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UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
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VOL. XV, PP. 1-9 FEBRUARY 18, 1902
PROCEEDINGS Q.\y) Ouw00.
anus he,
CR
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
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ELL Uicac
THaGa, Ht. Y.
THE GENERIC NAMES OF THE NORTH
AMERICAN SKUNKS.
BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL.
Dr. J. A. Allen, in a recent paper on “The Generic Names of
the Mephitine’,* has presented a careful study of the nomen-
clatural questions relating to the genera Mephitis, Spilogale,
and Chincha, reaching the conclusion that the changes in the
application of these names which I proposed in my recent re-
vision of the genus Chinchat rest on a faulty basis.
It is of course very much to be regretted that a generic name
should ever have to be changed, and the case of the North
American skunks, where the name of one genus is transferred
to another is especially deplorable. It was on this account that
I not only exercised great care in the investigation of the ques-
tion, but also, before suggesting so important a change, invoked
the aid of several of our best mammalogists, including Dr.
Allen.
The change, however, then appeared inevitable, and after a
very careful reading of Dr. Allen’s paper, and a thorough re-
hearsal of all the evidence bearing on the question, I am still
compelled to hold the same view.
*Bull. American Museum Nat. Hist., XIV, pp. 325-334, Nov. 12, 1901.
tNorth American Fauna, No. 20, Aug. 31, 1901.
1—Biou, Soo. Wash. VoL. XV, 1902. (1)
2 Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks.
It seems wise, in view of the radical differences between Dr.
Allen’s position and my own, to go over the evidence again in
greater detail than was possible or necessary in my former
paper. In order to facilitate comparison of the two argu-
ments, I shall adopt the order of presentation used by Dr.
Allen, and at the close give a summary of my own views.
The Genus Mephitis.
The whole question of the application of the name Mephitis
hinges on the identification of Cuvier’s ‘conepate’. If as Dr.
Allen concludes, this is not one of the little spotted skunks, but
the common two-striped skunk of the eastern United States, no
further argument is required to support his contention, and the
so-called ‘restrictions’ of Gray and Lichtenstein have no bearing
on the question. For in that event the genus is not composite,
but is composed of two congeneric species.
But Dr. Allen’s position seems to be untenable. The ‘cone-
pate of Cuvier, although doubtless the equivalent of Buffon’s
‘conepate,’ is based primarily on Viverra putorius Linn., since
Cuvier refers to Linnzus and to no other author; and Viverra
putorius of Linnzus is admittedly based on Catesby’s ‘pol-cat?
of Carolina, which he calls Putorius americanus striatus. In
order to make the matter clear, I shall endeavor to show that
Catesby’s animal is referable to a species of Spilogale, and shall
then trace the subsequent history of the species down to
Cuvier’s time.
The ‘pol-cat? was described and figured by Catesby in his
‘Natural History of Carolina,’ published in 1731, this being the
first account of any North American skunk. The descrip-
tion was prepared from his personal observation during a so-
journ of several years in South Carolina and the adjacent por-
tions of Georgia. He appears never to have visited Florida.
Since it is important to show that he traveled in a region where
Spilogale occurs, I will quote his brief itinerary, as follows:
“The inhabited parts of Carolina extend West from the
Sea about 60 Miles, and almost the whole Length of the
Coast, being a level, low Country. In these Parts I continued
the first Year * * * *, TI then went to the Upper uninhab-
ited Parts of the Country, and continued at and about Fort
Moore, a small Fortress on the Banks of the River Savanna,
a
oh
Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 38
which runs from thence a Course of 300 Miles down to the Sea,
and is about the same Distance from its Source, in the Moun-
tains. I was much delighted to see Nature differ in these Up-
per Parts, and to find here abundance of Things not to be seen
in the Lower Parts of the Country; this encouraged me to take
several Journeys with the Indians higher up the Rivers, towards
the Mountains * * * *,”
As Mr. Bangs has shown, Spilogale probably does not occur
in the coast region of South Carolina or Georgia,* but that both
the large and small skunks occupy the mountainous portions of
North Carolina is well known. It is entirely probable, there-
fore, that they are both found on the upper courses of the
Savannah River. It was doubtless during one of his excursions
‘up the rivers towards the mountains’ that Catesby saw the ani-
mal which served as the basis of his drawing. A copy of his
plate is presented with this paper. His description of the
‘Pol-Cat’ is as follows:
«This in Shape is not unlike our common Polcat, except that
the Nose of this is somewhat longer: The Colour of all I have
seen is black and white, tho’ not always alike marked; this
had a List of white, extending from the hind-part of the
Head, along the Ridge of the Back, to the Rump, with four
others, two on each Side, running parallel with it.”
Following this is an account of the characteristic habits of
the skunk.
Although neither the figure nor the description furnishes an
accurate portrayal of either of the two skunks inhabiting the
region where he travelled, the reference of both plate and de-
scription to Spilogale seems unquestionable. The chief discrep-
ancy lies in the continuity of the white stripes, and in the state-
ment that there are five stripes, the median one being on the
ridge of the back. The real animal shows four parallel stripes
on the back (two on either side of the median line), broken on
the hinder parts of the body into numerous irregular markings,
while lower down ‘on each side an additional stripe runs par-
allel to the others for a part of their length. (See plate.)
When we consider that Catesby’s drawing was probably made
from his recollection of an animal seen afield, perhaps at some
distance, and probably in the dusk of twilight, the differences
between the figure and the real animal become unimportant. It
*Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, p. 224, 1898.
4 Howell—Generic Names of North American Skunks.
must be remembered that it is not necessary to show that his
figure is a correct representation of a Spilogale: the question
is simply, could it have been based on anything else? Had he
seen one of the large skunks, it is hardly conceivable that he
would have represented an animal with two divergent stripes as
having five parallel ones.
The large skunks of the highlands of Carolina are extremely
variable in color, some being almost entirely white on the upper
surface of the body and tail, others nearly all black; in no case,
however, are there more than two white stripes. The little
spotted skunks of the same region, though subject to slight
variation, always have the four parallel white stripes. The ac-
companying plate is presented in order to bring out clearly the
resemblance of Catesby’s figure to the little spotted skunk and
its dissimilarity to the two-striped skunk. The figures of the
skins (made from photographs) represent the average color pat-
terns of the two species occurring in the region in question.
In view of the foregoing evidence, there seems to be no rea-
son for doubting that Catesby’s Polecat was based entirely on
the little spotted skunk occupying the highlands of western
Carolina, viz. Spilogale ringens Merriam. If the Florida
species should later be shown to range northward as far as South
Carolina, Catesby’s animal may then be properly referred to
that form.
Since the existence of a species of Spilogale in the region
where Catesby traveled became known to naturalists, no one, so
far as I know, excepting Dr. Allen, has ever questioned the ap-
plicability of Catesby’s species to some member of that genus.
Even if it be admitted that there is room for some difference
of opinion as to the identification of Catesby’s species, it is
customary in such cases to adopt the decision of the first author
who revises the group. The name Mephitis putorius, based on
Catesby’s species, was first used by Dr. Coues, who applied it
in a broad sense to all the little spotted skunks of North Amer-
ica.* Some years later, the name was definitely fixed by Dr.
Merriam to the Florida species.+ Its use by these two authors
would seem to be sufficient to establish the name on a firm
basis. The only way in which it can now be overthrown is to
*Fur-bearing Animals, p. 239, 1877.
tNorth American Fauna, No. 4, p. 7, 1890.
Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 5
show beyond question that it cannot possibly apply to a Spilo-
gale, which has not been done.
Pursuing the later history of Catesby’s species, we discover
that his account influenced strongly every author who treated
the North American skunks down to the time of Cuvier.
Kalm, during his travels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
learned of the presence of skunks in that region, where we know
Spilogale does not occur, but his account of them,* as Dr. Allen
says, is drawn largely from Catesby, and scarcely at all from
personal observation. ‘Furthermore, he identifies his Polecat
with Catesby’s.
Linnezus, the next author to treat of the North American
skunks, described, in the 10th edition of his Systema Nature
(1758), under the name Viverra putorius, an animal having
Jour white stripes. He cited Catesby and Kalm.
Buffon, in 1765, described the same animal under the name
of ‘le conepate,’ attributing to it five white stripes. His plate
is evidently a copy of Catesby’s (a point not specifically men-
tioned by Dr. Allen), and he quotes a long extract from Kalm,
choosing his account, rather than Catesby’s, probably because
it is fuller.
Schreber, in 1776, under the Linnzan name Viverra putorius,
reproduced Catesby’s plate again, and quoted Linnzus, Catesby
and Kalm.
Finally in 1798, Cuvier adopted Buffon’s name ‘le conepate’
for a five-striped skunk which he identified with Viverra puto-
rius Linn., and renamed Mustela putida. t
It will be seen from this résumé that the basis of Cuvier’s
‘conepaté is primarily Catesby’s Polecat, which has been shown
to be a species of Spilogale. The references to Kalm are purely
secondary, and should be accorded little weight, in view of the
certain fact that Linneus, Buffon, and Cuvier all described a
species having five (or four) white stripes, and obviously based
on Catesby’s figure. Not a single element of the two-striped
skunk appears anywhere in this chain except in Kalm’s account,
where owing to the absence of Spilogale from the region in
*Travels, Vol. II, p. 378, Stockholm, 1756.
+The reason he excluded Viverra zorilla from his group of moujretivs
is because he considered it to bea weasel from the Cape of Good Hope,
and not a skunk at all.
6 Howell—Generic Names of North American Skunks.
which he travelled, the reference to the large skunk is implied.
The second species in the original genus Mephitis, viz.: ‘le
chinche, Viverra mephitis, is admittedly one of the large
North American skunks, the only question raised by Dr. Allen
being the proper application of the specific name.
Hence, as stated in my previous paper, Viverra mephitis hav-
ing been removed by Lesson in 1842 to form the genus Chincha,
the remaining species, V. putorius (here shown to be applicable
to the species now known as Spilogale ringens) becomes, by
elimination, the type of the genus Mephitis.
The question of the type is not affected by the revisions of
the genus by Gray (1837) and Lichtenstein (1838), for the rea-
son that neither of the two groups composing the original
genus was removed by them to another genus. Even on the as-
sumption that Cuvier’s first species (V- putorius) is not a Spil-
ogale, neither Gray’s revision nor Lichtenstein’s is a ‘restriction’
or ‘dismemberment? of the original genus (which according to
this view contains but one group) but is simply a removal into
new genera of species which had been associated with Mephitis
by later authors.*
The Genus Chincha.
The applicability of the name Chincha to the large North
American skunks is not questioned by Dr. Allen, except that he
considers Chincha a synonym of Mephitis; but since he has
opened the way for a fuller discussion of the evidence on this
point, it may be well to refer to several facts which have
come to my attention since the publication of my paper on the
genus.
These facts relate to the basis of Lesson’s type species, Chin-
cha americana. A critical re-examination of the references
cited under this name indicates that the last—that to F. Cuvier
—is the most important, rather than the first—‘ Viverra mephitis
Erxl.’—-which, on account of its prominent position, I rather
hastily assumed to be the one on which Lesson relied ag the
basis of his type. The importance of the reference to Cuvier is
*In this connection it my be well to call attention to a lapsus penne in
Dr. Allen’s paper, where on page 328, in the 6th and 7th lines from the
top of the page, the words ‘first’ and ‘second’ should be interchanged,
Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 1
shown by Lesson’s note that Cuvier’s plate is a ‘good figure’ of
the species he is treating (‘B. fig.’ Bonne figure), and by his
assignment of ‘Louisiana’ as the type locality, that being the
source of the specimen recorded by Cuvier. An examination
of Cuvier’s plate shows that it is indeed a ‘good figure’ of one
of the North American two-striped skunks, and in the text we
find the statement that the figure was based on a specimen
which the elder Cuvier had in captivity, and which came from
Louisiana.
In view of this certain evidence, it seems best to consider
that Chincha americana Lesson, which is the type of the genus,
was based largely on the animal described by F. Cuvier, which
is referable to Chincha mesomelas (Licht.) This conclusion, of
course, does not affect the validity of the name Chincha, but
simply serves to fix with greater certainty the basis of the
type.*
Viverra mephitis Schreber.
Dr. Allen has made a very clear presentation of the facts
bearing on the tenability of this name. His conclusion, how-
ever, that it should be referred to Mephitis macroura Licht.,
seems to be based on a misapprehension of the facts.
The members of the macroura group (Subgenus Leucomitra)
as I pointed out in my previous paper, are usually either wholly
‘ “white or wholly black on the back, and in any case never have the
divided stripe of the United States species (subgenus Chincha).
The tail, in the majority of specimens, equals or exceeds the
head and body in length, and never falls below 85 per cent of
the combined length of head and body. Buffon’s figure (of
which Schreber’s is a copy) portrays an animal with two broad
divergent stripes separated by a small area of black; the tail is
said to be half as long as the head and body.
*In this connection, I may take occasion to publish a name which
escaped me while preparing the list of specific names referable to the
genus Chincha. (N. Am. Fauna, No. 20, p. 15). To that list should be
added Mephitis vulgaris F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm., VII, Table Gen.
et. Method, p. 3, 1842, based on the plate and description of "le Chinche,’
published in a previous volume of the same work (Hist. Nat. Mamm.,
III, livr. 28, 1821). Cuvier says in this connection: ‘‘This animal is the
Viwerra mephitis of the systematic catalogues; the name should be
changed, since Mephitis has become the generic name.”
8 Howell—Generic Names of North American Skunks.
It is evident, therefore, that the specimen on which the de-
scription was based came from some part of the United States
or Canada, and not from Mexico. The figure can be exactly
matched by specimens from the eastern States, and also by
specimens of estor from Arizona. It could hardly be supposed
‘ to have come, however, from the latter region, and the most
logical conclusion is that it was taken somewhere in the east-
ern part of the United States or Canada.
The amount of white on the back is excessive for the Canada
skunk, so far as our present limited knowledge of the species
indicates. The short tail, however, is strikingly diagnostic,
for this is a character possessed by no other eastern species.
In the absence of any definite knowledge of the origin of Buf-
fon’s specimen, it seems wise therefore to fix the name mephitis
to the Canada skunk. If the name be rejected as unidentifiable,
mephitica of Shaw would have to be rejected for the same
reason, for Shaw’s name has exactly the same basis as Schreber’s,
viz. Buffon’s ‘chinche’. The name mephitis, although accred-
ited to Linnzus, is not his name, for he wrote memphitis, a
word of quite different meaning; furthermore, Schreber’s de-
scription, as shown by Dr. Allen, is based on Buffon, rather
than on Linneus.
Summary.
1. The original genus Mephitis Cuvier, contained two species,
the first of which (Mustela putida) is a little spotted skunk, the
second (Mustela mephitis) a large two-striped skunk.
2. Mustela putida Cuvier, is based on Viverra putorius Linn.,
and therefore primarily on Catesby’s Putorius americanus
striatus, which is clearly referable to the little spotted skunk of
the highlands of Carolina, i. e., Spilogale ringens Merr. Lin-
neus’s reference to Kalm, since it is wholly secondary to the
reference to Catesby, should have little weight.
3. Gray in naming Conepatus, and Lichtenstein in naming
Thiosmus, did not restrict the genus Mephitis, but simply sep-
arated groups which had been associated with Mephitis by
authors other than Cuvier.
4. When Chincha was proposed by Lesson, the original
genus Mephitis had never been divided, nor had the type in any
way been fixed. Hence his selection of the second group, rep-
: aa : >park I.
Proc. Bron. Soc. Wasn., Vou. XV, 1902. PI
THE TWO GENERA OF CAROLINA SKUNKS IN COMPARISON WITH
CATESBY'S ‘POL-CaT’.
Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 9
resented by the species Viverra mephitis, to form a new sub-
genus was perfectly legitimate.
5. The type of the genus Mephitis was fixed, not by Lesson’s
assignment of the name to his third subgenus, but by the action
of the principle of elimination, through the removal of Chincha
from the original genus.
6. Mustela putida Cuvier, 1798, does not preoccupy Mephitis
putida Boitard, 1842, for the reason that the former name, hay-
ing been shown to be based on Catesby’s Polecat rather than
Kalm’s, is applicable to a species of Spilogale (Mephitis as re-
stricted) while Boitard’s name belongs to the large skunk of
New Jersey—a species of Chincha.
4. Viverra mephitis Schreber, cannot, on account of the color
pattern and short tail of the type specimen, relate to any species
of the subgenus ZLeucomitra. Its restriction to the skunk of
eastern Canada is entirely within the bounds of a reasonable
interpretation of the probable origin of the specimen on which
the name was based.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE.
(From photographs).
Fig. 1. Skin of Chincha putida, from Washington. D. C.
Fig. 2. Skin of Spdlogale ringens from Roan Mtn., N.C. (Top view.)
Fig. 3. Skin of Spilogale ringens from Roan Mtn., N. C. (Side view.)
Fig. 4. Reproduction of Catesby’s plate of the ‘pol-caz’.
Vol. KXVI, pp. 139-140 May 24013
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW WEASEL FROM ALABAMA.
BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL,
Weasels are exceedingly scarce and very difficult to obtain in
the Southern States. Within the past year three specimens,
representing both winter and summer pelage, have been
received from Alabama by the Biological Survey, and these
seem to represent an undescribed subspecies, closely related to
Mustela peninsulae (Rhoads).
The acquisition of this material is due to the energy of Mr.
Lewis S. Golsan of Autaugaville, and Mr. Bennington. King of
Leighton, who, at my suggestion, made special efforts to obtain
specimens of the Alabama Weasel.
The new race may be characterized as follows:
Mustela peninsulae olivacea subsp. nov.
Type from Autaugaville, Ala. co ad. No. 180,802, U. 8. National Mu-
seum, Biological Survey Collection. December 22, 1912. Collected by
L. 8. Golsan. Original No. 144 (9988x).
Characters.—Similar to M. peninsulae, but color in winter pelage decid-
edly paler and more olivaceous; yellowish of feet less extensive.
Color.—Type (winter pelage): upperparts nearest to buffy-brown (of
Ridgway); head slightly darker, about Natal brown; a small patch of
white on each side of face behind the eyes, and a few flecks of white on
top of nose; color of upperparts covering about half of front feet, the
remainder, including toes, being cream-buff; toes of hind feet tinged
with whitish; black tail tip about 70 mm. in length; underparts straw-
color, irregularly blotched with cartridge-buff.
Summer pelage.—( Specimens from Leighton, Alabama ): upperparts
mummy-brown; head Vandyke brown with a few white flecks between
the eyes; underparts cartridge-buff to colonial buff; color of upperparts
encroaching on the belly; toes of front feet cream color; those of hind
feet tinged with whitish.
34—Proc. BIoL. Soc. WAsH., VoL. X XVI, 19138. (139)
140 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Skull,—Similar to that of peninsulae, with broad braincase, widely
spreading zygomata, large post-orbital processes, broad and much inflated
audital bullae, broad inter-pterygoid fossa and heavy molars. The bullae
are of essentially the same shape as those of peninsulae but are not quite
so high.
Measurements.—Type (c’ ad.): total length, 420; tail vertebrae, 140;
hind foot, 50. Skull: occipito-nasal length, 48; basilar length, 46.8;
palatal length, 21.6; mastoid breadth, 25.3; zygomatic breadth, 29.3;
breadth across post-orbital processes, 14; least interorbital breadth, 9,
audital bullae, 15 x 7.6; width of inter-pterygoid fossa, 3.5.
Remarks.—On account of the scarcity in collections of Mustela penin-
sulae peninsulae, the range of color variation in that race is not known.
The two winter specimens before me, however, differ widely, the palest
one (No. 9379, Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Tarpon Springs, Florida)
being about Verona-brown (of Ridgway), the other a much darker
shade of brown. Both are darker and browner than the type of olivacea.
The summer pelage of peninsulae is not definitely known, but a worn
specimen from Hernando Co., Florida, is decidedly lighter than the
specimens of olivacea from Leighton. The latter do not differ much in
color of the upperparts from certain specimens of noveboracensis, but the
underparts are a duller shade of yellow. ,
This weasel may be instantly recognized as distinct from Mustela novebo-
racensis by its striking skull characters. The latter species ranges down
the Alleghenies to northern Alabama, as evidenced by a typical specimen
which I collected on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, in July, 1911.
Vol. XXVI, pp. 199-202 October 23, 1913
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW BIRDS FROM ALABAMA.
BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL.
Recent field work conducted by the Biological Survey in
Alabama has resulted in the discovery of undescribed forms of
the common crow and of the towhee. Both of these new forms
reach the extreme of differentiation on the Gulf coast, the
towhee ranging nearly throughout Alabama and the crow still
farther north to southern Ilinois and the District of Columbia.
One interesting fact developed by these studies is that neither
of the new races is closely related to the forms occupying penin-
sular Florida, nor are they strictly intermediate between the
latter and the northern races of the species. The crow is de-
cidedly smaller than the Florida Crow while the towhee is much
larger than the Florida Towhee and slightly larger even than
the northern race. ‘i
Corvus brachyrhynchos paulus subsp. nov.
SOUTHERN CROW.
Type from Bon Secour, Alabama. @ adult, No. 204,882, U. S. Nat.
Mus., Biological Survey Collection. October 24, 1908, A. H. Howell.
Orig. No. 741. ,
Characters.—Decidedly smaller than Corvus b. brachyrhynchos, with a
much slenderer bill. Nearest to Corvus b. hesperis but with shorter wing
and slightly larger bill.
Distribution.—Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, southeastern Texas,
Georgia (?), South Carolina, and north to the District of Columbia and
southern Illinois.
Measurements.—Type(@ adult): wing, 275; tail, 165; exposed culmen,
46; depth of bill at nostrils, 16.5; tarsus, 54; middle toe, 34. Average
of 4 adult males from Autaugaville, Alabama: wing, 290 (285-300) ; tail,
170 (166-178); exposed culmen, 51 (47-54); depth of bill at nostrils, 17.5
(17-18); tarsus, 60.5 (60-61); middle toe, 33.9 (31-36.5). Average of 3
52—Proc. BIoL. Soc. WasH., VOL. XXVI, 1913. (199)
200 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
adult females from coast of Alabama: wing, 274.3 (270-280) ; tail, 162.7
(155-168); exposed culmen, 45.8 (45.5-46); depth of bill at nostrils, 16.2
(16-16.5); tarsus, 57 (54-59); middle toe, 33 (52-34).
Remarks. —This new race of the common crow seems to be fully as well
characterized as the other recognized subspecies. Although the bird is
nearest to C. b. hesperis in size, its range apparently is separated from
the range of hesperis by a strip of country in central Texas in which no
crows breed. Specimens examined from east Texas are apparently inter-
mediate between brachyrhynchos and paulus. A series of 9 breeding
birds from the District of Columbia and vicinity are also somewhat inter-
mediate, but much nearer to paulus. This form shows no approach to
pascuus, the resident bird of south Florida, which has much Jarger bill
and feet. A breeding male from Christchurch Parish, South Carolina, is
typical paulus and a breeding female from Mt. Carmel, Illinois, is
apparently nearest to this form.
Since Corvus brachyrhynchos has now been separated into five races, it
seems desirable to fix the type locality of the original form. Brehm, in
describing the species,* attributes it to North America, without mention
of a definite locality. The measurements given by him (length, 1914
inches; tail, 814 inches; bill 23 lines) indicate a large bird and there is
every probability that his specimen came from northeastern America.
The large form is known to occur throughout New England and the type
locality is hereby fixed at vicinity of Boston, Massachusetts.
Specimens examined.—Total number 24, from the following localities:
Alabama: Autaugaville, 6; Bayou La Batre, 1; Bon Secour, 1; Florence,
1; Whistler, 1.
Mississippi: Fayette, 1.
Louisiana: Tallulah, 1.
Texas, Sour Lake, 1.
South Carolina: Christchurch Parish, 1.
Virginia: Falls Church, 5; Addison, 1.
Maryland: Bladensburg, 1; Garrett Park, 1.
District of Columbia: Washington, 1.
Illinois: Mt. Carmel, 1.
* Beitrige zur Végelkunde, II, 1822, pp. 37, 56.
201
irds from Alabama.
Howell— Descriptions of Two New B
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202 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Tapie or CompiRAtiIvE MeasureMENTS OF THE RAcES OF Corvus
brachyrhynchos.*
Depth
Ex- - Mid-
Males Wing | Tail booed oe Tarsus| dle
! culmen|, ostrils toe
C. brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos 321 | 182. | 51.5 | 19.5 | 62 38
a oe pascuus . 304. [175 | 51.5 | 19 62.5 | 38
St » hesperis 302.5'171 | 47.5 | 16.5 | 57.8 | 35.5
a oe paulus ¢ .| 290 |170 | d1 17.5 | 60 3.9
ne i caurinus . | 288.5| 163 | 47 16.5 | 51 3
Females
C. brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos, 305 | 177 | 48 18 57.5 | 88
ee a pascuns . .| 804 | 169 | 51 19 62 38
ay ee hesperis ./ 295 | 169.5] 45.5 | 16 55.5 | 34
me a paulus + -| 283 | 167 | 47 16.3 | 59 33
. ee caurinus . 272 | 163) 45 16 48 30.5
Pipilo erythrophthalmus canaster subsp. nov.
ALABAMA TOWHEE,
Type from Spring Hill near Mobile, Alabama. Q adult, No. 207,771,
U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection. May 8, 1911, A. H.
Howell. Original No. 944.
Characters.—Similar to P. e. erythrophthalmus, but with larger bill
and slightly longer tail; white markings on tail feathers less extensive;
sides and flanks averaging paler; females with head, neck, chest, and
upper parts more grayish (dark olive-brown instead of Prout’s brown);
iris red.
Distribution.—Greater part of Alabama excepting extreme northern
counties where it grades into erythrophthalmus; eastern and western
limits of range unknown.
Color.—Females: Upper parts varying from dark olive-brown to clove-
brown; top of head somewhat browner (sepia or bistre) ; throat and chest
pale fuscous, shading to bistre; otherwise as in erythrophthalmus.
' Measurements.—Average of 8 adult males from Alabama: wing, 89
(85-93); tail, 97 (90-101); exposed culmen, 14.9 (14-16); depth of bill
at base, 10.2 (10-11); tarsus, 29.9 (28-32) middle toe, 19.9 (19-21.5);
length of white spot on outermost tail-feather, 28.7 (26-33). Female
(type): wing, 86; tail, 96; exposed culmen, 14; depth of bill at base,
10.3; tarsus, 29; middle toe, 19; length of white spot on outermost tail-
feather, 24.5.
Remarks.—This new race may be recognized in either sex by the rela-
tively small amount of white on the tail, as compared with erythrophthal-
mus, and by the large size and red eyes as compared with alleni. Females
are much more grayish than those of either erythrophthalmus or alleni.
The bird is probably in the main non-migratory, and occurs locally in
moderate numbers throughout Alabama and probably adjacent parts of
-Georgia and Mississippi.
* All measurements, except those of paulus, from Ridgway's ‘' Birds of North and
Middle America.”
+ Average of 4 adults from Autaugaville, Alabama.
t Average of 5adults from southern Alabama.
Vol. XXVIII, pp. 109-114 May 27, 1915
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTIONS OF A NEW GENUS AND SEVEN NEW
RACES OF FLYING SQUIRRELS.
BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL.
A study of the American flying squirrels has led to the dis-
covery of a number of unrecognized forms, preliminary descrip-
tions of which are presented herewith. The subgenus Glaucomys
Thomas,* is believed to be of generic rank and the name is
therefore used for all the American species. The large Hima-
layan species, Sciuropterus fimbriatus Gray, referred by Thomas
to Glaucomys, is here made the type of a new genus. Sciuropterus
F. Cuvier, 1825, as has been shown by Miller,t isa synonym
of Pteromys G. Cuvier, 18001; the latter name, in my opinion,
should be restricted to the small Palaearctic species—volans,§
biéchneri, and related forms.
Eoglaucomys genus nov.
Type, Sciuroptera fimbriata Gray (= Sciuropterus fimbriatus auct.).
Characters.—Skull essentially similar in general features to that of
Glaucomys; postorbital processes longer and more strongly decurved; in-
terparietal with antero-posterior diameter much greater than in Glauco-
mys—about two-thirds of the transverse diameter; molariform teeth much
as in Glaucomys, with comparatively simple structure, but with crown of
pm divided into two cusps by a distinct sulcus (partially worn teeth
“Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., (ser. 8) I, 1908, p 5 (type Mus volans Linn.).
+ Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X XVII, 1914, p. 216.
} Pteromys G. Cuvier, Legons Anat. Comp., I, 1800—Type, Sciurus volans Linn. =
Pteromys russicus auct.
§ Linnaeus (Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1758) named the European flying squirrel Sciurus volans
and the American species Mus volans; the names are not homonyms, therefore, and in
recognizing the two animals as generically distinct, it will be necessary to use the name
Pteromys volans (= P. russicus of Tiedemann and later authors) for the Russian animal,
retaining Glaucomys volans for the small species of eastern North America.
19—Proc. BIOL. Soc. WasH., VOL. XXVIII, 1915. (109)
110 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
showing two closed triangles). Soles partially naked, bearing five pads—
four at the bases of the toes, and a large metatarsal pad, elliptical in
shape, situated about midway between the heel and the base of the toes ;*
tail slightly flattened, full and bushy, narrowing decidedly towards the
tip; ears large, subtriangular in shape, more acutely pointed than in
either Glaucomys or Pteromys.
Remarks.—The genus, so far as known, is monotypic. In external
appearance it bears no close resemblance either to the American Glauco-
mys or to the small Palaearctic flying squirrels of the genus Pteromys,
being readily distinguished from either by the characters of the soles, as
well as by large size and bushy, tapering tail. In cranial characters, the
resemblance to Glaucomys is certainly striking, as Mr. Thomas has
pointed out,t but in assigning the animal to the latter group, he evidently
overlooked the important structural differences in the anterior premolar
and in the plantar tubercles.
Glaucomys volans saturatus subsp. nov.
Type from Dothan, Alabama; adult female, No. 178,366, U. 8. Nat.
Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected March 13, 1912, by A. H.
Howell; original number 1960.
Characters.—Similar in size and skull characters to volans, but upper-
parts darker at all seasons; toes not conspicuously whitened in winter.
Compared with querceti: Upperparts darker, face grayer (less buffy), hind
feet grayer (less brownish), and audital bullae smaller.
Measurements.—Average of 12 adults from southern Alabama: Total
length, 226; tail vertebrae, 100; hind foot, 30. Skull (of type): Greatest
length, 34.9; zygomatic breadth, 20.4; mastoidal breadth, 17.4; inter-
orbital breadth, 7.2; length of nasals, 9.5; alveolar length of maxillary
tooth row, 6.5.
Remarks.—This dark race of volans occupies the Gulf States, excepting
Florida and Texas (and perhaps Louisiana), extending north to eastern
Tennessee and western North Carolina and west to Arkansas and Okla-
homa. It differs in color from all the surrounding races and from
querceti and texensis also in skull characters.
Glaucomys volans texensis subsp. nov.
Type from 7 miles northeast of Sour Lake, Texas. . Adult male, No.
136,400, U. S. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected March
15, 1905, by J. H. Gaut; original number 3480.
Characters.—Similar in size and color to volans; upperparts slightly
more ochraceous and toes without conspicuous white markings in winter;
skull decidedly shorter and relatively broader. Compared with saturatus:
Colors much paler; skull shorter and broader. Compared with querceti:
similar in color, but skull shorter, with smaller audital bullae.
* A small, circular, supplementary tubercle appears in some specimens on the outer
side of the sole, directly posterior to the pad at the base of the fifth digit.
+ Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (Ser. 8), I, 1908, p. 6.
Howell—A New Genus and New Races of Flying Squirrels. 111
Measurements.—Average of six adults from type locality: Total length,
229; tail vertebrae, 104; hind foot, 30.8. Skull (of type): Greatest
length, 34; zygomatic breadth, 20.9; mastoidal breadth, 17.2; interorbital
breadth, 7.3; length of nasals, 9.2; alveolar length of maxillary tooth-
row, 6.3.
Remarks.—This subspecies bears a close resemblance to both volans and
querceti in color but differs from them in characters of the skull. It is
known from only a few localities, but apparently occupies the humid
portion of eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.
Glaucomys sabrinus canescens subsp. nov.
Type from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Subadult female, No.
7663, Field Mus. of Nat. Hist.; collected February 3, 1900, by G. F.
Dippie.
Characters.—Similar to G'. s. macrotis, but much paler, with grayer
head and larger skull. Compared with sabrinus: Size smaller; upperparts
and feet paler; underparts whiter.
Measuremenis.—Average of two specimens from type locality: Total
length, 298; tail vertebrae, 140; hind foot, 38. Skull (of type): Greatest
length, 38.8; zygomatic breadth, 22.9; mastoidal breadth, 17.6; inter-
orbital breadth, 7.6; length of nasals, 11.2; alveolar length of maxillary
toothrow, 7.6.
Remarks.—This is the palest of the races of sabrinus and is apparently
intermediate in size between sabrinus and macrotis. By reason of the
small number of specimens available, its range can not be defined with
exactness, but probably it occupies the thinly timbered portions of
southern Manitoba and eastern North Dakota and may range even farther
westward.
Glaucomys sabrinus columbiensis subsp. nov.
Type from Okanagan, British Columbia. Subadult male, No. 94,310,
U. 8. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection) ; collected May 9, 1898,
by Allan Brooks; original number 1214.
Characters.—Similar to G. s. klamathensis, but upperparts more vina-
ceous and tail much darker; much paler than oregonensis, both above
and below; very similar to sabrinus, both in color and cranial characters,
but soles of hind feet often yellow (as in klamathensis); skull similar to
that of oregonensis; smaller than that of klamathensis, with smaller
bullae.
Measurements.—Two specimens (subadult) from Okanagan Lake, B. C.,
each measured: Total length, 318; tail vertebrae, 143; hind foot, 42.
Skull: Average of 4 (adult and subadult) from same locality : Greatest
length, 41; zygomatic breadth, 24.4; mastoidal breadth, 19.1; interor-
bital breadth, 7.3; length of nasals, 12.7; alveolar length of maxillary
toothrow, 7.8.
112 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Remarks.—This subspecies is most closely related to oregonensis of the
coast region of Oregon and Washington, intermediates between the two
forms occurring at Sumas and Chilliwack, B. C. Intergradation with
fuliginosus—the form occupying the Cascades—is shown by specimens
from mouth of Salmon River, B. C. The present form occupies the low
country in the interior of British Columbia and northern Washington.
Glaucomys sabrinus latipes subsp. nov.
Type from Glacier, British Columbia. Adult female, No. 68,753, U.S.
Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected August 13, 1894, by
J. Alden Loring; original number 2111.
Characters.—Similar to G. s. fuliginosus, but larger, and upperparts
averaging darker and grayer; feet larger and darker colored. Compared
with alpinus: Size larger; colors darker (more brownish, less drab) ;
underparts darker.
Measurements.—Adult female (type): Total length, 359; tail vertebrae,
161; hind foot, 43; average of 9 adults from Coolin, Idaho, and Stanton
Lake, Mont.: 339, 151; 40.6. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 44.2;
zygomatic breadth, 25.1; mastoidal breadth, 20; interorbital breadth,
8.3; length of nasals, 14; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow, 8.8.
Remarks.—This subspecies is one of the largest of the American flying
squirrels, equaling yukonensis in external measurements and exceeding it
in size of skull. Although evidently closely related to fuliginosus, of the
Cascades, there is at present no evidence of intergradation with that
race. The present form differs widely from alpinus, which occupies the
eastern slopes of the Rockies in Alberta, and from the much smaller
bangsi of the Bitterroot and Sawtooth Ranges of Idaho and Montana.
Glaucomys sabrinus flaviventris subsp. nov.
Type from head of Bear Creek, Trinity County, California (altitude
6400 feet). Adult male, No. 13,319, Univ. of Calif., Mus. Vert. Zool.;
collected August 13, 1911, by Annie M. Alexander; original number
1775.
Characters.—Similar in size and skull characters to G. s. lascivus, but
underparts and feet strongly suffused with yellow or buff; similar to
klamathensis, but smaller, with much smaller audital bullae; underparts
more yellowish and tail darker beneath. Compared with stephens:
Upperparts much paler and underparts more yellowish; skull flatter with
shallower braincase.
Measurements.—Average of five adults from type locality: Total length,
301; tail vertebrae, 133; hind foot, 40.4; ear, 20.7. Skull (of type):
Greatest length, 40; zygomatic breadth, 23.4; mastoidal breadth, 17.9;
interorbital breadth, 7.9; length of nasals, 12.3; alveolar length of maxil-
lary toothrow, 8.1.
Remarks.—This race is apparently most nearly related to lascivus of
the Sierra Nevada, from which it differs widely in the color of the under-
Howell—A New Genus and New Races of Flying Squirrels, 1138
parts. It intergrades with lascivus in the region around Mt. Lassen,
with klamathensis in the Warner Mountains, and with fuliginosus in
the Siskiyou Mountains.
Glaucomys bullatus sp. nov.
Type trom Sawtooth (Alturas) Lake, Idaho. Adult female, No. 243244,
U.S. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected September 28,
1890, by Vernon Bailey and B. H. Dutcher; original number 1883.
Characters.—Size large (about equaling G. sabrinus latipes ; much
larger than G. s. bangst); color of upperparts similar to that of bangsi
but decidedly more ochraceous (less vinaceous); gray on face purer and
more extensive; skull large, with narrow, deep braincase, the fronto-
parietal region markedly elevated; molars heavy; audital bullae very
large.
Measurements.— Adult female (type) : Total length, 340; tail vertebrae,
150; hind foot, 46; average of 6 adults from Ketchum, Idaho: 336; 142;
42.5. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 44; zygomatic breadth, 25;
mastoidal breadth, 19; interorbital breadth, 8.7; length of nasals, 13.9 ;
alveolar length of maxillary toothrow, 9.2.
Remarks.—This species resembles certain of the forms of sabrinus
rather closely in color but is readily separated from all of them by its
peculiar skull with very large bullae. Its range, as now known, is from
Ketchum, Idaho, north to Cranbrook, British Columbia. At Sawtooth
Lake it occurs on the same ground with the much smaller G. s. bangs
and at Cranbrook, B. C., occurs with G. s. columbiensis.
Vol. XXVI, pp. 199-202 October 23, 1913
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW BIRDS FROM ALABAMA.
BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL.
Recent field work conducted by the Biological Survey in
Alabama has resulted in the discovery of undescribed forms of
the common crow and of the towhee. Both of these new forms
reach the extreme of differentiation on the Gulf coast, the
towhee ranging nearly throughout Alabama and the crow still
farther north to southern Illinois and the District of Columbia.
One interesting fact developed by these studies is that neither
of the new races is closely related to the forms occupying penin-
sular Florida, nor are they strictly intermediate between the
latter and the northern races of the species. The crow is de-
cidedly smaller than the Florida Crow while the towhee is much
larger than the Florida Towhee and slightly larger even than
the northern race. |
Corvus brachyrhynchos paulus subsp. nov.
SOUTHERN CROW.
Type from Bon Secour, Alabama. Q adult, No. 204,882, U.S. Nat.
Mus., Biological Survey Collection. October 24, 1908, A. H. Howell.
Orig. No. 741.
Characters.—Decidedly smaller than Corvus b. brachyrhynchos, with a
much slenderer bill. Nearest to Corvus b. hesperis but with shorter wing
and slightly larger bill.
Distribution —Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, southeastern Texas,
Georgia (?), South Carolina, and north to the District of Columbia and
southern Illinois. ;
Measurements.—Type(@Q adult): wing, 273; tail, 165; exposed culmen,
46; depth of bill at nostrils, 16.5; tarsus, 54; middle toe, 34. Average
of 4 adult males from Autaugaville, Alabama: wing, 290 (285-300); tail,
170 (166-178); exposed culmen, 51 (47-54); depth of bill at nostrils, 17.5
(17-18); tarsus, 60.5 (60-61); middle toe, 33.9 (31-36.5). Average of 3
52—Proc. BIoL. Soc. WasH., VOL. XXVI, 19138. (199)
200 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
adult females from coast of Alabama: wing, 274.3 (270-280); tail, 162.7
(155-168); exposed culmen, 45.8 (45.5-46) ; depth of bill at nostrils, 16.2
(16-16.5); tarsus, 57 (54-59); middle toe, 33 (32-34).
Remarks.—This new race of the cominon crow seems to be fully as well
characterized as the other recognized subspecies. Although the bird is
nearest to C. b. hesperis in size, its range apparently is separated from
the range of hesperis by a strip of country in central Texas in which no
crows breed. Specimens examined from east Texas are apparently inter-
mediate between brachyrhynchos and paulus.
+ ——
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PETIT BOIS. \.DAUPHIN ID. t
Fic. U.—Breeding areas of Red-winged Blackbirds in Alabama.
1. Agelaius phoeniceus predatorius.
2. Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus.
208 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
Breeding specimens have been examined from Leighton, At-
talla, Greensboro, and Autaugaville; and wintering individuals
from Uniontown and Barachias. Avery. reports the species
abundant in winter at Greensboro, and Brown speaks of see-
ing immense flocks at Coosada at that season. Nesting be-
gins about the first of May; eggs were found at Autaugaville,
May 11.
General habits——During the breeding season, these black-
birds are largely restricted to marshes or low, boggy fields,
but in winter they congregate in immense flocks, roving about
the country in search of food and often flying long distances
to gather into a common roost at night. For this purpose
they select a reed-grown marsh, and spend the night well con-
cealed in the thick reeds. During the winter and early spring
the sexes keep for the most part in flocks by themselves, and in
the spring migration the males precede the females by two
weeks or more. The gregarious habit prevails to some extent
in the breeding season and the species is more or less polyga-
mous, a single male often mating with 2 or 3 females.
The alarm note of the red-wing is a sharp chuck; the song
is liquid and resonant, and though not ranking high as a
musical production is nevertheless pleasing.
The nests are basketlike structures woven of reeds or
grasses placed in bushes or reeds, usually 2 or 3 above the
ground, but occasionally as high as 10 feet. The eggs are
usually 3 or 4 in number, curiously scrawled and blotched
with brown or black.
Food habits——The food of the red-winged blackbird has
been studied by Prof. Beal, of the Biological Survey, from
examination of more than a thousand stomachs. The food
was found to consist of 26.6 per cent animal matter, chiefly
insects, and 73.4 per cent vegetable. The insects eaten are
principally beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars, with a few
wasps, ants, flies, bugs, and dragonflies. The vegetable food
consists mainly of grain and seeds of grasses and weeds.
“Grain collectively amounts to 13.9 per cent of the food of
the year, and its distribution * * * leads to the conclusion
that at least half of it is waste.’ Oats, corn, and wheat are
the grains usually eaten, and where rice is grown that crop
BLACKBIRDS 209
is often considerably injured by these blackbirds. Weed seed
is apparently the favorite food of the red-wings, since the total
amount of grass and weeds is 54.6 per cent, more than half of
the year’s food, and more than four times the total grain
consumption. Summing up the bird’s status, he says:
“Judged by the contents of its stomach alone, the red-wing
is most decidedly a useful bird. The service rendered by the
destruction of noxious insects and weed seeds far outweighs the
damage due to its consumption of grain. The destruction that
it sometimes causes must be attributed entirely to its too great
abundance in some localities.*
FLORIDA RED-WING: Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus
(Linnaeus) .t
State records.—The Florida red-wing occupies the southern
part of Alabama as far north as Russell County. It differs
from the northern subspecies (predatorius) in smaller size
and intergrades with that form in the central part of the
State. It is moderately common in the wet marshes of Mobile
Bay and Perdido Bay, and very numerous on Grande Batture
and Petit Bois Islands. Specimens have been examined from
Petit Bois Island, Alabama Port, Mobile Bay, Dothan. and
Seale. Nests with eggs were found at Grande Batture, May
23, 1911, and at Seale, May 22, 1914.
NORTHERN RED-WING: Agelaius phoeniceus arctolegus
Oberholser.t
The northern red-wing—the form breeding in western
Canada and south to Minnesota and Michigan—is known in
Alabama only from a single specimen collected by the writer
at Barachias, March 25, 1912. Further collecting will doubt-
less show it to occur more or less regularly as a winter
visitant.
*Beal, F. E. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 18, pp. 38-34, 1900. :
+Agelaius phoeniceus floridanus of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see
The Auk, vol. 34, p. 204, 1917.
¢For use of this name, see The Auk, vol. 36, p. 269, 1919.
210 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
MEADOWLARK; FIELD LARK: Sturnella magna magna
(Linnaeus).
State records.—The northern race of the meadowlark,
(magna) occurs as an abundant winter resident in the north-
ern part of the State, but just how far south it goes it is im-
possible to determine until more specimens are available from
various localities. It will probably be found in winter in
nearly all sections except the extreme southern counties.
E. W. Graves reports it as a common winter visitant on Sand
Mountain, near Carpenter. In Dr. Avery’s collection are 4
specimens of this race, taken at Greensboro, February 21,
March 28, and October 18 and 25; and the Biological Survey
collection contains specimens taken at York, February 27,
1912; Uniontown, March 1, 1912; Woodville, March 9, 1915;
Ardell, March 28, 1915; and Leighton, April 20, 1914.
McCormack says of this bird:
The well known field or meadow lark is one of our most abun-
dant winter residents, and a few remain all the year. The bulk
of migrants arrive during the first week in October, and from
this time until the first week in April every old field and pasture
abounds with them.*
General habits —The meadowlark, as its name implies, is a
bird of the fields and is never found in timber tracts, except
those of a very open nature. In the breeding season it is
largely confined to upland grass fields, but in winter it visits
wet marshes and old cotton and corn fields and often follows
the plowman to pick up grubs. It is a sociable bird, several
pairs usually breeding near together, and in winter it is found
in loose flocks, sometimes of considerable size.
The alarm notes are a sharp dzit and a harsh, metallic
chatter; the song is a clear, mellow whistle of several notes.
Food habits—The meadowlark is one of our most useful
birds, feeding chiefly on insects, these forming nearly three-
fourths of its food for the year. Says Prof. Beal:
Of the various insects eaten, crickets and grasshoppers are
the most important, constituting 26 per cent of the food of the
year and 72 per cent of the food in August. Of the 1,514
*Leighton (Ala.) News, Vol. 2, No. 18, Sepiernber 15, 1891.
*
MEADOWLARKS 211
stomachs collected at all seasons of the year, 778, or more than
half, contained remains of grasshoppers, and one was filled
with fragments of 37 of these insects.+
Among other important insects eaten by the meadowlark
may be mentioned beetles, caterpillars, cutworms, and the cot-
ton-boll weevil. This bird is particularly valuable as a de-
stroyer of this last-mentioned pest, since it feeds regularly,
upon the insect during the winter months, thus reducing very
materially the numbers which might otherwise descend upon
the cotton crop the following season. The vegetable food of
the bird consists of grain (most of which is waste, eaten in
winter and early spring) and of weed seed.
SOUTHERN MEADOWLARK; FIELD LARK:
Sturnella magna argutula Bangs.
State records.—The southern race of the meadowlark
(argutula) is the prevailing form in summer and breeds more
or less commonly in nearly all sections. Most of the birds are
probably resident in the localities where they are reared, but
some may wander more or less in the winter. Many flocks at
that season doubtless contain representatives of both the
northern and southern races. Specimens of this form have
been taken at Orange Beach, Fairhope, Bon Secour, Castle-
berry, Barachias (June and November), Hayneville, Auburn,
York, Uniontown, Leighton, Woodville, and Elkmont. It
doubtless breeds at all of these localities. It is scarce or
absent in mountainous districts and only moderately com-
mon in the pine flats of the coast region. As a breeder it
occurs most commonly in the open grass lands of the Central
Prairie Belt. Eggs have been taken at Booth, May 15, 1910
(Golsan), and at Barachias, June 2, 1907 (Holt).
General habits.—The habits of this race are essentially the
same as of those of the northern form; the nests are placed
on the ground in meadows in a slight depression, usually well
concealed by a tussock of grass, weed, or a small bush, and
often domed over with grasses.
+Beal, F. E. L., U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bull. 630, pp. 14-15, 1916.
212 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
ORCHARD ORIOLE: Icterus spurius (Linnaeus).
State records.—The orchard oriole is an abundant and gen-
erally distributed summer resident. Migrants from the south
appear the first or second week in April, having been noted
at Greensboro, April 6 (1890), April 12 (1891), and April 9
(1893) ; at Montgomery, April 11 (1908), and at Leighton,
April 12. In the fall this species departs early, and is rarely
seen after the 15th or 20th of August. Nesting begins late
in May, fresh eggs having been taken at Leighton May 20 and
June 5; and at Barachias May 25 and June 6.
General habits.—The orchard oriole is found about nearly
every village and town, frequenting orchards, dooryards,
hedges, and cultivated fields where there are suitable trees in
which it may nest. On account of its habit of fastening its
nest near the extremity of a slender limb, it is sometimes called
“swinger.” The bird is of a sociable nature and often nests
in the same tree with the kingbird, robin, chipping sparrow,
or other species. It is a restless, impulsive creature, pouring
forth its rich song with great ardor, often as it flies from tree
to tree. The song has a peculiar metallic quality which distin-
guishes it at once from that of the Baltimore oriole.
The nests are deeply cup-shaped, deftly woven of wiry
grasses picked while green, sometimes lined with plant down;
placed in small trees or bushes from 6 to 40 feet from the
ground. In the South the nests are not infrequently built in
bunches of Spanish “moss.”
Food habits.—The food habits of this oriole show it to be
one of the most useful birds on the farm. Its diet is composed
principally of insects, including caterpillars, Mayflies, grass-
hoppers, beetles, rose bugs, cankerworms, cabbage worms, and
ants. It is a persistent hunter of boll weevils, and is one of
the few birds that has learned to seek out and destroy this pest
where it hides in the cotton squares. Nearly one-third of the
stomachs of this species taken in the Texas cotton fields con-
tained boll weevils; the average number of weevils found in a
stomach was 2 and individuals birds had eaten as many as
13 weevils at a meal. With such a record, this bird should
receive all the protection possible.
ORIOLES 213
BALTIMORE ORIOLE: Icterus galbula (Linnaeus).
State records.—The Baltimore oriole, often known as fire-
bird or hang-nest, is rather rare in Alabama, occurring as a
spring and fall migrant and breeding sparingly in the north-
ern half of the State. It is recorded as breeding in mod-
erate numbers at Leighton and rarely at Bridgeport and Smel-
ley. At Greensboro, Dr. Avery states that it bred rather com-
monly prior to 1870, but by 1890 was not to be found, except
in autumn migration. The species is recorded as arriving
in spring at Leighton, April 18; Smelley, April 19; Sand
Mountain (Jackson County), April 20; York, April 29; and
Hollins, May 1. It leaves for the South in fall during Septem-
ber, the last having been noted at Greensboro, September 23
(1890). Incubated eggs were found at Leighton, May 15 and
fresh eggs, May 20.
General habits.—The Baltimore oriole is a lover of tall trees,
particularly elms and sycamores, to the long pendant branches
of which it hangs its nest, out of reach of practically every
enemy. It is fond of the society of man and regularly makes
its home in dooryards or along village streets. Its song is a
loud, prolonged, cheerful warble, often uttered while on the
wing, and between the strains of the song the bird keeps up a
more or less continuous series of chirrups or whistles. The
young while in the nest cry almost continuously for food, and
even after leaving the nest keep up their monotonous whining.
The nest is a deep, purse-shaped bag, woven of plant fibers,
twine, horse hair, or similar material and swung from near
the extremity of a slender limb, from 10 to 40 feet above the
ground. It is deeper than that of the orchard oriole, being
sometimes as deep as 9 inches, and is almost always truly pen-
sile, not supported on sides or bottom.
Food habits.—Like the orchard oriole, this species is a great
destroyer of insect pests. It is especially fond of caterpillars,
and consumes, also, large numbers of beetles, weevils, wasps,
bugs, flies, grasshoppers, and locusts. About one-sixth of its
food consists of vegetable matter, mainly fruit, with some
grain and weed seed. Cherries, raspberries, mulberries,
huckleberries, elderberries, and June berries have been found
214 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
in their stomachs, but scarcely any damage to cultivated fruit
is ever reported. As a destroyer of boll weevils it rivals the
orchard oriole, nearly half of the Baltimore orioles taken in
the Texas cottonfields having fed on this insect.
RUSTY BLACKBIRD: Evphagus carolinus (Muller).
State records.—The rusty blackbird is an irregular winter
visitor, but occurs at times in considerable numbers. McCor-
mack records it as rare at Leighton, having been seen only
twice—November 28, 1887 (3), and November 24, 1891 (1).
Dr. Avery likewise found it rare at Greensboro, having seen
one there, November 16, 1891, and collected one, 12 miles
southwest of the town, on February 28, 1891. Brown records
the species “not very common” at Coosada, where it was seen
as late as the middle of April.* In Autauga County, Golsan
reports that flocks of 20 to 40, or sometimes as many as 150
are frequently seen between November 8 and March 9. _ I ob-
served a small flock at Speigner, December 13, 1916.
General habits.—The rusty blackbird is about the size of the
red-wing and often associates in flocks with that or other
species of blackbirds. It frequents wet pastures, the borders
of swampy woodland, and sometimes cultivated fields or barn-
yards. It feeds chiefly on the ground in moist situations.
Its alarm note is a low chuck and the song, as described by
Langille, resembles that of the red-wing, “but far less musical,
being more of a sharp, metallic clatter, interspersed with loud
squealing, and almost destitute of the liquid, warbling notes
so peculiar to that species.”}
Food habits.—More than half the food of this blackbird
consists of animal matter, chiefly insects, among which
beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars are most frequently
taken. Corn and other grain, and weed seed, make up the
bulk of the vegetable food. As the bird occurs in the South
only in winter, it does no damage to crops, and since it is
known to eat the boll weevil it is to be considered a beneficial
species and worthy of protection.
*Brown, N. C., Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Chub, vol. 4, p. 10, 1879.
{Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p. 221, 1884,
BLACKBIRDS 215
PURPLE GRACKLE; CROW BLACKBIRD: Quiscalus
quiscula ridgwayi Oberholser.t
State records.—The purple grackle is common in nearly all
parts of Alabama, but is much more abundant in winter than
in summer. It occurs over the greater part of the State as a
breeder, at least as far south as Autauga and Montgomery
Counties, and from there southward gradually merges into the
subspecies quiscula, which occupies the coast region. Breed-
ing specimens have been examined from Florence, Leighton,
Auburn, Greensboro, Attalla, and Autaugaville, and Ridgway
furnishes breeding records at Anniston and Coosada.** “fh iH qt Hil i ia
oe (i ou ms Pas ms : —
is One, OTN sii a i Hi) “ [ vi i Rd
oe
\ (h an} f is NU hy Wats
Ke an iM e ae ie anne a
a l -
Wh iw mak Ae Pe
th igs MA i
x ( ~
Fic. 13.—Vesper Sparrow.
228 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
is a short, simple, plaintive melody, delivered from a fence
post or low limb of a tree, often many times repeated from the
same perch. ;
Food habits—The food of this sparrow, as studied in the
Biological Survey, consisted of insects (81 per cent), grain
(11 per cent), grass seed (16 per cent), and weed seed (42 per
cent). Of the insect food, beetles, grasshoppers, and cater-
pillars form the largest part. Like most of its tribe, it is a
beneficial bird on the farm.
SAVANNAH SPARROW: Passerculus sandwichensis
savanna (Wilson).
State records.—The Savannah sparrow (fig. 14) is a com-
mon winter resident and in migration is. often abundant.
Four or five were seen on Petit Bois Island, February 12,
1912, and several at Bayou Labatre, February 15, 1912, and
November 19, 1915. It is more common in the interior than
on the coast, having been observed at York (February), Carl-
ton (March), Uniontown (March), Auburn (March), Jack-
son (April 3, December 10), Barachias (December 12, April
24 to May 6), and Leighton (October 18 to April 30).
Migrants from the north arrive in the fall about the middle
of October and remain until the last of April. Stragglers may
be seen even in May, Dr. Avery having taken two at Greens-
boro, May 11, 1889. He notes the Savannah sparrow’s arrival
there in autumn, October 18, 1888, and October 30, 1889. I
saw several at Fairhope, October 16, 1908.
General habits.—This little sparrow is found in winter in
scattered companies in meadows and cultivated fields, where
it runs about like a mouse with lowered head and tail, and
when hard pressed flies only a short distance. It rarely seeks
a higher perch than a fence post or stone wall, from which it
delivers its weak, insectlike song—described by Hoffman as
tsip-tsip-tsip, tseeece, tse-ee-ee.
Food habits——The food contents of 119 stomachs of this
bird examined in the Biological Survey consisted of 46 per
cent of animal matter (insects and their allies), and 54 per
cent vegetable (practically all seeds). Beetles constituted
the most important element of the insect food, having been
SPARROWS 229
al
\
er
| ~ \
a
=
tf
A
iN
Yi yg |
s ZB
St WW ZAI
1 U
ese
iN
\\
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NN
Peo
Fic. 14.—Savannah Sparrow.
230 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
taken at all seasons, but chiefly during the warmer months.
The bird is fond also of weevils, and consumes a good many
cotton-boll weevils during the winter months. One bird col-
lected in a Louisiana cotton field had eaten 7 of these insects,
and others smaller numbers. Wherever it is numerous, the
Savannah sparrow is highly beneficial to the cotton grower.
Its consumption of seeds is likewise of a beneficial nature,
since it takes mainly grass and weed seed and only a very
small proportion of waste wheat and oats.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW: Ammodramus savannarum
australis Maynard.
State records.—The grasshopper sparrow is locally dis-
tributed as a summer resident, and sparingly present, also, in
winter. McCormack has found it at Leighton only in sum-
mer; Avery records it as common in the “black lands” in
southern Hale County, and he took specimens at Greensboro,
November 30, 1891, and in January or February, 1890. Holt
collected one at Jackson, February 20; one at Carlton, March
7; and one at Barachias, November 17 (1912). I saw a pair
at Auburn, March 6, and a pair at Dothan, March 12 (1912).
L. J. Goldman noted the species frequently at Ardell, March 20
to April 5, 1915. At Montgomery, April 19, 1912, there
seemed to be a flight of the species, as I saw a dozen or more
in a pasture on the river’s edge opposite the town. Single
individuals were collected at Ashford, November 30, 1916, and
Coffee Island, near Coden, December 4, 1916.
Avery found a nest of this species on the prairie in southern
Hale County, May 11, 1889, and McCormack has taken eggs at
Leighton on June 15 and July 15. The bird breeds rather
commonly in hay meadows on the prairie at Barachias, and
young able to fly were seen there June 14, 1911.
General habits.—This little sparrow is a very inconspicuous
member of the fauna; it is even shyer and more averse to tak-
ing flight than the Savannah sparrow, and rarely chooses a
higher perch than a weed stalk or a fence from which to de-
liver its song. It lives in dry, upland grass fields and is
rather local in distribution. Its weak, insectlike song, writ-
ten by Chapman as pit-tuck, zee-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, gives the bird
SPARROWS 231
its name of grasshopper sparrow. The nest is placed on the
ground in a meadow, well concealed in the vegetation; it is
composed of grasses and is arched over with them.
Food habits.—Although named grasshopper sparrow from
its song, stomach examinations have shown this bird to merit
the name also from its food habits, for grasshoppers consti-
tute nearly one-fourth of its food. Caterpillars amount to 14
per cent of the total, and more than half of these are cut-
worms. The army worm also is frequently eaten. The total
animal matter in the stomachs examined amounted to 63 per
cent.
Judd, after examining 170 stomachs, sums up the bird’s
economic relations as follows:
As a destroyer of insect pests the grasshopper sparrow is
most efficient, * * * and both the vegetable and animal food
considered, it seems to be individually the most useful species
of bird whose food habits have thus far been investigated,*
HENSLOW SPARROW: Nemospiza henslowti susurrans
(Brewster) .}
State records.—The Henslow sparrow (fig. 15) is apparent-
ly an uncommon winter resident in the southern half of the
State, but its shyness and retiring habits probably account in
part for its apparent rarity. N.C. Brown took 10 specimens
at Coosada between February 18 and April 4, 1878, in old
fields of rice and broom sedge.{t Dr. Avery found it rare and
took only a single specimen, January 12, 1890, 12 miles south-
west of Greensboro. One was taken by C. P. Rowley, at Gal-
lion, April 26, 1894, one by Golsan at Autaugaville, March 11,
1915, one by Holt at Bay Minette, March 30, 1912, and several
were seen by Holt and myself at Orange Beach, January 30,
1912.
General habits.—This little sparrow lives in fields of dense,
matted grass, where it hides with great persistence, and when
flushed flies only a few yards, then seeks shelter again under
the vegetation and swiftly runs out of sight. It is rather
° , 5. D., The relation of sparrows to agriculture: Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, p. 68, 1901,
seecopirclas henslowi henslowi of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name
see The Auk, vol. 86, p. 210, 1918; and vol, 36, p. 270, 1919.
tBrown, N. C., Bull, Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. 4, p. 8, 1879.
232 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
partial to wet situations, but is found to some extent in dry
fields of broom sedge. The bird is a ground dweller and
rarely aspires to a higher perch than a weed stalk or a small
bush. Its song is very weak and inconspicuous, consisting of
only two syllables, like tee-wick, which can be heard but a few
rods away.
Food habits.—Little is known of the food habits of this
bird; 4 stomachs from Virginia examined by Judd contained
beetles, cut worms, grasshoppers, bugs, and blackberries.*
LECONTE SPARROW: Passerherbulus leconteti
(Audubon).
State records.—The LeConte sparrow is probably a rare and
local winter visitant; it has been detected only’ once—by
Nathan Clifford Brown—who took 7 specimens at Coosada,
3 during the latter half of February, and 4 during the first
three weeks of March, 1878.
General habits.—This a very shy and elusive bird, and most
difficult to flush from its retreats in thick grass. Loomis
found them in winter in South Carolina living in neglected
old fields, grown up to briers and broom sedge. He says:
“When not concealed, but in short grass, they are very tame,
allowing one to approach within a few feet, and then running
off a little way and stopping to look back.”}
In its summer home on the prairies of Dakota, Coues found
the birds “in the deep green sea of waving grass that rolled
over an extensive moist depression of the prairie.”t
Food habits.—Little is known of the food habits of this
species. Loomis examined a number of stomachs in South
Carolina and found in them several kinds of small seeds and
gravel.
NELSON SPARROW: Ammospiza caudacuta nelsoni
(Allen) .**
State records.—The Nelson sparrow, the interior form of
the sharp-tailed sparrow, is a moderately common winter visi-
*Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, p. 63, 1901.
+Loomis, L. "M., The Auk, vol. 2, p. 191, Rens
tCoues, Elliott, "Birds of the Northwest, . 185, 1874.
**Pacserherbulus nelsoni nelsoni of the ra 0. U. Check-list ; for change of name see
The Auk, vol. 35, p. 210, 1918.
233
SPARROWS
“yl
DUIIVAD INN
if
a ny
—
ae YY az
hay ht O77 dl ff,
pt pe
Sa |
hag = ow:
i
Mie
Fic. 15.—Henslow Sparrow.
234 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
tor, chiefly on the coast. In migration it is likely to be found
almost anywhere in the State. It was common in dry, grassy
spots around the marshes on Dauphin Island, February 12,
1912, and several specimens were secured on that date. Sev-
eral were taken also near Bayou Labatre, May 16, 1911, and
November 23 to 26, 1915, and one at Orange Beach, September
21, 1911.
General habits.—This species is a ground dweller and con-
fined mostly to wet marshes or the dry grass bordering the
marsh. It is shy and very averse to leaving the cover of the
marsh grass, among which it runs like a mouse. During their
stay in the South, these birds scarcely ever utter any notes.
The song is described by Goss as “a short, weak, unmusical
twittering warble.”
Food habits.—Seven stomachs of this bird examined in the
Biological Survey showed the food to consist of caterpillars,
flies, weevils, crickets, army worms, small mollusks, and the
seeds of grasses, including wild rice.
HOWELL SEASIDE SPARROW: Thryospiza maritima
howelli (Griscom and Nichols) .+
State records.—The Howell seaside sparrow, recently de-
scribed from Alabama, is not generally distributed, but occurs
in more or less isolated colonies along the coast. In the breed-
ing season (May) I found none in any of the big marshes
about Mobile Bay or at Bayou Labatre. It breeds commonly,
however, at Alabama Port, and abundantly on Grande Batture
Island, living in wet marshes and in low bushes growing on
the beach. After the breeding season was over, in July and
August, Gutsell found it abundant in the Bayou Labatre
marshes and fairly common on Petit Bois Island. On Dauphin
Island it breeds commonly and occurs also in winter; 8 to 10
were seen there on February 13, 1918. Several were secured
at Bayou Labatre, February 15, 1912, and November 23, 1915.
A few were seen at Bon Secour in October, 1908, and about
6 on Coffee Island near Coden, December 4, 1916. Although
-¢Passerherbulus maritimus howelli Griscom and Nichols, Abstr. Proc. Linnaean Soce..
New York, No. 32, p. 22, November 3, 1920; type from Dauphin Island, Ala,
SPARROWS 235
this bird is apparently less common in winter than in summer,
it is not known to migrate regularly.
General habits.—Seaside sparrows are well named, for they
are strictly confined to the salt or brackish marshes of the
seashore or the rivers near the coast. The birds remain con-
cealed in the dense marsh grass or rushes most of the time,
but during the breeding season may be seen making short
flights over the marsh, while the males frequently sing as they
cling to the tops of the rushes. When flushed from their re-
treats they fly for only a short distance, just above the tops
of the rushes, then suddenly drop into the cover of the marsh.
On warm days in winter occasional weak, squeaky, chipper-
ing songs may be heard from these sparrows; the full song is
sweet, and though rather weak, may be heard at some little
distance. It suggests a weak, distant song of the red-wing
and has somewhat the same form as a meadowlark’s song.
The nest of the seaside sparrow is rather bulky, constructed
of coarse grasses, and placed on the ground in a bunch of
marsh grass or in low bushes; no nests have as yet been found
in Alabama.
Food habits——The food of this sparrow consists mainly of
insects inhabiting the salt marshes, among which are included
grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, flies, moths, wasps, and
weevils. Spiders, snails, small crabs, and mollusks are eaten,
as well as some weed and grass seed.
LOUISIANA SEASIDE SPARROW: Thryospiza maritima
fishert (Chapman) .f
State record.—The Louisiana seaside sparrow breeds on the
coast of Louisiana and eastern Texas; a single specimen was
taken at Bayou Labatre, February 15, 1912, doubtless a strag-
gler from its normal range.*
LARK SPARROW: Chondestes grammacus grammacus
(Say).
State records.—The lark sparrow occurs as a rare and local
summer resident. Dr. Avery found it breeding in southern
* i ‘nd Nichols, Abstr. Proc. Linnaean Soc. New York, No. 32, p. 24, 1920.
ipassczieekalas mmeritimis fisheri of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see
The Auk, vol. 36, p. 210, 1918.
236 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
Hale County, where he speaks of it as uncommon, occurring
chiefly in the “black lands.” He observed young birds with
their parents in July, and took specimens August 1, 1890
(adult), and September 11, 1890 (young). C. S. Brimley
took 4 specimens near Greensboro, August 16, 1890. Gutsell
took 1 specimen, probably a migrant, on Petit Bois Island,
August 30, 1911. Near Leighton, July 4, 1913, Holt picked
up a dead specimen in the road, and the next day saw 2 more
of the birds near the Tennessee River. I saw one near Leigh-
ton, April 25, 1914.
General habits—The favorite haunts of this bird are
prairies and meadows, but it is said to have a fondness, also,
for cornfields. It lives on or near the ground and somewhat
resembles the vesper sparrow in habits and appearance,
though its rounded tail with white-tipped feathers suggests
the mourning dove. The nest is placed on the ground at the
foot of a weed or corn stalk, more rarely in a low bush.
The song, according to Ridgway—
is composed of a series of chants, each syllable rich, loud, and
clear, interspersed with emotion trills. At the beginning the
song reminds one somewhat of that of the Indigo Bird (Passe-
rina cyanea), but the notes are louder and more metallic, and
their delivery more vigorous.+
Food habits.—The food of this sparrow is composed of in-
sects (27 per cent), and the seeds of grasses, weeds, and grain
(78 per cent). Judd says of it: ‘The lark sparrow is, with
the exception of the dickcissel and grasshopper sparrow, the
most valuable grasshopper destroyer of all the native spar-
rows. More than half of its animal food (14 per cent of the
total) consists of these insects, and in June they constitute
43 per cent of the diet.”{ In some sections of Illinois, accord-
ing to H. K. Coale, this sparrow is called the “potato bird’’
from its habit of feeding on potato bugs. Mr. Coale adds that
few survive the Paris green which they eat with the potato
bugs.* If this habit is prevalent in Alabama, it may in part
account for the rarity of the species there.
pcm ee Ornith. Illinois, vol. 1, pp. 263-264, 1889,
ytJudd, S. Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, p. 67, 1901.
*Coale, H. X, in Ridgway, op. cit., p. 264.
SPARROWS 237
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: Zonotrichia leucophrys
(J. R. Forster).
State records.—The white-crowned sparrow migrates chief-
ly throughout the Mississippi Valley and westward, but is of
casual occurrence in the Atlantic States. It is apparently
very rare in Alabama, only two instances being known: R. H.
Dean observed one bird at Anniston, November 12, 1916, and:
E. W. Graves saw one on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter,
April 26, 1917.
General habits.—This species is similar in habits to the well-
known white-throated sparrow. In winter it is found in small
flocks, frequenting hedges, thickets, and low grounds grown
up to rank grass and weeds.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: Zonotrichia albicollis
(Gmelin). .
State records.—The white-throated sparrow occurs as al
abundant migrant and winter resident. It has been observed
in numbers at Jasper, Tuscaloosa, Autaugaville, Auburn,
Dothan, Jackson, York, Ashford, and other places. Near the
coast it is less common, only one having been seen at Orange
Beach (December 8, 1915), and only a few at Mobile (March
24, 1912). James Newton Baskett, however, found the bird
abundant in winter at Mobile.t
Migrants from the north are recorded as arriving at Greens-
boro, October 14 (1889), October 25 (1890), and October 27
(1893) ; and at Autaugaville, October 17 (1915). In spring
the bulk of the birds leave by the last week of April, but a few
linger even into May. I found them common at Leighton,
May 1, saw a few at Florence, May 8 (1912), and one at Pratt-
ville Junction, May 9 (1914).
General habits —The white-throat is found in winter in
scattered flocks, chiefly in hedges, brush piles, thickets, and
the borders of woodland. It is a quiet, industrious bird,
spending much of its time in thickets scratching for food
among the dry leaves. If alarmed, the birds fly up into the
underbrush and give their characteristic metallic alarm note.
Wilson Bull., vol. 6, p. 36, 1899.
238 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
During the spring migration the plaintive whistled song is
frequently heard.
A single instance of this species summering in Alabama is
recorded by L. S. Golsan, who observed a pair near Prattville
on several occasions in June, 1921. No evidence of nesting,
however, was found.t
Food habits.—This sparrow feeds largely upon seeds of
grass and weeds and on wild fruits and berries. It is particu-
larly fond of berries, which in summer and autumn compose
about a fourth of its food. At this time it eats the fruit of
the blueberry, wild cherry, mountain ash, greenbrier, straw-
berry, spice bush, wild sarsaparilla, elder, blackberry, dog-
wood, and high bush cranberry. The principal weed seeds
destroyed are those of ragweed and bindweed, these two ele-
ments forming a fourth of the food of the year. During
October, ragweed alone constitutes 45 per cent of the food
(Judd). The insect food comprises wasps, beetles, ants, and
weevils, including the boll weevil.
[TREE SPARROW: Spizella arborea arborea (Wilson) .*
The tree sparrow is a northern bird, breeding in northern Canada
and wintering in the United States as far south as Arkansas and pos-
sibly northern Alabama. E. W. Graves has recorded it as common on
Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, in December,} but he now believes
that these records were based on erroneous identifications.]
CHIPPING SPARROW: Spizella passerina passerina
(Bechstein).
State records.—The chipping sparrow is a common resident
in nearly all sections. It is migratory in the northern part
of its range, and during winter considerable numbers move
southward into Alabama and other Southern States. At that
season the species is abundant in the northern and middle
parts of the State, but is rather less numerous on the coast.
Large flock were seen at Auburn the first week in March and
on Sand Mountain in April and November, smaller numbers
at Jackson (February), Carlton (March), Barachias (Decem-
{Golsan, L. S., The Auk, vol. 39, p. 268, 1922.
*Spizelia monticola monticola of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see
The Auk, vol. 87, p. 281, 1920.
+Bird-Lore, vol. 12, p. 80, 1910; vol. 14, p. 38, 1912.
SPARROWS 239
ber and March), Autaugaville (April), Tuscaloosa (April),
and Leighton (November ). At Orange Beach, January 30;
Whistler, February 5, 1912; and Bayou Labatre, December 3,
1916, small flocks were seen in the open pine flats. The bird
occurs in the breeding season over most of the State, south
at least to Castleberry. Fresh eggs have been found at Leigh-
ton April 2 and May 11, and at Autaugaville, May 17; a second
brood is usually reared in July.
General habits—The chipping sparrow is a sociable bird,
often living in dooryards and village gardens and placing its
nest in trees or vines close to a dwelling. It frequents also
orchards and dry, open woodland, and feeds mainly on the
ground in plowed fields, pastures, and farm land generally.
The song is a monotonous and rather unmusical trill—a series
of chips rapidly repeated. The nest is placed in a tree, bush,
or vine, usually on a horizontal limb; it is generally of rather:
slight construction, made of grass stems or rootlets, and
always well lined with hair; the eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are
greenish blue with brownish or blackish markings. Late in
summer and throughout the fall and winter these birds gather
into loose flocks and visit pastures and cultivated lands, where
they associate with other ground-dwelling sparrows.
Food habits.—Caterpillars are the favorite animal food of
this sparrow and these include such pests as canker worms,
currant worms, tent caterpillars, and the larvae of the gipsy
moth, browntail moth, and tussock moth. In June, 93 per
cent of the food consists of insects, of which 36 per cent is of
grasshoppers, 25 per cent caterpillars, and 6 per cent leaf
beetles. Of the vegetable food the greater part is grass seed,
principally crabgrass—that pest of the lawn and garden—
with the seeds of other weeds, and a small portion of grain.
FIELD SPARROW: Spizella pusilla pusilla (Wilson).
State records.—The field sparrow (fig. 16) is a common
summer resident over the greater part of the State, with the
exception of the coast region. In winter it is generally dis-
tributed and moderately numerous. It is known to breed at
Elkmont, Huntsville, Fort Payne, Ardell, Dean, Auburn,
240 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
Montgomery, Autaugaville, Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, and
Abbeville. The last-named place marks approximately the
southern limit of the breeding range, and the species is rare so
far south. In winter it has been observed in considerable
numbers at Auburn, Coosada, Autaugaville, Hollins, Leighton,
Sand Mountain, Jackson, and York. A few were seen at Ash-
ford in Nevember and a small flock at Orange Beach in Jan-
uary. Fresh eggs have been found at Leighton, April 22, May
9, June 4, and July 18; McCormack states that the nesting
season continues until late in August.
General habits.—The field sparrow is well named, for it is a
typical inhabitant of old, worn-out fields and bushy pastures.
In winter it associates much with the chipping sparrow and
other ground feeding species. It is much more shy and re-
tiring than the chipping sparrow, and during the breeding
season is found in wilder parts of the farm. The nest is
placed on the ground or in low bushes; it is composed of
grasses, weed stalks, rootlets, etc., and is lined with fine
grasses and hair. The bird is a persistent and pleasing singer,
rendering its simple lay at all hours of the day, even in the
heat of midsummer. Its song is written by Langille: “free-o,
free-o, free-o, free-o, free, free, free, free, free, free; the first
four [notes] loud, well prolonged, and on a higher key, while
the remaining notes run rapidly to a lower pitch, growing
softer and weaker to the end, the last being barely perceptible
at a short distance.’’*
Food habits.—The food habits of this species are similar to
those of the chipping sparrow, but since it forages more in
waste lands than in gardens it is of less economic importance.
Nearly half of its food consists of animal matter, including
various species of beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, leaf-
hoppers, ants, flies, wasps, and spiders. Most of the vegetable
food consists of the seed of grasses, as crabgrass, pigeon-
grass, broom sedge, etc. A small quantity of grain is eaten,
chiefly oats taken in summer on stubble.
*Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p. 379, 1884.
241
SPARROWS
Fic. 16.—Field Sparrow.
242 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
SLATE-COLORED JUNCO; SNOWBIRD; Junco hyemalis
hyemalis (Linnaeus).
State records.—The junco, or snowbird, as it is most often
called, is a common winter resident from late in October to
the middle of April. The species was found in abundance in
winter and spring at Woodville, Florence, Ardell, Sand Moun-
.tain, Auburn, Autaugaville, Carlton, and Jackson, and in
smaller numbers at York, Uniontown, and Dean. None were
seen in the coast region.
First migrants from the north arrived at Leighton October
21 (1893), and at Greensboro October 25 (1890) and October
26 (1893). The last seen at Greensboro were noted by Avery,
April 8 (1893), and the last at Leighton by McCormack, April
12 (1891). A few stragglers were noted by Holt at Myrtle-
wood, April 16, 1912, and by the writer on Sand Mountain
(Jackson County), April 12 to 17, 1914.
General habits.—During the winter season the junco occurs
in loose flocks, frequenting hedges, weedy fields, and the bor-
ders of woodland. It feeds largely on the ground and
scratches among the dead leaves in its search for food. The
flocks easily take alarm at the approach of a person and as
they flit away they display their white outer tail feathers and
utter their characteristic tsip. Langille describes the song
as “a prolonged tintinnabulous twitter—a more musical ren-
dering of the monotonous strokes in the plain melody of the
chipping sparrow. Sometimes, however, one may surprise it
in a soft, low warble, as if indulging in a musical soliloquy.”*
Food habits.—During its stay in the South, the junco feeds
almost entirely upon the seeds of various weeds and grasses,
including amaranth, pigweed or lamb’s-quarters, ragweed,
crabgrass, pigeon-grass, purslane, broom sedge, Russian this-
tle, ete. A small proportion of grain is eaten, but not enough
to counterbalance the good effect of the consumption of weed
seed.
*Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p, 83, 1884.
SPARROWS 248
BACHMAN SPARROW: Peucaea aestivalis bachmanii
(Audubon).
(PLATS I, FRONTISPIECE.)
State records.—The Bachman sparrow (see frontispiece)
is a fairly common summer resident over most of the State
and a rare winter resident in the southern part. N.C. Brown,
writing from Coosada, says this bird is very rare in winter,
but increases in numbers abeut the first week in March and
becomes rather common. Its song was first heard on March
8. Dr. Avery, at Greensboro, took specimens throughout the
winter (December 18; January 12; February 7) and found
the bird abundant in summer. I saw two single birds at Ash-
ford late in November. The species is known to breed at Elk-
mont, Sand Mountain (Jackson County), Guntersville, Ardell,
Anniston, Wilsonville, Auburn, York, Woodbine, Autauga-
ville, Weogufka, Erin (Clay County), Dothan, Castleberry,
and Mobile. Avery found a number of nests at Greensboro
and took eggs on April 30, May 8, June 6 and 23, and July 14.
Fresh eggs were found at Leighton, July 3, and incubated
eggs at Barachias, June 15,
General habits.—This sparrow inhabits open pine woods
and pastures. grown up with bushes or small trees. It is a
quiet, retiring species but not very suspicious, and will often
allow an observer to approach within a few feet. When
startled from its nest in preference to flying it runs along
the ground like a mouse, and utters a sound like the hissing
of a snake. The nest, placed on the ground in dry, grassy
fields, often among scattered old field pines, is composed of
dry grasses, and lined with fine grass tops; it is cylindrical in
shape and neatly roofed over; the eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are
“pure white.
The song, delivered at any time of day from a somewhat
elevated perch, is easily the finest of any of the native spar-
rows’ songs, being ranked by Chapman as even above the song
of the hermit thrush. To my ear it suggests the song of the
Bewick wren, but is louder and richer. The form frequently
varies in a single individual and as it is pitched in several dif-
ferent keys, this adds to its musical effectiveness. In winter
244 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
the bird is very quiet and less conspicuous than ever, but is
often seen feeding about fallen logs in open tracts of pine
timber.
Food habits.—The food of this sparrow, as indicated by
examination of 10 stomachs from Alabama, consisted of 58 per
cent animal matter, and 42 per cent vegetable. The animal
food included leaf-beetles, 9.3 per cent; other beetles, including
weevils and longicorns, 23.1 per cent. Bugs constituted 12
per cent and the other food items were grasshoppers and
crickets (5.7 per cent) with some snails, spiders, and millipeds.
The vegetable food consisted principally of grass seed and the
seeds of sedges; wood sorrel and Indian strawberry made up
the remainder.
SONG SPARROW: Melospiza melodia melodia (Wilson).
State records.—The song sparrow (fig. 17) occurs in Ala-
bama only in winter, when it is abundant in all sections ex-
cept the coast region. It was found in numbers at Anniston
(October 22), Sand Mountain (October 27), Autaugaville
(November), Ashford (November), York (February),
Auburn (March), and Dothan (March 13). Only two were
observed at Orange Beach in January, two on Petit Bois
Island, February 12, and two at Bayou Labatre, February 16
(1912). First arrivals in fall appeared at Leighton, October
17 (1891), Greensboro, October 24 (1890), and Autaugaville,
October 17 (1915). The last in spring were seen at Leighton
March 30 (1889), and at Anniston, March 26 (1916).
General habits.—During its stay in the South, the song
sparrow lives in thickets, hedges, and brushy fields, partic-
ularly in low, wet spots overgrown with broom sedge or briers.
It feeds chiefly on the ground, and when startled from an
elevated perch always makes a dive for a thicket or brier
patch. It is found in loose companies, but never in compact
flocks. It sings a little on warm days in fall and early spring,
but reserves most of its vocal efforts until it has reached its
breeding grounds in the North. There it is well known and
beloved for its sociable habits and its cheery song—one of the
first to be heard at the breaking up of winter.
245
SPARROWS
il
ll
|
Fic. 17.—Song Sparrow.
246 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
The song is rendered in great variety—in fact, one scarcely
ever hears two songs exactly alike from this species. It usual-
ly opens with three loud, resonant tones, often bell-like, some-
times double tones on the same pitch, followed by a somewhat
confused warble, and ending with one or more single resonant
notes or a trill. Although so endlessly varied, it has a charac-
teristic quality easily recognized.
Food habits.—The food of this sparrow, as indicated by
examination of over 400 stomachs, consists of 34 per cent ani-
ma] matter, insects with occasionally a spider or snail; and
66 per cent vegetable matter, mostly seeds. Judd says of this
bird’s food:
Insects amount to about one-third of the annual diet, and from
May to August, inclusive, when they are eaten most freely,
compose more than half of the food. * * *
Of the vegetable portion * * * of the year’s food, 3 per cent
consists of ragweed, 5 per cent of grain, 16 per cent of polygo-
num [bindweed] and related seeds, 24 per cent of grass seed,
and 18 per cent of miscellaneous seeds, such as those of wild
sunflower, amaranth, lamb’s-quarters, clover, gromwell, rib-
grass, wild solanum [nightshade] purslane, spurge, wood sor-
rel, dandelion, chickweed, dock, and sheep-sorrel.*
LINCOLN SPARROW: Melospiza lincolnii lincolnii
(Audubon).
State records.—In southeastern United States the Lincoln
sparrow occurs only as a migrant, and in Alabama there is
but one record—that of a bird which I saw at Florence, May
4, 1912. This was closely observed through a field glass, but
was not secured. Andrew Allison found the species not un-
common in spring migration in Tishomingo County, Missis-
sippi, between April 23 and May 15, 1904.+
General habits—The Lincoln sparrow much resembles the
song sparrow in appearance and habits.
SWAMP SPARROW: Melospiza georgiana (Latham).
State records.—The swamp sparrow is a common winter
resident throughout the State. Avery records it common at
Greensboro, where he has observed it between October 25 and
*Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, pp. 88-84, 1901.
Allison, A., The Auk, vol, 24, p. 21, 1907.
SPARROWS 247
May 3. McCormack has seen it at Leighton at intervals be-
tween October 18 and April 25. I saw one at Fairhope, Octo-
ber 16, and several at Bon Secour, October 18 to 25, 1908. At
Orange Beach, in January, 1912, it was fairly common in wet
swamps. About 6 were seen on Petit Bois Island, February
12,1912. The last seen in spring at Barachias was on May 1
(1918).
General habits.—This sparrow is found not only in swamps,
but also in fields overgrown with brush and briers and par-
ticularly in wet patches of broom sedge. It feeds chiefly on
the ground and threads its way silently through the brush like
a mouse; it is frequently taken by mammal collectors in mouse
traps set in weedy fields or in broom sedge. In its summer
home in the North it lives in swamps and marshy meadows
and places its nest on the ground or in a tussock of sedges.
The seng is described by Langille as a trill—‘“in a clear,
whistling tone, sounding like tswee-tswee-tswee-tswee-tswee-
tswee-tswee-tswee, quite sibilant, the notes being essentially
the same as those of the chipping sparrow, only in much more
prolonged and musical tones—a sort of enlarged and improved
edition of it.’f
Food habits.—More than half the food of the swamp spar-
row consists of the seeds of sedges, grasses, and weeds, chief
among which are seeds of bindweed (Polygonum) and giant
ragweed. The insect food includes grasshoppers, caterpillars,
leaf beetles, weevils, bugs, ants, and flies.
FOX SPARROW: Passerella iliaca iliaca (Merrem).
State records.—The fox sparrow occurs sparingly as a win-
ter resident. Brown records it rather common at Coosada
and mentions seeing stragglers in an old rice field until the
third week in March. McCormack found it rare at Leighton,
where it was seen November 19, December 17, and March 17.
Avery observed it at Greensboro on numerous dates between
November 19 and February 7. Graves records it from Sand
Mountain (March 27), Dean from Anniston (December 25),
Saunders from Weogufka (March 11), Golsan from Prattville
qLangille, J. H., Our Birds in their Haunts, pp. 199-200, 1884,
248 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
(December 3, February 15), and Miss Parkhurst from Talla-
dega. Specimens were taken at Auburn, March 4, 1912;
Woodville, March 12, 1915; Barachias, January 9, 1913; and
Greenbrier Cove (Marshall County), November 8, 1916..
General habits.—This large and handsome sparrow is found
chiefly: along hedges and in thickets, in company with other
species of sparrows. It feeds on the ground and is a persistent
and vigorous scratcher among the dry leaves and rubbish.
Its ordinary note is a faint tstp but when alarmed it utters a
sharp chuck. Occasionally snatches of its beautiful song may
be heard early in spring. This is described as being among
the finest songs of any of the sparrows, loud, clear, and silvery
toned.
-Food habits.—Judd, in writing of the food habits of this
sparrow, says:
The vegetable food differs from that of most other sparrows
in that it contains less grass seed (only 1 per cent), less grain,
and more fruit, ragweed, and polygonum. Half the food con-
sists of ragweed and polygonum and more than a quarter of
fruit * * *. It does no damage to cultivated fruit, though it
occasionally eats the buds of peach trees and pear trees.*
It has been known to eat cedar berries, pokeberries, holly ber-
ries, and frost grapes.
TOWHEE; CHEWINK; JOREE: Pipilo erythrophthalmus
erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus).
State records.—The northern race of the towhee, or che-
wink, is not known to breed in the State, but in winter may be
found generally in all sections. Wintering individuals have
been taken at Greensboro, December 29, 1891; Auburn, March
9, 1912; Orange Beach, January 31, 1912; Battle Wharf, April
27, 1892; Teasley Mill (Montgomery County), March 31,
1914; Ardell, March 28, 1915; Scottsboro, April 18, 1914;
and Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 12, 1914.
General habits——The towhee lives in bushy pastures,
thickets, and brushy borders of woodland. It is a ground-
dwelling bird and seeks its food largely in thickets and brush
*Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull, 15, p. 88, 1901.
SPARROWS 249
piles, where it scratches vigorouly among the dead leaves.
Active, nervous, and rather shy, it flies when disturbed from
bush to bush with a whirring of its short, rounded wings and
a flashing of its white tail-feathers. Its alarm note is a
sharp, ringing che-wink or jo-ree. In the nesting season the
male bird mounts to a moderately high perch in a tree or bush
and delivers its simple melody many times without moving.
The song is melodious, but musically of no very striking char-
acter; it begins usually with two short, whistled notes, fol-
lowed by a rather prolonged trill on a higher pitch.
Food habits—The animal food of the towhee consists of
beetle larvae, ants, moths, caterpillars, cockroaches, grasshop-
pers, flies, and earthworms. Its vegetable food consists large-
ly of wild fruits and berries and weed seed. It has been ac-
cused of pulling up newly planted corn, but it is doubtful if
any serious damage is done in this respect.
ALABAMA TOWHEE: ‘Pipilo erythrophthalmus canaster
Howell.+
State records.—The Alabama race of the towhee, only re-
_cently distinguished as a subspecies, occurs nearly throughout
the State, both summer and winter, breeding locally in mod-
erate numbers. Specimens have been examined from Orange
-Beach, Spring Hill, Dauphin Island, Castleberry, Seale, Wil-
sonville, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Ardell, Anniston, Woodville,
Leighton, and Elkmont. Those from the most northern coun-
ties are intermediate between canaster and erythrophthalmus,
but rather nearer the former. Eggs have been taken at Au-
taugaville, May 7 and June 23; and at Florence, April 27 and
May 12.
General habits.—The resident form of the towhee has red
eyes, like the northern bird, but differs from it in having less
white on the tail feathers and (in the females) grayer colors
on the back. The songs and call notes are noticeably dif-
ferent from those of the northern race and the call note—
jo-ree—is rendered practically as one syllable. Like the north-
ern subspecies, this bird lives in brushy thickets, but in the
+Pipilo erythrophthalmus canaster Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 26, p.
202, 1913; type from Spring Hill, Alabama.
250 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
coast region is most often found in the small wooded swamps
which occur at frequent intervals. The nest, placed on the
ground, usually at the foot of a small bush, is rather bulky,
composed of dead leaves, strips of bark, and fine grasses.
CARDINAL; REDBIRD: Richmondena cardinalis cardinalis
(Linnaeus) .*
State records.—The cardinal is one of the most abundant
and widely distributed birds of the State, and being non:
migratory, is found in about equal abundance at all seasons.
According to N. C. Brown, mating begins about the middle
of February, and the songs of the males are first heard at
that time. Nest building does not begin, however, until April.
Eggs have been found at Barachias, April 10; Leighton, April
13, May 17, and June 24; York, April 27; Woodbine, April 12;
Autaugaville, April 18 and May 28; Castleberry, June 3; Sand
Mountain (Jackson County), June 26; Greensboro, August 5,
and Hayneville, August 6.
General habits——The favorite haunts of the cardinal are
brushy swamps and river-bottom thickets, and in such situa-
tions it is often abundant. Many birds, however, take up
their abode in village or town dooryards, where they are much
prized for their bright colors and sprightly songs. The species
is not gregarious, but frequently several pairs occupy the same
piece of woods. On several occasions the cardinal has been
noted by the writer as the first bird to sing at daybreak. The
song is quite varied, consisting of a series of clear, resonant
whistles, the notes sometimes slurred, sometimes double, and
often repeated rapidly 20 or more times. The nest is placed
in a bush, usually 3 to 6 feet from the ground.
Food habits——The food of the cardinal, as studied by
McAtee, consists of about seven-tenths vegetable and three-
tenths animal matter. Of the vegetable food, weeds and other
seeds compose the largest part—about 36 per cent; wild fruit
amounts to 24 per cent, and grain nearly 9 per cent. Most
of the grain eaten is corn, with some oats, wheat, sorghum,
and rice. Of the seeds and berries of wild fruit, those most
*Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name, s¢e
The Auk, vol. 35, p. 500, 1918.
GROSBEAKS 261
commonly eaten are wild grapes, dogwood berries, black-
berries, raspberries, mulberries, hackberries, pokeberries,
cherries, and the seeds of the spice bush, prickly pear
(cactus), sumac, and poison ivy. McAtee, treating of the
food habits of the cardinal, says:
The cardinal has been accused of pilfering certain grains,
notably corn, to an injurious extent, which charge the evidence
from stomach examinations [nearly 500 were examined] neither
proves nor disproves. But in view of the fact that only 8.73
per cent of the total food is grain, and that more than half of
that amount is waste, the loss is greatly overbalanced by. the
destruction of weed seeds alone, which compose more than half
of the vegetable food. * * * since the cardinal, by its general
food habits, does at least 15 times more good than harm, it
must be classed among the very useful species. The following
list of important pests the bird has been shown to prey upon
is in itself sufficient proof of the cardinal’s value. The list in-
cludes the Rocky Mountain locust, 17-year cicada, potato beetle,
cotton worm, boll worm, cotton cutworm, cotton-boll weevil,
codling moth, rose-beetle, cucumber beetle, fig eater, zebra cater-
pillar, plum scale, and other scale insects. A host of minor in-
sect pests are attacked and the seeds of many noxious weeds
are destroyed. The cardinal much more than pays its way and
deserves and should receive strict protection.*
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK: Hedymeles ludoviciana
(Linnaeus) .f
State records.—The rose-breasted grosbeak occurs in Ala-
bama as an uncommon migrant. McCormack has noted it only
twice at Leighton—a pair April 25, 1890, and a male a few
days later. Avery records it as a rare autumn migrant at
Greensboro, seen September 23 and 25, 1890, September 26
and October 4, 1893.. Holt saw it at Barachias, April 26, 1909,
and May 2, 1913, and I took a male there, April 24, 1912.
Several were seen or heard on Sipsey Fork, near Mellville,
May 2 to 5, 1914, and one at Prattville Junction, May 9, 1914.
Saunders found a few at Hollins between April 25 and May 4,
1908; Miss Parkhurst records one at Talladega, May 3, 1908;
Graves saw one on Sand Mountain, May 7, 1911, and three
*McAtee, W. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 32, pp. 24-25, 1908.
fzomciodix ludoviciana of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk,
vol. 40, p. 523, 1923.
252 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
males, May 1, 1913; and Dean noted the species at Anniston,
April 30 and May 7, 1916. There are three specimens in a
collection of mounted birds taken at Point Clear..
General habits.—In its summer home in the North, this
handsome bird dwells in woodlands, and is said to prefer
second-growth timber which is somewhat wet or swampy.
It nests also in orchards and parks and does not shun the
vicinity of dwellings, but in spite of its conspicuous markings
it is so shy and retiring that it is not often seen. Its ordinary
call note is a thin, sharp eek, not very noticeable, but quite un-
like that of any other species. The song “strongly resembles
the finest performance of the robin—only the warble is much
more copious, continuously prolonged, and finely modulated
with a peculiar richness, purity and sweet pathos in the
tones * * *” (Langille). The male assists in incubation and
often sings while on the nest.
Food habits.—According to Barrows, this grosbeak has a
fondness for the buds and blossoms of fruit trees. It also
helps itself to cherries, strawberries, and green peas. How-
ever, it is one of the few birds that regularly feeds on the
potato-bug and is useful, also, in destroying other leaf-eating
beetles.f
McAtee found the food to be composed of about equal parts
animal and vegetable matter; among the pests recorded as
destroyed by this bird he mentions cucumber beetles, the
hickory borer, plum curculio, Rocky Mountain locust, canker-
worms, tent caterpillars, army worms, gipsy and brown-tailed
moths, and the chinch bug.*
BLUE GROSBEAK: Guiraca caerulea caerulea (Linnaeus).
State records.—The blue grosbeak is a fairly common sum-
mer resident, but of somewhat local distribution. It has been
found in nearly all parts of the State, but is rare in the north-
ern counties as well as in the coast region; it is most numerous
in the Central Prairie Belt. At Greensboro it is a common
breeder, and at Montgomery and Barachias it is abundant.
At Leighton it has been seen but twice—April 28, 1890, and
{Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 536, 1912.
*McAtee, W. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 32, p. 67, 1908.
GROSBEAKS 253
May 1, 1912. Graves saw one at Carpenter, in the Tennessee
Valley, July 25, 1913. A pair was seen at Auburn, April 28,
1912, and again, May 7, 1914, evidently intending to breed.
The bird has been seen in the breeding season, also, at Annis-
ton, Ardell, Tuscaloosa, Erin (Clay County), Fitzpatrick,
Hayneville, Castleberry, and Dauphin Island.
First arrivals in spring were noted at Greensboro April 18
(1891) ; at Barachias, April 18 (1908) and April 20 (1909) ;
the last seen in fall at Greensboro was on September 26
(1890). Eggs have been found at Autaugaville, June 6;
Greensboro, June 18 and August 2; and Montgomery, July 3.
The blue grosbeak is found about the borders of woodland
and in fields grown up to bushes, briers, and weeds, seeming
to prefer the vicinity of a stream. In central Alabama it lives
on the prairies, and is frequently seen along the roadsides.
In spite of its bright colors, it is not very conspicuous. Its
voice is described by Ridgway as follows: ‘The usual note is
a strong harsh ptchick, and the song of the male a very beauti-
ful, though rather feeble, warble, somewhat like that of the
Purple Finch, but bearing a slight resemblance also to that
of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.”} The nests are placed in
low trees, bushes, or blackberry briers, from 2 to 7 feet from
the ground, constructed of leaves, paper, weeds, grass, etc.,
and lined with rootlets and hair.
Food habits.—The food of the blue grosbeak, as determined
by McAtee from stomach examinations, is composed of two-
thirds animal matter (insects) and one-third vegetable. Grain
constitutes 14.25 per cent of the diet, but on account of the
scattered distribution of the birds, no appreciable damage is
done during most of the summer. Later, when they forage
in flocks, they are said to do considerable injury. Weed seeds
constitute 18 per cent of the total food, thus forming the prin-
cipal element in the vegetable portion of the diet. The animal
food consists mainly of snails, spiders, and various insects.
Among the important pests eaten are grasshoppers, weevils,
the purslane sphinx, and the cotton cutworm. Crickets and
shorthorned grasshoppers are eagerly consumed, composing
fRidgway, R., Ornith. of Illinois, vol. 1, p. 299, 1889..
254 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
27.2 per cent of the total food. Thirty-two of the 51 blue gros-
beaks ate them, several taking nothing else. They are fed to
the nestlings in generous measure, and without doubt are the
most important single article of diet.t
INDIGO BUNTING: Passerina cyanea (Linnaeus).
State records.—The indigo bird is an abundant summer
resident in the northern and middle portions of the State. It
does not breed in the southern counties, nor has it been seen
there in migration. In the Talladega Mountains it ranges
to the tops of the ridges, 1,800 feet altitude. It has been
noted in the breeding season at Florence, Huntsville, Elkmont,
Sand Mountain (Jackson County), Fort Payne, Erin (Clay
County), Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, Seale, Barachias, and Au-
taugaville.
Migrants were noted as arriving at Greensboro, April 6
(1887) and April 15 (1893) ; Coosada, April 6 (1878) ; Bara-
chias, April 13- (1909); Leighton, April 17 (1891); and
Scottsboro, April 18 (1914). Most of the birds depart in
September and the last are seen about the middle of October.
Eggs have been found at Autaugaville, May 22; Barachias,
June 4; Leighton, May 16, June 24, July 22, and August 12.
General habits.—This handsome little sparrow dwells in
bushy pastures, second-growth sprout lands, and similar situa-
tions. It is in many sections very abundant but, in spite of
its bright colors, attracts little attention. The male is a per-
sistent singer throughout the season, even in the heat of the
midsummer days; the song, delivered from a rather elevated
perch on a tree or telegraph wire, has been described as ‘‘a sort
of hurried warble, quite fluent, and yet seeming to stick in
the throat a little” (Langille). The plain, brown-streaked
female may be recognized by the peculiar chink, characteristic
of the species. The nests are placed in bushes or blackberry
briers, 3 to 4 feet from the ground.
Food habits ——Forbush states that the indigo bird feeds on
caterpillars, grasshoppers, measuring worms, the larvae of
butterflies and moths, and small beetles. “The larger part of
its food consists of seeds, many of which are those of weeds.
McAtee, W. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 32, pp. 78-85, 1908.
BUNTINGS 255
During its short stay with us it is one of the few useful species
seen much about the garden, and is of some service in the
orchard.”’*
PAINTED BUNTING; NONPAREIL: Passerina ciris ciris
(Linnaeus).
State records.—The painted bunting, or nonpareil, although
occurring in Mississippi and in the coast region of Georgia, is
found in Alabama only as a rare straggler. The only records
of its occurrence are from the vicinity of Mobile. Dr. A. K.
Fisher observed a single male of this species, May 13, 1886,
in the northern suburbs of Mobile. A bird answering the
description of this species was reported to me from the vicinity
of Mobile by A. B. Taylor, who stated that he observed it every
spring near his home. This brilliant little bird has long been
prized as a cage bird and many thousands were formerly
trapped for that purpose. Whether this accounts for its scar-
city in Alabama is not known.
General habits—The painted bunting is said to inhabit
thickets, hedges, and the borders of woodland, preferring the
neighborhood of streams. Its song, according to Nuttall,
much resembles that of the indigo bird, but is more feeble and
concise.
DICKCISSEL: Spiza americana (Gmelin).
State records.—The dickcissel, or black-throated bunting,
has a rather restricted distribution in Alabama. It occurs
commonly as a summer resident in the Central Prairie Belt,
but outside of this area is recorded only from Leighton and
Talladega. It breeds at both these places and also in southern
Hale County and at Autaugaville (rarely) and Barachias
(abundantly). McCormack, writing in 1891, speaks of it as
formerly rare at Leighton but increasing in numbers. Within
a few years, however, the bird disappeared, probably because
the clover fields in which it bred were turned to other crops;
McCormack has not observed it in recent years, and I failed to
find it there on several visits between 1911 and 1914. A
*Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and Their Protection, p. 298, 1907.
256 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
specimen taken at Point Clear a number of years ago is now
on exhibition in the mounted collection of James K. Glennon in
the Point Clear Hotel.
McCormack noted this bird’s arrival at Leighton on May 2
(1891), and states it is rarely seen after July. Avery saw the
first arrivals at Greensboro on May 1 (1888).
General habits—The dickcissel is of local distribution and
of fluctuating abundance in the Eastern States; it is a prairie-
loving bird, but also lives to some extent in clover fields and
pastures in wooded regions. It dwells chiefly on cr near the
ground, and is usually satisfied with a low perch from which
to render its song. The bird is not at all shy and is rather
conspicuous by reason of the habit of sitting on top of a weed,
bush, or stake, repeating its simple song many times in succes-
sion with characteristic emphasis. Ridgway writes it, see,
see,—dick, dick—cissel, cissel, and this rendering has given
the bird the name by which it is now known. “The nest is
built of grasses, weed stalks, and leaves, lined with finer
grasses and hair, and is placed usually in rank clover or among
weeds and coarse grasses within a foot or two of the ground.
Occasionally it is built in a rose bush or other small shrub,
but always very low.’’*
Food habits —Examination of 152 stomachs of this bird in
the Biological Survey showed that the food consisted of 70 per
cent animal matter (insects, with a few spiders) ; and 30 per
cent vegetable. The vegetable food consisted mainly of mil-
let, oats, and pigeon and other grasses. The insect food was
chiefly grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and moths. Speaking
of its destruction of grasshoppers and crickets, Judd says:
“From June to August, inclusive, half of -its diet consists -of
these destructive insects. It feeds eagerly on short-horned
grasshoppers (Acrididae), longhorned grasshoppers (Locusti-
dae), and crickets (Gryllidae). The stomachs examined con-
tained more crickets and long-horned grasshoppers than those
of any other bird whose food habits have yet been investigated
by this Department.”+ Prof. Forbes investigated the food of
11 specimens of this bird taken in an orchard in Illinois.
Three-fourths of the stomach contents consisted of canker-
*Ridgway, R., Birds of Illinois, pp.. 303-804, 1889.
Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull, 15, p. 91, 1901.
TANAGERS 267
worms, cutworms, and other caterpillars, 9 per cent of beetles,
and 7 per cent of snails.t
TANAGERS: Family Tangaridae.
SCARLET TANAGER: Piranga olivacea (Gmelin) .*
State records.—The scarlet tanager occurs sparingly as a
migrant and as a breeder in the mountainous parts of Ala-
bama (fig. 18). It is fairly common in summer on Sand
Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Talladega Mountains, and
Mount Weogufka. I saw several on Choccolocco Mountain
near Anniston (June 8), one on Monte Sano near Huntsville
(May 13), one at Squaw Shoals (June 3), and several near
Guntersville (June 18). Holt observed one at Ardell, June
26, 1918. At Teasley Mill, Montgomery County, a male was
observed daily from May 11 to 16, 1914, and the species may
possibly have been breeding there. A male taken in spring
(date not known) at Point Clear is in the mounted collection
of James K. Glennon.
McCormack reports this species a rare spring migrant at
Leighton, seen May 5, 1890, and April 27, 1893. I observed
first arrivals there, April 22, 24, and 25, 1914. Avery found
it at Greensboro both in spring and fall, noted April 27 and
May 3, 1893; October 16, 1890; and September 18 to October
2, 1891. First arrivals in spring were reported at Shelby,
April 16 (1898) ; Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 15
(1912), and April 19 (1914) ; Anniston, April 23 (1916) ; and
Barachias, April 28 (1909), and April 24 (1912).
General habits —This handsome bird is a dweller in decidu-
ous woodland, and although not particularly shy, it is rarely
found close to habitations. It is partial to oak or hickory
timber and often lives in small groves or hedgerows. It is
distinctly an arboreal species, ranging in the “upper stories”
of the woodland and rarely descending to the ground. The
song resembles that of the robin, but has a characteristie
metallic twang to it, a ringing quality that appears also in the
common alarm note—chip-ch-r-r-r. The nest is a rather frail,
tForbes, S. A., Amer. Agr., vol. 40, pp. 482-483, 1881.
*Piranga erythromelas of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk,
vol. 37, p. 282, 1920.
9—B
258 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
shallow structure of small twigs and weed stalks, lined with
fine rootlets or blossom stems, placed on a horizontal limb of
a deciduous tree, from 7 to 30 or even sometimes 40 feet above
the ground.
Food habits—Forbush speaks of this tanager as “the ap-
pointed guardian of the oaks” and states that it captures many
moths and other insects which infest these forest trees. He
adds:
f
“As a caterpillar hunter the bird has few superiors. It is
often yery destructive to the gypsy moth, taking all stages but
the eggs. * * * Leaf-rolling caterpillars it skillfully takes from
the rolled leaves, and it also digs out the larvae of gall insects
from their hiding places. Many other injurious larvae are
taken. Wood-boring beetles, bark-boring beetles, and weevils
form a considerable portion of its food during the months when
these insects can be found. Click beetles, leaf-eating beetles and
craneflies are greedily eaten.” }
This tanager occasionally takes a little fruit, as cherries,
strawberries, mulberries, or huckleberries, but in the main it
is insectivorous in its diet, and as indicated by the above quota-
tion, decidedly beneficial.
SUMMER TANAGER; SUMMER REDBIRD; BEE-BIRD=
Piranga rubra rubra (Linnaeus).
State records.—The summer tanager is much commoner
than the scarlet tanager and is generally distributed as a sum-
mer resident, but in the pine flats of the coast belt occurs only
sparingly. First arrivals from the south appear usually the
first week in April, having been noted at Coosada, March 81;
Greensboro, April 8; Autaugaville, April 4; Tuscaloosa, April
7; Smelley, April 10, and Sand Mountain, April 12. The last
seen in fall at Leighton was on October 8 and at Bon Secour
on October 19. I took an adult male at Piedmont, October 20,
1916. Eggs have been found at York, May 14; Leighton,
May 17 and June 8; Autaugaville, May 19; and Prattville,
May 27.
General habits —This tanager is found in rather open pine
woods and seems to prefer tracts having an undergrowth of
Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, pp. 218, 214.
TANAGERS
259
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PET, B18 DAUFHIN 1D.
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Fic. 18.—Breeding area of the Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) in
Alabama.
260 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
small oaks and hickories. It is not a shy bird and is more
often found on the lower branches of trees than is the scarlet
tanager. The alarm note is characteristic, written by Nuttall,
“tshicky-tukky-tuk;” the song resembles that of the scarlet
tanager, but is sweeter and lacks the metallic quality of the
latter. The nest is placed on a horizontal limb of a tree, from
5 to 35 feet above the ground; it is rather shallow, composed
of grasses and weed stalks, and is often so thin that the eggs
may be seen from the ground beneath.
Food habits.—The food habits of this bird are not well
known. Many observers have reported its habit of visiting
fee hives and destroying the bees. It is said to feed
also on beetles, wasps, tomato worms, and spiders, and on
certain small wild fruits, as blackberries and whortleberries.
Examination in the Biological Survey of 6 stomachs taken in
Alabama showed that the bird has a decided preference for
Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, etc.), these insects being present
in 5 of the 6 stomachs in proportions varying from 70 to 98
per cent of the total content.
SWALLOWS AND MARTINS: Family Hirundinidae.
PURPLE MARTIN; BLACK MARTIN; GOURD MARTIN:
Progne subis subis (Linnaeus).
State records.—The purple martin is a common summer
resident in all parts of the State, and is known to breed at
Elkmont, Sand Mountain, Stevenson, Fort Payne, Gunters-
ville, Natural Bridge, Ardell, Tuscaloosa, Abbeville, Dothan,
Seale, Castleberry, Mobile and Bayou Labatre. It is one of
the earliest of the spring migrants to arrive, having been noted
at Carlton, March 4 (1912); Carrollton, March 9 (1887);
Longview, March 9 (1917); Autaugaville, March 12 (1918) ;
Coosada, March 13 (1878) ; Leighton, March 19 (1890); and
Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), March 15 (1913). Late
in summer, martins gather into flocks preparatory to their
southward flight, which takes place quite early in fall. Mc-
Cormack observed thousands of them feeding over a pasture
at Leighton, August 3, 1889, and during the last few days of
that month they were even more abundant; the last seen in
SWALLOWS 261
that locality were noted September 11. Holt observed a flock
of several hundred at Tuscaloosa, July 22, 1913, gathered late
in the afternoon over the center of the town. Eggs of this
species have been found at Autaugaville, May 28, and at Bara-
chias, June 14.
General habits.—The martin is a bird of the open country,
found in abundance everywhere in cultivated regions of the
State. Nesting as it does about dwellings and farm buildings,
it is well known and universally beloved. Practically every
farmyard has some provision for these birds in the way of
nesting boxes, and even the rustic cabins of the negro field
hands are not without their string of hollow gourds hung on a
pole for the accommodation of the birds—a practice, Gosse
tells us, learned from the Indians. At present this bird is
mainly dependent for its nesting sites upon boxes or gourds
put up for its accommodation; it is said, however, occasionally
to nest in woodpecker holes.
Like the other members of its family, the martin takes its
food entirely on the wing, coursing swiftly over pastures and.
cultivated lands in its pursuit of insects. The birds frequent-
ly alight on dead trees and just prior to the autumn migra-
tion they gather into large flocks and spend much time on
these perches and about the spires of churches or other town
buildings. At this season they roost at night in willows or
other deciduous trees, or in long grass and reeds in marshes,
retiring to the roost at dusk and leaving at break of day.
Food habits —The food of the martin as determined by
Prof. Beal, consists entirely of insects, with a few spiders.
Hymenoptera—ants, bees, and wasps—furnish the largest
item, amounting to 23 per cent of the total. The bird has
frequently been accused of destroying honey bees, but exami-
nation of over 200 stomachs showed only 5 containing these
insects, all of them drones. Flies, including many long-legged
tipulids and some of the house-fly family, are eaten to a con-
siderable extent, forming about 16 per cent of the food.
Hemiptera, or bugs, including stink-bugs, tree hoppers, negro
bugs, and one squash bug, were found in the stomachs and
formed nearly 15 per cent. Beetles amounted to about 12
per cent and included May beetles, ground beetles, dung
262 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
beetles, the cotton-boll weevil, clover weevil, and other species
destructive to nuts and seeds. Small moths are frequently
eaten and butterflies occasionally. Dragonflies are a favorite
food, having been found in 65 of the stomachs examined, 7
containing no other food.*
CLIFF SWALLOW: Petrochelidon albifrons albifrons
(Rafinesque) .+
State records.—The cliff, or eaves, swallow is a common
spring and autumn migrant, arriving on the coast about the
last week in March and reaching the northern counties the
first week in April. Migration continues during April and
May and stragglers may be seen even as late as the first of
June. At Leighton, April 30, 1912, I observed a flock of about
a hundred of these swallows flying high over the fields. Small
numbers were seen at Jasper, May 5, Auburn, May 7, and Au-
taugaville, May 10; a flock of 12 was seen at Seale May 19, and
1 bird, May 22 (1914). Peters saw one on Petit Bois Island,
June I, 1914, a very late date. Dr. Avery noted the bird only
in spring at Greensboro, and his collection contains 1 speci-
men taken May 1, 1890. McCormack at Leighton noted its
arrival in southward migration, Fuly 22, 1891, and found it
abundant from August 7 to 31, 1887. He states that it re-
mains till the second week in September. The only place in
the State where this bird is known to breed is on the high
cliffs bordering the Tennessee River near Fort Deposit, where
a colony of about a hundred pairs have established themselves.
On June 18, 1913, large young could be seen in the nests of
this colony.
General habits.—Cliff swallows are very sociable and un-
suspicious birds, always found in rather large colonies, and
often selecting for their nesting sites a building on the busy
street of a town or the low eaves of a barn near which people
are constantly passing. The nests are gourd-shaped struc-
tures of mud, plastered to the face of a cliff or the side of a
building, usually protected from the weather by an over-
*Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S.. Dept. Agr., pp. 8-6, 1918.
+Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name
see The Auk, vol. 34, p. 205, 1917.
SWALLOWS 263
hanging ledge or by the projecting eaves. Telegraph wires
are favorite perches, and often hundreds of the swallows may
be seen at once perched on the wires in close ranks. They
feed over pastures, cultivated lands, ponds, and rivers, taking
their food chiefly on the wing; occasionally they alight on the
ground to pick up food and to secure the mud used in con-
structing their nests. In the colony on the Tennessee River
a pair of duck hawks were living in the same cliff, but no indi-
cation was evident of disagreement between the hawks and
the swallows.
Food habits.—The food of the cliff swallow consists almost
entirely of insects, most of them taken on the wing. Beetles,
ants, bees, wasps, flies, and bugs make up the greater part of
the food, and include such destructive species as the chinch bug
and the cotton-boll weevil. During late summer and fall,
when these swallows are moving southward in large flocks,
they capture immense numbers of boll weevils over the cotton
fields. Thirty-five birds shot in Texas in September had
eaten a total of 678 weevils, one bird having consumed 48 of
the insects at a single meal. Honey bees (all drones) were
identified in 18 of the 375 stomachs examined.*
BARN SWALLOW: JHirundo rustica erythrogastris
Boddaert.}
State records.—The barn swallow occurs abundantly as a
migrant and casually as a breeder in the northern part of the
State. It is probably the most numerous of any of the swal-
lows and remains for a longer period than the others. Mi-
grants arrive in spring about the middle of April and are
common for about a month. The southward movement be-
gins the latter part of July and continues until the middle of
September. McCormack records the bird at Leighton be-
tween April 15 and May 15 and between August 6 and Septem-
ber 18. Avery noted it at Greensboro during practically the
same periods. First arrivals were seen at Sylacauga, April 14
(1908), Barachias, April 21 (1912), and Sand Mountain
*cf. Beal, F. E. L., Food Habits of the Swallows; Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 6-
si ‘Hirundo erythrogastra of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk,
vol. 35, p. 212, 1918.
264 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
(near Carpenter), April 22 (1911). Late migrants (single
birds) were noted at Seale, May 19 and 20 (1914) ; Mobile,
May 28 (1914), and Alabama Port, May 30 and June 5 (1914).
Gutsell observed the first southbound migrants at Bayou La-
batre, August 8, and found the species common at Orange
Beach, September 9 to 21 (1911). Holt saw two migrating
birds at Petit Bois Island between July 26 and 30 (1913).
Only one instance of this bird’s breeding in the State is
known. Under a bridge at Tuscumbia, May 15, 1892, F. W.
McCormack found a nest with eggs. As the species is known
to breed as far south as Nashville and Athens, Tennessee, it
may again be found breeding occasionally in northern Ala-
bama.
General habits.—The barn swallow is a familiar bird in the
North, living about cultivated lands and entering with confi-
dence the buildings of the farmer. The birds spend most of
their daylight hours coursing swiftly over the fields, usually
rather close to the ground, in pursuit of their insect prey.
They develop greater speed and show more skill and grace in
their evolutions than any of the other swallows. From time
to time small parties gather on the ridge pole of a barn or
some similar situation, where they preen their feathers, play
together, and carry on a conversational twittering. The song,
delivered both from these perches and on the wing, is a series
of musical twitterings interspersed with a variety of liquid or
guttural notes, the whole performance animated, cheerful, and
very pleasing.
Breeding originally in caves and cliffs, the barn swallow
now depends for nesting sites almost wholly upon farm build-
ings and bridges. The nests are semicup-shaped and rather
shallow, constructed of alternate layers of mud and fine
grasses and thickly lined with feathers.
Food habits.—The food of the barn swallow, as shown by
the investigations of Prof. Beal, is composed almost entirely
of animal matter—insects, with a few spiders and snails.
Diptera, or flies, constitute the largest item, amounting to
almost 40 per cent of the total. Beetles, including weevils,
are next in order, reaching about 16 per cent of the total; the
destructive cotton-boll weevil is eaten in considerable numbers
SWALLOWS 265
in the summer and fall, at the time when the insects are flying
about considerably. Ants formed nearly 10 per cent of the
food, and other Hymenoptera about 12 per cent; Hemiptera,
or bugs, furnished 15 per cent, and included stink bugs, chinch
bugs, plant lice, and leaf hoppers. Dragonflies are captured
in some numbers.*
Forbush states that this bird is very serviceable in destroy-
ing the moths of the smaller cutworms found on grass lands.
He adds that the birds gather codling moths, cankerworm
moths, and tortriad or leaf-rolling moths from the orchard
and that they catch also horseflies, house flies, mosquitoes,
gnats, and crane flies.} Barrows states that barn swallows
are very fond of the fruit of the bayberry or wax-myrtle and
sometimes, during their autumn migration, alight by thou-
sands on the low bushes and gorge themselves on the berries.
TREE SWALLOW; WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW:
Tridoprocne bicolor (Vieillot).
State records.—The tree, or white-bellied, swallow occurs
irregularly, but often in considerable numbers, in migration.
It is the hardiest of its tribe and a few remain all winter on.
the Gulf coast. McCormack states that it reaches Leighton
about the last week in March and remains in greater or
lesser numbers during the whole of April. He has not ob-
served it in fall. Golsan took one at Autaugaville, October 3,
1914, and I observed small flocks at Theodore, November 11,
and at Bayou Labatre, November 19, 1915. A few were ob-
served in Grand Bay, March 22, and several near Mobile,
March 24 (1912). At Chuckvee Bay, Baldwin County,
February 7, 1912, I saw 3 of these swallows and at the same
place, March 16, a flock of about fifty. Four individuals were
seen near Jasper, April 30, 1914, in a flock of barn swallows.
General. habits —In the North, this swallow is widely dis-
tributed, nesting not in colonies but in scattered pairs in wood-
peckers’ holes, in hollow trees and stumps, and also in bird
boxes and in crevices about the eaves and corners of buildings.
*Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 11-15, 1918.
+Forbush, E. H., Useful birds and their protection, pp. 345-346, 1907.
tBarrows, W. B., Michigan bird life, pp. 548-549, 1912.
266 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
Immediately after the breeding season, even by the first of
July, these swallows gather into flocks and roost by night in
the reeds in the marshes. Chapman says: “They migrate
by day, leaving their roosting-ground in flocks which some-
times contain myriads, and, after attaining a great height,
pursue their journey to the south.”* Their flight is ordi-
narily performed at a moderate height, but not so low as the
barn swallow. They do not fly so swiftly as the latter bird,
and are much given to sailing about in circles. In the South
in winter and during migration the birds feed about pastures,
marshes, rice fields, and over bodies of water. Especially do
they frequent tracts of bayberry or wax-myrtle bushes, the
fruit of which in winter forms in some regions their principal
food.
Food habits.—The tree swallow differs from the other swal-
lows in that it feeds to a considerable extent on berries as
well as insects. Examination of 348 stomachs in the Biologi-
cal Survey showed the food of this species to consist of about
80 per cent animal matter and 20 per cent vegetable. Prof.
Beal states that the vegetable food is made up of a few varie-
ties of seeds and berries, but more than nine-tenths of it con-
sists of the fruit of a single shrub, the bayberry, or waxberry
(Myrica carolinensis). These berries were found in 70 stom-
achs, 30 of which contained no other food, and as they are
eaten all the summer, at a time when insects are abundant,
it is evident that they form a standard article of diet and are
not a makeshift for lack of better food.+
Other berries, including those of the red cedar, dogwood,
and Virginia creeper, are occasionally eaten. The habit of
feeding on the berries of the wax myrtle makes it possible for
the tree swallow to remain all winter in cold climes, even as
far north as New Jersey. Of the insect food, flies comprise
the largest item—over 40 per cent of the total. These include
crane flies, horse flies, and house flies, the last being most
numerous. Beetles, including the cotton-boll weevil and other
destructive weevils, are extensively eaten. Other insects
*Chapman, F. M., Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America, p. 419, 1912.
+Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 16, 1918.
SWALLOWS 267
taken by this swallow are ants, wild bees, wasps, leaf hoppers,
plant lice, chinch bugs, dragonflies, and moths.t
BANK SWALLOW; SAND MARTIN: Riparia riparia .
riparia (Linnaeus).
State records.—The bank swallow probably occurs regular-
ly in migration, but is apparently not at all common. It should
be carefully distinguished from the rough-winged swallow,
which also nests in banks. The spring migration should bring
the birds to Alabama by the last of March or first of April,
but the only record in spring is that of two birds which we
saw near Jasper, April 30, 1914—one of which we secured.
Gutsell noted their appearance at Bayou Labatre, August 7,
1911, and found them there irregularly during that month.
L. S. Golsan reports finding a small colony breeding in the
bluffs along the Alabama River, at Washington Ferry,
Autauga County, May 5, 1895, the only instance at present
known. He caugnt one bird in his hand on the nest and care-
fully identified it.*
This species, as its name indicates, nests | in holes in cut
banks, usually in rather large colonies. The burrows are
always at some distance from the foot of the bank, often with-
in a few feet of the top, and usually 3 feet or more in depth;
at the end of the cavity a nest of grasses and feathers usually
is constructed in which the 4 to 6 white eggs are laid.
General habits—The bank swallow, the smallest of its
family, is a strongly gregarious species, found in flocks both
in the breeding season and in winter. In migration it often
travels with other species of swallows, flying usually at no
great height with a rather unsteady, flickering flight. The.
birds frequent pastures and cultivated lands and are especially
attracted by bodies of, water.
Food habits.—The food of this swallow consists almost
wholly of insects, with a few spiders. As with most of the
other swallows, flies constitute the most important element,
amounting to over one-fourth (26 per cent) of the total; house
flies and crane flies are the kinds commonly taken. Beetles
—.
tBeal, Op. cit., pp. 16-18.
¥*Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 280, 1914.
268 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
form nearly 20 per cent of the total and include such destruc-
tive species as the cotton-boll weevil, alfalfa weevil, rice
weevil, and plum curculio. Twenty-five birds taken over the
cotton fields of Texas in September were found to have eaten
a total of 68 boll weevils, one bird having taken 14 of them.7
Other insects eaten by the bank swallow are ants and other
Hymenoptera, leaf hoppers, plant lice, dragonflies, Mayflies,
and a few caterpillars.t
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW; SAND MARTIN; GULLY
MARTIN: Stelgidopteryx serripennis serripennis
(Audubon).
State records.—The rough-winged swallow, the only swal-
low which nests regularly in the State, is a generally dis-
tributed and fairly common summer resident.
It arrives from the south the last of March or first of April.
McCormack noted the first one at Leighton, April 6 (1893),
and Avery records the first at Greensboro, April 15 (1893).
Brown, at Coosada, noted its arrival on March 22, but states
that it was not generally distributed until the first week in
April. It probably leaves in autumn about the last of Septem-
ber.
General habits —The rough-wing is not so gregarious as
its relative the bank swallow, breeding usually in small
colonies or in isolated pairs. It is the common “bank swallow”
of the South, found usually in the vicinity of streams or ponds
in nearly every locality. It spends much of its time in the
air in search of food, but is often seen resting on telegraph
wires or the dead branches of trees. Its flight is rather slow
and somewhat erratic. Its notes are harsh and squeaky but
not loud. In autumn the birds are said to gather into large
flocks and to roost at night in their burrows.
The nests are placed in holes in cut banks, or in crevices in
stone walls or cliffs. A most remarkable site selected by
one or more pairs of these birds for their nest was on a but-.
tress beneath the deck of a transfer steamboat which made
daily trips on the Tennessee River from Guntersville to Hobbs:
+Howell, A. H., Biol. Surv. Bull. 29, p. 14, 1907.
Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 21-25, 1918,
WAXWINGS 269
Island, a distance of 24 miles, leaving at 10 a. m. and return-
ing at6 p.m. The birds, of course, followed the boat all the
way to feed their young. A nest examined on the boat, June
19, 1918, contained young.
Food habits.—The food of the rough-winged swallow con-
sists principally of insects, with a few spiders. Flies com-
posed nearly one-third (32.89 per cent) of the total. Ants
and other Hymenoptera are extensively eaten, and bugs to a
lesser extent. Beetles amounted to nearly 15 per cent of the
food and included the cotton-boll weevil, alfalfa weevil, rice
weevils, and flea beetles. A few moths, caterpillars, dragon-
flies, Mayflies, and an occasional grasshopper make up the re-
mainder of this bird’s food.*
WAXWINGS: Family Bombycillidae.
‘CEDAR WAXWING; CEDAR-BIRD; “SEAL:”
Bombyceilla cedrorum Vieillot.
State records.—The cedar waxwing, often called cedar-bird,.
is an irregular, though sometimes not uncommon, winter visi-
tant and often remains late in spring. McCormack records it
common at Leighton, where it arrives in small flocks from
October 1 to 15, and remains till May 25. Avery found it
common also at Greensboro, between October 9 and April 18.
Brown reports it of irregular occurrence in small flocks at
Coosada between January and April; and Saunders records:
small flocks at Woodbine, May 7 to 17, Golsan and Holt record:
it as a winter resident in Autauga and Montgomery Counties,,.
remaining until June.t The birds were observed in flocks,
numbering from 6 to 25 individuals, at Tuscaloosa, April 3;
Stinson, April 18; Muscle Shoals, Apri] 25; Jasper, April 29;:
Ardell, May 5; Auburn, May 7; and Seale, May 20 (1914).
General habits.—Although destitute of song and uttering:
only a faint, lisping note, this bird easily attracts attention:
by its soft, delicate coloring and its jaunty appearance. It is’
found in flocks during the greater part of the year and in.
winter feeds largely in hackberry, cedar, and other berry--
*Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 25-27, 1918.
+Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 2380, 1914.
270 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
bearing trees. The birds are great gourmands and often
gorge themselves to such an extent that they are unable to fly.
They move in compact flocks with a rather swift and some-
what undulatory flight.
Food habits.—The cedar-bird feeds to a considerable extent
on fruit, both wild and cultivated, and its fondness for cher-
ries has gained for it in the North the name of “cherry bird.”
Examination of 152 stomachs, however, showed that 74 per
cent of the food consisted of wild fruit and only 13 per cent
of cultivated fruit, while cherries were found in only 9 of 41
stomachs taken in June and July. The bird is said to be par-
ticularly fond of raspberries, blueberries, serviceberries, and
buffalo berries and relishes all kinds of wild cherries. Bar-
rows says:
On the other hand we have no bird which is more valuable to
the horticulturist as an insect eater, for it not only eats insects
freely and at all seasons when they are obtainable, but it seems
to be partial to the farmer and fruit grower. Thus it eats cater-
pillars of many kinds and sometimes almost confines itself to a
diet of canker worms when they are unusually abundant.¢
During its stay in the South this species feeds to a large
extent on cedar berries and hackberries. It takes, also, the
berries of the haw, sumac, bittersweet, chokecherry, black
alder (Ilex verticillata), and greenbrier.
SHRIKES: Family Laniidae.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE; FRENCH MOCKINGBIRD;
BUTCHERBIRD: Lanius ludovicianus ludovicianus
Linnaeus.
State records.—The shrike (fig. 19), known in the South as
loggerhead or “French mockingbird” (and sometimes er-
roneously as “catbird”), is a fairly common resident in the
southern half of the State, from Tuscaloosa and Shelby Coun-
ties to the coast (fig. 20). It is of somewhat local distribu-
tion and is most abundant in the Central Prairie Region. In
the vicinity of Montgomery dozens of the birds may be seen
any day along the roadsides. Avery reported it common also
tBarrows, W. B., Michigan bird life, p. 557, 1912.
271
ird).
oof
ri os
hips og
ike (Butcher
SHRIKES
Loggerhead Shr
19
Fic.
272 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
at Greensboro; Saunders saw a pair feeding young at Stew-
artsville, Coosa County, May 4, 1908;* Holt collected 2 speci-
mens (adult male and young) at Wilsonville, June 4, 1913;
and I saw 3 and took 1 young bird at Tuscaloosa, June 2,.1913.
Dean saw one at Anniston May 18, 1916—probably a breeding
specimen of this race. I found the bird rather common in
May on the coast at Coden, and in June observed a few at
Dothan and Abbeville. It has been seen in the breeding sea-
son also at Seale, York, Myrtlewood, Bay Minette, and Mobile.
In winter it has been observed in small numbers at Ashford,
Orange Beach, Bayou Labatre, Petit Bois Island, Jackson,
Carlton, and Uniontown. Specimens were taken at Auburn,
October 1, 1908, and March 7, 1912. Dr. Avery found a nest
with incubated eggs at Greensboro, April 25, 1887. Fresh
eggs have been taken at Barachias, April 4 and May 26
(Holt), and incubated eggs at Autaugaville, April 2 (Golsan).
Palmer records eggs taken at Gastonburg, March 29, 1888.+
General habits——The shrike is a bird of open farming coun-
try and is usually of frequent occurrence along roadsides,
where the telephone wires afford it convenient perches while
it is on the lookout for its prey. It resembles the mocking-
bird in general appearance but may be distinguished by its
shorter tail and shorter, hooked bill. The shrike does not
hunt for its prey, but remains motionless on some elevated
perch until it spies something desirable—grasshopper, beetle,
or mouse—when it drops lightly to the ground and seizes its
quarry with its claws and kills it with its strong beak. Many
of its victims are impaled on thorns or barbed wires, which
probably aid the bird in tearing them apart and affords an
opportunity to return later to the feast if nothing better
offers.
The notes of the shrike are harsh and unmusical. Chapman
describes them as “a series of guttural gurgles, squeaky
whistles, and shrill pipes.”
The nest is a rather bulky structure, composed of small
sticks, rags, cotton, weed stalks, and feathers, placed usually
in thorny bushes or hedges, 7 to 15 feet from the ground.
Two or sometimes three broods are reared in a season.
*Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908.
+Palmer, W., The Auk, vol. 15, p. 251, 1898.
SHRIKES 273
/ : MW Wy Y Why ME HB,
LOWY yyy
Ye WY y Yy, >
( LB,
Wy)
a/
YY
ais
274 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
Food habits.—In its food habits the shrike is both carnivor-
ous and insectivorous. Examination of 88 stomachs in the
Biological Survey showed the food to consist of vertebrates
(mammals, birds, and a few fish) 28 per cent, and inverte-
brates (insects, spiders, and snails), 72 per cent. Insects
form the bulk of the food during the warmer months, while in
winter the greater part consists of mice and small birds.
Mice are taken at all seasons and in winter compose half the
food; birds make up only 8 per cent of the food for the year.
I once shot a shrike in the act of eating a lizard.
According to Judd, the larger part of the insect food of this
shrike consists of Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets),
and the remainder is principally beetles. In summer, when
grasshoppers are abundant, the loggerhead does not seem to
attack birds. Grasshoppers and crickets were found in three-
fourths of the stomachs examined and 14 of the 88 shrikes
had fed exclusively upon these pests.t Cankerworms, cut-
worms, and other caterpillars, together with wasps and
spiders, are destroyed to a moderate extent. As a result of
his investigations, Judd concluded that the loggerhead is a
decidedly beneficial bird and in this opinion he is supported
by all who have studied the bird’s habits.
MIGRANT SHRIKE: Lanius ludovicianus migrans
W. Palmer.
State records.—The northern race of the shrike occurs in
moderate numbers as a fall and winter visitant in the northern
parts of Alabama. Specimens have been examined from
Woodville, March 9; Ardell, March 28 and April 1; Leighton,
November 8 and 5 (1915), and Oleander, November 7 (1916).
McCormack states that migrant shrikes do not pass the nest-
ing season at Leighton, but appear there about the middle of
August and remain in moderate numbers till about April 10.
I saw two individuals at Tuscumbia, September 16, 1908 and
R. H. Dean reports seeing the species at Anniston on various
dates from September 17 to January 25.
tJudd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull. 9, p. 22, 1898.
VIREOS 27d
WIREOS: Family Vireonidae.
RED-EYED VIREO: Vireosylva olivacea (Linnaeus).
State records.—The red-eyed vireo, known to many as
“hanging bird,” is one of the most common and widely dis-
tributed of our summer birds. On the pine flats of the coast
region, however, it is seen only rarely, in migration. It ar-
rives from the south about the first of April, the earliest
birds having been noted at Greensboro, March 27 (1891);
Barachias, March 31 (1909); Autaugaville, April 2 (1912);
and Jackson, April 4 (1912). First arrivals were noted at
Sand Mountain (near Carpenter) April 15 (1917), and at
Anniston, April 16 (1916). The species was particularly
abundant near Muscle Shoals, April 20 to 22, 1914. In fall,
the latest birds were seen at Leighton, October 2 (1891), and
at Greensboro, October 18 (1890). Nests with eggs have been
found at Leighton, May 6, at Weogufka, May 21, and at Au-
taugaville, May 26.
General habits.—This familiar bird is found in deciduous
woodland, both in wet river bottoms and on dry mountain
sides, and often takes up its abode in shade trees along village
streets. It is gentle and unsuspicious, and often remains on
its nest until almost touched by the hand. It is deliberate in
its movements and lives for the most part well up in the trees.
The song is a smoothly flowing, melodious warble and the bird
is a most persistent singer even in the hot days of midsummer.
The continuous and rather monotonous style of performance
has earned for the bird the name “preacher.”
The nest is cup-shaped and pensile, fastened to the forks of
a horizontal limb of a bush or tree, commonly 4 to 5 feet above
the ground, but sometimes as high as 25 feet. It is neatly and
compactly woven of strips of bark, paper, plant down, leaves,
ete.
Food habits.—This vireo is one of our most useful woodland
birds. Forbush, speaking of its destruction of caterpillars,
says:
In the discovery of this kind of game the bird has few
superiors. * * * It is most astonishing to see him pick up
caterpillar after caterpillar from twigs and foliage, where with
276 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
the best of glasses our untrained eyes can discern “nothing but
leaves,””*
Its insect food also includes moths, butterflies, ants, beetles,
weevils, grasshoppers, katydids, locusts, chinch bugs, dragon-
flies, horseflies, and mosquitoes. Many spiders are consumed
and a large quantity of wild fruit, such as raspberries, black-
berries, mulberries, pokeberries, elderberries, and wild
grapes, as well as seeds of the magnolia, dogwood, sassafras,
and prickly ash.
PHILADELPHIA VIREO: Vireosylva philadelphica
Cassin.
State records.—The Philadelphia vireo is one of the rarer
vireos; it occurs in the Mississippi Valley as a regular though
uncommon migrant and will doubtless be found occasionally
in Alabama. Thus far there is but one definite record of its
occurrence, that of a specimen which I collected May 6, 1912,
in oak woods on top of a bluff bordering the Tennessee River
at South Florence.
General habits —This species closely resembles the red-
eyed vireo in habits and song, but has more the appearance
of the warbling vireo. It may be recognized by the pale,
greenish-yellow color of the underparts.
WARBLING VIREO: Vireosylva gilva gilva (Vieillot).
State records.—The warbling vireo, although a common
summer resident in the Northern States and found throughout
the Mississippi Valley, apparently is of rare occurrence in
Alabama. Saunders records having heard one singing at
Sylacauga, April 16, 1908. One was secured by J. L. Peters
near the Tennessee River, north of Leighton, April 24, 1914,
and one by E. W. Graves on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter),
May 4, 1914. Further investigation doubtless will show it to
be more or less regular in occurrence at that season.
General habits ——This vireo shows a decided preference for
tall shade trees, particularly elms. It remains near the tops
of the trees and is therefore difficult to observe. Its song is
*Forbush, E. H., Useful birds and their protection, p. 205, 1907.
+Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908.
VIREOS 277
a sprightly, musical warble, very similar to that of the purple
finch and quite unlike that of the other vireos.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO: Lanivireo flavifrons
(Vieillot).
State records.—The yellow-throated vireo is a moderately
common summer resident in the northern and central portions
of the State, but becomes rarer toward the coast. It is
recorded in the breeding season as far south as Abbeville and
Castleberry.
The species arrives from the south at about the same time
as the red-eye, earliest migrants having been noted at Au-
taugaville, March 20 (1913); Shelby, March 27 (1898);
Greensboro, March 28 (1893); Jackson, April 3 (1912);
Tuscaloosa, April 4 (1914); Sand Mountain (near Carpen-
ter), April 6 ¢1911 and 1912) ; and Leighton, April 8 (1891).
In fall it was last seen at Leighton, September 26 (1891). A
nest with fresh eggs was found by Golsan at Booth, April 25,
1916, and a nest with young near Autaugaville, May 15, 1910.
General habits—The yellow-throated vireo dwells in upland
woods and groves of deciduous timber, spending most of its
time in the upper stories of the woods. It sings a rich alto
song, similar to that of the red-eye, but distinguished from it
by the upward inflection of some of its phrases. It has, also,
a loud, harsh, scolding note which is frequently uttered dur-
ing the nesting season. The nest resembles that of the red-
eyed vireo, and is usually decorated on the outside with lichens,
plant down, shreds of cotton or paper, bits of bark, insect
cocoons, and like material. It is hung in the forks of a limb,
usually from 10 to 40 feet above the ground.
Food habits.—This vireo, according to Forbush, feeds upon
pests of the household, forest and orchard.
Common houseflies and mosquitoes are eaten. In the orchard
it attacks the apple plant lice, the hairy tent, gipsy, and tussock
caterpillars, as well as moths of many species. It is quite
destructive to the larvae of butterflies, also, while weevils and
278 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
other beetles, grasshoppers, and leaf-hoppers are eaten to a less
extent. This species eats a few unimportant wild berries, such
as the fruit of the red cedar.*
Other observers have noted it feeding on cankerworms,
tobacco worms, ants, and spiders.
BLUE-HEADED VIREO: Lanivireo solitarius solitarius
(Wilson).
State records.—The blue-headed, or solitary vireo occurs as
an uncommon migrant and winter visitant. Brown observed
it in some numbers at Coosada, where he noted the males
beginning to sing on March 6; all had departed by March 20.+
I collected a specimen at Bayou Labatre, February 7, 1912,
the only one seen during the season. A migrant was reported
at Shelby, April 4, 1898, and one was seen by Golsan at Au-
taugaville, November 25, 1912. Specimens were also taken
by him at Autaugaville, December 3, 1915, and at Prattville,
January 23, 1916, and February 5, 1916.
General habits——This vireo resembles the yellow-throated
vireo in habits but lives rather in the lower stories of the
woodland. Its song which is occasionally heard in spring mi-
gration, is rich and sweet, and similar to that of the yellow-
throat. In winter the bird may be found in swampy thickets
or other low situations.
MOUNTAIN SOLITARY VIREO: Lanivireo solitarius
alticola (Brewster).
State records.—The mountain solitary vireo, a race of the
blue-headed vireo, is apparently rare in the State, there being
only two records of its occurrence. There is one specimen in
the Avery collection, taken October 23, 1890, at Greensboro.
Saunders records the species as arriving at Woodbine March
14, 1908, and common there from March 21 to April 12; one
specimen collected by him proved to be of this form.**
*Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, p. 208, 1907.
7Brown, N. C., Bull, Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 4, p. 7, 1879.
tGolsan’ and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 231, 1914:
**Saunders, A. A. The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908.
VIREOS 279
WHITE-EYED VIREO; HANGING-BIRD: Vireo griseus
griseus (Boddaert) .
State records.—The white-eyed vireo is a common summer
resident in nearly all parts of the State. A few individuals
winter in the extreme southern United States, and one seen
by Holt at Barachias, February 21, 1913, was doubtless a win-
tering bird. First arrivals in spring were noted at Weogufka,
March 17 (1908); Mobile, March 18 (1912); Autaugaville,
March 27 (1913) ; Greensboro, March 28 (1891) ; Sand Moun-
tain (near Carpenter), April 1 (1914) ; and Leighton, April 2
(1890). The last in autumn was seen at Leighton, September
20 (1891) ; Anniston, September 24 (1916), and Greensboro,
October 18 (1890). Nesting begins in April, eggs having
been found at Coosada, April 20; Leighton, April 24 and May
10; Autaugaville, May 1; and on Sipsey Fork near Mellville,
May 3.
General habits —This species is of very different habits
from the other vireos, dwelling nearer the ground and pre-
ferring dense thickets for its home, usually in swamps or low,
wet bottoms. It is not particularly shy, but the nature of its
haunts prevents easy observation of the bird. Its song, how-
ever, is loud and very characteristic, being quite unlike that
of any of the other species. It is a sprightly and varied ditty,
strongly.accented, suggesting different translations to almost
every listener. Ridgway interprets it as chick’ty-beaver,
lim’ber, stick; while Burroughs writes it: chick-a-re’r-chick.
The bird has, also, a peculiar mewing, scolding note and is at
times an accomplished mimic; in the seclusion of his haunts
it sometimes gives voice to a remarkable and varied medley
which includes the notes of many other birds. The nest is
placed in thickets or swampy woodland, usually 3 or 4 feet
above the ground; it is deeply cupshaped and heavily orna-
mented on the outside with such material as lichens, mosses,
shreds of bark, paper, and spiders’ webs.
Food habits.—The food of this vireo includes cankerworms,
cutworms, tobacco worms, ants, beetles, bugs, and house flies.
Some fruits and berries are eaten, such as blackberries, rasp-
berries, mulberries, and the fruit of the sassafras and
palmetto.
280 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
WOOD WARBLERS: Family Compsothlypidae.*
BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER: Mniotilta varia
(Linnaeus).
State records.—The black and white warbler (fig. 21),
sometimes known as the black and white creeper, is a common
migrant and a moderately common summer resident in the
northern half of Alabama (fig. 22). It is recorded in the’
breeding season at Florence, Leighton, Elkmont, Sand Moun-
tain, Guntersville, Woodbine, Talladega Mountains, Ardell,
Autaugaville, and Greensboro.
Migrants from the south arrive by the middle of March,
having been noted at Coosada, March 13; Woodbine, March
14; Shelby, March 18; Sand Mountain (near Carpenter),
April 1; and Leighton, April 9. In fall, migrating birds have
been observed at Leighton, October 2; Autaugaville, October
16; and Castleberry, October 10. Eggs were taken by Golsan
near Autaugaville, April 25, 1891, and Holt saw a pair of the
birds feeding large young on Gunters Mountain, June 17, 1913.
General habits.—This warbler lives chiefly in deciduous
woodland and is rarely seen away from its favorite habitat.
In habits it resembles the creepers but structurally is a true
warbler. Its mode of progression is by a series of hops by
which it ascends the trunk or limbs of a tree, often in a spiral
course, searching in the crevices of the bark for its insect food.
It clings with ease to the under side of a branch after the man-
ner of the nuthatch. Its song, though not loud, is incisive
and easily recognized. Langille writes it: ‘“‘Ki-tsee, ki-tsee,
ki-tsee, ki-tsee, as slender to the ear as ‘hair-wire’ to the eye
* * *’+ The second syllable of each note is strongly ac-
cented.
The nest is placed on the ground in deciduous woods, at the
base of a tree, bush, or stump, or beside a log or stone; it is
quite bulky and sometimes partially roofed over.
Food habits.—According to Forbush this species feeds on
wood-boring insects, bark beetles, click beetles, curculios,
eae of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 37,
p. 4 19:
;Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p. 276, 1884.
WARBLERS 281
Am
Th)
h,
t
) nl,
f
SU
a
N
i 4,
25 Lhe
ety,
SSSR
eT)
athe.
Fic. 21—Black and White Warbler.
282 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
caterpillars, and moths. He reports it “very destructive at
times to hairy caterpillars, eating large quantities of them.”}
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: Protonotaria citrea
(Boddaert).
State records.—The prothonotary warbler, known often as
the golden swamp warbler, is a fairly common summer resi-
dent throughout the State. It is recorded as common at
Leighton and at Greensboro; it breeds at both these places
and also at Mobile, Seale, Tuscaloosa, Squaw Shoals, Ardell,
Guntersville, Castleberry, and Abbeville. The bird was com-
mon in the overflowed bottoms at Jacksen Lake, April 19,
1912, and probably breeds there.
First arrivals in spring were noted at Coosada, April 12
(1877) ; Greensboro, April 13 (1889); and Scottsboro, April
18 (1914). Incubated eggs were taken by Golsan at Autauga-
ville, June 16.
General habits——The favorite haunts of this brilliant war-
bler are wet river bottoms or wooded swamps (PI. VI, fig. 1).
It remains close to the ground, feeding much of the time in
low bushes over the water, where its brilliant colors are dis-
played to best advantage. It is a very active bird, almost
constantly in motion, and in the breeding season a frequent
singer as it flits from bush to bush. The song is quite loud
and penetrating, sounding like the syllables peet, tsweet,
tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, all on the same tone. The nest is
placed in a hollow stub or the deserted nest of a chickadee or
downy woodpecker, usually over water, and from 4 to 15 feet
above the surface.
Food habits.—The food habits of the prothonotary warbler
are not well known, but probably the bird feeds mainly on
insects; J. Percy Moore states that it catches various flies,
beetles, and caterpillars and Audubon says he found small
snails in its stomach.
Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, p. 192, 1907.
WARBLERS 283
y
WN N
NN SY eR
tg
. Bo pCour
mm
= Orange Beach
PETE Bors DAUPHIN 1D.
Fig. 22.—Breeding area of the Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta
varia) in Alabama.
284 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
SWAINSON WARBLER: Limnothlypis swainsonti
(Audubon) .*
State records.—The Swainson warbler was first recorded
from Alabama by Nathan Clifford Brown, who, in 1878, dis-
covered three singing birds in the vicinity of Coosada.t Dr.
Avery observed the species only once at Greensboro, Septem-
ber 6, 1890, when he collected a young female specimen.
In the big river swamps above Mobile, in May, 1911 and
1914, and July, 1913, I heard at different points at least 9
singing birds of this species, but on account of the impenetra-
ble character of the vegetation was not able to collect any.
In Catoma Swamp, near Teasley Mill, Montgomery County, I
heard the song of this bird several times on April 1, 1914,
and again in May. Specimens were taken at Tuscaloosa,
June 2, 1913; on Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May 1, 1914; at
Prattville Junction, May 9, 1914; and in Bear Swamp near
Autaugaville, May 24, 1913. The bird was frequently heard
in Bear Swamp and in other swamps near Autaugaville, and
has also been noted on the upper Choctawhatchee, near Edwin
(June), and at Muscle Shoals, on the Tennessee River
(April 24).
On an island in the Tennessee River near Florence, in May,
1912, I found 2 nests and saw 3 or 4 of the warblers. Both
nests were in rather open canebrakes in heavy timber, on dry
ground, but close to the border of a small slough. They were
loosely fastened in the upper branches of cane stems, about
4 feet above the ground. One nest, found May 5, contained
2 eggs; May 8 it held 3 eggs and the female parent was in-
cubating; she allowed me to approach within 4 feet of her be-
fore she flew off and quickly disappeared. The other nest
was found the same day but was empty, though apparently
just completed. The eggs are pure white, unspotted.
General habits.—This is one of the least known of the war-
blers, being confined in the breeding season to the deep
swamps-and river-bottom woods where canebrakes are found.
Though by no means generally distributed, in many localities
*Helinaia swainsoni of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name eee The Auk,
vol. 87, p. 444, 1920.
{Brown, N. C., Ball. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. 3, pp. 172-178, 1878.
WARBLERS 285
it is not rare. Its secretive habits effectively conceal it from
all but the most persistent observers. Perched motionless in
some thick tangle of vines in the depths of the swamp, it pours
forth its rich, though simple, song for many minutes at a time,
but its dull-brown coloration harmonizes so well with its sur-
roundings that it is one of the most difficult of all birds to
locate. The song resembles in tone quality and form that of
the Louisiana water-thrush, but is shorter and less vigorous.
It opens with three slurred phrases on the same pitch, and
closes with two shorter notes on a slightly lower pitch. It also
closely resembles certain songs of the hooded warbler, which
fact makes it doubly difficult to identify with certainty.
Food habits —Four stomachs of this bird from Alabama
contained remains of caterpillars, spiders, and Hymenoptera
(ants, bees, etc.).
WORM-EATING WARBLER: dHelmitheros vermivorus
(Gmelin).
State records.—The worm-eating warbler occurs as a com-
mon migrant, apparently more abundant in fall, and as a rare
and local breeder in the northern part of the State. It has
been observed at Shelby, May 27 and 31, 1898; Ardell, June
25, 1913; Sipsey Fork near Mellville, May 1, 1914; and Nat-
ural Bridge, July 19, 1913, at all which places it probably
breeds. Golsan took a specimen at Autaugaville, September
18, 1915, and Dr. Avery took several at Greensboro in August
and September.
Migrants from the south were noted at Hollins, April 21
(1908); Leighton, April 22 (1914); Oakchia, April 23
(1912) ; and Barachias, April 24 (1912) and May 1 (1913).
McCormack found the species rather common in fall migra-
tion at Leighton, frequenting swamps. The first migrant
(in 1889) was noted July 19; the next on August 5, after
which they increased in numbers till the 15th, then decreased
until September 9.* Dr. Avery observed the bird at Greens-
boro only during the autumn migrations, between August 9
and September 19. The only breeding record for the State is
*McCormack, F. W., Ornith. and Ool., vol. 15, p. 125, 1890.
286 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
furnished by McCormack, who collected a set of 5 fresh eggs
on Lagrange Mountain near Leighton, April 29, 1890.
General habits —The worm-eater is a characteristic bird of
heavy, moist, deciduous woodland, usually choosing a hillside
near a stream. It is a very inconspicuous bird, deliberate in
its movements, and with a weak song, so that it is rarely
noticed except by those who are looking for it. It feeds mtich
on the ground and on fallen logs, but ascends to a moderate
height to deliver its song, often remaining motionless on its
perch for a considerable time. The song is a short, simple
trill, very much like that of the chipping sparrow, but less
vigorous in its delivery. The nest is placed on the ground in
heavy, deciduous woodland, generally on a hillside. It is com-
posed of dry leaves and lined with stalks of hair moss or with
fine grass or horsehair.
Food habits.—Little is known of the food of this species,
but it seems doubtful whether it lives up to its name of “worm-
eater.” Two stomachs of this bird from Alabama contained
remains of weevils, beetles, bugs, caterpillars, and Hymenop-
tera.
BACHMAN WARBLER: Vermivora bachmanti (Audubon).
State records——The Bachman warbler is one of the rarest
and least known of the warblers. It is perhaps most common
in summer in the Sunken Lands of Missouri and Arkansas,
where it lives in the extensive wet swamps of the region. The
few records of its occurrence in Alabama indicate that it
breeds sparingly at several widely separated localities. A. A.
Saunders took a single male specimen at Woodbine, March 20,
1908, the first record from the State.t In a small swamp
near Autaugaville, April 16, 1912, I secured a singing male
which was probably breeding in the vicinity, but his mate
was not discovered.t Two years later, on May 10, 1914, in
Bear Swamp, not far from the spot where I secured the first
specimen, J. L. Peters collected another male in full song and
undoubtedly breeding. On Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May
2 and 8, 1914, we secured two more males, possibly migrants.
+Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908.
Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 281, 1914.
WARBLERS 287
and on the Tensaw River, a short distance below Mount Ver-
non, Peters collected another, May 27, 1914, this being the
sixth specimen taken in the State. This bird was probably
breeding, but no female was seen. L. S. Golsan reports see-
ing an immature individual of this species near Autaugaville,
August 26, 1912, and a female which seemed to be nesting near
Prattville, May 21, 1916. He also heard one singing at Long-
view, April 7, 1917. In Bear Swamp, near Autaugaville, May
25, 1919, E. G. Holt discovered a nest and 4 fresh eggs of this
warbler—the first ever found in the State.*
General habits.—This warbler is a lover of timbered
swamps, but is sometimes found in dry, upland situations. It
is not a conspicuous bird, and by reason of this and its fond-
ness for almost inaccessible swamps it is often overlooked and
may be more widely distributed than is supposed. It lives
chiefly in the “lower stories” of the woods and is usually not
at all suspicious of man. A male observed near Autaugaville
in April, sat quietly on a limb of a tree and sang with great
regularity for 15 or 20 minutes while I was vainly trying to
locate him. Finally I discovered him almost above me, about
15 feet above the water. The song is a short, simple, buzzing
trill, rapidly repeated on one tone. It resembles the song of
the worm-eating warbler in form, but has more the quality
of that of the parula warbler.
On Sipsey Fork, in the hill country of Winston County, we
found two individuals in a region quite different from the
usual habitat of the species. The first was shot from a little
clump of willows bordering a field on the river bank, and the
second was found in heavy timber a few hundred yards down-
stream, at a point where the hills rise abruptly from the
water’s edge, the region being practically devoid of the
swamps usually favored by this warbler. This bird was ex-
tremely tame and at times came within 15 feet of the observer.
Both this and the one observed by Peters in Bear Swamp
had the habit of singing on the wing, the song being delivered
just before the bird alighted on a perch after a short flight.
The flight on such occasions strongly resembles that of the
Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens).
*Holt, E. G., The Auk, vol. 37, pp. 103-104, 1920.
288 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
The nest is placed in blackberry briers, low bushes, or canes.
1 to 3 feet above the ground; the eggs, 3 or 4 in number, are
pure white, rarely with a few minute dots of brownish. The
nest found by Holt in Bear Swamp was—
“a bulky structure of dead leaves of white or red bay (Magnolia
or Persea), some of which were skeletonized by insects, and
herbaceous plant stems * * * supported one foot above the
ground by the stems of five blackberry briers, three of which
were dead. This loose outer nest, 6x7.5 inches by 4 inches deep,
was lined with a closely woven cup of fine rootlets and the
black skeletons of dead Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides),
1.75 inches deep by 2 inches in diameter.”
Food habits.—Five stomachs of this species from Alabama
contained remains of caterpillars and a few fragments of
Hymenoptera, probably ants.
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER: Vermivora pinus (Linnaeus).
State records.—The blue-winged warbler occurs not uncom-
monly as a migrant and locally as a summer resident in the
northern half of the State. At Woodbine, Saunders reports it
“abundant throughout the breeding season,’’* and at Autauga-
ville, Golsan mentions a pair observed throughout the early
summer of 1912. Graves reports a pair breeding on Sand
Mountain, near Carpenter in the summer of 1913. Holt ob-
served 3 and collected one at Natural Bridge, July 21, 1913.
McCormack has found it at Leighton late in summer (July 22,
August 8, 23, 25) and not common. A specimen (probably a
migrant) killed at Point Clear is in the collection of James K.
Glennon.
Migrants from the south are reported as arriving at Wood-
bine, March 27 (1908); Shelby, April 4 (1898); Tidewater
(Tuscaloosa County), April 8 (1912) ; Autaugaville, April 16
(1912) ; Sand Mountain (Jackson County), April 18 (1914);
and Leighton, April 22 (1914). Migrant individuals were
observed also at Jasper, April 28 and 29 (1914); on Sipsey
+Holt, E. G., The Auk, vol. 87, pp. 103-104, 1920.
*Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p, 421, 1908.
tGolsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 281, 1914.
WARBLERS 289
Fork, near Mellville, May 1-4 (1914); and on Ryan Creek,
near Ardell, May 4 (1914).
General habits —This warbler frequents clearings in de-
ciduous woodland, shrubby second growths, and sometimes
swampy thickets. It is a rather retiring bird, deliberate in
its movements, and has a weak, insectlike song which, how-
ever, is very characteristic. The nest is placed on the ground
or just above it in a clump of grass or some herbaceous plant
or at the foot of a small sapling or rosebush; it is rather deep
and bulky, composed of coarse grass, dead leaves, etc., lined
with grapevine bark, fine grass stems, or horsehair. Although
nesting on the ground, the birds are most often seen in the
tall bushes and lower limbs of the trees, and the males seek a
rather elevated perch from which to deliver their song. This
is described by Burns as “a drowsy, locust-like swe-e-e-e-e-ze-
e-e-e-e, the first apparently inhaled and the last exhaled.”’+
Food habits.—Dr. B. H. Warren says of this bird:
When the apple and pear trees are in blossom, these yellow-
vested insect hunters, singly, or in pairs, frequently visit
orchards and gardens, but at other times they rarely, accord-
ing to my observation, are seen about the habitations of man.
* * * this species subsists, to a considerable extent, on spiders,
larvae and beetles.**
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER: Vermivora chrysoptera
(Linnaeus).
State records.—The golden-winged warbler occurs in Ala-
bama not uncommonly in migration. I secured a specimen
at Barachias, April 22, 1912, and observed another there the
following day; one was taken near Muscle Shoals, April 22,
and another was heard singing there, April 24, 1914. Saun-
ders found the bird rather common at Hollins from April 21
to May 7, 1908. McCormack took a single specimen at Leigh-
ton, August 23, 1893, and Avery found the species rather com-
mon at Greensboro in fall migration and took specimens
August 11 and 21, September 11 and 16, and October 4.
General habits —In its summer home in the Northern
States, this warbler inhabits deciduous woodland, preferring
. F. L., in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, p. 70, 1907,
TAWanten: B. H, Birds of Pennsylvania, 2d ed., p. 276, 1890.
10—B
290 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
brushy pastures and dry hillsides covered with a mixed second
growth of hardwood trees.
NASHVILLE WARBLER: Vermivora ruficapilla ruficapilla
(Wilson).
State records—The Nashville warbler migrates chiefly
through the Mississippi Valley, and is very rare in the South-
eastern States. There is but one record from Alabama—a
specimen collected by A. A. Saunders, at Hollins, April 18,
1908.* Mr. Saunders wrote me (April, 1916) that this speci-
men, being badly mutilated, was not preserved and that he
has since felt some doubt as to the correctness of his identifica-
tion.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: Vermivora celata
celata (Say).
State records.—The orange-crowned warbler occurs rarely
in Alabama as a migrant and winter visitant. Its usual mi-
gration route in spring is through the Mississippi Valley.
Brown records two seen at Coosada in 1878—February 12 and
April 15+; Saunders saw one at Woodbine, March 27, 1908;
I secured one at Orange Beach, January 28, 1912, and one at
Ashford, November 29, 1916.
General habits.—Allison, writing of its habits: as observed
in Mississippi in winter, says:
Its favorite haunts are usually wooded yards or parks, where
the evergreen live oak and magnolia can be found; but I have
seen it most commonly among the small trees on the border of
rich mixed woods, above an undergrowth of switch cane. Conif-
erous trees it seems not to care for, though I have seen it in the
cypress swamps. * * * The only note heard is a sharp, per-
sistent chipping, many times repeated, as the bird moves about
the tree, often moving its wings restlessly, like a kinglet.**
*Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, 421, 1908.
Brown, N. C., Buil. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 8, p. 173, 1878.
tSaunders, A. "A. The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908.
** Allison, A., in Chapman, ‘Warblers of North Amer. + Pp. 88, 89, 1907,
WARBLERS 291
TENNESSEE WARBLER: Vermivora peregrina (Wilson).
State records——The Tennessee warbler occurs regularly in
moderate numbers as a migrant in spring and fall. McCor-
mack records it as a fall migrant at Leighton, occurring in
limited numbers in September. Specimens were taken by him
September 17 and 23, 1889, and September 25, 1890. Avery
collected only two specimens at Greensboro—October 4, 1890,
and October 18, 1893. Golsan took one at Autaugaville, Octo-
ber 17, 1915, and Saunders mentions seeing one at Woodbine,
May 9, 1908.* Holt collected a single specimen at York,
April 30, 1912, and at our camp on Sipsey Fork, near Mell-
ville, the bird was noted by Peters and myself on May 1, 2, and
8, 1914, singing frequently high up in the tall trees.
General habits.—During its migrations this little warbler
remains well concealed in the thicker parts of the tall trees,
and but for its striking song would easily be overlooked. It is
an active bird and sings with great frequency a rather loud,
harsh, unmusical, sputtering song, which seems to stick a little
in its throat. Mrs. Farwell describes it as “a very loud song,
beginning with a sawing two-noted trill, rather harsh and very
staccato, but hesitating in character, increasing to a rapid
trill, almost exactly like a chipping sparrow’s.”+
PARULA WARBLER: Compsothlypis americana
americana (Linnaeus).
State records.—The parula warbler is a common summer
resident over the greater part of the State, but is rare and
local in the northern counties. It breeds rather commonly at
Castleberry, Abbeville, and Dothan; less commonly at Squaw
Shoals, Woodbine, Autaugaville, Barachias, Tuscaloosa, Gun-
tersville, Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), and Erin. It
probably breeds at Leighton, having been seen there on July
15. Breeding specimens have been examined from Elkmont,
Guntersville, Ardell, Natural Bridge, Hayneville, Seale, Cas-
tleberry, and Gravine Island, Mobile Bay, and a migrant in-
dividual from Scottsboro (September 2, 1908).
*Saun , A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908.
al i J. ¥,, fa Chapman, Warblers of North Amer., pp. 85-86, 1907,
292 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
The first migrants in spring were observed in numbers at
Mobile, March 18 (1912), on which date 4 males of this race
were collected. Other specimens were taken near Hurricane,
March 20; Jackson Lake, Elmore County, March 27 and April
19; Teasley Mill (Montgomery County), March 31; Tusca-
loosa, April 6; and Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April
14. Avery noted the first arrivals at Greensboro, March 26
(1892) and March 27 (1891). The first were seen at Bara-
chias, March 20 (1913); Woodbine, March 21 (1908); and
Leighton, April 2 (1890). In autumn the last one was noted
at Leighton, September 2 (1889); Greensboro, September 19
(1890) ; and Autaugaville, October 1 (1915). Dr. Avery ob-
served a parula warbler building a nest, on April 9, 1893, at
Greensboro and on April 23 he found eggs in the nest.
General habits.—This dainty little warbler, formerly called
the blue yellow-back, is found chiefly in swamps and heavily
timbered bottoms where there is an abundance of Spanish
“moss” on the trees. In the northern part of the State, where
the moss is absent, the bird apparently does not breed in any
numbers, though it occurs locally. Living chiefly in the upper
parts of the trees, it is rather hard to observe. Its notes,
however, are characteristic and aid in its identification. It
has at least two distinct songs; the commonest, perhaps, is a
simple, buzzing trill on an ascending scale ending with an
abrupt zip. The other, Chapman describes as a “gurgling
sizzle, chip-er, chip-er, chip-er, chee-ee-ee-ee.”
In the South, the nest of the parula warbler is usually con-
structed in a bunch of Spanish “moss” and is thus almost per-
fectly concealed. Allison states that in lower Louisiana the
material commonly used for the nest is thistle down, but men-
tions a nest found at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, which was
made of the blackish, inner fiber of Tillandsia.*
Food habits——The parula warbler, like most of its family,
is mainly insectivorous. It has been reported as feeding on
spiders, caterpillars, small flies, beetles, plant lice, and the
larvae of moths.
*Allison, Andrew, in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, p, 104, 1907.
WARBLERS 293
WESTERN PARULA WARBLER: Compsothlypis
americana ramalinae Ridgway.+
State records.—The western race of the parula warbler
occurs in the State, so far as known, only in the extreme south-
western part. It breeds in the vicinity of Mobile, as shown
by a typieal specimen taken at Spring Hill, May 11, 1911.
Several singing males were noted on that date.
CAPE MAY WARBLER: Dendroica tigrina (Gmelin).
State records.—The Cape May warbler occurs irregularly
in Alabama as a migrant, where it has been recorded by two
local observers. Miss Carrie E. Parkhurst noted the species
at Talladega, May 4, 1906, May 3, 1909, and May 1, 1910; and
R. H. Dean reports it from Anniston, April 16 to May 7, 1916,
during which period it was the most numerous of the war-
blers, seen on brushy hillsides and about ravines.
General habits.—Butler, writing of the bird in Indiana,
says:
Some years with us they are found upon the drier uplands,
among the oak woods, where they usually keep among the
lower branches or upon the high bushes and smaller trees.
They are not very active, but keep persistently hunting insects.
At other times, we find them among our orchards, even coming
into towns, where they occupy themselves catching insects
among the foliage and about the blossoms of all kinds of shade
and fruit trees.
Chapman states that in early May in Florida he las seen
the species “actually common, feeding in weedy patches among
a rank growth of pokeberries.”**
The bird’s song is described as being of “a thin and pene- .
trating tone, much like the black and white warbler’s.”*+
YELLOW WARBLER: Dendroica aestiva aestiva (Gmelin).
State records.—The yellow warbler occurs in migration and
breeds rarely in the northern part of the State. Dr. Avery
records it as an uncommon spring and autumn migrant at
Described in Bull. 50, U. S. Nat. Mus., Part 2, p. 486, 1902.
i .
, A. W., Birds of Indiana, p. 1044, 1898.
techeneians F. M., Warblers of North es p. 130, 1907.
*;Thayer, G. H., in Chapman, op. cit., p. 13:
294 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
Greensboro; his collection contains specimens taken August
10, 1887, and August 11, 1890, and his notes state that he
collected the species in July also. Brimley observed it there
August 30 and September 5, 1890. At Guntersville, June 13,
19138, I collected a single breeding male, the only one observed,
and Holt took one at Attalla, June 12, 1913, also doubtless
breeding. Golsan has found the nest of this species once near
Autaugaville (about June 20, 1903),* and Dean reports the
bird as a breeder at Anniston. Several were seen at Florence,
May 4, 1912, and at Leighton, April 21 to 25, 1914, but the
species is not known to breed at those localities.
The earliest record of the bird’s arrival in spring is at
Leighton, April 6 (1893), but usually it does not arrive before
the middle of the month. It was first noted at Greensboro,
April 12 (1890) and April 14 (1888); Sylacauga, April 18
(1908) ; Barachias, April 15 (1909); Sand Mountain (near
Carpenter), April 12 (1914), and Anniston, April 14 (1916).
Fall migration begins very early, even by the last of July.
General habits.—The yellow warbler is a bird of the open,
cultivated country and takes up its abode in orchards, small
groves, and in shade trees along village streets; it is found
also in swampy thickets and is especially partial to willows
fringing the streams. A sociable, unsuspicious bird, it seems
to enjoy the society of man. It feeds chiefly in the lower
branches of trees and in shrubbery. The song is a loud and
cheery whistle, resembling the syllables sweet, sweet, sweet,
sweet, sweetie, delivered with considerable vigor. The nest
is placed in bushes, saplings, or trees, usually from 3 to 8 feet
above the ground but sometimes higher; it is a compact, well-
built structure of grayish plant fibers, fine grasses, and plant
down, lined with soft, cottony plant down, and feathers. This
warbler is often imposed upon by the cowbird, and when this
occurs the bird very often builds an addition to the nest, cover-
ing the eggs of the cowbird, and lays another clutch of its own.
Food habits.——Forbush states that the yellow warbler is
almost entirely insectivorous; it feeds extensively on cater-
pillars, including cankerworms and other measuring worms,
and captures bark beetles, boring beetles, and weevils.+
*Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p, 231, 1914.
Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, pp. 195-196, 1907.
WARBLERS 295
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER: Dendroica
caerulescens caerulescens (Gmelin).
State records.—The black-throated blue warbler occurs as
arare migrant. Brown noticed only one at Coosada, April 26,
1878 ;{ Saunders saw the bird at Hollins, April 19 and May 3,
1908 ;** and Miss Parkhurst reports it from Talladega. I
observed. two (male and female) near Montgomery, May 7,
1911. These are the only records thus far obtained.
General habits—This warbler inhabits the “lower stories”
of the woods and has a decided preference for deep, moist tim-
ber where there is considerable underbrush. It is an unsus-
picious bird, easily observed and recognized by the squarish
white patch in the wing or by its drowsy, drawled song—‘“an
insect-like buzzing note repeated three or four times with a
rising inflection. It sounds a little like the breath sucked
through the teeth.’’}+
MYRTLE WARBLER: Dendroica coronata coronata
(Linnaeus).
State records.—The myrtle, or yellow-rumped, warbler is
one of the most abundant species of its family and is also the
hardiest. It winters in moderate numbers over most of the
State, and in the pine flats and palmetto hammocks of the
Coast Belt is at that season extremely abundant, being indeed
the only really abundant bird of the region. At Orange
Beach, in January, 1912, and at Spanish Fort, in December,
1915, we found it in large numbers, not only in the woods and
clearings, but even on the marshes and sand dunes bordering
the Gulf. During a heavy fog, several individuals were no-
ticed feeding on the bare sand flats close to the surf, a situa-
tion usually frequented only by sandpipers. On Petit Bois
Island, in February, 1912, and November, 1915, the species
was extremely abundant. It was common at Bayou Labatre
in February, 1912, but conspicuously absent during February
and March at Jackson, Auburn, and other points in the in-
terior. It was likewise scarce at Ashford in November, 1916,
but was fairly common at Woodville and Florence in March,
+Brown, N. C., Bull. Nutt. Ornith. olub, yol at ? 178, 1878.
+ A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p.
tiPeddock, I. M., in Chapman, The "Warblers of North America, p. 138, 1907.
296 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
and at Barachias in December, 1915. Brown recorded it very
numerous at Coosada from January to the middle of April.*
Migrants from the North reach the State early in October.
Dean noted the first arrivals at Anniston, October 8 (1916).
McCormack noted the first at Leighton about October 10
(1889), and Dr. Avery saw many at Greensboro, October 20
(1890). Northward migration begins in March and con-
tinues until late in April or early in May. The last birds were
seen at Oakchia, April 24 (1912); Sand Mountain, April 29
(1911) ; Jasper, April 29 (1914) ; Leighton, April 30 (1912);
and Woodbine, May 2 (1908) (Saunders).
General habits.—During its sojourn in the South this war-
bler lives in thickets, hedges, and the lower parts of brushy
woodland, while on the coast it frequents also the sand dunes
and the brushy borders of the marshes. It is an unsuspicious
bird, often feeding in dooryards or even about porches, and
is easily recognized by its yellow rump patch and its charac-
teristic tchip which is frequently uttered as it flits leisurely
from one perch to another. Its song, which is occasionally
heard during spring migration, is a simple and rather charac-
terless warble. Thayer describes it as “a loud and silvery
sleigh-bell trill.”
Food habits.—This warbler gets its common name from its
habit of feeding on the berries of the wax myrtle. These,
with berries of the red cedar, furnish in some localities a large
part of its winter food. Weed and Dearborn, who made a
special study of the autumn food of this warbler, found that
it ate bayberries, caddisflies, various insect larvae, beetles,
plant lice and their eggs, house flies and other diptera, and a
very few hymenopterous flies.+ Forbush says of this bird:
As spring approaches the Myrtle Warbler feeds less on ber-
ries and seed but eagerly hunts the early flies, moths and gnats
that appear on warm days in sheltered swamps and along water
courses. It now becomes of great service to orchard and wood-
land, for large flights of these birds move slowly northward
through the State [Massachusetts], feeding very largely on the
tree pests that develop with the opening foliage.t
*Brown, N. C., Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 8, p. 173, 1878.
}Weed and Dearborn, New Hampshire Col. Agr. Exp. Sta., Tech. Bull. No. 3, Nov.
{Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and Their Protection, pp. 202-208, 1907.
WARBLERS 297
The stomachs of 16 individuals taken in Alabama in winter
and spring showed the food to consist mainly of flies, beetles,
ants, and other Hymenoptera, caterpillars, aphids, and
spiders; some of the birds taken on the coast had eaten wax
myrtle berries.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER: Dendroica magnolia (Wilson).
State records.—The magnolia warbler occurs cemmonly as
a migrant in spring and fall. McCormack found it in con-
siderable numbers at Leighton between September 16 and
October 5 and Avery observed it at Greensboro between
September 9 and October 19. Golsan took specimens at Au-
taugaville, October 16 and 21 (1915). I saw one at Auburn,
October 2, and others at Castleberry, October 13 (1908). In
spring it seems to be less common and neither Avery nor Mc-
Cormack has reported it. I saw 2 individuals at Leighton,
May 1, and 1 May 10 (1912); 2 at Florence, May 6 and 7
(1912), and several on Sipsey Fork and Ryan Creek, near
Ardell, May 2 to 5 (1914). Golsan and Holt record the bird
from Prattville in spring.* It was reported, also, from
Shelby, May 4, 5, and 12 (1898), and from Sand Mountain
(near Carpenter), April 27 (1914), and May 4 and 18 (1912).
General habits—In its summer home in New England, this
warbler is said to frequent second-growth spruce woods, but
during its migrations it is found almost anywhere in decidu-
ous woodland. It is quick and nervous in movement and fre-
quently spreads its tail in such way as to display the large
white patches on the outer feathers. Altogether it is one of
the most attractive and graceful of the large family of war-
blers. The song is described by Langille as “a loud, clear,
whistle, which may be imitated by the syllables chee-to, chee-
to, chee-tee-ee, uttered rapidly and ending in the falling in-
flection.” +
CERULEAN WARBLER: Dendroica cerulea (Wilson).
State records.—The cerulean warbler is a moderately com-
mon summer resident in the northern half of the State. The
*Go d Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 231, 1914.
teosniie a H. Our Birds in their Haunts, p. 328, 1884.
298 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
earliest record of its arrival in spring is on March 26, 1890, at
Greensboro, Dr. Avery having taken a specimen on that date.
Others were taken there May 10, 1887 and August 14, 1890.
McCormack found the bird in small flocks at Leighton be-
tween August 8 and September 9, 1889 and Saunders found
it locally common at Woodbine between April 10 and June 3,
1908. Graves reports it as a rare migrant on Sand Moun-
tain, seen April 22,1911. I found it common in migration at
Lock 14, Warrior River, April 6; Squaw Shoals, April 11 and
12 (1912); Muscle Shoals, April 22 to 25 (1914); and on
Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May 1 to 5 (1914) ; several were
heard at Florence, May 5 (1912).
In the breeding season I have observed it at Erin, Monte
Sano, Guntersville, Squaw Shoals, Tuscaloosa, and Autauga-
ville. At Guntersville it was common in heavy deciduous tim-
ber along Short Creek, but at the other localities was rather
rare. Holt took an immature bird and heard several songs
of this species at Ardell, June 27, 1913, and Peters noted a
few in the same locality in June, 1914. So far as known, the
nest of this warbler has never been found in Alabama.
General habits —This handsome little sky-blue warbler is a
lover of heavily timbered river bottoms and moist mountain
slopes, and, as it spends most of its time in the very tops of
the tallest trees, it is rarely seen unless the observer is par-
ticularly looking for it. In migration, however, it often
descends to the lower branches. It has a cheerful, melodious
song, which greatly resembles one of the songs of the parula
warbler. Langille renders it: “rheet, rheet, rheet, rheet,
ridi, idi-e-e-e-e-ee,” beginning with several soft, warbling
notes, and ending in a rather prolonged but quite musical
squeak. The nest is described as “saddled on a horizontal
limb of considerable size, some distance from the tree, and
some forty or fifty feet from the ground.”*
Food habits.—Examination of 4 stomachs of this species
taken in Alabama showed the food to consist of Hymenoptera,
beetles, weevils, and caterpillars.
tSaunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908,
*Langille, J. H., Op. cit., p. 326, 1884,
WARBLERS 299
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER: Dendroica pensylvanica
(Linnaeus).
State records.—The chestnut-sided warbler is a common
migrant both in spring and fall, apparently more abundant
during the latter season. It passes north in spring from the
middle of April to the middle of May and in autumn is seen
from the last of August to the middle of October. Saunders
found it uncommon at Hollins between April 25 and May 3
(1908) ; Avery observed it at Greensboro, May 4 (1890) and
April 27 (1891) ; Dean noted it at Anniston, April 16 and 23
(1916); and Graves saw one on Sand Mountain, May 2
(1914). I collected one at Barachias, April 23, 1912, and the
next day saw another. Holt observed the species there April
29 and 30, 1913, and took a specimen at York, May 2, 1912.
I saw several at Florence, May 4 and 7 (1912), and one at
Muscle Shoals, April 24 (1914).
In the fall migration Avery noted the bird at Greensboro,
August 29 to October 14, 1890; and August 25 and September
5 and 25, 1891. I collected an immature bird at Scottsboro,
September 2, and another at Huntsville, September 7 (1908).
Golsan took specimens at Autaugaville, October 1 and 2
(1915). At Orange Beach, September 20 (1911), Gutsell
found the species abundant in a dense thicket bordering a
swamp.
General habits.—This species dwells in scrubby pastures
and second growth woodland and is believed to have increased
in numbers since the days of Wilson and Audubon. Brewster
says of the birds as observed in eastern Massachusetts: “They
nest chiefly on the edges of upland woods, in neglected fields
and pastures, along the courses of brooks, and on country
roadsides. In general terms they may be said to occupy most
of the country which the yellow warblers avoid, but in a few
localities the two species breed together in the same thickets.”’+
The song bears considerable resemblance to that of the yellow
warbler; it is described by Langille as “a warble in a some-
what whistling tone, the notes resembling the syllables,
+Brewster, Wm., Birds of the Cambridge Region of Massachusetts, p. 337, 1906.
300 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, accent on the first
syllable of each repetition, increasing to the last.”
Food habits—Forbush speaks of this bird as being “very
destructive to many injurious beetles and caterpillars” and
an “active consumer of leaf-eating insects.” He mentions
also, bark beetles, plant bugs, leaf hoppers, ants, and aphids
as a part of the bird’s fare.*
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER: Dendroica castanea
(Wilson).
State records.—The bay-breasted warbler occurs as a regu-
lar, though rather uncommon spring migrant but it has not
been seen in the fall. Its main migration route seems to be
through the Mississippi Valley and across the Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. Avery took a single specimen at Greensboro, May 3, 1893;
Holt secured one at York, May 2, 1912, and I collected one at
Muscle Shoals, April 25, 1914. I saw two birds at Florence,
May 4 and 7, 1912, and another near Ardell, May 4, 1914.
Graves reports the species from Sand Mountain, May 9 and 11,
1912, and April 20, 1914, and Miss Parkhurst reports it from
Talladega, April 30, 1906, May 12, 1907, and May 5, 1909.
A specimen taken in spring at Point Clear is in the mounted
collection of James K. Glennon. The only fall record is that
of two birds which I shot in pines on the slopes of Choccolocco
Mountain near Piedmont, October 20, 1916.
General habits.—This rather large warbler is quite leisure-
ly in movements and during migration is most frequently
found in upland, deciduous timber tracts. In its summer
home in the North it is said to frequent the tops of tall trees;
nests have been found in hemlocks 15 and 20 feet above the
ground. Langille describes its song as “a very soft warble,
somewhat resembling the syllables tse-chee, tse-chee, tse-chee,.
tse-chee, tse-chee, but far too liquid to admit of exact spell-
ing.”}
tLangille, J. H., Our Birds in Their Haunts, p. 388, 1884.
*Forbush, E, H., Useful Birds and Their Protection, p. 194, 1907.
fLangille, J. H., Our Birds in Their Haunts, p. 328, 1884,
WARBLERS 308
BLACK-POLL WARBLER: Dendroica striata
(J. R. Forster).
State records.—The black-poll warbler is one of the greatest
travelers of any of our small land birds. Its summer home
is mainly in Canada and Alaska as far as the limit of trees
and its winter home in northern South America. Says
Professor Cooke: ‘The shortest journey that any black-poll
performs is 3,500 miles, while those that nest in Alaska have
7,000 miles to travel to their probable home in Brazil.’
Passing northward from South America by way of the Lesser
Antilles, the Bahamas, and Florida, the black-polls avoid the
Gulf coast almost entirely and most of them pass to the east-
ward of Alabama or fly directly over the State. The bird is.
occasionally seen in spring in the northern half of the State,
but there is no record of its occurrence in autumn.
It is one of the iatest migrants to arrive, and is rarely seen
before the last of April. Dr. Avery records one seen at
Greensboro, April 23 (1893), and another May 5 (1889). At
Shelby, the first was neted April 27 and the last May 12
(1898). In the region about Mount Weogufka, Saunders
found it uncommon, first seen April 28 and last seen May 14
(1908).* Holt observed one at Barachias, April 22 (1913).
On Sand Mountain, Graves reports it arriving April 27 (1913
and 1914) and common May 9 (1913). At Muscle Shoals, we
observed single birds April 22, 23 and 24 and several April 25,
1914.
General habits.—This warbler is very leisurely in its move-
ments and its song is one of the faintest and least musical of
any of its tribe. The bird is, however, not shy and its notes
are characteristic, so it is easily recognized. The song is a
monotonous series of faint, lisping, staccato notes of equal
length, resembling the syllables tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit,
usually rendered with a crescendo and diminuendo effect.
In its summer home in the North the black-poll is a dweller
in stunted spruce woods, but in migration it frequents all
kinds of woodland as well as orchards and city parks, and ac-
cording to Brewster is “often seen flitting along fences and
Cooke, W. W., in Chapman, Warblers of North Amer., p. 15, 1907.
seanaare, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908. : :
302 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
stone walls that traverse open country or feeding on the
ground, in company with various species of sparrows, in grain
stubbles and weed-infested fields.’’+
Food habits.—Barrows says of the food of this species:
The food consists mainly of insects and the bird eats immense
numbers of span-worms and plant-lice at all times of year. In
the fall they also eat some seeds and berries, but they are mainly
insectivorous and are expert fly catchers, taking much of their
food on the wing. Forbes found that two-thirds of the food
of those taken in an orchard overrun with cankerworms con-
sisted of those worms, while 19 per cent consisted of beetles,
4 per cent of ants, and 5 per cent of gnats.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER: Dendroica fusca (Muller).
State records.—The Blackburnian warbler is a regular but
rather uncommon migrant, occurring chiefly in spring from
the first week in April to the second week in May. Saunders
says of it: “Not common. Noted at intervals from April 4
to May 10, both at Woodbine and Hollins.”* Graves reports
it rare on Sand Mountain, noted April 25 (1912) ; April 22 and
30 (1914) ; May 7 (1911), and May 9 (1912). It was observed
at Shelby, May 9 and 11 (1898). Avery collected only one
specimen at Greensboro, May 3 (1893). Holt saw 3 at Jack-
son, April 5, and I saw 4 at Florence, May 4 (1912). Single
birds were noted, also, at Autaugaville, April 16 and May 12
(1912), and at Muscle Shoals, April 22 and 23 (1914). A male
in spring dress taken at Point Clear is in the mounted collec-
tion of James K. Glennon. The only autumn record is that of
a specimen which I collected at Huntsville, September 7, 1908.
General habits.—In its summer home in the North this war-
bler inhabits chiefly the tops of tall hemlocks, white pines, or
other conifers and builds its nest from 20 to 80 feet above the
ground. In migration it is often seen near the ground in low
deciduous growth, where its brilliant coloration always arrests
attention. It is usually found singly or in pairs.
+Brewster, W., Birds of the Cambridge Region of Massachusetts, p. 340, 1906.
{Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 612, 1912.
*Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 26, p, 422, 1908.
WARBLERS 303
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER: Dendroica dominica
dominica (Linnaeus).
State records.—The yellow-throated warbler is a common
summer resident over the greater part of the State. It has
been seen in the breeding season at Florence, Leighton, Sand
Mountain (Jackson County), Ardell, Auburn, Anniston, Au-
taugaville, Woodbine, Squaw Shoals (Jefferson County), Jas-
per, Tuscaloosa, Natural Bridge, Seale, Coosada, and Castle-
berry. On Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, it was fairly com-
mon late in June and at Squaw Shoals it was the commonest
warbler on the pine-covered hills. It was numerous also along
the route from Jasper to Ardell, April 30 to May 5, 1914.
Migrants from the south appear about the middle of March,
having been noted at Greensboro, March 10, (1893) ; Coosada,
March 13 (1878) ; Woodbine, March 16 (1908) ; Autaugaville,
March 17 (1913) ; Mobile, March 18 (1912) ; and Sand Moun-
tain (near Carpenter), April 1 (1917).
General habits.—This warbler lives in open tracts of pine or
mixed timber, particularly about the borders of swamps, and
frequents mainly the upper branches of tall trees. It is a
vigorous singer, and its song, though rather simple in char-
acter, is loud and ringing, somewhat suggesting the song of
the Louisiana water-thrush.
The nest may be placed either in pines or deciduous trees
and where Spanish “moss” is found, it is usually concealed in
a bunch of this lichen. Of 6 nests found by Dr. Avery, at
Greensboro, 4 were placed in sweet gums, 1 in a pine, and I in
an-oak. The height of the nest above the ground varied from
15 to 55 feet. All were concealed in the hanging ‘moss.’
The birds began to build about the first of April and eggs
were found in the nests on April 18 and 24.
Food habits.—Examination of 9 stomachs of this bird from
Alabama showed its food to be mainly flies, beetles, ants and
other Hymenoptera, and spiders.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER: Dendroica
virens virens (Gmelin).
State records.—The black-throated green warbler occurs
not uncommonly as a spring and fall migrant, and breeds
Birps oF ALABAMA. PLATE VI.
Fig. 1—Bear Swamp, near Autaugaville. Typical habitat of the
Bachman Warbler (Vermivora bachmani) and prothonotary
Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).
Fig. 2.—Cane brake on Catoma Creek. Typical habitat of
the Swainson Warbler (Helinaia swainsoni),
WARBLERS 305
in the breeding season to coniferous timber, we have found
singing males in two instances in June in dry oak woods.
The nest has never been found in Alabama, but in the North
it is usually placed in evergreen trees—pines, hemlocks, or
cedars. Verdi Burch has found 20 or more nests at Branch-
port, N. Y., and all were in hemlocks, from 10 to 40 feet from
the ground.f
The song of this warbler is a characteristic little ditty of
four or five notes, which Langille describes thus: “Wee-wee-
su-see, each syllable uttered slowly and well drawn out; that
before the last in a lower tone than the two former and the last
syllable noticeably on the upward slide; the whole being a sort
of insect tone, altogether peculiar, and by no means unpleas-
“ing.” t
Food habits.—Professor Barrows, writing of the food
habits of this bird, says: ‘Both spring and fall it may be
found gorging itself with plant lice and searching the twigs
and leaves for span-worms, leaf-rollers, and harmful insects
of every kind. It eats berries, also, and possibly a few seeds,
being particularly fond of the berries of the poison ivy and
to a less extent of those of junipers.”’*
KIRTLAND WARBLER: Dendroica kirtlandii (Baird).
State record.—The breeding range of the Kirtland, rarest
of the American warblers, is restricted, so far as known, to a
comparatively small area in north-central Michigan. The
only record of the bird from Alabama is that of A. A. Saun-
ders, who says: “I met with an individual of this species at
Woodbine, May 10 [1908], a Sunday afternoon, when I unfor-
tunately had no gun. I watched the bird closely for some
10 or 15 minutes. Its actions resembled those of the pine
warbler, but its song was rather like that of the black-throated
green.’’**
General habits.—This rather large warbler is described as
a graceful walker, “equally at home on trees or on the ground,
where the habit of bobbing its tail is very characteristic.” It
+Burch, V., in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, p. 161, 1907.
tLangille, J. H., Our Birds in Their Haunts, p. 272, 1884.
*Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 618, 1912.
**Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908.
306 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
is said to have several distinct songs, “all of which belong to
the whistling type and have the clear ringing quality of the
oriole’s.”’t
PINE WARBLER: Dendroica pinus pinus (Wilson) .**
State records.—-The pine warbler is a common resident of
all sections of the State where pine timber occurs. It is one
of the few warblers that do not leave the United States in
winter. At that season the northern-breeding birds of the
species move southward and occupy the Gulf States in com-
pany with the breeding birds of the same region. The bird
has been seen in the breeding season at Jasper, Guntersville,
Talladega Mountains, Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, York, Seale,
Dothan, Castleberry, Mobile, Bayou Labatre, and Dauphin
Island. Nests with eggs have been found at Autaugaville,
April 3, 1911 (Golsan) ; Barachias, April 30, 1909 (Holt) ;
and on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter, April 26, 1914
(Graves).
General habits.——Although never found far from pine tim-
ber, this bird occasionally descends to the ground and in win-
ter may frequently be seen feeding in cultivated fields. In the
forest it has much the habits of a creeper, and seeks its food
almost exclusively on the trunks and branches of the pines.
Nathan Clifford Brown, writing from Coosada, says:
For the first three or four weeks of my stay I found them
exclusively in the fields, forming large flocks with Bluebirds
and several kinds of Sparrows; and it was not until the latter
part of February that they frequented the woods commonly.
The females deposited their eggs about the last of March, judg-
ing from the appearance of specimens dissected at that time.
Young were flying generally by April 27. Throughout the six
weeks of winter which I spent at Coosada the Pine Warblers
were uninterruptedly tuneful. No other winter birds sang so
continuously * * *.}
The song of this warbler is a soft, melodious trill, somewhat
like that of the chipping sparrow, but more musical, and easily
distinguished from that of any other bird.
}Wood, N. A., in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, pp. 207-208, 1907.
**Dendroica vigorsii of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk,
vol. 38, p. 280, 1921.
yBrown, N. C., Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 3, pp. 173-174, 1878.
WARBLERS 307
The nest is placed in a pine tree, 12-to 80 feet above the
ground, usually on a horizontal limb or sometimes in the ter-
minal twigs of a nearly upright branch; it is rather bulky and
solidly constructed of weed stems, the stems of dry leaves,
grapevine bark, horse-hair, etc., and plentifully lined with
feathers.
Food habits.—C. S. Brimley, writing of the food habits of
the pine warbler (in North Carolina) says:
This species feeds on insects and their larvae but like all
our resident species consumes a large amount of vegetable food
during the winter, e. g., the seeds of the short-leaved and lob-
lolly pines (Pinus mitis and P. taeda) as well as the berries of
dogwood (Cornus florida) and Sumac (Rhus copallina). During
the spring and summer this species feeds mostly in the pine
trees; during autumn and winter it also feeds on the ground to
a great extent and may then be found almost anywhere.*
PALM WARBLER: Dendroica palmarum palmarum
(Gmelin).
State records.—The palm, or red-poll, warbler is a common
spring and fall migrant throughout the State and a rare win-
ter resident near the coast. Fall migration takes place chief-
ly during October. Dean saw a number of the birds at Annis-
ton, October 8 (1916). Avery noted them at Greensboro on
October 12, 21 and 25; McCormack observed the first at
Leighton on October 24 (1891); and Golsan saw two at Au-
taugaville, October 16 (1915). In the pine flats of the coast
region in February I saw only a few individuals of this sub-
species. One specimen was taken near Mobile, February 5,
and one or two were seen at Bayou Labatre, February 9, 1912;
Holt saw a few at Jackson, February 19-26, 1912.
Spring migration begins the last of March or first of April
and continues till early in May. I took specimens at Jackson
Lake (Elmore County), March 27; Squaw Shoals (Jefferson
County), April 12; and Autaugaville, April 16; and noted the
bird, also, at Tuscaloosa, April 6 and 7 (1915), and on Sand
Mountain, April 11 and 15 (1914). MHolt collected one at
Myrtlewood, April 19 (1912). Dr. Avery found this bird
*Brimley, C. S., The Auk, vol. 8, p. 199, 1891.
308 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
common at Greensboro between April 6 and May 6 and his
collection contains numerous specimens taken between April
12 and 30. Saunders records it fairly common at Woodbine,
April 3-27. At Barachias, April 21-25 (1912), and at Muscle
Shoals, April 22-25 (1914), I found it numerous and singing.
General habits —This warbler differs from most of the
other members of the genus in being largely terrestrial in
habits. In the South it frequents cultivated fields, gardens,
pastures, marshes, and open, brushy timber tracts, and is
cften found in loose flocks numbering sometimes 40 or 50
birds. It has a characteristic habit of drooping its tail as it
sits in a bush or on a weed stalk or a fence, and its sharp
chipping note, though not loud, serves to call attention to the
bird’s presence.
Food habits —Examination of 15 stomachs of this species
from Alabama showed the food to consist of insects, with a
few spiders. The insect remains included weevils and other
beetles, ants and other Hymenoptera, small bugs, caterpillars,
grasshoppers, and ephemerids. W. D. Doan reports finding
red ants and house flies in stomachs of this species,* and R. W.
Williams, Jr., states that on October 16, 1904, near Talla-
hassee, Florida, he observed large numbers of the birds feed-
ing on cotton worms.
YELLOW PALM WARBLER: Dendroica palmarum
hypochrysea Ridgway.
State records.—The yellow palm warbler, characterized by
the greater amount of yellow on the underparts, is a common
winter resident in the southern parts of the Gulf States.
Writing of the migrations of the two races, Prof. Cooke says:
“In central Alabama, palmarum appears as a fall migrant and
passes on to the southeast, its place being taken by hypochry-
sea aS a common winter resident. Early in the spring
hypochrysea leaves for the northeast and later palmarum
passes through toward the Mississippi Valley.t
In the pine flats of the Coast Plain the yellow palm
(hypochrysea) is the prevailing form in winter. Specimens
*West Virginia Exp. Sta., Bull 3, p. 82, 1888.
tCooke, W. W., Biol. Surv. Bull. 18, p. 96, 1904.
WARBLERS 309
were taken at Orange Beach, January 24 and 30 and at
Whistler February 5, 1912. At the latter place the bird was
numerous. It was common, also, at Bayou Labatre, in Febru-
ary, 1912, and December, 1916; and at Ashford, in November,
1916. Saunders observed only a few individuals of this form
at Woodbine (March 16 and 17, 1908). Brown took speci-
mens at Coosada in winter and early spring, and I took one
on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, April 12, 1914. Avery
noted the subspecies cnly once at Greensboro—April 21, 1890.
Dean records palm warblers to the number of 75 at Annis-
ton, December 25, 1916,t but from what we know of the win-
ter distribution of the two races doubtless most of the birds
seen there were of the present form.
PRAIRIE. WARBLER: Dendroica discolor (Vieillot).
State records.—The prairie warbler is a common summer
resident in nearly all parts of the State; it is known to breed
at Florence, Stevenson, Sand Mountain, Squaw Shoals, Gun-
tersville, Anniston, Ardell, Erin (Clay County), Greensboro,
Autaugaville, Seale, and Abbeville. The first migrants in
spring were noted at Woodbine, March 26 (1908) ; Coosada,
March 27 (1878); Autaugaville, March 30 (1913); Sand
Mountain, April 3 (1913); Tuscaloosa, April 4 (1914); and
Greensboro, April 6 (1890). Fall migration takes place dur-
ing September and October; one bird was seen by R. H. Dean
at Annisten, October 15 (1916). Nests with eggs have been
found at Florence, May 9; Woodbine, May 15; Greensboro,
June 1; and Autaugaville, May 12 and June 18.
General habits.—This warbler might more appropriately be
called the “bush warbler,” for it lives in bushy pastures and
in second-growth sprout lands rather than on prairies. It
seems to prefer rather barren, sandy regions and always
avoids dense forests. It feeds in the bushes and the lower
branches of the trees and is a rather expert flycatcher. It
is a retiring bird, attracting little attention either by its habits
or by its song, which is a characteristic and rather pleasing
little ditty, consisting of a series of drawled, shrilling notes
$Dean, R. H., Bird-Lore, vol. 19, p. 29, 1917.
310 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
on an ascending chromatic scale, uttered rather rapidly, sug-
gesting the syllables, zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee. The nest is
placed in a bush or sapling, from 2 to 5 feet above the ground;
oak, hickory, dogwood, sweet gum, elm, or other deciduous
trees are most often selected, but in some localities pines or
cedars seem to be preferred.
Food habits.—Six stomachs of the prairie warbler from Ala-
bama contained finely ground remains of beetles, bugs, and
Hymenoptera, probably wasps or bees. The bird is known to
feed also on ants, caterpillars, and spiders.
OVEN-BIRD: Seiurus aurocapillus aurocapillus (Linnaeus).
State records.—The oven-bird occurs as a rather uncommon
migrant, chiefly in autumn, and as a summer resident in the
hills and mountains of the northern counties (fig. 23). It
breeds commonly on Sand Mountain and on Monte Sano, near
Huntsville; also in the wooded hills about Florence, and rarely
at Anniston, where I took a singing male, June 7, 19138.
In spring migration the oven-bird occurs rarely in the
northern part of the State, but has never been taken at that
season south of Montgomery County. It arrived on Sand
Mountain (near Carpenter), where it breeds, April 16, 1911;
April 8, 1912, April 17, 1914, and April 18, 1917. Single birds
were taken at Barachias, April 24, 1912, and May 1, 1913, and
5 were noted between Jasper and Ardell, May 1 to 5, 1914.
In fall the bird has been noted at Leighton between August 10
and October 16; at Greensboro, between August 21 and Octo-
ber 19; and at Castleberry, October 13 (1908). A nest with
five eggs was found at Florence, May 7, 1912.
General habits —This warbler, formerly known as the
golden-crowned thrush, is terrestrial in habit, and a dweller in
rich, deciduous woodland, almost always in dry hilly regions
and never in wet bottom lands. It is a dainty walker and re-
sembles in appearance and habits the true thrushes. Its song,
a vigorous and characteristic utterance, is rendered from a
fallen log or a low limb of a tree. Burroughs has translated it
as teach-er, teach-er, teach-er, teach-er, and has dubbed the
bird the “teacher bird,” but the accent is usually placed on the
WARBLERS 311
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Fic, 23.—Breeding area of the Ovenbird (Seiurus awrocapillus) in
Alabama.
312 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
second syllable. In the South, the oven-bird seems to clip the
first syllable, thus giving the song a quite different character
from that of the northern birds. Here, as elsewhere, the song
grows louder with each note and has somewhat of a ventrilo-
quial character. The nest, made of dry leaves and grasses,
is placed on the ground in the woods and is domed over in the
form of a Dutch oven, hence the popular name of the bird.
Food habits.—Dr. Warren says that the oven-bird “subsists
chiefly on various forms of insect life, such as beetles, earth-
worms, crickets, flies, spiders, and larvae; it also sometimes
feeds on small seeds.’’* To this list may be added, from the
records of the Biological Survey, grasshoppers, weevils, ants,
caterpillars, butterflies, moths, millipeds and snails.
WATER-THRUSH: Seturus noveboracensis noveboracensis
(Gmelin).
State records.—Both the eastern and western forms of the
water-thrush occur in the State in migration, but as there are
few definite records based on specimens it is impossible to say
which is the more common. The Avery collection contains
one specimen of noveboracensis taken at Greensboro, Septem-
ber 19, 1890, and Holt took one at York, April 30, 1912. I
saw one bird at Leighton, May 1, and several at Florence,
May 4, 5 and 6, 1912. Holt observed one at Barachias, April
22, and another April 30, 1913.
General habits—Although resembling the true thrushes in
coloration, the water-thrush is a terrestrial warbler related to
the oven-bird. It frequents small streams and sloughs in the
woods and may be easily recognized by its habit of tilting the
body as it walks. When frightened it flies up from the ground
to a low perch, uttering its characteristic sharp, metallic chip.
Its song, which is occasionally heard during the spring migra-
tion, is described by Gerald Thayer as a “ringing, bubbling
warble, swift and emphatic, made up of two parts, barely
divided, the second lower-toned and diminuendo.’’+
Food habits—Apparently the food of this bird has not as
yet been carefully studied. Coues states that it consists of
*Warren, B. H., Birds of Pennslvania, 2d ed., p. 294, 1890.
{Chapman, F. M., The Warblers of North America, p. 238, 1907,
WARBLERS 313
aquatic insects, worms, and tiny mollusks and crustaceans ;t
Warren says it is largely made up of beetles, small worms,
larvae, and smal] shells.**
GRINNELL WATER-THRUSH: Seiurus noveboracensis
notabilis Ridgway.
State records.—The Grinnell water-thrush—a western race
—seems to be fully as common in Alabama as the eastern
form. Avery took two specimens at Greensboro, September
3, 1892, and August 25, 1893. Saunders collected one at Hol-
lins, April 25, 1908, and noted others of the species there
between April 22 and May 3 and at Sylacauga, April 16.* I
secured a single specimen at Brewton, October 8, 1908.
LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH: Seturus motacilla
(Vieillot) .
State records.—The Louisiana, or large-billed, water-thrush
(fig. 24), is a rather uncommon summer resident over the
greater part of the State excepting the Coast Belt. It is
known to occur in the breeding season at Florence, Stevenson,
Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), Guntersville, Woodbine,
Greensboro, Barachias, Natural Bridge, Tuscaloosa, Anniston,
Seale, Castleberry, and Abbeville. At the two last-mentioned
localities it is rare, but the capture of a specimen at Abbeville,
June 9, 1911, and observation of several others the same
month, both there and at Castleberry, leaves no doubt of its
breeding in that region. A bird seen in a swamp near Mobile,
July 11, 1918, may have been a migrant.
The species is an early migrant, arriving usually in March.
A very early date is furnished by Saunders, who noted the
bird at Woodbine, March 9, 1908. Other dates of arrival are
March 13 (1878), at Coosada; March 29 (1891), at Greens-
boro; March 30 (1918), at Autaugaville; April 4 (1890), at
Leighton; and April 4 (1914), at Tuscaloosa. McCormack
records the last one seen in fall at Leighton on October 12
tCoues, E., Chicago Field, vol. 8, p. 396, 1877.
**Warren, B. H., Birds of Pennsylvania, p. 295, 1890.
*Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908.
314 BIRDS OF ALABAMA
(1889). A nest with eggs was found by Holt at Attalla,
June 12, 19138.
General habits.—The Louisiana water-thrush is found along
wooded ravines in the hills and to some extent in river-bottom
swamps. The birds feed almost exclusively in or near the
beds of small streams or around pools in the bottoms. They
are dainty and graceful walkers, and are easily recognized by
the habit of continually tilting their body up and down. They
are very shy, and on the slightest alarm fly off with a dashing
flight and a loud chip. The song is rich and resonant, some-
what resembling that of the indigo bird, but more musical.
The nest is placed in the side of a bank in a wooded ravine
usually only a few feet from a stream, or sometimes among
the upturned roots of a fallen tree.
Food habits.—Barrows says that the food of this bird “con-
sists mainly of aquatic insect larvae, but insects and spiders
of various kinds are eaten, as well as worms, crustaceans,
snails, and other mollusks, and to a lesser extent various seeds
and small fruits.”’*
KENTUCKY WARBLER: Ovorornis formosus (Wilson).
State records.—The Kentucky warbler is an abundant sum-
mer resident in nearly all parts of Alabama. It is recorded
in the breeding season at Leighton, Elkmont, Huntsville, Sand
Mountain, Fort Payne, Natural Bridge, Autaugaville, Tusca-
loosa, Seale, Dothan, Abbeville, Castleberry, and Mobile. It
is common as far south as Castleberry, but is rare in the
Coast Beit south of there.
The first migrants in spring were noted at Teasley Mill
(Montgomery County), March 30 (1914); Greensboro, April
5 (1888); Woodbine, April’ 7 (1908); Coosada, April 9
(1878); Leighton, April 15 (1891); Anniston, April 16
(1916); and Shelby, April 18 (1898). The last bird in
autumn was seen at Greensboro, September 12, and at Leigh-
ton, September 13. Nest building must begin very soon after
the birds reach the breeding grounds, for Holt found a com-
plement of 4 eggs at Barachias on April 22, 1906. Eggs were
*Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 638, 1912.
WARBLERS 315
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