbill is a rare and irregular visitant in Arkansas. It
has twice been reported from Clinton—April 6, 1889 (in numbers),
and May 5, 1890 (one), these being the only records from the State.
Goldfinch. Astragalinus tristis.
The goldfinch, often called ‘wild canary” or ‘thistle bird,’ 1s an
abundant winter resident in all parts of the State and a fairly com-
mon summer resident in the north central and northwestern counties,
south in the mountains to Polk and Montgomery Counties. It is
reported as breeding at Clinton, and [ found it at Womble (May 22),
Rich Mountain (May 25-28), Pettigrew (May 30), Chester (June 4),
and Hoxie (June 22). It was noted by Preble as common at Fayette-
ville in September. Savage reports a flock of 20 seen at Delight
November 19, and Hanna found it numerous at Van Buren between
November 30 and December 17. Mrs. Stephenson reports its occur-
rence at Helena between September 8 and May 1, and states that
immense flocks are often seen there during April and May and in
November. In winter the goldfinch feeds largely on weed seeds, the
seeds of birches, and those of the buttonbush. In summer it sub-
sists to a large extent on weed seed, but destroys many noxious
insects, such as cankerworms, plant lice, small grasshoppers, and
beetles (Forbush).
[Pine Siskin. Spinus pinus.
The siskin occurs in winter over most of the United States, and may therefore be
looked for at that season in Arkansas. It was rather common in Shannon and Grandin
Counties, Mo., in April and May, 1907.7]
Lapland Longspur. Calcarius lapponicus.
This Arctic-breeding bird is a common winter resident in the
Mississippi Valley as far south as Arkansas and Texas. Mr. Howard
Ayers, writing from Fort Smith in 1879, states: ‘‘They [the long-
spurs] appear in this part of the State about November in small
flocks, but as it grows cold they collect in immense numbers and
scatter again as spring comes (about ist of February).’’? The
species is reported also as a rare visitor at Clinton, where it was
seen October 13, 1889, and February 4 and April 30, 1890. During
the winter of 1882-1883 it was abundant at Fayetteville.
1 Widmann, O., Birds of Missouri, p. 171, 1907.
2 Coues, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, IV, p. 238, 1879.
3 Cooke, W. W., Orn. and Ool., VIII, p. 34, 1883.
62 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Smith Longspur. Calcarius pictus.
This species breeds on the Barren Grounds of Canada and passes
the winter on the prairies of the Mississippi Valley. There is only
one record of its occurrence in Arkansas—a specimen collected by
Prof. Harvey at Fayetteville February 28, 1885,' but the species is
undoubtedly more common in the State than the scarcity of records
indicates.
Vesper Sparrow. Poccetes gramineus.
The vesper sparrow or grass finch occurs commonly in the lower
Mississippi Valley as a migrant and winter resident. Savage noted
its arrival at Delight October 25, and by November 4 it had become
common and remained so until about April 1. It has been reported
as a migrant at Clinton and as a breeder at Newport,’ but the latter
record is doubtless an error, since it is not known to breed south of
St. Clair County, Mo. It is a ground-feeding bird, easily recognized
in flight by the white outer tail feathers.
Savannah Sparrow. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna.
This little grass sparrow is a common migrant in both spring and
fall, and many remain in the State all winter. The fall migration
is performed mainly in October and November. The first birds
arrived from the north at Delight October 5, and by November 10
they had become common, remaining until the middle of May. I
saw 20 or more at Lake City April 29 and 30 and found them com-
mon on the prairie and along roadsides near Stuttgart May 11 to 14.
A belated migrant was seen at McGehee May 17. The Savannah is
one of the most useful of the sparrows. Nearly half its food consists
of insects, beetles being most eagerly sought, and in winter it con-
sumes large quantities of grass seeds and weed seeds. Individuals
taken in cotton fields in winter were found to have eaten a num-
ber of boll weevils.
Grasshopper Sparrow. Ammodramus savannarum australis.
The grasshopper sparrow, so called because of its insectlike song,
occurs probably as a rare or local summer resident, but on account
of its retirmg habits its presence is not easily detected. It is a
dweller in grass fields and rarely seeks a higher perch than a fence or
a weed stalk. It is recorded as a breeder at Newport, and will
doubtless be found also at various points in the State in winter as
well as in summer.
[Henslow Sparrow. Passerherbulus henslowt.
This is another of the small ground-dwelling sparrows whose shyness causes it to
be easily overlooked. It livesin old fields and marshes and sings its odd little song on
some weed stalk. The species is a locally common summer resident in Missouri, and
will probably be found breeding in suitable situations in Arkansas. |
1 Cooke, W. W., Bull. 2, Div. Econ. Orn., p. 186, 1888. 2Tbid., p. 188.
SPARROWS. 63
Leconte Sparrow. Passerherbulus lecontet.
This species probably occurs quite regularly as a migrant and
winter resident, but, like the other ground-dwelling sparrows, its
presence in a locality is often unsuspected. One specimen was taken
at Fayetteville by Prof. Harvey February 28, 1885,’ and 2 at Van
Buren by Mr. G. Dallas Hanna January 7, 1911. About 8 were seen
on the latter date in a pasture where the grass was half knee high.
Nelson Sparrow. Passerherbulus nelsoni.
This sparrow breeds in Canada and the Dakotas and migrates
through the Mississippi Valley in spring and fall. It is a marsh-
dwelling bird and even in migration resorts to wet meadows. I saw
one on the prairie near Stuttgart May 14 and several in the valley at
Mena May 24, when I secured a specimen. These are the only
records from the State.
Lark Sparrow. Chondestes grammacus.
Although occurring in various parts of the State, this species can
not be called common as a summer resident except in a few localities, -
but as a migrant it may at times be plentiful. Its winter home is
mainly south of the United States. It is reported as a common
breeder at Delight, Pike County, arriving from the south April 8 and
leaving by September 17. I found it fairly common at Mammoth
Spring in June and noted it in small numbers at Lake City (May 1—
probably migrants), Conway, Camden, and Eldorado. At Helena
it is rare, and Mrs. Stephenson has noted it only twice, April 14, 1904,
and April 23, 1905. It was seen at Clinton, April 23, 1890. The
food of this sparrow is made up of seeds of weeds, grasses, and grain,
with about 27 per cent of insects. It is considered to be one of the
most valuable of the sparrows as a destroyer of grasshoppers.
Harris Sparrow. Zonotrichia querula.
This sparrow is a common migrant in western Missouri, eastern
Kansas, and Oklahoma, and probably occurs regularly in western
Arkansas. The only record from the State, however, is that furnished
by Mr. G. Dallas Hanna, who collected a specimen at Van Buren on
January 7, 1911.
White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys leucophrys.
The whitecrown is an abundant migrant and an uncommon winter
resident. Migrants reach the State in the fall from their northern
home about the last of October, and in spring the migratory move-
ments extend from March to the middle of May.
a ae Ae CME ES. Ne via a AM ee okt ee ey Oe
1 Cooke, W. W., Bull. 2, Div. Econ. Orn., p. 191, 1888.
64 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Hollister found a few of these sparrows at Stuttgart in January,
Hanna noted them in small numbers at Van Buren in December, and
Pleas reported them as occasionally wintering at Clinton. Mrs.
Stephenson has observed them at Helena between April 17 and May
7, and Savage reports them common at Delight between April 2 and
May 18. I saw 2 at Stuttgart May 13, and 1 at McGehee May 17.
Gambel Sparrow. Zonoirichia leucophrys gambelt.
This western form of the white-crowned sparrow occurs rarely in
migration as far east as Arkansas. Three specimens taken by Mr.
G. Dallas Hanna at Van Buren on December 14, 16, and 22, 1910,
furnish the only records for the State.
White-throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis.
The whitethroat occurs in great abundance as a migrant and
winter resident. It arrives in the vicinity of Helena about October
10 and remains until the middle of May (latest date, May 19). Savage
noted it at Delight in spring as late as May 16, and I found it numer-
ous at Turrell between May 6 and 10. The first fall migrants reached
Delight October 23, becoming common by November 5. Hanna
found the whitethroat the most abundant species at Van Buren
during December. Like many of the members of its family, this
sparrow is a great destroyer of weed seed and has an especial fond-
ness for the seeds of ragweed and bindweed (Polygonum). It con-
sumes, also, a great many wild berries and a goodly number of
insects. Its food habits in general place it among the useful birds
of the farm.
Tree Sparrow. Spizella monticola.
This hardy little bird breeds in the far north and spends the winter
in the northern United States and as far south as Oklahoma. Its
status in Arkansas is not well known, since it has been observed at
only one locality—Helena, October 25, 1895, and October 30, 31,
1896. Prof. Cooke found these sparrows abundant at Caddo,
Okla., between October 31 and February 26, a few remaining until
March 10,‘ and they may be expected to occur in Arkansas at about
the same dates.
Chipping Sparrow. Spizella passerina.
The ‘‘chippy”’ is one of our most abundant and familiar sparrows.
It is found in all sections of the State, having been observed at Lake
City, Turrell, Wilmot, Mena, Pettigrew, Conway, and other places.
It arrives from the south early in March (earliest record at Helena,
March 5) and remains until November (latest at Helena, November
6). Occasionally a few may be found in winter, as at Delight, where
Savage took a single specimen on December 20. This little bird
1 Bull. 2, Div. Econ. Orn., p. 198, 1888.
Bul. 38, Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE VI.
OS Or.
ACH IS AGASSIZ PLLEFG ES.
a>
AA ee
c
/ P :
A WINTER SEED-EATER. THE WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.
.
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. '
+
a ik
- ’
er
a
.
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a y
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ma
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SPARROWS. 5 65
giten makes its home in dooryards and village gardens, and renders
zood service to man by destroying great quantities of weed seed
(notably crab grass) and of noxious insects, which constitute about
one-fourth of its food.
[Clay-colored Sparrow. Spizella pallida.
This little sparrow, which closely resembles the chipping sparrow, occurs commonly
in migration in the Mississippi Valley, breeding from Nebraska northward. It passes
through Missouri in April and May and again in September and October, and should
be found also in Arkansas during those months. ]
Field Sparrow. Spizella pusilla pusilla.
The field sparrow occurs as an abundant migrant and winter resi-
dent, but is found in the breeding season mainly in the northern and
northwestern parts of the State. It is reported as breeding at Clin-
ton, and [I found it fairly common at Pettigrew and at Hoxie. Two
birds heard singing at Stuttgart May 14 were probably breeders, but
the species is very rare in summer so far south. During the summer
of 1910 Mrs. Stephenson heard it singmg constantly at Helena as
late as July 24, but that is the first year in which it had been seen
there in the breeding season. Hollister reports it very abundant at
Stuttgart in November, and Hanna found it common at Van Buren
in December. Mrs. Stephenson heard the first song of this species
at Helena March 23, and the last migrants in spring leave there by
April 21. At Delight the last spring migrant was seen on April 10
and the first fall migrant October 10, the species becoming common
November 4.
Western Field Sparrow. Spizella pusilla arenacea.
This subspecies may be expected to occur casually during migra-
tions and in winter. The only record is furnished by Mr. G. Dallas
Hanna, who collected 2 specimens at Van Buren on January 7, 1911.
Slate-colored Junco. Junco hyemalis.
The junco, or ‘snowbird,”’ is a common winter resident, arriving
from the north about the last of October (earliest date at Helena,
October 24) and remaining until the middle of April (latest date
April 22). It is reported abundant at Stuttgart in November and
January (Hollister), at Van Buren in December (Hanna), and com-
mon at Fayetteville on February 27 (Harvey). At Delight the
species arrived about November i and departed northward by
April 6. The food of this bird during its stay in the south is almost
wholly composed of the seeds of various weeds and grasses.
Bachman Sparrow. Peucexa exstivalis bachmant.
This sparrow is a rather rare and local summer resident, usually
found in old pastures. [! secured a single specimen at Conway on
June 7 and another (a singing male) at Camden on July 7. At
94869°—Buil, 38—1] a)
66 e BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Hoxie, on June 22, in a pasture dotted with a few clumps of trees,
I saw 4 or 5 of the birds, most of them singing. Savage observed
2 individuals at Delight on September 1.
Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia.
The familiar song sparrow of the Northern States is found in
Arkansas only as a migrant and winter resident. The fall movement
brings it to the State in late October, where it remains until March
or April. At Delight the first migrants in fall were noted November
10. Jt was reported as abundant in November and January at
Stuttgart (Hollister) and at Van Buren in December (Hanna).
Harvey noted it at Fayetteville February 28. At Helena it is recorded
as a migrant only, though doubtless cccurring there all winter. Like
the other sparrows, it eats mainly seeds of weeds and grasses and a
fair proportion of insects.
Lincoln Sparrow. Melospiza lincolni.
This sparrow is a common migrant in the Mississippi Valley and a
winter resident in the southern part. Although it has. been observed
in Arkansas only a few times, it probably occurs regularly in moderate
numbers. At Stuttgart, on May 12 and 13, I shot 2 specimens and
saw several more. Hanna noted the species at Van Buren in small
numbers between November 29 and December 22 and secured 6
specimens.
Swamp Sparrow. WMelospiza georgiana.
The swamp sparrow breeds from northern Missouri northward and
winters in the southern half of the United States. As its name indi-
cates, it is an inhabitant of swamps, but in winter is often found in
brushy fields. Its northward migration is performed in March and
April; the southward movement in October. The species was
observed by Savage at Delight between April 20 and May 6, and I
saw a few at Lake City April 28 and 29. It is reported common in
winter at Fayetteville (Harvey) and at Van Buren, where Hanna
secured 8 specimens in December.
Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca.
This large and handsome sparrow occurs commonly as a migrant
and winter resident. Mrs. Stephenson has noted it at Helena
between November 4 and February 18, but considers it of rare and
irregular occurrence. It is reported also as wintering at Clinton
and Delight, and Hanna found it common at Van Buren in December.
In northward migration it should be found during March and April.
Towhee. Pipilo erythrophthalmus.
The towhee or chewink, one of the largest of the sparrow family,
occurs as a common migrant and winter resident, but in the breed-
ing season is restricted mainly to the Ozark region. It is reported
GROSBEAKS. 67
as breeding at Clinton (rare) and near Newport. I found it fairly
common at Pettigrew, but did not observe any in the mountains
south of the Arkansas River. It has been noted in migration at
Lake City, Helena, Hardy, Benton, and Turrell. At Delight the
first fall migrant was seen October 8. In winter it has been recorded
as common at Fayetteville! and at Stuttgart (Hollister). At Van
Buren, on December 28, 8 birds were seen and one secured by Hanna.
This bere is a ground ds mole and seeks its food mainly by scratching
among fallen leaves and rubbish in the woods or thickets. It destroys
beetles and their larve, ants, moths, caterpillars, grasshoppers,
flies, and earthworms; it takes also a considerable amount of weed
seed and some wild fruits and berries.
2
Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinalis cardinalis.
The cardinal, or redbird, as it is often called, is one of the com-
monest and most widely distributed birds of the State. It is most
abundant, however, in the river-bottom thickets and in the lowlands
generally. I observed none on Rich Mountain and only a few in
the hills around Pettigrew, but at all other places visited it was
very common.
The species is nonmigratory and is fully as abundant in winter
as in summer. It has been recorded from a large number of locali-
ties in the State, including the following: Fayetteville, Van Buren,
Mena, Camden, Wilmot, Stuttgart, Shee , Lake Oe and Mam-
moth Spring. ‘The food of the cardinal IR of weed seeds,
seeds of wild fruits, and various insects, the latter forming about
one-third of the total. The insects eaten include a number of serious
pests, such as the Rocky Mountain locust, Colorado potato beetle,
cotton-leaf worm, bollworm, boll weevil, and codling moth.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Zamelodia ludoviciana.
This grosbeak, as far as our records show, occurs only as a migrant,
but since it has been found breeding as far south as Lawrence County,
Mo.,? it may yet be discovered in Arkansas in summer. The bird
has been noted by Mrs. Stephenson at Helena between April 27 and
May 10, but is considered rare in that locality. Six individuals
were seen at Clinton May 3, 1890. In the fall it may be looked for
in September and October.
Biue Grosbeak. Guiraca cxrulea.
The blue grosbeak is a fairly common summer resident in southern
and southwestern Missouri as well as in Texas and Oklahoma. We
should therefore expect to find it more or less common in Arkansas,
but I did not observe the bird at any point visited, except at Mam-
1 Cooke, Orn. and Ool., VIII, p. 34, 1883.
2 Widmann, O., Birds of Missouri, p. 195, 1907,
68 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
moth Spring, where [ saw one male on June 15 as I[ was driving over
the hills. I had a near view of his distinctive colors, but did not
secure the specimen. The species arrives from the south in late
April and remains until October.
Indigo Bunting. Passerina cyanea.
The indigo bird is an abundant summer resident in all parts of
the State. The first migrants from the south arrive about the
middle of April (earliest date at Helena, April 17) and by the Ist
of May the species is common. On the lowlands at Lake City and
near Blytheville I found it very common from April 30 to May 3.
The southward movement takes place in September and early Octo-
ber, and the winter is passed in Mexico and Central America. The
last one seen at Delight was noted October 10. The species has
been observed at Clinton, Pettigrew, Rich Mountain, Wilmot, Big
Lake, Stuttgart, Conway, and Mammoth Spring. The indigo eats
mainly weed seeds and various insects, and is said to be especially
fond of grasshoppers and caterpillars.
Painted Bunting. Passerina ciris.
This beautiful little sparrow—the most brilliantly marked mem-
ber of its family—is a rather uncommon summer resident, occurring
most plentifully in the lowlands of the southeastern part of the State.
At Helena it breeds regularly in moderate numbers, arriving from
the south about the middle of April (earliest date, April 10). I saw
a pair at McGehee May 17, and found several breeding pairs at Wil-
mot in June. Young just out of the nest were seen at the latter
place June 24. This species has been observed at Hureka Springs
by Philo W. Smith, jr.—probably a casual occurrence.}
Dickcissel. Spiza americana.
The dickcissel, or black-throated bunting, is a locally common sum-
mer resident in the State. Having a marked preference for level
erass fields, it is infrequently found in hilly regions, but is abundant
on the prairies, as at Stuttgart, where I observed the birds, May 11
to 14, singing with characteristic vehemence from fences, bushes,
and weed stalks. In the heavily timbered bottom lands along the
Mississippi lt is rare, even as a migrant, and probably never breeds
there, unless it be in open, long-cultivated areas. It has been ob-
served but once by Mrs. Stephenson at Helena—May 4, 1902. Num-
bers arrived at Newport, April 27, 1884,? and on April 30, 1910, I
observed a single migrant at Lake City. One bird was observed
also at Fort Smith May 29, and one at Camden July 6. The fall
migration takes place mainly in September, and before cold weather
1 Widmann, O., Birds of Missouri, p. 198, 1907.
2 Cooke, W. W., Bull. 2, Div. Econ. Orn., p. 221, 1888.
TANAGERS. 69
all have passed on to their winter home in South America. The dick-
cissel is a most useful bird on the farm, destroying large numbers of
grasshoppers, crickets, and other injurious insects. About one-
third of its food in summer consists of seeds, including a little grain.
Scarlet Tanager. Puiranga eryihromeias.
This brilliant tanager occurs as a summer resident in the northern
and western parts of Arkansas as far south as Faulkner County and
the Ouachita Mountains. The first migrants from the south arrive
at Helena about April 10 and in the fall the species departs in Sep-
tember and October. The first birds from farther north reached
yy
Utlker Lf
Z -(
-
Monticello
M
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wY IS \ \ la Wilma / 1 He
See OCR livae es ee
3a : AN 3 Tas
Fic. 3.—Breeding area of the scarlet tanager (Piranga erythromelas) in Arkansas.
3
Delight on September 17. The species is recorded as breeding at
Heber,’ Eureka Springs, and Clinton, and I found it in summer at
Mammoth Spring, Conway (one June 6), Chester, Pettigrew (com-
mon), and Rich Mountain (common). The last locality apparently
marks its southern limit as a breeder in the State. One male seen
at McGehee May 17 was probably a belated migrant. Scarlet
tanagers are lovers of oak woods, where they render valuable service
in the destruction of caterpillars, moths, and beetles.
Summer Tanager. Piranga rubra.
The summer tanager is a common summer resident over the greater
part of the State, except on the higher mountains. It usually
arrives at Helena during the second week in April (earliest date,
1 Widmann, O., Birds of Missouri, p. 199, 1907.
70 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
April 7) and departs nm early October (latest date, October 2). At
Delight it was noted as late as October 13. It is reported as a com-
mon breeder at Clinton, Newport, and Delight. I found it in every
locality visited, except on Rich Mountain, including the following:
Mammoth Spring, Conway, Wilmot, Camden, Womble, Mena, Pet-
tigrew (Gn valleys), and Cotter.
This tanager has received the name of ‘‘bee bird” on account of -
its habit of feeding on honeybees. Its food during the spring and
early summer is said to consist chiefly of various kinds of large
coleopterous insects, bees, wasps, and others. Later in the season
it feeds chiefly on blueberries and other small fruits.
Purple Martin. Progne subis.
The familiar martin is a common and generally distributed summer
resident. Although formerly nesting im hollow trees and reported as
doing so as late as 1889 (at Clinton), its present abundance im a given
locality is largely dependent on the number of boxes put up for its
accommodation. From its winter home in South America the martin
arrives in Arkansas usually about the first week in March (earliest
record at Helena, February 18, 1897), but does not become common
until late in March or early in April. By April 10, at Helena, it has
usually begun to nest. Fail migration takes place early, most of the
birds leaving the United States in late August and early September.
This species has been reported as breeding at Fayetteville, Pea Ridge,
Clinton, Newport, Helena, and Delight. I found it at Mammoth
Spring, Lake City, Turrell, Stuttgart, McGehee, Wilmot, Eldorado,
Camden, Womble, Mena, Conway, Cotter, and Pettigrew. At the
last-mentioned place a few pairs were found breeding on the top of a
mountain at about 2,200 feet altitude. Martins are strictly insectiy-
orous and have been found to capture boll weevils. Farmers should
make special efforts to increase their numbers around the farm.
Clif Swallow. Petrochelidon lunifrons.
The cliff swallow is a common migrant in the Mississippi Valley and
breeds in the northern part as far south as central Arkansas. The
species is an irregular migrant, but may be expected m spring between
the first week in Apri! and the middle of May, and is usually again com-
mon in late August and September. At Stuttgart, May 12 and 13,
1910, I noted several small flocks of these birds. Asa breeder itisrare
and local, the only reports being from Clinton and Pea Ridge. During
its southward migration in September this species feeds extensively
upon the boll weevil, and when that insect is abundant it forms the prin-
cipal food of this swallow. Of 35 specimens collected in the Texas
cotton fields, all but one had eaten boll weevils, the total number
destroyed by the 34 birds being 638.
1 Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Hist. N. Am. Birds, I, p. 448, 1874.
SWALLOWS. 71
Barn Swallow. HMirundo erythrogastra.
The barn swallow is a common migrant in Arkansas, but occurs in
the breeding season only rarely and locally. Spring migration occurs
from about the first of April to the middle of May and the fall move-
ment takes place chiefly durmg August and September. I noted the
species in small numbers in migration at Turrell May 9, Stuttgart
May 12 to 14, and Arkansas City May 15. Preble saw one at Fayette-
ville September 23. The only report of its breeding in the State is at
Clinton, in 1890. Like the cliff swallow, this swallow has been found
to be very useful in destroying boll weevils in fall. Of 14 birds col-
lected in Texas in September, 5 had eaten a total of 52 weevils.
Tree Swallow. JIJridoprocne bicolor.
This species is a common migrant in the Mississippi Valley, passing
northward at intervals during March, April, and early May, and
southward in late September and October. On the St. Francis River,
north of Bertig, I saw a flock of about 50 of these swallows April 30,
1909, and the next day at Kennett, Mo., saw a flock of more than
a thousand feeding over fields near the river. Preble found the
species common at Fort Smith between September 15 and 23 (1892).
Widmann records it as a rare summer resident as far south in Mis-
sourl as the southern border of Dunklin County. Mr. Widmann
writes me that in May, 1894, he found a nest with eggs in a stump in
the middle of the St. Francis River, about a mile south of Bertig.
The bird probably occurs occasionally, therefore, as a breeder in the
Sunken Lands of northeastern Arkansas.
Bank Swallow. fiparia riparia.
The bank swallow is an abundant migrant and a locally common
summer resident. It is with some difficulty distinguished in flight
from the rough-winged swallow, which often nests in banks but
never in large colonies as does the bank swallow. The present spe-
cies breeds commonly at Helena. In some seasons as many as 300
nest holes have been observed there by Mrs. Stephenson. The birds
arrive usually about the first of April (earliest date, March 26) and
depart during August and September.
This swallow is reported, also, to breed along the Mississippi in the
vicinity of Hopefield.t| There are no other positive breeding records
for the State, and I failed to find the species during my 1910 trip.
Like the other members of its family, it feeds upon various winged
insects, including the boll weevil.
Rough-winged Swallow. Stelgidopteryx serripennis.
The roughwing occurs as a fairly common migrant and summer
resident. It nests both in cut banks and in cliffs, usually only a few
pairs in a locality. Migrants from the south arrive at Helena about
1 Hay, O. P., Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, VII, p. 91, 1882.
72, BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
March 23 (earliest record, March 21) and are last seen there about
September 21. I observed the species in small numbers at Lake
City, Walker Lake, Turrell, Arkansas City, Camden, Cotter, and
Mammoth Spring. McAtee found small numbers at Big Lake, June, -
1911. It probably breeds sparingly throughout the State wherever
it can find suitable nesting sites.
Cedar Waxwing. Bombycilla cedrorum.
The cedar bird occurs as an irregular migrant and winter visitant
and in the northern part as a rare breeder. It is reported as breeding
at Clinton and was noted there also on November 10 and January 5
and 16. I saw a flock of 10 or 12 at Pettigrew on June 1, and the
species probably breeds in that vicinity and in other parts of the
Ozark region. A flock of 6, probably migrants, was noted at McGehee
May 17. Savage noted it during every month in summer at Delight,
but found no nests. At Helena the cedar bird is given by Mrs.
Stephenson as an irregular visitant noted on numerous dates between
February 4 and May 23 and in November. At Van Buren Hanna
observed several small flocks in December and early January. The
cedar bird feeds more extensively upon fruit and less upon insects
than most small birds, and its fondness for cherries has gained for it
the name of ‘‘cherry bird.” However, examination of 152 stomachs
by the Biological Survey showed only 9 containing cherries, while
about three-fourths of the total food consisted of wild fruits or seeds.
Insects constitute about 13 per cent of its food, and include such
forms as cankerworms, grasshoppers, beetles, bugs, and scale insects.
In winter great flocks of these birds are often seen feeding on hack-
berries or other wild fruit.
Northern Shrike. Lanius borealis.
The northern shrike, or ‘‘butcher bird,” is a rare winter visitant,
only two having been recorded—one seen at Fayetteville by Prof.
Harvey and the other at Van Buren in December, 1910, by Mr.
Hanna. Its habits are similar to those of its southern relative, the
loggerhead shrike.
Migrant Shrike. Lanius ludovicianus migrans.
This shrike, known as ‘‘loggerhead’”’ and ‘‘ French mocking bird”’
in the South, is rather uncommon and of local distribution in summer
in Arkansas. It is common in migration and occurs also in winter,
probably more abundantly than in summer. It has been reported
in the breeding season at Clinton, Newport, and Helena, and in mi-
eration at Fort Smith, Fayetteville, and West Pomt. At Delight
specimens were taken August 8 and 22 and September 16 and 23.
In winter it has been reported from Fayetteville, Stuttgart (common;
VIREOS. 73
Hollister), and Van Buren (5 specimens, December 7-30; Hanna).
I found it at only two localities, McGehee and Wilmot, in each of
which it breeds in small numbers. Specimens taken at these places,
as well as those from Delight and Van Buren, are referable to the
subspecies migrans. The typical form seems not to occur in the
State. The shrike is a decidedly useful bird, feeding in summer
largely upon injurious insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, cater-
pillars, cankerworms, and cutworms. It captures mice at all seasons,
and in winter these rodents form about half of its food. At this sea-
son small birds are occasionally eaten. Shrikes frequentiy impale
their prey upon thorns or barbed wire and apparently many more
victims are impaled than are eaten.
Red-eyed Vireo. Vireosylva olivacea.
The familiar red-eyed vireo is one of the commonest and most
evenly distributed of our woodland song birds, being found in all
timbered regions both in the lowlands and on the mountains. Mi-
grants arrive at Helena from the south about April 10 (earliest,
March 30) and depart in autumn about the first of October (last,
October 5). The species has been observed at Fayetteville, Clinton,
Mammoth Spring, Lake City, Wilmot, Womble, Rich Mountain,
Pettigrew, Conway, and other places. A nest with young was found
at Eldorado July 4. By reason of its abundance and its well-known
habit of searching every leaf on the trees for caterpillars and the like,
this bird must be reckoned as one of our most valuable assistants in
the work of conserving the forests.
[Philadelphia Vireo. Vireosylva philadelphica.
This vireo, which resembles the warbling vireo in appearance but sings much like
the red-eyed, is a rare but regular migrant in the Mississippi Valley. In Missouri it
occurs in May and in September and October and in Arkansas should be found during
the same months. |
Warbling Vireo. Vireosylva gilva.
The warbling vireo has a peculiar distribution in the lower Missis-
sippi Valley, occuring as a breeder, so far as known, only in the im-
mediate vicinity of the Mississippi River. The only record of the
species in Arkansas is from Helena, where it is reported by Mrs.
Stephenson as a common summer resident, arriving from the south
about March 30 and departing in early October (latest, October 5).
The bird is a lover of tail trees and is often found in elms or other
shade trees along country roads and village streets.
Yellow-throated Vireo. Lanivireo flavifrons.
This vireo is a common summer resident in all parts of the State.
It lives in upland timber tracts in companye with the red-eye and is
partial also to small groves and to shade trees on village streets.
74 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Migrants from the south reach Helena about the first week of April
(earliest, March 24) and the return movement takes place during
September and early October. The species was noted during the
summer months at Mammoth Spring, Lake City, Conway, McGehee,
Eldorado, Delight, Rich Mountain, and Pettigrew. Like the other
vireos the yellowthroat is mainly insectivorous, and its food includes
a variety of caterpillars, moths, beetles, etc., as well as house flies and
mosquitoes.
Blue-headed Vireo. Lanitvireo solitarius.
The solitary or blue-headed vireo occurs as a migrant in the Mis-
sissipp1 Valley, breeding from Minnesota northward. It should
be found regularly in Arkansas in the latter half of April and again
in September and October. The only record for the State, however,
is furnished by Savage, who saw 2 birds at Delight on October 22.
White-eyed Vireo. Vireo griseus.
The white-eyed vireo is almost as common as the red-eye and,
like it, is generally distributed. It occurs in both the mountains
and the lowlands, and is especially abundant in wet river bottom
timber where thickets and tangles of briers cover the ground. It
arrives at Helena usually about the first of April (earliest, March
23) and remains until the middle of October (latest, October 16).
It is reported as breeding at Clinton, Pea Ridge, Newport, Helena,
Big Lake, and Delight. I observed it at Rich Mountain, Pettigrew,
Conway, Mammoth Spring, and Turrell.
Bell Vireo. Vireo bellt.
This is the rarest of the vireos and of very local distribution in
Arkansas. It is most numerous in prairie regions and occurs also
to some extent in rolling foothill country. I found this species
rather common on the Grand Prairie about Stuttgart May 11-14,
living in the copses and hedges and even in dooryards close to town.
At Conway in June it was fairly common, and at Fort Smith several
breeding pairs were located in a peach orchard near town. One
was seen at Gurdon May 20.
Black-and-white Warbler. Mniotilta varia.
The black-and-white ‘‘creeper”’ occurs as a summer resident over
the greater part of the State, but is rare or absent from the extreme.
southern part. It arrives at Helena from the south about the first
of April (earliest, March 20) and remains until October. It has been
reported as a breeder at Clinton, Newport, Hopefield, and Helena.
I found it at Mammoth:Spring, Turrell, Conway, Delight, Rich Moun-
tain, and Pettigrew. At most of these localities it probably breeds,
m=
WARBLERS. 5
but is nowhere common. This warbler is a typical woodland bird
and is most at home in tracts of heavy timber, where it renders
valuable service in the destruction of wood-boring insects, bark-
beetles, and other injurious insects.
Prothonotary Warbler. Protonotaria citrea.
The prothonotary or golden swamp warbler is a common summer
resident in the swamps and river bottoms of the southern and eastern
part of the State. It arrives from the south about the first of April
and departs in September. It is reported as breeding at Clinton,
Newport, and Helena. I found it common at Wilmot and along the
St. Francis River at Lake City. Several were seen at Camden in
July, one on Cadron River near Conway June 6, and one on White
River at Cotter June 8. It is numerous at Big Lake (McAtee, June,
1911). This brilliant little bird is a prominent and attractive feature
of the big swamps, where it may often be seen flitting lightly over
the water or prying into rotten stumps in search of insects, in securing
which it shows almost as much dexterity as a flycatcher.
Swainson Warbler. AHelinaia swainsont.
This is another of the swamp-inhabiting warblers; but, unlike the
prothonotary, is rare and very shy. It is an inhabitant of river-
bottom timber, where it seeks concealment among the canebrakes
and dense thickets of climbing vines, often remaining motionless
for many minutes as it repeats at frequent intervals its rather loud
and pleasing song. Although constantly on the alert for sight or
sound of this bird, I detected it in only three localities. One was
seen at Turrell May 8 and heard singing several times on succeeding
days. Another was seen and heard singing in the Cadron River
bottoms near Conway June 6, and several were noted at Camden
July 4-7.
Worm-eating Warbler. Helmuitheros vermivorus.
This warbler is a rare and local summer resident, occurring, as far
as known, only in the mountains and foothills in the northern and
western part of the State. It 1s reported as breeding in the hills west
of Newport, and I saw two on Rich Mountain in Polk County May 25.
The latter locality probably marks the southern limit of its breeding
range. This bird bears a rather inappropriate name, since its food,
as far as known, consists not of worms but of beetles, spiders, and
ants.
Bachman Warbler. Vermivora bachmani.
This inconspicuous little warbler has a rather restricted range,
having been found in the breeding season only on the coast of South
Carolina and Georgia, in western Kentucky (near Russellville), and
in the Sunken Lands of Arkansas and Missouri. The species was
76 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
described by Audubon in 1833 and was not found again in the United
States for over 50 years, when it was discovered in Louisiana. Its
occurrence in Arkansas was first made known by Mr. Otto Widmann,
who discovered it on Boland Island, Greene County, in May, 1896,
and the following year found the nest with eggs in Dunklin County,
Missouri.! The bird is a moderately common breeder in the Sunken
Lands of northeastern Arkansas. I saw one at Turrell April 28, 1910,
and on May 10 collected two specimens at the same place in heavy
timber with a dense undergrowth of cane. One was seen May 4 in
the cypresses on Walker Lake. On the St. Francis River, 12 miles
above Bertig, { found the birds rather numerous in 1909 (April 25-28)
on the Missouri side of the river, and probably they are equally
common on the Arkansas side. |
Blue-winged Warbler. Vermivora pinus.
This warbler is a summer resident in the Mississippi Valley from
Missouri northward, and probably occurs rarely at that season in
extreme northern Arkansas. I observed one bird, probably a migrant,
at Turrell on May 7 and a singing male in southern Missouri, near
Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, June 13, which I believe was breeding
in that vicinity. Mrs. Stephenson has observed the species once in
migration at Helena May 13, 1894, and Mr. Savage noted three south-
bound migrants at Delight on August 20, 1910.
[Golden-winged Warbler. Vermivora chrysoptera.
This species occurs in the Mississippi Valley as a common migrant, breeding from
central Minnesota northward. It may be looked for in Arkansas in late Apri! and
early May and again in September. |
Nashville Warbler. Vermivora rubricapilla.
The Nashville warbler is a common migrant in the Mississippi Valley
in both spring and fall and breeds from Nebraska northward. The
spring migration takes place chiefly between April 20 and May 10,
and the return movement begins in August and continues through
September and October. Savage noted two very early fall migrants
at Delight August 20, and Preble collected a specimen and saw several
more at Fort Smith September 19. Further investigation will doubt-
less show that the bird is a regular migrant in the State.
{[Orange-crowned Warbler. Vermivora celata.
The orange-crown breeds in Canada and winters in the Gulf States and Mexico. It
probably occurs regularly in migration in Arkansas and should be looked for in late
April and May and in September and October. ]
1 Auk, XIII, p. 264, 1896; XIV, pp. 305-310, 1897.
WARBLERS. rit
Tennessee Warbler. Vermivora peregrina.
The Tennessee is one of the commonest of the wood warblers in
migration, occurring in both spring and fall. Its summer home is in
Canada and the northern United States. A single bird was noted at
Delight as early as April 6 (Savage), but at Helena the species is
usually observed between April 19 and May 12. I saw numbers of
them at Lake City between April 30 and May 2 and at Walker Lake
May 4and5. The fall migration takes place chiefly between Septem-
ber 15 and October 15.
Western Parula Warbler. Compsothlypis americana ramaline.
This tiny warbler is a very common summer resident in most parts
of the State. It arrives in the vicinity of Helena about the first
of April (earliest, March 24) and departs about the first of October.
I observed the species in numbers at Mammoth Spring, Conway,
Wilmot, Camden, Womble, Chester, Pettigrew, and Cotter, and it
probably breeds in all those localities. Specimens were collected at
Chester and Womble. There are no definite fall records. This
species is an inhabitant of river-bottom timber and builds its nest
usually in a bunch of hanging moss. Its food is said to consist largely
of spiders, caterpillars, small flies, and beetles.
[Cape May Warbler. Dendroica tigrina.
This is one of the rarer warblers, but occurs quite regularly in migration in the Missis-
sippi Valley on its way to and from its summer home in Canada. It may be looked for
in Arkansas in late April or May and again in September.]
Yellow Warbler. Dendroica xstiva.
The yellow warbler occurs as a summer resident in the northern and
northwestern parts of Arkansas, but apparently does not breed south
of the Ozarks and their foothills. It is reported as a rare breeder at
Clinton, but does not occurin summer at Helena. I found it in the
breeding season at Pettigrew (common), Chester, Cotter, and Mam-
moth Spring. It appears in migration at Helena between April 14
and May 15. In the fall it leaves very early, passing south from the
last of July to the middle of September. One was noted by Preble
September 16, at Fort Smith. The yellow warbler is at times domes-
tic in its habits, often taking up its abode in orchards and in trees or
shrubbery surrounding farm and village houses. It is considered one
of the most useful birds of the farm, feeding largely on caterpillars,
cankerworms, barkbeetles, wood-boring beetles, and weevils (For-
bush).
Black-throated Blue Warbler. Dendroica cxrulescens.
This is a northern breeding species, occurring in the Mississippi
Valley in migration during April, May, and September. There is
only one record from Arkansas—a bird seen by Mrs. Stephenson at
Helena, April 7, 1904.
78 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
; Myrtle Warbler. Dendroica coronata.
The myrtle warbler is the hardiest of the warblers and the only one
which winters in the Middle States. Its summer home is from the
northern United States northward nearly to the Arctic Ocean. It
occurs as an abundant migrant and winter resident, arriving from the
north in October and departing in the spring in early May (latest date
seen at Helena, May 12). It was abundant at Stuttgart in November
(Hollister) and at Van Buren between November 25 and January 7
(Hanna). It has been observed in migration at Clinton, Lake City,
and Delight. This bird owes its common name to its fondness for the
berries of the wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) and related species, which
in some regions furnish its principal winter food. In the Mississippi
Valley, however, it is said to feed extensively on berries of the poison
ivy and to some extent on red cedar berries. It consumes also many
insects.
Magnolia Warbler. Dendroica magnolia.
The magnolia or black-and-yellow warbler is a common migrant
in Arkansas, passing north in May on the way to its summer home
in Canada and returning in September and early October. It has
been observed at Helena between May 1 and 19, at Lake City May
2, and at Turrell May 9. It is probably rare in the western part of
the State, but three were seen by Mr. Savage at Delight on April 29,
IAS ws
Cerulean Warbler. Dendroica cerulea.
The cerulean warbler is a common summer resident in nearly all
wooded parts of the State. Its distribution is apparently limited
only by the occurrence of heavy deciduous woodland, for the bird
is equally common in the river bottoms of the Mississippi and on
the slopes of the mountains. Its favorite haunts are in the tops of
the tallest trees, and except for its song its presence would rarely be
detected. At Rich Mountain, May 23 to 28, it was singing almost
constantly, and ranged nearly or quite to 2,500 feet altitude. In the
Ozark hills about Pettigrew it was noted occasionally, but the tim-
ber there is not sufficiently dense to prove very attractive to this
bird. I observed the species frequently in the Sunken Lands at
Lake City and Walker Lake, and less commonly at Mammoth Spring,
Conway, Wilmot, Camden, Womble, Chester, and Cotter. The
average date of arrivalof this bird at Helena is April 7 and the earhest
record March 27.
Chestnut-sided Warbler. Dendroica pensylvanica.
This species breeds from Iron County, Mo., and HUlbnois north-
ward and eastward, mainly in the Transition zone. It is a regular
and not uncommon transient Visitant, passing north in early May and
WARBLERS. 79
returning in September. It has been observed a few times by Mrs.
Stephenson at Helena between May 1 and 16, and I saw 2 at McGehee
May 17, 1910.
[Bay-breasted Warbler. Dendroica castanea.
The baybreast is a rather uncommon but regular migrant in the Mississippi Valley,
and may be looked for in Arkansas in May and in Septemberand October. It breeds |
in Canada and the Northern States. ]
Black-poll Warbler. Dendroica striata.
The blackpoll, although one of the most abundant warblers in the
northern and eastern States, is a rather uncommon migrant in the
lower Mississippi Valley. This is explained by a study of its migra-
tion route, which shows that most individuals of the species enter
the United States in spring by way of Florida and then pursue a
course across the middle and eastern States to their summer
home in the extreme northern United States, Canada, and Alaska.
The bird has been observed only a few times in Arkansas—once
by Mrs. Stephenson, at Helena, May 3, 1904, and twice by myself
at Turrell, May 7, 1910, and at Rich Mountain, May 26 and 27—
but it is doubtless rather more common than these few records
would indicate. It is one of the very latest migrants in spring,
passing north from May 1 to June 1. The southward movement is
chiefly during September and October.
[Blackburnian Warbler. Dendroica fusca.
This handsome warbler is a moderately common migrant in the Mississippi Valley,
and breeds from central Minnesota northward. It is found in Missouri from the last
of April to the last of May and in September and October, and may be looked for in
Arkansas at about the same dates. |
Sycamore Warbler. Dendroica dominica albilora.
This species is a rather uncommon summer resident, found chiefly
in the swamps and river bottoms of the eastern part of the State,
where it lives in the tall cypresses, sycamores, and other bottom-land
trees. It has been noted at Helena between April 10 and 21, but
doubtless arrives somewhat earlier than that, since it has been seen
at Hornersville, Mo., on March 21 (Widmann). In fall it has been
observed at Helena as late as October 10. Other records of its oc-
currence in the State are at Hardy, Lake City, and Walker Lake.
Black-throated Green Warbler. Dendroica virens.
This warbler occurs as a common transient visitant in spring and
fall. It has been observed at Helena a number of times between
April 8 and May 16. I noted it at Lake City May 1 and at Walker
Lake May 4. Fall migration takes piace in September and October.
In its summer home in the Northern States and Canada this bird
dwells mainly in pines, but in migration it may be found in both
evergreen and deciduous timber,
80 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Pine Warbler. Dendroica vigorsi.
The pine warbler, as its name implies, is an inhabitant of pine
timber, and indeed is practically confined in the breeding season to
regions in which considerable tracts of pine occur. Although partly
migratory, the species occurs throughout the year in Arkansas. The
' more northern breeding birds move south in winter and occupy, in
company with their southern breeding relatives, the pine forests of
the Southern States. I found this warbler abundant in the breeding
season near Delight, fairly common near Womble, and rather uncom-
mon at Mena, Pettigrew, Eldorado, and Camden. It has been re-
ported as breeding in the hills west of Newport. This is one of the
tew birds that lives exclusively in pine trees, and as it feeds to a large
extent on the insects infesting those trees, it is considered a valuable
species. Its food in winter includes, besides insects, a considerable
amount of vegetable matter, such as dogwood and sumac berries
and pine seeds.
[Palm Warbler. Dendroica palmarum.
The palm or red-poll warbler is a common transient visitant in the Mississippi
Valley and breeds in Canada and northern Minnesota. It is one of the earliest war-
blers to migrate, passing north through Missouri from early April to the middle of May
and returning during October. It should be found regularly in Arkansas. |
Prairie Warbler. Dendroica discolor.
This warbler is a fairly common summer resident, arriving from
the south about the middle of April and remaining until the middle
of September. Its name is rather inappropriate, since the bird is not
found in prairie regions, but makes its home usually in brushy clear-
ings among second-growth sprouts. It was noted at Helena between
April 22 and 27, 1904, but apparently is not a regular breeder in the
eastern part of the State. It is a common summer resident at De-
light (where it arrived April 9, 1911), and I noted several at Mena
and Rich Mountain. I+ breeds also in small numbers at Chester,
Pettigrew, Conway, and Mammoth Spring.
Ovenbird. Seiwrus aurocapillus.
The ovenbird, so named from the fancied resemblance of its domed
nest to an old-fashioned oven, is one of the ground warblers and a
dweller in deciduous woodland. It occurs commonly as a migrant,
but as a breeder only in the mountains and foothills of the northern
and western parts of the State. It is reported as a fairly common
summer resident at Clinton, where it arrived from the south on April
24. I found it very common and breeding both on Rich Mountain
and in the Ozark hills around Pettigrew. A migrant was observed
at Turreil on May 9 and at Helena the species has been noted a few
times between May 1 and 19,
PLATE VII.
Dept. of Agriculture.
Sy
logical Survey, U
Bul. 38, Bio
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es
oe
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THE KENTUCKY WARBLER.
A SUMMER RESIDENT INSECT-EATER.
WARBLEBRS. 81
Grinnell Water-thrush. Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis.
This subspecies, the western form of the water-thrush, is a common
migrant through the Mississippi Valley and breeds from northern
Minnesota northward to Alaska. It is, of course, not a thrush at all,
in spite of its name, but a ground warbler related to the ovenbird.
It frequents swamps and creek and river bottoms. I noted several
birds of the species at Turrell May 7, and this seems to be the only
record from the State. The bird is probably of regular occurrence,
however, and may be looked for between April 20 and May 15 and
again from the last of August till October.
Louisiana Water-thrush. Seiurus motacilla.
The Louisiana or large-billed water-thrush is a southern breeding
species, finding its northern limit in southern Nebraska and Minne-
sota. It is a fairly common summer resident in Arkansas, arriving
from the south about the middle of March and departing in October.
It frequents wooded ravines in the hills and, to some extent, wet
river-bottom timber. It is reported as breeding at Clinton, Newport,
and Helena. I found it rather common in summer at Mammoth
Spring, and noted a few at Pettigrew, Chester, and Cotter. At
Womble a nest just completed was found May 22, and at Camden
I collected a full-plumaged young bird July 6.
Kentucky Warbler. Oporornis formosus.
This warbler is a common and generally distributed summer resi-
dent in the wooded parts of the State. It is a lover of damp, river-
bottom woods, but is found also in ravines and along streams well up
on the mountains. It is reported as a breeder at Clinton, Newport,
Helena, and Delight. I found it at Pettigrew, Rich Mountain,
Camden, Wilmot, and Turrell. The first migrants of this species
were seen at Delight April 10, and at Helena April 13 (average date
of arrival at Helena, April 20). , In the fall it was last noted at
Delight on September 4, but is seen only occasionally after the middle
of August.
[Connecticut Warbler. Oporornis agilis.
The Connecticut warbler is a rather common migrant in spring in the Mississippi
Valley, and breedsin Michigan, Minnesota, and Manitoba. Itsfall migration is mainly
east of the Alleghenies, and the bird is rare in the Mississippi Valley. It should occur
regularly in Arkansas during the first half of May.]
Mourning Warbler. Oporornis philadelphia.
The mourning warbler, so named from the black hood it wears, is a
regular and not uncommon migrant in the Mississippi Valley, breeding
from central Minnesota northward. Its spring migration is performed
during May and its fall migration in September. It has been observed
but once in Arkansas—at Helena, May 2, 1909, by Mrs. Stephenson.
94869°—Bull. 38—11——6
82 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS.
Maryland Yellowthroat. Geothlypis trichas trichas.
This little warbler is one of the commonest of our small birds and
inhabits a variety of situations, including open swamps, marshy
fields, brier patches, and brushy clearings. It is found all over the
State—in timbered bottoms, on prairies, and in the valleys among
the mountains. The average date of arrival in spring at Helena is
April 11 and the earliest record April 4. In fall most of the birds
pass south in late September or October. The species is recorded as a
breeder at Clinton, Helena, Stuttgart, Wilmot, Camden, Mena,
Chester, Pettigrew, Conway, Mammoth Spring, and other places.
Specimens have been examined from Stuttgart, Wilmot, Mena, and
Chester, and all prove referable to the typical form. At Turrell,
May 7, I found a nest with 5 eggs on the slope of a railroad embank-
ment within 10 feet of the track. The yellowthroat is a decidedly
useful bird on the farm, feeding upon many injurious insects, such
as leafhoppers, grasshoppers, cankerworms, and other caterpillars,
beetles, moths, ete.
Yellow-breasted Chat. Icteria virens.
This bird, the largest member of the warbler family, is a common
and generally distributed summer resident, occurring in suitable
situations from the Mississippi bottoms to the tops of the highest
mountains. The average date of arrival in spring at Helena is April
20 (earliest record, April 7). After the breeding season the birds
quickly desert their summer homes, and by the middle of September
practically all have left for the south. The last one seen at Delight
was noted September 10. The species is recorded as a breeder at
Mammoth Spring, Clinton, Newport, Helena, Stuttgart, Wilmot,
Delight, Rich Mountain (base to summit), Pettigrew, Cotter, and
other places. At McGehee, May 16, I found in a bunch of weeds
a nest containing 3 eges of the chat and one of the cowbird.
The chat is a lover of thickets and bushy pastures, where its
curious whistling song may be heard at almost any hour of the
day or night. Although usually shy, it occasionally launches into
the air and, with legs dangling and wings raised high above the
body, pours forth a medley of erratic notes. It is largely insectiv-
orous, and has been known to feed on tent caterpillars, wasps, and
beetles. In addition, it takes some vegetable food, as wild berries
and seeds. |
Hooded Warbler. Wilsonia citrina.
This brilliant little bird is a locally common summer resident,
living in heavy bottom-land timber grown up to cane thickets, as well
as in the drier brushy timber tracts on the mountain sides. I found
it common on Rich Mountain nearly to the summit, and in a deep
WARBLERS, 83
- wooded ravine on the south side discovered a nest with three young
May 28. The bird was common also at Pettigrew in the Ozarks
and at Turrell in the Sunken Lands. eee ee 79
Black-throated blue warbler........-.-.-.--- 77
bunting or dickcissel........ 68
green warbler......--....... 79
Ble S00se Races cme cee eee eee ee a ee one 22
STOS DORIS Shae one terse eee eee 67-68
MELON c Seesac space See tee cee ae 24, 25, 26
TB Viossis Hoc sees soo ace ans Soe aes temas 55
Blue-bill or scaup duck, lesser -....----...... 21
IB Tue bir de ce eee en ee ee 92
Blue-sray enatcatchercca- os -ses= as] eee 90
Blue-headed vireo..............------------- 74
Blue-winged teal................------------ 19
Warblerses ee sos.seea ee eee 76
IBODOLIN AREY ones oe clea ae see 2 oe ee 56-57
IBODWIte: 2282) Pace Sone eee eee 33-34
Boll weevil, destruction by birds............. 9, 32,
51, 53, 57-60, 62, 67, 70, 71, 84, 86
BOMIN/ Cia: CCATOTUM es anie seme cosnce 22252. oe 72
Bonaparte ule catece-cnsecee cee eee 15
BONISO WMOCHUSE ve ton = eee een ae eee 34
BOLGUTUSILENLIGINOSUSene occas = 2252s ee eee 24
Bottom lands, Mississippi River, description. 5-6
Brant, white, or snow goose...---------.---- 22
speckled, or white-fronted goose.....- 22
Branta canadensis canadensis.......-..------ 22-23
MULCHING os aeee oe eee 23
IBTe Wer DIACKbITd ss =-c=siceeesmeeteo enero 59
Brewster, C. E., observation of birds. ....... 13
Broad-winged hawit: 2.22. tsesmsase cane nee 39
IBTOnzed Stackles 2s. 5 eae eee eas soe me 60
BYOWNICrCCDEL sat soca eee ee ae ee 88
thrasher, or brown thrush........... 85-86
Brown-headed nuthatch _................... 88
BALD OLOLTGLILUL IVS ola to ee 43-44
94 INDEX.
Page. - Page.
Bufi-breasted sandpiper-2--- = =-- se 32; | (Cola ples GUratus UCUS = ee ee eee 49
iBuliehead sh. sa aes eee Ghai ae eae 22 COlCr: COMATIS! = ns eee ee 49
Bullbatvormichthaw kere esse ere eee ol |. Colinuswirginianius: 20 eee eee 3-34
Bunting, black-throated, or dickcisse]....._- 68-69 | Compsothlypis americana ramaline...._...-- Th
ENGIGO Base = ee ee ee errs 68° |, Connecticutiwarblere =e 81
Painted sc) seer eee eee ee Conuropsis carolinensis................---.-- 44
Butcher bird, or northern shrike____.......-.- 72 | Cooke, W. W., studies of bird migration. _... 12
Buteo borealis borealis ...............2-2-.---- 38° | Cooper hawki.i¢e2-2-) see 38
TROT UG TES So ePRe ee ed 38"). COOt lL: 2 ad Se ee oe ee 28-29
LaTUCMEUS se ne OE ee RR IER 38-39 | Cormorant, double-crested.................- 15-16
DUE DICTION ey ee as 394) sCoreus brachythynchos==- == ee 56
[Bail OTIGES WT ESCOTS ee ee ee ee eee 26 COTAL SUNUMLUS See 56
Butter-ball, or buifichead_._--....-...2..2.- 224 Coturnicops NOveboracensisa- 2 eee eee 28
Buzzard, wurkey aie 2 soe tt eee 46/4. COW DITG 2. ot sages oe 7
Crane, blue, or great blue heron............. 24
Calcarius lipponicus.< . 2 235.5 ee sete ee 61 spud. 25 ea oh ee eee 27
PICS ee ae eee 62 WOO PINE ae he ee eee 27
Campephilus principalis......--..----------- 45-46 | Crawfish, destruction by birds.............. 9,
WATIAGA SOOSC Sees ee ae aes eee a eee eo RS 18, 24, 26, 32, 42, 43, 45
Wel Dich SS. 2 25-2 ee 83 | Creeper, black-and-white. ._................- 74-75
Canwasbac hon eee come ee ie ote ee 21 Bro wits te ee 88
Cape May Warpletsc 222 - ocean nine one wf 1 -Crested flycatechen==— == 5. en ee eee 53
RAT A ee ree 67 | Crops in Lower Atustral Zone ............---- 7
Cardinals: COTUiND BS See ee re ee 67 Upper Austral Zone....._..s...-.-- 8
Carolina chickadeeseses = oes aoe a Scone 891 Cross pill ep oe Sn ee Se 61
DALOGUC Tames eee eee oe ee Be NOLO Wione eee ee ey, eis 56
WOT ese sn ae en ee 86 blackbird, or bronzed grackle..._....- 60
Carpodacus pirpureus2- 2-22 es. eee 60-61 | Cryptoglaux acadica................---------- 43
Carrion crow or black vulture................ 36 |. Cuckoo, black-billed =. 7222-222 > 45
SAUDE eee ener a ae ee eee 84-85 yellow-billed2-* 2 <=) Meadowlark: 2262223502522 2--—- so oe eee 58
JAYVR DUC seetins se cece see hans ee eee eee 55 =
: = SOUthEerN Ss 2525-20 e eee eee 58
SILI COULUCTIVLLLS = See ee ene eee 65 | Saale rine cite ee ne aan 5g
Slate-Colored «7. -2< --n----nancn-dasne- 65 | Melanerpes CL YERTOCE DRAUSS 2a Sce anes ee ee 48
Kentucky warbler........-.-2-2---2-22-0-- 81 | Meleagris gallopavo silvestris ..-...-..-------- 35
Tee ee eee ae ee eee 33 | Melospiza georgiana.......------------------- 66
TRA alee ese sac csi ee 97 LNCOIN ees oe eee eee 66
Kingbird Sais a 9 eee ree acl eT eM Re ae 53 MClOUIO--20- << 5202 =~
Kinglet, golden-crowned..........---------- 89 hooded. ..-------------+---2-++--- 1
ruby-crowned........-2-22-2-2-22-- 89 red-breasted < s22- -22---=-==5---2= 16
Hite: Mississippis=- oars eee =. ssa 37 | Mergus amer 1CONUS ...-------------------+---- 16
Swallow-tailed< teen a eee Soe ace 36-37 | SON LOT ono la 2 onl eine Sea ea eee 16.
| Migrant shrike........---------------+-+--++-- 72-73
Ganiws borealis. ses ee a eee 72 | Mémus polyglottos........------------------- 84
ludovicianus migrans .....----------- 72-73 | Mississippi bottom lands......-.---.--------- 5-6
TGNWITEO LAVUTONS ace cies s. = ee eee 73 ira Fs eae Beate a oe ASR erinenriam 37
SOLOS sched) ee 74 | 'Mniotiléa vorias..22232>2 <= ee se 74-75
Tapland longspur sts. es ne eee 61 |) Mocking bird. cte- 2. =.eeee= ee ee S84
Lark, field, or:meadow lark ~-.~. 522222 ---- 58 French, or migrant shrike..... 72-73
prainie homed s22y225.4252 Sheree 55 | Molothrus ater .....-----------++--++++-2+---- 57
INDEX. | 97
Page
Monroe, W. A., observation of birds.......-- 12
Mosquitoes, destruction by birds.....------- 9,74
IMOUTMIM Px OVC 2 scan eee ee ere eet 35-36
WAL DIOR cts tose eee eens 81
iMirdehen Or COOGs. s2ec- essere ee eee yaa 28-29
MIALSCLUOT OE) OF fICULO aoe anise stern e a 52
MU CLENUL BIMETICONG sae ota 2 al e= se emia nil 23-24
MV AOTCHAGS CTINILUS «52 a. 2 anion «= 53
Myiochanes Wrens... «= =< = 32 2 2 S39 54
MeviilenwanDletess <2. 2 Accs ee eee eae 78
INGIIMUS NICMAS asses te hoe sees seine 87
Nash villeswarblens-- he eee eee tee 76
INCISONSPallOWina econo eens eric 63
NI EELLOTECUTOLLILENS Catan eet te ae santas ie 18-19
ING hit Denon seers te ces iano sii sinc 'o 26
IN GY Aaa co ke ee ee ee ode eee eae 51
PHOT tie yep ee nee te 22 52
INOTUMCRMNH C KEIN paar sao ret eee ate 49
TECWAN Phase ise se esse ccs 58
SHTIKety pase nn so et aaNet ech 7
Nucifraga coltumbiona.....-------~.--25--+--- 56
NALITUCTLUU SIO TIVERLCOMUULS aan iat a tea eral cite 32
DOCU Se Os eee eae 32
INTUECraC kere @latke a5s5..2c 2 semen see aris 56
Nuthatch, prown-headed.- 2.2.2.0 5. 3 oa 88
TEG=DLCAS LCC A 2s sees a cree eetaeraie 88
wihite-breasted .. occcswee-2 2 sce 88
Nuttall, Thomas, explorations _............. 11-12
WNULLOLLOWILS) OOTEOLUS acces s2522 eeeeeee aaa = 54
UNG CLOUDS SORUTOUL CEO rein seas = eee areal 26-27
IVUCLEG: IVY CLOW 3 naeren fa ate oe reine ores ee sigyare 44
Nycticorar nycticorar nxvius.....-- hee oe oo 26
Olive-backed ithrushise eke see ee eeisne te 91
Olinje-sid edefiycatenen ss. 6 =... ce: see = cece 54
OLOAOUCEIN DLO ane See a eee oe 6 2 Demise ioae 23
COLUM MDICNUS eae eae hoe occ cnee ose 23
OPOTOTRISIOGUTS asian Sales alone cies ose eae 81
VhOTIILOSUS = severe eae apes een 81
philadelphia sence n eens ees eee 81
Orange-crowned warbler.......:-.----+..--- 76
Orchard Onioletissatas ac 22-56 eases eee 58-59
Orioles:Baltimorerepes seats eee 59
Orchardieseae soso Sac a 5 es eee 58-59
OSPECY526 5 hea eee peace eee ee 41
OLocorisialpestmissprOliCOlG== =- = eee ye oe 55
OLUSIOSIOINS1OR mee eer en eae ae ae ee 43
LONI CTU WS | aren a BAe eae eae 43
Ouachita Mountain region.........--....... 1
OVENDINGMs maeerane eee eee ena. At Ay 80
Ov ibarneee oe ean Saae Soe ce ea Dew oss on 41
DRTC Cis ere a cement Eno a ee! 42
Mloridabarred ene te sate yon ee So 42
SCKECCHE Cena at ase = pee 8 43
Preat HOMEC Shc ee eee Pour f 43-44
hootorsbarred: owls eee ee 42
Lon g-Cared hip ome Saas ee epee 41-42
Sa WW bese anne ee Ene ea ens aS 43
SCTE GIs Reyes ieee ree FS Foe vaso aso ee 43
Short-eared nena ce cee ee ee 42
SHOWA G Gu scdss ude cdenctonostescnsuou0s 44
OGUCCIUSIUOCHCTUS. S42 en oon ee ee Rees 33
OZATKARC PIONS Yee 2 25 eh Wal Ie ee ae 6-7
Pain teas punting: y..2.9./: ts aaee eee 68
alii wWanplepe ec: scccn se nie Pen ee 80
94869° Bull. 383—11——7
Page.
Pandion haliaétus carolinensis............+--- Al
Papabotte, or upland plover-.-.......:----.-- 31-32
iParoquet,.; Carolinas sees ae eee 44
Passenger pigeon........ cea ea Re nee 35
BUSS CTICOMLESLICUSs ae smoe eee ee eee 60
Passerculus sandwichensis savanna........--- 62
VE CSSCTCLLONULLOCO ee aren See eee eee 66
UROUSSELNRETOULUS RETUISLOWD «12 amtets oie ieee 62
lecontets2. 3 ee eee ee 63
MELSON ia, 3 5 2 Se eS 63
ROSSCTUNMICIT S cane eect on eee eee 68
CUO cage oe ee 68
Pectoral sandpiper: 2. 2 2.2s22-2- 22s see 30
PElECCOTUS CLYtnLOThyNChOSa== 222 see ee ee 16
Belicane Whites a4 cree c- 25 eee ieee emeeneaee 16
PCN eSteS COT OLUNENSIS == 2 ic cere ie eee eee 89
Petpochelidon lUNyTONS sass se4a-e ose eee 70
Peucea exstivalis bachmani ........---------- 65-66 |
Pewee, bridge; or phoche-=2-. 22.2 -.se--e lessens = 5 a6 sss eee 2
Quail, or bobwhite BRAS STS SSSS2S0SSS950R55 % 33-34 | Scissor-tailed fiycatcher=<— = eee =
Ouerquedula discors- =e 19 | ¢ 1 3
Quiscalus quiscula eneus 60 | Boe OM ee 3-44
eg? Se a ae eee ) SeUyrUus GUTOCU PINUS ee =)
Bail bicitig’s Seong een OEM Ao 2 oT TROULCIUD = oe re ene ee 81
ret So. Nae ol Gr os een Ae SSM ae 98 | noveboracensis notabilis.......-----.- g1
Witpinin. et eee ee or semipalmated plover. -225- eee eee 33
Pellow seen eee ae re 28 Sandpiper: <---2 <= ee 30
Rain crow or yellow-billed cuckoo---------- NE ae ea =
Ralins CLEGANS Sones ee ee 97 | Sharp-shinned hawk. --.-.--.......---.-.-.- 37
DUGUTRAANUS © 8 os seek oe ee 27 | Shelldrake or merganser ._...._2...-...--...- 16
Rav ae le eee ee ey oe ee 5¢ | Short-billed marsh wren...............-..-- 87
Recurvirostra americana...........---.------ 99 | Short-eared owl........-......--.------------ 42
Red-bellied woodpecker. .................--- Ag | DUOVOl er none 19
Redbird or cardinal grosbeak............---- 7 | Shrike, migrant...........-..-..------------ 72-73
Red-breasted merganser.................---- 16 northern. ..........-...--22---------- 2
HEH ALCH Sooo Os ee ep ||) SBT SUGLAS <= oe 92
Red-cockaded woodpecker.......----------- 47 | Sickle-bill, or long-bitled curlew -....-----.-- 32
ELGG_CVEG sWilGO" . Sees ncbt a RSE ee 73 | Siskin, pine.........------------------------ 61
TREES] POY G Resco, ie eta gt ae eS 99-91 | Stila canadensis__-..----.--0-------22--2-~-=- ss
Red-headed woodpecker.........----------- 48 CaroliMensis. ~~~ -+++++++++++-+-+ +2222 -+--- 88
Redpoll warbler or palm warbler. .......-.--- 80 DUSHIG.. +2222 eee eee eee eee ee ee eee eee 88
Red-shafted flicker._...................---.- 4g | Slate-colored junco--....2...---...---------- 65
Red-shouldered hawk.............2.-.------ 3g-39 | Smith longspur....-------------------------- 62
Bed start ee A pes g3 | Snake bird or water turkey--..--.----- es Be) 15
ed toiled awic -< 8222 Sa a opt he 3g | Snipe, Wilson. ...--..-.--------------------- 29
CEDCE Pricey a Se en 57 | Snow goose. ...-.-...-.-----------~---------- 22
TOLEHETGS ES Suen ee ae eee! 5g | Snowbird or slate-colored junco........----.. 65
Ehick-billed 202 Son Se as 57 | Snowy egret....------------ eee ee eee tee eee 25
Red-winged blackbird. -.-.--.-..-.-.-------- 57 OW] -....-----+++++- +++ +2222 222 ---++- 44
Regulus calendula.........-.-.-.-----+----+- gg | Solitary sandpiper..........----------------- 31
TERGINE Soe ee eS 89 vireo or blue-headed vireo........... 74
Reynolds, H. S., observation of birds... ..-- 12 | SOng SPartOw- ~~~ ---~— =a 66
Rice destruction by bobolink and blackbirds. 56-57 | STS Tall-..---------++++--+---+-----2 222-0 0>- 28
Prerniinig oe ee aoe es eros re g.7 | Southern downy woodpecker......-.-.-..--- 46
Ricebird or bobolink.....-...--------------- 56 hairy woocpecker.....-..--.------ 46
eine hilled wulls. 62s. tere ee 14 meadowlark.....-.-.-.-----+------ 58
ine necked @iuck:.2) sete. 2 Ae Ae 1 | TODIN.....----------+-------------- 93
Riparia riparia 223.23. 4 Ak ea a > | Sparrow, Bachman...-..--------------------- 65-66
Gilt ooo ee eee eee 92 | chipping.....-------------+-------- 64-65
SOLeie a) eee et. eS oy) elay-colored--_=--_._---- 65
Rose-breasted grosbeak.........------------ 67 English. ......--.---------------+-- 60
Rough-winged swallow..........--------.--- 71-72 field. ...--------------------------- 65
Ruby-crowned Kinglet.............-.-...... 39 fOX...------+-+-++++++-+++-+---+-+-- 66
Ruby-throated hummingbird............... 52 Gambel...----------------+-------- 64
diy ducks cots soe oe ae 22 grasshoppe?...--------------+------ 62
GUTRSUOTIO so Se ee eee 33 Harris .....------------------------ 63
Ruffed grouse........-.----- aie AG Ges 34 Henslow...----------------+--+-++---- 62
Rusty, blackbird sso 3) foe ee 59 lark. ......---------+-+--------------- 63
TLeConie..2°.6-2 eee eee 63
pandhil crane: Se ee a ee a 27 Lincoln: =) 325 ee eee 66
Sandpiper, baird 920 ore ne eee eee 30 Nelson 2222. Sess ee ee 63
Dail-breasted= 2 so 32 | Savannahs. eee eae eee 62
least 3. 3) SS eee SS 30 | SONG ee eee eee ee 66
pectoral li 3. eee eee 3 SWal) sen ee eee 65
semipaimated’ =>. i= eases 30 Rar Sa ose SSeshoseeseossse 64
solitary. <2: 22-2223 31 VESPCl eee eee eee eens 62
Spotted 24 823 Se eee ee ee 32 WESLCER S1C1G Soe oe eee eee eaee 65
white-runiped: i. 5322- <2 eee 30 wWhite-crowneds22-2 = 6 one 63-62
Sapsucker, yellow-bellied...........-------- 47 wihice-Lhroated 22 sn nee 64
Savage, Walter G., observation of birds..-.--- 4! Sparrow bawk.--.- oe see- ee 40-41
INDEX. 99
Page Page,
SDE WIG CLYPERLDe.s! atte cee nna: eta OM CL OMENS SLOUIDESS seen an aicetce sess See 31
Species wUSt ne 2c keegan onal meen te cians 14-92 TLCLATLOLCUCUS tere eam tee Seth eae 30
number in. Arkansas. -s-4c 40222 5 NGS E |) Roni acre ee ee eS see a Sere roe 66-67
Speckle-belly or white-fronted goose......--- Doe ML OVOSLOIMO TUPI s i= - += cache ne e0e tet stasis 85-86
Speckled brant... case ea oe eens Om lrailethycatCherscss 4022 oc. See one enone 54-55
SDNYTEDICUS UGTIUSJ 5 ee eens oes eee ea Alia ied COS DARLOW 7). coe am <2 San en ee one a See ee 64
SPINS DENSA See eee ae eet 61 SWallloWase a2 haceee sein eens 71
Spiza americana.......---+26--- 22002-2027 68 | Troglodytes aédon parkmani........---------- 87
Spizella. monticolas..4.--2- 2.2 ssc ead eee Gain ein peteriswatls qeccce sees cos eee ere 23
(IGE Soak Uae ee Deegan ene te OOM neat OLLCSISRLOMUILCOLLTS =e atercieie setae eee eee 32
MUSSERUTUD ee wins seis ete aie G4-God le PultedsbitmoOuses oJ on2- des ee pees 88-89
PUSIIUG) OTENOCEAN. Perce tae nee ese Fo 65 | Turkey buzzard or turkey vulture......-..-- 36
USUI tome e ema ee ee was 65 VUITUNC 1 oe ckee ese aeee 36
Spoonbill or shoveler.-.......:-------------+ 19 AES) RES itt re inion eras 8 halts 15
Spotted sandpipets-2.2s---.-------4--s----~ 32 Wal itys fees sieges So matin once 35
Sprasuelpli sae see ess ee eee nae S47 eM urnstone nud Giyjsee. sricee ecco eee eee ers 33
Sori cor pimtallere eet sels Sa acel tari in f= 20°", Rympanuchus americanus... ..2.- 222s eae 34
ISUULCTOTOUG SQUALOR OUL sce oo cir rae al oct ae aan 32) ee LyTAUNUs TUTANIVUS eee. =o aces eee 53
SLELOLEO METI CIS ENNUDETUIUIS scien 2 ea 2m teiateie peo = 71-72
Stephenson, Mrs. L. M., observation of birds. 10,12 | Upland plover......-........-.---.--------- 31-32
ISECTILONGNLLULOTALT tenet ee is ere emia = 15
FRONSECT Ise ne ee ae eens toeraciai 15) |), Vermivora.bachmant2 = ..2 osc ees se sient 75-76
SUDO GTO OLLCT ee re ee apne afar ss siaetore 42 COLGEU tne ee ee ee 76
DET noted eee eR ea: Sine eee 2 CHRY SOMCERC, «cia syne as ee eee 76
Sturnella magna argutula ......-.-.------.--- 58 DETEGTING «se ee shies oe eae 77
TLOG TURE anes en eee a 58 DUNS ae aie ae ee ees, eee tee 76
TCG LECEO) PRAM Raye wtiettc remit ateterretarete 58 TULDTACODIULG ee see = Se es oe ae 76
SUTIN Ch Lalla oC haan eee eee mice rete ee GON OM Vesper SparloWine as eens eee eee eee 62
Sunkentlands, Arkansas a.2.- sices seis Soe 5-64 Vireo> Bell’. «see eke ascot sect See SY 74
Swainson warhlersseesa. as se oases eee 75 COTA A reece ees Pea SMe eas aera 74
Swallows bam ees ye ee cae yee Sey vee ecistec ae 71 Inlueshea ded eee ee a eee 74
HL Ope Vesa Eke my Spel ee ea eee eee eee 71 TLS CU Sta a eae eee a. torent erase 74
chimney, or chimney swift........ 52 Piniladellphigic cis cece cereceieroee ee eee 73
C)fT ete Sef Aee eect ti seyeniocingias 70 red=Cyed ak ese tcc Sense ee ie oe 73
MOUS WAN SCC oes Meee emp ree seis cc 71-72 solitary, or blue-headed vireo. ...--.-- 74
LN CC Sree eee teen silane ec cine emt 8 71 WE OLIN Sys esc errr Eo aie eet ene neo 73
Swallow-tall ede te ss ase seryoce et ene nce a= 36-37 Wihite-Cyed ©. crrecmicce soe eee see ee 74
SWAMMDIS DATO Worn arcic sete oie tia ewan Se 66 yellow-throatedes 55
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