, FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION i FORSCIENCE , LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY V BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS A MANUAL FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES IN HAND Oil IN THE BUSH By AUSTIN C. APGAR AUTHOR OF "trees OF THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES," ETC. t>J*io NEW YORK-:. CINCINNATI:. CHICAGO AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY Copyright, 1898, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. apgar's birds. W. P. 2 PEEFACE Much interest and enjoyment may be added to our lives by familiarity with those most beautiful, sprightly, and musi- cal forms of life, — the birds. Yet few of us know or even see more than a very small part of the feathered songsters of our woods, fields, and waysides. The object of this book is to encourage the study of birds by rendering it a pleasant and easy task. The introductory chapters explain briefly the meaning of technical terms used by ornithologists. These chapters are designed chiefly for reference, a much smaller vocabulary being employed in the body of the book. The descriptions have been prepared with great care, and present several advantages over those in other books : (1) They are short, being limited to points essential to the identification of the species. (2) They consist generally of only two connected sen- tences, which can readily be recalled while looking at a bird. They are thus especially adapted for field use. (3) Sufficient reference is made to the changes due to sex, age, and season, Avithout describing in any particular species all the phases found in nature. 4 PREFA CK (4) They are adapted for the use of beginners in the study of birds, not for reference by ornithologists, who have access to more comprehensive works. Keys, if properly arranged, furnish the easiest and most practicable method of enabling beginners to identify species. The Keys in this book were originally prepared as aids in discovering the names of birds by examination of their external features only. They were thus printed, and used by over a thousand students under the direct supervision of the author. Every difficulty encountered by the pupils suggested to the author changes to render the Keys more effectual ; and now, after their final revision, they are so simply and carefully arranged that even a child can follow them with ease, and discover by their tlid the names of birds both in the hand and in the bush. Two series of Keys have been introduced : (1) Keys to be used only with birds in the hand; that is, with prepared skins, nu)unted specimens, or recently killed birds. These place emphasis on the parts which change least with age, sex, or season, and give exact measurements of these parts. (2) Ke^'s to be used in the field for identifying the living birds that frequent our fields and groves. These emi)hasize such features as can be seen with the naked eye or through an opera glass, with the birds at some distance from the observer. In these Iveys the birds are separated for conven- ience into groups, determined by their relation in size to our most familiar birds, the English sparrow and the robin. The illustrations were drawn especially for this work by Miss Ada Collins Apgar and Mr. Richard B. Farley, and their scientific accuracy and careful execution add much to PREFACE 5 the value and the interest of the book. The line under each cut represents an inch, and can be used in measuring the various parts. Its main purpose, however, is to show the scale of the drawing. If the line is half an inch long, it indicates that the illustration is one half as large as the living bird ; if the line is but one tenth inch, the scale is but one tenth ; etc. The map on page 41 shows the territory covered by the birds described in this book. Because of the migration of birds, a book describing all the species of a given section necessarily includes nearly all those of regions extending hundreds of miles beyond. Hence the ground covered by this book practically extends to Ontario, Quebec, etc. In nomenclature and classification, the " Check List of North American Birds," by the American Ornithologists' Union, has been followed without any change, except a re- versal of the order of the families, the higher classes of birds being placed first. The numbers with the scientific names in parenthesis are in accordance with those in the Check List. These numbers will be found useful in com- paring the descriptions Avith those in other books where the same classification is followed ; also in labeling specimens of eggs, nests, or birds, without writing the full names. The common name at the beginning of each description is the one given in the Check List ; the names at the end in parenthesis are others in popular use. Scientific names are marked to indicate the pronunciation. The vowel of the accented syllable is marked with the grave accent ( ^ ) if long, and with the acute ( ' ) if short. Through the kindness of the authorities of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, and of the American b PREFA CK Museum of Natural History, of iNew York, the large collec- tions in both museums were placed at the disposal of the artists and the author. Thanks are due especially to Mr. Witmer Stone, Mr. Samuel X. Rhodes, Dr. J. A. Allen, and Mr. Frank M. Chapman for valuable advice and assistance. AUSTIN C. APGAR. State Nohmal School, Trextox, New Jeksev. CONTENTS PART I EXTERNAL PARTS AXD THE TERMS NEEDED FOR THEIR DESCRIPTIOX CHAPTER I. Birds and their Feathers .... 9 II. Head and Body 14 III. The Bill 16 IV. Wings 22 V. Legs 26 VI. The Taii 31 VII. Voice, Movement, and Migration 34 VIII. Xests and Eggs 36 PART II KEY, classification; and description of the species Method of using the Key 39 Key to the Families of Birds .... 42 ORDER I. Perching Birds 49 II. HrMMINGIURDS, GOATSUCKERS, EtC. . . . 166 III. Woodpeckers and Wrynecks .... 171 IV. Cuckoos, Kingfishers, Etc 179 V. Parrots, Macaws, Etc. 183 VI. Birds of Prey 184 VII. Pigeons, Etc 214 VIII. Gallinaceous Birds 219 7 CONTENTS ORDER IX. Shore Birds . X. Rails, Cranes, Etc. XI. Herons, Storks, Etc. XII. TooTH-HiLi.Ki) Waders XIII. ToOTII-lill.LED SwiM.MERS XIV. TOTI PALM ATE SwiMMERS . XV. TcBE-xosED Swimmers . XVI. Long-winged Swimmers. XVII. Diving Birds . P.\GE 227 254 263 275 276 306 314 320 337 PART III The Study of Birds in the Field Key to Birds in the Field 349 355 PART IV Preparation of Bird Specimens 373 Glossary Indcx . 391 397 PART I EXTERNAL PARTS AND THE TERMS NEEDED POR THEIR DESCRIPTION CHAPTER I BIRDS AND THEIR FEATHERS There is no group in Nature which can be defined so accu- rately and so easily as that of birds. Birds are animals with feathers. All animals with feathers are birds. IVIany other peculiarities might be mentioned ; many statements might be made about the structure and the organs of birds, Avhich would make us realize more comprehensively the differences between them and other animate forms. A complete definition is neces- sary for tlfe ornithologist; but many years' work in botany and zoology in schoolrooms has convinced the author that such statements are beyond the comprehension of beginners, and that any attempt to force them on the pupils at the start results in loss of interest in the work. Full knowledge is a growth, hence the end, not the beginning, of the book is the place for a complete definition of birds. The great external parts of birds are the head, the body, the tail, the wings, and the legs ; these parts will be treated in subsequent chapters. The feathers form the covering, more or less complete, of all these parts. Feathers are the most won- derfully complex and perfect of skin growths. They not only protect the body from the effects of all atmospheric changes, 9 10 EXTERNAL PARTS but form the best and lightest of all flying organs. Some study of the parts of feathers and a knowledge of the descrip- tive terms applied to them are important. Parts and kinds of feathers. — Every feather^ consists of the main scape, or stem, and the two icebs. The scape has first the hollow portion, the ralamtis or quill, and then the four-sided solid portion, the rhachis, which ex- tends to the tip of the feather. The rhachis bears on each of its sides lateral processes called barbs. lliese, with the rhachis, form the spreading portion of the feather, the nine. The calamus has an opening at the bottom through which the pulp penetrates, and another open- ing, the .^itperior ajiertnre or umbilicus, on the lower side where the calamus joins the rhachis. The barbs are narrow plates obliquely joining the rhachis, and tapering to points at their free ends, their edges being directed upward and downward when the vane is' horizontal. On the sides of the barbs are minute processes, called barbules, branching from the barbs as the barbs branch from the rhachis. These barbules are often serrated and terminated by little hooks which interlock with hooks on the next barbule. (All these parts can be seen with the naked eye, or by the aid of a magnifying glass. With a microscope, the barbules will be found to divide again into barbiceh or cilia and hooklets, forming a fringe to the barbules.) This gives firmness to the vane. If there is no inter- '■^ locking of barbules, downy- feathers are formed. Sometimes the scape is very long, and the barbs are very short ; such feathers are caWedi filament^ feathers, or filopUnnes. -Ov^.^iiJn %»— Afci.^ BIRDS AND THEIR FEATHERS 11 Many a feather ^ has, besides what is above described, another rhachis, on its lower side, called an aftershaft. This after- shaft joins the scape at the umbilicus, and has on its sides barbs and barbules about the same as those on the main rha- chis. This part of the feather, even when present, is, in all of our birds, much smaller than the main vane. The figure ' - shows a feather from the back of the English sparrow, with an aftershaft, and, at the right, the aftershaft separated from the feather. The description so far given is that of the usual feather, and, if the aftershaft is present, of a complete feather. There are, however, many modifications of these forms, concerning which some knowledge is important. First, as has already been said, the aftershaft is frequently Avanting. Sometimes the barbs are found on only one side of the rhachis ; this makes a one- sided vane. Freqiiently the barbs are lacking on both sides, thus changing the feather to a bristle,^ as around the mouth, nostrils, and eyelids of most birds. Some- ^^^~^ times the barbs lack barbules on certain sections of ^ ' 4 their length, forming feathers with transparent por- tions. Sometimes the barbs are so far apart that there can be no locking of barbules, even when present ; this causes the for- mation, in certain cases, of the most beautiful of plumes, as in the " aigrette " of the herons during the breeding season. In review, it is well to recall the types of feathers spoken of in the foregoing pages, and to notice examples of each, as shown m the English sparrow. 1. The typical feather, or pen feather, where the interlocking of the barbs is complete, as in the great quills of the wing. 2. The complete feather, where there is an aftershaft as well as the main vane, as in the larger feathers of the back. 12 EXTERNAL PARTS 3. The downy feather, or plume^ feather, Avhere the stem is short and weak, the rhachis soft, and the barbs have long, slender, thread-like barbules without booklets. These are abundant everywhere over the body of the sparrow, under and among the feathers which form the outer coating. 4. The hairy^ feathers, where the stem is very long and slen- der and the vanes very small. These can readily be seen after plucking the feathers from the sparrow as, apparently, hairs scattered over the body. They are the parts singed off by the cook before preparing a bird for the oven. 5. The biistly feathers or bristles,'^ where the rhachis lacks vanes either throughout, or toward, the external end. These are abundant around the mouth of the sparrow. Many feathers show in different portions two or even more of the above types. A complete feather may have a downy base, ^ pennaceoHS center, and a bristly- tip. Location of different kinds of feathers. — The feathers which form the great bulk of the plumage of birds are called contour feathers. These usually consist of a perfect stem or quill at the base, an interlocked or pennaceous tip, and a downy por- tion between. They give outline, color, and most of the orna- mental appendages of birds. Among the different birds there is a wonderful variety of contour feathers. They range from the almost lish-like scales of the penguins to the magnificent gorget of the hummingbirds. In their various modifications they form almost all the gorgeous crests, tufts, ruffs, and plumes which render the birds the most beautiful of animate forms. These contour feathers can all be moved by muscles situated under the skin. Many birds have thousands of these feather muscles, by the aid of which the feathers can be made to stand erect, as can readily be seen in the turkey when its tail is erected and its feathers ruffled up, giving the bird the appearance of great beauty and of twice its usual size. Under these contour feathers and usually entirely hidden from view, but forming more or less of a complete covering to the body, there are the doivny ' feathers. These have the plume- BIEBS AND TUEIR FEATHERS 13 like structure throughout. They frequently consist of a stem without any rhachis, the barbs forming merely a tuft at the end of the quill. Finally, there are among the contour feathers, coming from the same holes in the skin, long, slender, almost hair-like parts, filament feathers, or hair^ feathers. These have little distinction of stem and rhachis, and almost no barbs at all, though some- times there are a few small ones near the end of the rhachis. Besides the foregoing, which can be found on nearly all birds, there are peculiar growths which are characteristic of certain groups, distinguishing them from others. Thus the herons and a few other birds have on their breast and hips downy feathers which continue to grow indefinitely ; but as fast as they grow the ends crumble to powder, forming a whit- ish, greasy or dusty spot. These are called powder-doicn tracts, and are covered with poivder-down feathers. Very few birds have the feathers equally distributed over the skin. Most birds have the feathers closely placed on cer- tain patches or bands of the body, while other spaces are either entirely bare (as the lower breast and belly of the English sparrow), or merely covered with down. The penguins and toucans have the skin almost entirely and evenly covered with feathers, but the great majority of birds have large open or naked spaces as far as the skin is concerned, though the plum- age as a whole in most cases really covers the body com- pletely. There are a few exceptions ; thus the head and more or less of the neck are naked in such birds as the vultures, buzzards, etc. The general marking or coloring of a bird depends upon the changes in the coloring of its individual feathers. 3Iottled plumage is given by margined^ feathers; streaked plumage by striped ^ feathers ; spotted plumage by dotted ^ feathers, and barred plumage by cross-striped^ feathers. 14 EXTERNAL PARTS CHAPTER II HEAD AND BODY Certatx regions of tlie heud and body have received special names, which are much used in descriptions. A few diagrams and definitions of these parts will be necessary. The top of the head (see cut) is the crotcn ; in front of this next the bill is the forehead ; back of the crown is the najic. Above the eye there is a region often marked by a peculiar color; this is the stiperciliarif line, in this book usually called the line over eye. A line around the eye has been called orbital ;x c R o »^ /v ._^ , NOSTRIU IN line: ovelr eiyc^ \ vv\J^nasal tossa \ AURICULAR3 \ \ Anqle of Mouth ring. A straight band extending from the eye to the bill is called the lore; this strip is bare of feathers on man}' swim- ming birds. Below and back of the eye, in the region of the ear, are the atiriadars. This region, including a little below it, forms the cheek. The back corner of the mouth forms the ricttis. This section is often bristly with hairs which are called rictal bristles. HEAD AND BODY 15 The space just below the bill in front is the chin (see cut) ; below this, to about the bend of the closed wing (sometimes including the chin), is the throat. The greatest bulging portion of the body in front is the breast. From this backward, under the body, about to the legs in most birds, is the belly. Back of the position of. the legs, in typical birds like the English sparrow, is the anal region (this is not marked on the diagram), and still further back is the crissum, or under tail coverts. From the hind neck about half way to the tail is the back; next comes the rumj), and then the npjjer tail coverts. The under and iipper tail coverts are formed of those feathers which cover the stem portion of the tail feathers. By the side of the back there are often a number of enlarged feathers, and these form the scapu- lars or shoulders. Under the wings are the sides in front, and the flanks back of them. In the description of birds in Part II., the expression back or upper parts is often used, in a more general sense, to include all of the back, rump, etc. In the same way beloiv is used to include nearly all the lower parts. 16 EXTEUNAL PARTS CHAPTER III THE BILL The bills of birds, although et^uipped with neither lips nor teeth, have many offices. They are implements for cutting, handling, and carrying; they are organs of touch or feeling; they contain the nostrils for breathing and smelling. With the possible exception of the legs, no feature of birds is more varied in form, size, or appendages, or is more frequently used A C R O ^ A7 \ ..--- "^^-C. *^ \ NOSTRIL IN /"'line: OVEIR CYC \ V^NJ^ASAL r055A A — —