AGUIDETOTHEBIRDS
OF NEW ENGLAND AND
EASTERN NEW YORK

Ralph Hoffmann

FOR THE PEOPLE

FOR EDVCATION

FOR SCIENCE

LIBRARY

OF

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

OF

NATURAL HISTORY

SPARROW HAWK (perched); SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (flying)

A GUIDE TO THE
BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND

and y<?

EASTERN NEW YORK

CONTAINING A KEY FOR EACH SEASON AND SHORT
DESCRIPTIONS OF OVER TWO HUNDRED AND
FIFTY SPECIES WITH PARTICULAR REFER-
ENCE TO THEIR APPEARANCE
IN THE FIELD

BY

RALPH HOFFMANN

Member of the American Ornithologists' Union

WITH FOUR FULL-PAGE PLATES BY LOUIS

AGASSIZ FUERTES AND NEARLY

ONE HUNDRED CUTS IN

THE TEXT

tftFfizmssn

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY
(Ctje fttoew&e $rcss, Cambridge

1904

COPYRIGHT 1904 BY RALPH HOFFMANN
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published April, IQ04

To
MY MOTHER

PBEFATORY NOTE

I am indebted to a number of friends for assistance and
advice in the preparation of this book. Mr. E. H. Allen,
Mr. William Brewster, Mr. Walter Faxon, and Dr. C. W.
Townsend have read either the entire manuscript or parts of
it, and have made valuable suggestions. Miss M. E. Blatch-
ford has also read the manuscript and given much helpful
advice. I am indebted to Mr. G. M. Allen for the advance
sheets of his " Birds of New Hampshire," which have
helped me on points of distribution. Mr. F. M. Chapman
has very kindly permitted me to use the dimensions given
in his " Birds of Eastern North America." I am indebted
to Mr. Brewster and to Mr. Walter Deane for the use of
skins in Mr. Brewster's collection, and to Dr. W. McM.
Woodworth for the use of skins in the Museum of Com-
parative Zoology. Mrs. Florence Merriam Bailey has kindly
permitted the use of cuts which have already ajDpeared in
her " Birds of Village and Field."

If this book proves helpful to others, it will pay, vica-
riously at least, a little of the great debt which I owe to Mr.
Walter Faxon, whose instruction and example have been an
invaluable guide and stimulus to me in the past.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION PAGE

I. The Object and Plan of this Guide ... 3

II. Birds and their Seasons 6

III. Migration . . . * 9

IV. Distribution 13

V. Hlnts for Field Work 18

VI. How to use the Keys 22

KEYS

Key for Winter 29

Key for March 33

Key for April 37

Key for May 42

Key for Summer 51

Key for Autumn 61

BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND

YORK
Perching Birds : Order Passeres

EASTERN NEW

Thrushes : Family Turdidse

Kinglets : Family Sylviidse ....

Nuthatches and Tits : Family Paridse

Creepers : Family Certhiidse

Thrashers, Wrens, etc. : Family Troglodytidse

Titlarks : Family Motacillidse

Warblers : Family Mniotiltidse

Vireos : Family Vireonidse ....

Shrikes : Family Laniidse ....

Waxwings, etc. : Family Ampelidse

Swallows : Family Hirundinidse

Tanagers : Family TanagridaB

Finches, Sparrows, etc. : Family Fringillidse

Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. : Family Icteridse .

71

80

83

88

89

97

98

130

137

139

140

147

148

184

vni CONTENTS

Starlings : Family Sturnidse 195

Crows, Jays, etc. : Family Corvidae .... 195

Larks : Family Alaudidse . . . . . . .199

Flycatchers : Family Tyrannidae 201

Goatsuckers, Swifts, Hummingbirds, etc. : Order Ma-
crochires

Hummingbirds : Family Trochilidae 209

Swifts : Family Micropodidae ..... 210
Nigkthawks, Whip-poor-wills, etc. : Family Caprimul-
gidae . . . . 212

Woodpeckers, etc. : Order Pici

Woodpeckers : Family Picidae 215

Cuckoos, Kingfishers, etc. : Order Coccyges

Kingfishers : Family Alceclinidae 224

Cuckoos : Family Cuculidae ...... 226

Birds of Prey : Order Raptores

Horned Owls, etc. : Family Bubonidse .... 228
Barn Owls : Family Strigidae ..... 234

Hawks and Eagles : Family Falconidse .... 235

Pigeons : Order Columb^e

Pigeons : Family Columbidse . . . . . 246

Gallinaceous Birds : Order Galling

Pheasants : Family Phasianidae ..... 248

Grouse, Bob-white, etc. : Family Tetraonidae . . 248

Shore Birds : Order LimicoljE

Turnstones : Family Aphrizidse 252

Plovers : Family Charadriidae ..... 253
Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. : Family Scolopacidae . . . 259
Phalaropes : Family Phalaropodidae . . . .274

Rails, etc. : Order Paludicol^e

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots : Family Rallidse . . . 276

CONTENTS ix

Herons, etc. : Order Herodiones

Herons and Bitterns : Family Ardeidae .... 280

Ducks, Geese, Swans : Order Anseres

Ducks, Geese, Swans : Family Anatidae .... 286

Cormorants, Gannets, etc. : Order Steganopodes

Cormorants : Family Phalacrocoracidse . . . 310
Gannets : Family Sulidse 311

Petrels, Shearwaters, etc. : Order Tubinares

Petrels and Shearwaters : Family Procellariidae . . 312

Terns, Gulls, and Jaegers : Order Longipennes

Gulls and Terns : Family Laridse ...'.. 316
Jaegers : Family Stercorariidae 328

Diving Birds : Order Pygopodes

Auks, Murres, and Puffins : Family Alcidae . . . 329

Loons : Family Gaviidae 333

Grebes : Family Podicipidae 335

APPENDIX

A. Lists of Birds breeding in the three Life-Zones

of New England and Eastern New York . 341

B. Books of Reference 347

INDEX 351

LIST OF ILLUSTKATIOXS

FULL-PAGE PLATES

PAGE

Sparrow Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk. Frontispiece

Life-Zone Map 15

Least Flycatcher facing 202

Chimney Swift facing 210

Red-tailed Hawk and Marsh Hawk. . . facing 246

FIGURES IN THE TEXT

FIGURE

1. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, head ....

2. Golden-crowned Kinglet, head

3. Red-bellied Nuthatch, head ....

4. White-bellied Nuthatch, head

5. Long-billed Marsh Wren, head

6. Short-billed Marsh Wren, head .

7. Carolina Wren, head

8. Canadian Warbler, head and breast

9. Wilson's Warbler, head

10. Hooded Warbler, head ....

11. Northern Yellow-throat, head

12. Kentucky Warbler, head ....

13. Oven-bird, head and breast ....

14. Prairie Warbler, head and breast

15. Black-throated Green Warbler, head and breast

16. Black-poll Warbler, head ....

17. Chestnut-sided Warbler, head

18. Magnolia Warbler, head and breast .

19. Myrtle Warbler, head and breast .

20. Black-throated Blue Warbler, head and breast

21. Yellow Warbler, head and breast .

22. Golden-winged Warbler, head and breast .

23. Blue-winged Warbler, head and breast .

24. Worm-eating Warbler, head

PAGE

81

82

86

87

90

91

94

100

101

102

104

106

109

110

113

115

118

119

120

122

123

127

128

129

Xll

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

25. Black and White Warbler, head

26. Solitary Vireo, head .

27. Warbling Vireo, head

28. Red-eyed Vireo, head .

29. Loggerhead Shrike, head

30. Northern Shrike, head

31. Rough-winged Swallow, head and breast

32. Bank Swallow, head and breast .

33. Tree Swallow, head and breast

34. Barn Swallow, tail

35. Cliff Swallow

36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Female, head and breast

37. Towhee, head and breast

38. Towhee, tail .....

39. Song Sparrow, head and breast

40. Slate-colored Junco, head and breast .

41. Slate-colored Junco, tail .

42. Field Sparrow, head ....

43. Chipping Sparrow, head .

44. Tree Sparrow, head and breast .

45. White-throated Sparrow, head

46. White-crowned Sparrow, head

47. Seaside Sparrow, head and breast .

48. Sharp-tailed Sparrow, head and breast

49. Henslow's Sparrow, head and breast

50. Grasshopper Sparrow, head and breast

51. Vesper Sparrow, head and breast .

52. Pine Siskin, head and breast

53. Redpoll, head and breast

54. White-winged Crossbill, head and wings

55. Purple Finch, Female, head and breast

56. Bronzed Grackle, head

57. Bronzed Grackle, tail

58. Red-winged Blackbird, Female, head and breast

59. Bobolink, Female, head and breast .

60. Blue Jay, head ....

61. Horned Lark, head and breast

62. Nighthawk, head

63. Nighthawk, wing ....

64. Whip-poor-will, head .

65. Northern Flicker, head and breast .

66. Red-headed Woodpecker

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

67. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, head,

breast, and wing . . 220

68. Belted Kingfisher, head and breast

. 225

69. Black-billed Cuckoo, tail

. 226

70. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, tail .

. 227

71. Screech Owl, head .

. 231

72. Mourning Dove, tail .

. 247

73. Bob-white, head

. .252

74. Piping Plover, head and breast

. 254

75. Semipalmated Plover, head and breast .

. 255

76. Killdeer, head and breast

. 256

77. Black-bellied Plover, Immature

head

. 258

78. Solitary Sandpiper, tail

. 264

79. Red-backed Sandpiper, head .

. • .268

80. Florida Gallinule, head

81. Sora, head ....

. 279

82. Virginia Rail, head

. 280

83. Least Bittern, head

. 284

84. Surf Scoter, head

. 291

85. Buffle-head, head .

. 296

86. American Golden-eye, head

. 298

87. Blue-winged Teal, head .

. 303

88. Red-breasted Merganser, head

. 309

89. Leach's Petrel

. 314

90. Common Tern

. 319

91. Herring Gull ....

. 324

92. Razor-billed Auk, in Winter, head

. 330

93. Brunnich's Murre, head .

. 331

94. Black Guillemot .

. . •

. 332

95. Horned Grebe, in Winter, head

.

. 337

IJSTTEODUCTIOX

A GUIDE TO THE

BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND

EASTERN NEW YORK

THE OBJECT AND PLAN OF THIS GUIDE

There is something infectious in the enthusiasm of a stu-
dent of birds. To hear him talk about the excitement of see-
ing a new bird, to read his account of it, or, best of all, to go
afield with him on a May morning, is often enough to awaken
a new interest, which enriches life to a surprising degree. The
study of birds presents plenty of difficulties, which add fuel
to the flame of real enthusiasm ; there are sloughs of despond
beyond which the faint-hearted never get. A guide who
knows the way, its pitfalls and short cuts, is always wel-
come, and almost necessary in these days when our only
weapon is the opera-glass. In spite of the fact that many
excellent books are now available, the author offers another,
both in the belief that there can never be too many good
guides, and in the hope that this book has been especially
adapted to the growing class of beginners in bird study.

The book is the result of experience with many field-
classes. Every effort has been made to emphasize the aspect
of birds as seen out of doors, to describe their general or most
prominent colors rather than any mark difficult to see on the
living bird, and to call attention to their characteristic habits
and haunts, and thus to enable the conscientious student to
answer, with as much certainty as possible, the question,

4 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

" What is the bird that I have seen ? " The keys and the
illustrations have been prepared with this end in view.
There has been no attempt to give a complete description of
the plumage, as it would look if the bird were held in the
hand, nor does the book contain anything like full biogra-
phies of each species. Minute descriptions of the plumage
and full accounts of the lives of the birds are to be found
in many excellent books, some one of which may well be
used to supplement this Guide.

Notes and songs have been carefully described, and as far
as possible expressed in English syllables. The author is well
aware that another listener would express the same sounds
by very different syllables ; he has not attempted to convey
to any one unfamiliar with the song anything more than an
idea of its length and accent, and perhaps a suggestion of
the quality of its tone. It is hoped, however, that the songs
as transcribed will be useful in identifying doubtful species,
that any one comparing the transcripts in the book with
his own field-notes, or, better still, with the songs themselves,
will recognize their likeness to that of one species and their
unlikeness to that of another.

The descriptions given in this Guide of the nests and
eggs of those birds that breed in New York and New Eng-
land are not intended to be full or detailed. If a nest and
eggs have been found, but no clue to the parent birds has
been obtained, these descriptions will not serve as a means
of identification ; in fact, even a large collection of nests and
eggs is sometimes of little use in such a case. The descrip-
tions are merely intended to guide the student in his search
for a nest by indicating where it is generally placed, or if the
student thinks he has discovered the nest and eggs of a
certain species, they will tend to confirm or to dispel his
belief.

The book attempts to be a guide for only a restricted re-
gion,— eastern New York, northern New Jersey, and New

THE OBJECT AND PLAN OF THIS GUIDE 5

England. By narrowing the field in this way, many species
are eliminated which in other manuals bewilder a beginner
and often lead him into error. No mention, moreover, is
made of birds that are only irregular wanderers to the region.
As the student advances in the study of birds and be-
comes more familiar with the commoner species and more
interested in the subject, he often asks, "Where or how can
I see such and such a species, of which I read in Burroughs
or Torrey ? " In the case of local or rare birds, an attempt
has been made in this Guide to direct the student to certain
favorable localities where the species will be either surely
or probably found ; and in every case the kind of country
where a species is likely to occur is as fully described as
possible.

II

BIRDS AXD THEIR SEASON'S

Though by far the greater number of our birds spend the
winter months south of us, yet a few species of land-birds
and many sea-birds find food enough here even in winter
to support life. If these species are also found in the same
region in summer, they are known as permanent residents.
Examples of this class are the Chickadee, the Crow, the
owls, and the Grouse or Partridge. Several of them are
birds that find their food on the limbs or twigs of trees, in
the form of dormant insects or their eggs, others feed on the
seeds of weeds or grasses, or on the berries or buds of bushes
or trees. The owls live on mice or other small mammals.
Most of the birds that live chiefly on insects are driven
south by the approach of frost.

Besides these resident birds, our winter list includes birds
that are found in summer to the northward of us, migrants,
in other words, for whom our latitude is far enough south
to afford food. Examples of this class are the Shrike, the
Golden-crowned Kinglet, and the Tree Sparrow ; they are
known as winter visitants. Another group of birds, includ-
ing the Crossbills and the Pine Grosbeaks, generally resi-
dent in high latitudes, move southward at very irregular
intervals, and then become abundant winter visitants.

The first warm days of March melt the snow from the
hillsides of central New England and stir the hibernating
insects ; a few species of birds that have wintered only a
few degrees to the south of us, now begin to move north-
ward and arrive in aSTew England ; examples are the Bronzed

BIRDS AND THEIR SEASONS 7

Grackle and the Bed-winged Blackbird. A few Bluebirds
and a fairly large number of Song Sparrows winter in south-
ern Connecticut and in the lower Hudson Valley, but in
March the number becomes vastly larger, as the army from
the south arrives. Most of the winter birds are still here,
so that the March list is the winter list plus the March ar-
rivals. In April, a larger number of species arrive from still
farther south, but a few of the winter residents now leave
for their summer homes, so that they must be subtracted
from the April list. May brings back all the birds that
have wintered south of us, as far south in many cases as
Central or South America. It also drives northward our
winter visitants, so that these no longer appear on the list.
Some of these, such as the Tree Sparrow, breed outside the
limits of the United States, so that they need not enter into
our calculations again till they return in the fall ; many
others, such as the Brown Creeper and the Golden-crowned
Kinglet, though they now vanish from Connecticut, Massa-
chusetts, and the lower Hudson Valley, go no farther than
the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine to
breed ; these therefore appear later in the list of the sum-
mer birds of those regions. Some of the March migrants,
too, such as the Box Sparrow, pass farther north in April
beyond the Canadian boundary and do not appear again in
our lists till the fall. Others, both of the March and April
arrivals, pass into northern New England and New York to
breed, but are eliminated from our May list in the southern
and central portions of our field.

By the middle of June, all birds are on their breeding
grounds ; lists of birds seen in the latter half of June and
early July include only the permanent residents and the
summer residents. But inasmuch as the summer birds of
northern New York and New England differ so much from
those of the rest of the field, as is more fully explained
under the heading Distribution, the division of the key

8 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

which is especially intended for northern Xew York and
jSTew England is larger for summer than for other seasons.
Many of our summer residents grow less numerous or
disappear entirely before the first of September ; very few
migrants from the north are seen till the middle of the
month, when the arrival of the Black-poll Warblers marks
the beginning of the return tide. By the middle of October
only a few of our summer residents and a few migrants re-
main, and by the first of December we come back to winter
fare. The list for the autumn months will include, there-
fore, all our permanent residents, all our summer residents,
except those that leave before the middle of September, and
all the migrants.

Ill

MIGRATION

The migration of birds is their movement away from their
breeding grounds at the close of one breeding season, and
their return to it at the approach of the next. Almost all
birds move about to a certain extent after they are no longer
bound to the neighborhood of the nest, but when an Owl
haunts the same swampy forest throughout the year and a
Downy Woodpecker wanders no farther from its woodland
home than the nearest village, we call such birds non-migra-
tory. The great majority of our birds, however, are forced by
lack of food to move southward at the end of summer ; some
go only a short way, many pass beyond the limits of the
United States, a few pass the Equator. It often happens that
there are individuals of a species present both in summer
and in winter ; there are Chickadees, for instance, in New
England at all seasons, though it is quite possible that they
are not the same individuals — that the more southern have
been replaced by some that bred farther north. For our
purpose, however, such birds must be considered permanent
residents. Some species, Crows for instance, are permanent
residents, but are much commoner in summer than in winter.
The wandering away from the breeding ground begins
almost as soon as the young are able to fly ; Snowbirds often
appear in the valleys, a mile or so from spruce growth, as
early as the middle of July. During August, many of our
resident birds undoubtedly move southward ; many have
been silent for some time, so that we do not notice their
departure. A few species, too, reach us from the north

10 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

during July and August, the Solitary Sandpiper and the
Great Blue Heron toward the end of July, the Northern
Water-thrush and the Yellow-rumped Warbler in August.
By the tenth of September, the great stream of northern
birds sets in, reaching its height about the first of October,
though the Fox and Tree Sparrows do not arrive till late in
October. It is safe to say that by the fifteenth of December
all the land-birds that intend to move southward have done
so. In New England and New York, there is practically no
change in bird-life (unless it be a further diminution in num-
ber of some wintering species) until the middle of February.
The first arrivals from the south, the Crow Blackbirds,
Bluebirds, etc., reach the lower Hudson Valley by the end
of February, and the latitude of Boston early in March.
These are birds that have wintered within fairly easy reach,
in the Carolinas perhaps, or in Virginia. Stormy weather
delays them ; a warm spell with southwest winds brings
them early. All through March and early April other birds
which have wintered in the Southern States arrive. In the
mean time, birds that have wintered in the tropics have been
pushing into the Gulf States or into Florida, and at each
warm wave they advance, till in May they flood New York
and New England in a great wave. The first warm, fair
night following a hot day, or, better still, two successive hot
days, between the third and tenth of May, will generally
bring the first Orioles ; the next such spell of heat will
bring all the northern warblers and thrushes. If early May
is cool and clear for days, the birds do not arrive in a great
body, but slip through in little flocks, almost unnoticed. A
cold northeast storm following suddenly on a hot wave
makes the best conditions for observing migrants ; they are
held back in great numbers, and as they feed low in the
bushes in such weather, they can be easily studied. About
the city of New York, migration is practically over by Deco-
ration Day ; a day or two later, the last Black-poll Warbler

MIGRATION

11

and Olive-backed Thrush have left the latitude of Boston.
Only two or three rare migrants, the Mourning Warbler,
for instance, occur regularly in June.

The above paragraphs deal chiefly with the migration of
land-birds ; the shore-birds and the sea-birds have some-
what different periods of migration. The sandpipers, plovers,
and terns spend the winter to the southward, and return to
their breeding grounds for the most part during May. A
few species remain to breed off the coasts of New York and
New England, but the vast majority pass farther north.

By the middle of July, many of the sandpipers begin to
come back, and there is a heavy migration of the shore-birds
during August and early September. Numbers of the ducks,
loons, grebes, and gulls are winter visitants to our coasts ;
they begin to pass north in April, and by the end of May
all that are going north have left. The gulls begin to come
back in August, some of the sea-ducks, loons, and grebes in
September, and throughout October there is a steady south-
ward movement ; by the first of December the bulk of those
that winter farther south have already passed by.

There are several facts about the migration of birds that
it is well for the observer to keep in mind. In many species
the males precede the females by several days, — in the case
of the Red- winged Blackbird by several weeks. If a species
is a summer resident of any locality, and also a migrant to
more northern regions, the first arrivals are almost always
residents which return to the old breeding-places. The earli-
est Black-throated Green Warbler, therefore, will be found
in some grove of pines where the bird breeds, and two weeks
later, perhaps, the orchards and open woodland will be full
of migrant Black-throated Green Warblers, passing north in
company with other northern warblers. The resident birds,
moreover, vary greatly in promptness ; some one Catbird will
be noted as an early bird, singing in his favorite thicket sev-
eral days before his neighbors arrive. The period of migra-

12 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

tion of any one species varies, largely according to the abun-
dance of the species, but also according to some unexplained
idiosyncrasy of the bird. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is
passing through sometimes for a period of over a month ; the
first Rusty Blackbird often appears late in March, and the
last in early May. Certain birds are seen much less fre-
quently in migration than one would expect from their abun-
dance northward ; the Winter Wren and the Sapsucker are
examples. Some birds have very different routes in spring
and fall ; the Connecticut Warbler is almost never found in
New England in spring, but is sometimes locally common in
the autumn, while the Blackburnian Warbler is much rarer
in the autumn than in the spring. Several birds, therefore,
the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and the Bay-breasted Warbler,
for instance, occur as not uncommon migrants along the
Hudson, or even in the Connecticut Valley, though rare in
eastern New England.

The spring is an easier time to identify migrants than the
autumn. Nearly all the males are in full song in the spring ;
very few sing at all in the autumn. Many birds change their
plumage in the summer, and lose their bright distinctive
marks. And yet, to an enthusiast, there is something very
fascinating in the study of the fall migrants. In spring, the
bird's song generally betrays his presence for some time be-
fore he is seen ; but in the autumn one is kept constantly on
the alert to discover in the flocks of small restless warblers
or sparrows, often dull colored and puzzling, some novelty
or rarity.

Perhaps the most interesting experience connected with
the study of birds is to hear the notes of migrants passing
overhead on clear nights in August and September. The
tsip of Black-poll Warblers or the chink of a Bobolink fall-
ing from the darkness, brings home to one with startling
impressiveness the wonder of the long journey from northern
New England to the Equator and back again.

IV

DISTRIBUTION

The fact that birds are not universally distributed is known
to every one interested in natural history; that the Mock-
ingbird is a southern, and not a northern bird is generally
understood. The exact limits of the breeding area of any one
bird are hardly to be denned even in New England, but the
region where it breeds commonly may now be definitely
mapped.

Two important factors must be borne in mind in studying
the breeding areas of the birds of New England and New
York, the latitude and the altitude. If we pass from New
York city through southwestern Connecticut to New Haven,
then up the Connecticut Valley to northern Vermont, we note
in southern Connecticut the tulip-tree and the sweet gum ;
in central Connecticut we see them no longer, but we still
see oaks and hickories ; but by the time we reach Wells
River in central Vermont, these too are left behind, and
patches of spruce and fir appear on the distant hillsides.
We have climbed only 407 feet from the sea, but we have
traversed nearly three degrees of latitude, and hence these
changes. They are due to a colder and moister climate at a
higher latitude. Had we left the train in the Connecticut
River Valley, at Greenfield, traveled westward to North
Adams, and then climbed Mt. Greylock, almost 3000
feet above the railroad, we should have noted the same
changes as we ascended the mountain ; the oaks and nut
trees would have disappeared, and been replaced by spruce and
fir. But here the changes would have been due to altitude.

14 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

And as all life is intimately associated, the student of birds
would have felt sure from the presence of the sweet gum
trees in Fairfield County, Conn., that certain birds, the
Southern Water-thrush for example, would be found breed-
ing there, and from the spruces on G-reylock or in northern
Vermont, that Black and Yellow Warblers nested among
them.

To predict what birds will be likely or certain to be found
in any one place, we must, therefore, know first its lati-
tude, — southern Connecticut and northern Maine will have
few birds in common ; next, we must know the altitude of
its hills and the character of their vegetation, — if they
are high enough to be clothed with spruce, they will be
frequented by birds unknown as summer residents in the
lowland.

So regularly do certain groups of plants and animals, in-
cluding birds, confine themselves to certain well-marked re-
gions, that it has been found convenient to employ certain
fixed terms to designate the areas where these groups are
found. The sweet gum and the Southern Water-thrush are
characteristic of the Atlantic Plain from southwestern Con-
necticut to Florida ; they are representatives, therefore, of
what is known as the Carolinian or Upper Austral Life Zone.
The spruce and the Black and Yellow Warbler occur through-
out the forested region of Canada ; they are representatives,
therefore, in northern New England of the Canadian Life
Zone. So closely is the presence or absence of a certain well-
marked group of birds correlated with the presence or absence
of the spruce and fir, that the nature of the forests becomes
the first point one must settle with regard to any locality in
southern New Hampshire or Vermont, or northern Massa-
chusetts or New York. The accompanying map shows the
extent in New England of the Upper Austral and Canadian
Life Zones.

The country between these zones possesses many birds

y7] Canadian

Transition

or Alleghanian

□ Upper Austral
or Carolinian

Attention ia called to the fact
that the Transition Zone
extends up certain river val-
leys as indicated on the map.
For lists of species breeding
in these zones see Appendix,
page 341.

Longitude West

from Greenwich

LIFE ZONES

16 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

found in each of the neighboring belts, and none not shared
by one or the other of them. It has therefore been called
the Transition Zone. Its boundaries to the north concern us
chiefly, for many birds (see p. 342) cease to be found when
we pass from this Transition belt to the Canadian.

Nothing is sharply defined in nature, and so the bounda-
ries of these zones, though they may be well defined on maps,
have in the actual country a very indefinite outline, one area
fading almost insensibly into another. Moreover, certain
birds, though confined to the spruce belt, begin to appear at
its very margin, while others demand for a summer home
deep spruce forests, or other conditions which are attained
only well within the belt. Snowbirds, for instance, usually
appear with the first small patches of spruce, in Worcester
County, Mass. ; Brown Creepers only in large-sized spruce
forests, such as occur on Greylock and Monadnock ; and
Black-poll Warblers not until the Catskill or White Moun-
tain region is reached. Similarly, some of the Carolinian
birds, such as the Chat and the Orchard Oriole, are found
beyond the range of the others, far up the Housatonic Val-
ley or in eastern Massachusetts.

The range of any particular bird in the breeding season
will be found in the account of that bird ; in many cases the
map which shows the Life Zones will give the area through-
out which the bird commonly occurs. Outside this area, the
bird may be expected to occur sparingly, in places which
approximate to the warmth or dryness of more southern re-
gions, or to the coldness and moisture of the north. Certain
lists given in this book (p. 341) should be studied in this
connection, and a list is also given on p. 348 of " local lists "
which may be either bought, or obtained in large libraries ;
these give the latest information as to species found breed-
ing in the various localities of which they treat. The student
cannot be too strongly urged to make out for himself, by
the use of the map and of the lists above mentioned, a list

DISTRIBUTION 17

of the species which may be expected to occur in summer in
his locality, and to annotate it, by reference to this Guide,
with notes as to the abundance of each species, the kind
of country it frequents, and the best field-marks by which
to recognize it. He will then be able, when he begins his
work in the field, to eliminate a large number of birds from
consideration, and save himself from an embarrassment of
riches.

HINTS FOR FIELD WORK

Any time of year is good to begin the study of birds, though
February is perhaps the best time. The number of species to
be found in winter is so limited that a beginner can become
familiar beforehand with the appearance and favorite haunts
of those he is likely to find, so that he will welcome by name
the first Golden-crowned Kinglet or Brown Creeper that he
sees. The latter part of August and the first half of Septem-
ber, except at the sea-shore, is perhaps the worse time of year
for students of birds. Birds are then silent and retiring ; one
sees few species, but must distinguish them from among a far
larger number of candidates than in winter.

Morning, as every one knows, is the best time of day to
see and hear birds, but it is not necessary to rise at three or
four, unless one wishes to accomplish a great deal in a morn-
ing. If one starts before eight there will be, even in sum-
mer, two or three hours when birds are fairly active. Be-
tween five and seven in the afternoon there is a renewal of
song and activity. A high wind, or a steady northwest wind
in spring, makes a poor bird day ; birds are then silent and
retiring. A violent rain, of course, keeps them under cover,
but they delight in warm showers.

The first impression a beginner gets on a spring morning
is of a confusion of sound, and if he attempts to find the
individual songsters, he is often discouraged by the brief
glimpses he ' gets of some distant and departing bird. An
experienced student has in the mean time noted the songs of
many species, and recognized old friends by a hint of color,

HINTS FOR FIELD WORK 19

a trick of flight, or some mysterious general effect. Let the
beginner patiently continue his walk, keeping, if possible,
near mixed growth of trees or bushes, especially near water.
Before long he will come upon some bird, or group of birds,
busily occupied in feeding, or startle one from the ground to
a neighboring twig. Now is his opportunity ; if the bird is in
good view, let him seize opera-glass, note-book, and pencil,
and note everything possible about the stranger. On every
walk, though the great majority of birds will tantalize a
beginner by their restlessness, some one will favor him with
a chance for leisurely survey, and a cataloguing of all its
markings. It is frequently possible to draw birds out of thick
cover by kissing the back of one's hand, so as to produce a
squeaking sound.

After the student has learned the commoner birds, he
should begin following up strange sights and sounds. Often
the chase is long and futile ; but generally, by cautious and
persistent stalking, one brief glimpse after another yields the
desired total. A new song should be followed to its source and
the singer noted. I have then found it helpful to set clown
in syllables what the bird seemed to my ear to say. This
habit not only trains one's ear but also aids in fixing the
song, so that it can be recalled.

The secret of rapid progress lies, as in all things, partly in
native talent, a quick eye and ear, and a retentive memory,
but also in preparation. Each new week in the year, each
new place one visits, should be read up beforehand, as one
reads up a city in a guide-book. If April is approaching,
look through the key for April, and note that one of the
Warblers that is now to be looked for has yellow under
parts, wags its tail, and has a song like that of the Chipping
Sparrow. If besides, one has an opportunity to visit a large
museum, and to see the mounted bird, one will have a men-
tal image that will often make instant recognition possible.
The study of good drawings of the birds is the next best

20 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

preparation. The reading of books like those of Bolles,
Burroughs, and Torrey is a great aid, as well as a pleasant
stimulus.

Opera-glasses are almost indispensable. The best for bird
study magnify about three and a half times ; in other words,
the bird is brought that much nearer to you. The Zeiss
glasses magnify many more times, but the field is much
smaller, and the bird harder to find. For sea-birds which
are riding the water in one place, a powerful marine-glass or
even a small telescope is useful.

Note-books are indispensable, and it is often well to carry
a handbook into the field, so that a bird can be looked up
on the spot, and some important point settled, if possible,
by examining the bird again and again.

It soon becomes evident to a student that birds are much
more plentiful in some spots than others. Often one can
learn from others where the best places are ; if not, one
should try the edges of broad valleys, or the borders of
streams where bushes, swamp, and pasture alternate. As a
rule, the more diversified the country, the more birds there
will be. In winter, warm sheltered hollows are attractive.
In migration time it is particularly important to find favor-
able places.

When a student gets far enough to get the nesting fever,
he has an endless and intense pleasure before him. The nest-
ing season treads fast on the heels of the spring migration ;
many birds, in fact, have built before the May migrants come.
To find nests it is necessary to have found them ; that is to say,
after one has been found, it is much easier to find the second,
for one knows then where to look. One must, moreover, be
constantly on the alert for the slight hints which are often so
important. A bird going to and from its nest slips along in
a very different fashion from its ordinary careless wandering.
A straw or bit of hair in a bird's mouth is a broad hint ; sit
down at once, and try to beat the bird at a waiting game.

HINTS FOR FIELD WORK 21

The capacity to take hints grows by practice, as the powers
of the eye and ear grow. The rapid identifications of the
expert seem marvelous at first, but a beginner soon learns to
tell a flying Goldfinch as far as he can see it. As season fol-
lows season, his eye, ear, and memory serve him better and
better, and at last he too walks through woods and fields,
hearing and recognizing distant calls or bits of song, or iden-
tifying the passing birds by a glimpse of some well-known
bit of color, or by some marked peculiarity of flight.

VI

HOW TO USE THE KEYS

The following keys include all the common land-birds of
New England and eastern New York, except the hawks, the
owls, the Mourning Dove, and the game-birds. No one
should, however, expect, by the use of these keys, to name
with certainty every small bird seen for a few moments at
long range or in thick foliage. If a bird is to be identified,
it must have been observed clearly enough and long enough
for a fairly good description of it to be set down. No one
can hope at first to carry an accurate mental picture of
even the brightest bird. A note-book should, therefore, be
always at hand in the field, and when an unfamiliar or
doubtful bird is seen, the size, colors, habits, and habitat
should be set down. Note-books arranged for such use can
be procured (see list, p. 350).

To estimate the size, compare the bird with an English
Sparrow, which is about 6.33 inches long. The Song Spar-
row is about as long as an English Sparrow ; the Bluebird,
a little longer. The Robin, about ten inches long, will serve
as a standard of comparison for the larger song-birds.

Birds are classified in the keys, according to color, under
the following heads : —

1. Brown or Brownish (including reddish-brown).

2. Gray or Grayish (including greenish-gray).

I have excluded from either of the above classes any birds
which show any clear, bright yellow, such as the female
Maryland Yellow-throat, or marked bluish-gray, such as the

HOW TO USE THE KEYS 23

Nuthatches, but have included birds that have a more or less
faint yellowish wash on the flanks, as the Phoebe in fall,
and some of the Vireos.

3. Yellow or Yellowish without Black. (No large
or prominent area of black.)

4. Yellow or Orange with Black.

This class includes chestnut and black. The black appears
either in streaks, as in the Prairie Warbler, or in patches, as
in the Goldfinch.

5. Black and White.

The black and white should form a marked contrast, either
in streaks or bars, as in the Black and White Warbler and
the Downy Woodpecker, or in large distinct areas, as in the
Kingbird.

6. Black or Blackish.

This class includes purplish-black, as in the Crow Black-
bird and the Purple Martin.

7. Red, Scarlet, or Rose.

This class includes all birds that have any such tint at all
prominent.

8. Blue or Bluish-gray (excluding purplish-black).

A number of birds have been put into more than one class,
to guard against oversight, on the part of the observer, of
some bit of color. Plain-colored females and young, and
bright-colored males of the same species have, of course, been
put into separate lists. For the summer months there is a
key to the birds seen constantly on the wing, such as the
Swallows and the Swift, without reference to* their color.

One should also notice carefully any conspicuous patterns
of coloration, any stripes, streaks, or contrasts of color, and
where they are situated. Many keys are based chiefly on
such marks, and they are often necessary for final identi-
fication. But some of them are often either overlooked
by beginners, or not well displayed by the bird. More

24 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

stress has been laid in these keys on a combination of char-
acteristics than on any one set, nor need the failure to note
any one mark block the student's way entirely.

After the size, general color, and conspicuous marks have
been noted, one should observe any tricks of attitude or
gait, such as hopping, walking, tilting the tail, bobbing
the head, raising crest-feathers, etc. The bird's feeding
habits are also important ; one should note whether it
scratches for seeds, flies out into the air after insects, or
gleans them from the trunk or twigs of trees.

Lastly, one should notice the kind of country in which the
bird is seen, whether marsh, meadow, orchard, thicket, or
forest. The term plantation is used occasionally in this Guide
to designate ground which has been planted with trees and
bushes, as on large estates. It is important, in noting the
locality where a bird is seen, to look about and see what
kind of ground is found near by ; a marsh a few rods away
will explain the presence of a Red-winged Blackbird in a
roadside tree. In times of heavy migration, it is true, a bird
may appear almost anywhere, and Swamp Sparrows will
turn up in backyards ; but, as a rule, the nature of a bird's
food forces it, even in migration, to show preference for cer-
tain haunts. When a beginner grasps the fact that he will
never see a House Wren clinging to a bulrush, or a Marsh
Wren in an apple orchard, he may do much in the way of
eliminating improbable birds. Another important and much
neglected means of assistance in identification is afforded by
taking into account the time of year : certain birds are never
here in January (exceptions, of course, occur, but may be ig-
nored by the beginner) ; others are found only in winter.
The keys have therefore been arranged so that each season
has its own key, and reference should be made only to that ;
it will sometimes happen, however, that a bird will appear
late in one month, though it regularly comes early in the
next, and is provided for in the following key.

HOW TO USE THE KEYS 25

Under the seasonal heading, there are subdivisions accord-
ing to color, as already described, and in them the birds are
arranged in two groups, in the order of their size : Group A
contains birds larger than an English Sparrow ; Group B
those smaller than an English Sparrow. As a further help in
identifying the larger song-birds, the place in the list where
a Robin would come is indicated. If the student be in doubt
whether a bird be larger or smaller than an English Sparrow,
let him study the last birds in Group A, and the first in
Group B. If the bird be noticeably small, let him begin the
search at the bottom of Group B. The divisions A' and W
are to be used only in southern Connecticut and in the lower
Hudson Valley ; the divisions A'' and B" only in the north-
ern portions of New York and New England. An asterisk
beside the figures which give the size of a bird, indicates that
the bird does not occur every year ; two asterisks mean that
it is very irregular, and more often absent than present.

The figures in the keys indicate in inches and decimals
the length of the bird ; the keys include, besides, a brief state-
ment of the kind of country in which the bird is generally
found, and brief clues for its identification, — some strik-
ing field-mark, or constant trick of action. If the bird has
been carefully watched under favorable conditions, the search
in the key will soon narrow down to a small number of spe-
cies. If there is still doubt, the descriptions of these species
and the accounts of their habits given in the body of the
book should be carefully read, the evidence weighed, and a
final choice, if possible, be made. A common fault of be-
ginners in identifying from printed descriptions is to ignore
some perfectly obvious and insuperable objection. I have
known the skin of a Brown Thrush labeled as a Cuckoo, in
spite of its spotted breast. Mr. Chapman tells me that the
Louisiana Water- thrush has been identified as the Olive-
backed Thrush : one is 6. 28 inches long, the other 7.17; the
extra inch must tell, even in the field.

26 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

But birds are often not seen to advantage ; it is hoped
that in such cases students of this book will learn to be con-
tent with the belief that the puzzling bird was probably one
of two or three, and wait for another opportunity to settle
the matter. No method is more harmful to a real advance
in knowledge than the anxiety to get some name or other
for every bird seen. The best field ornithologists of my
acquaintance are most distinguished by their reluctance to
give a decision on insufficient evidence. Yet one can be too
timid, and a habit of doubting one's own powers of observa-
tion leads to discouragement. If one has a description noted
on the spot, it is good mental training to come to some defi-
nite decision, to say that the weight of evidence is strongly
in favor of this or that species. Certainty will come in time,
with widening acquaintance. The beginner must realize, too,
that his powers of observation are probably not yet fully de-
veloped ; his untrained eye is confused by a flying or mov-
ing bird, and gets only a glimpse of color, where a skilled
observer sees steadily, and discovers the distinctive field-
mark.

KEYS

KEYS

Note. — The following signs and abbreviations are used in the keys and
in the text : —

$ — male.
? = female.
Ad. = adult.

Im. = immature.

* = irregular.

** = very irregular.

Groups A (birds larger than an English Sparrow) and B (birds smaller
than an English Sparrow) may be used throughout New England and
eastern New York; groups A' and B' only in southern Connecticut and the
lower Hudson Valley; groups A" and B" onhr in the northern portions of
New York and New England. (See p. 25.)

No provision has been made in the keys for birds in immature plumage;
in the autumn and winter in most cases where the female (?) is specified,
young males may be included in the same category.

The occasional dates of arrival or departure given in the keys are, of
course, only approximate, and will vary according to the season and to
latitude. One may also expect a variation of about ten per cent, each way
in the lengths of birds given in the keys and text.

KEY FOB, WIXTEE

Brown or Brownish.

A.

12.00. Flies to or from trees; rump white .... p. 216. Flicker.
10.75. Only where there is little snow; feeds in grass; shows white tail-
feathers in flight p. 190. Meadowlark.

10.00. Head black; breast bay p. 73. Robin.

7.75. On or near the beach; throat yellow ... p. 200. Shore Lark.

7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit p. 139. Cedar-bird.

A'.
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, X. Y.) Crest, wings, and tail tinged

with reddish p. 151. 9 Cardinal.

7.17. Low in thickets; tail reddish-brown ; breast white, spotted.

p. 74. Hermit Thrush.
6.74. Scratches on ground; tail brown; throat white.

p. 163. 'White-throated Sparrow.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.36. In small flocks on ground; wing-bars white; breast unstreaked,

with small dusky spot in centre . . p. 162. Tree Sparrow.
6.30. Skulks in marshes or brush heaps; breast streaked, with dark

blotch in centre p. 157. Song Sparrow.

6.27. Brownish-gray: in flocks with slate-gray males; outer tail-feathers

white p. 158. 9 Junco.

6.25. Only in beach grass p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow.

5.66. Clings close to tree-trunks p. 88. Brown Creeper.

5.65. In small flocks; common near sea-shore or in bayberry patches;

rump yellow p. 120. Myrtle Warbler.

5.32.** Grayish-brown; feeds in birches or in weed-patches; adults have

dark red crown p- 178. Kedpoll.

5.10. In small flocks in trees or on ground; call-notes sweet; flies high

when startled; wings and tail black and white.

p. 177. Goldfinch.

B'.

5.50. Skulks in brush heaps; whistles loudly; conspicuous whitish line

over eye p. 94. Carolina "Wren.

4.06. Skulks in brush heaps or walls; dark brown and very small.

p. 91. Winter "Wren.

30 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

B."

5.35. In small flocks in trees; crown dark brownish-gray.

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee.

Gray or Grayish.

A.

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray ; wings black and white.

p. 138. Northern Shrike.

1000. Back gray; head black; breast bay p. 73. Robin.

9.08.** Slaty-gray; wing-bars white . . p. 183. ? Pine Grosbeak.

A."

12.00. In woods, often about logging camps ; forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.27. In flocks on the ground; head and breast dark slate-gray; outer tail-
feathers white p. 158. Junco

6.22. In trees, often with red males; brownish-gray; streaked.

p. 181. ? Purple Finch.
6.ig.* In or under trees, generally in conifers; often with" red males; rump

greenish-yellow p. 180. £ American Crossbill

6.05.** In or under trees, generally conifers; often with red males ; wing-
bars white; rump greenish-yellow.

p. 179. 9 White -winged Crossbill.
5.00.* In flocks in trees; under parts streaked; bar on wing yellow.

p. 171. Pine Siskin.
4.07. Restless in trees and thickets; top of head yellow or orange, enclosed
in black; wing-bars white.

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet.
B'.

6.00. (Xorth as far as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper
parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse.

Yellow.

A.

7.75. In flocks ; generally only on or near the sea-shore ; throat and line over
eye sulphur-yellow p. 200. Shore Lark.

Black and White.

A.

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray; wings and tail black

and white p. 138. Northern Shrike.

[10. 00. Size of Robin.]

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; white stripe down middle of back; wings
barred with black and white . . p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker.

KEY FOR WINTER 31

6.83. Similar to above, but commoner and smaller.

p. 223. Downy "Woodpecker.

6.88. In flocks, generally only on or near sea-shore; wings and tail black

with much white p. 174. Snow Bunting.

A".

8.75. On trunks and large limbs ; back barred with black and white.

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.07. On trunks or limbs; crown black; back bluish-gray; under parts
white p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; sides of head white; wings
gray p. 8-4. Chickadee.

4.62. On trunks or limbs; crown and line through eye black; back bluish;
under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Ked-bellied Nuthatch.

Black.

A.

19.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow.

A'.
8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) Walks on ground;
purplish or greenish at close range; feathers of upper parts heavily
spotted with buff; bill blackish-brown . . . p. 195. Starling.

A

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest and a white bar on wing.

p. 219. Pileated Woodpecker.

g.50. On trunks and large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and

white p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker.

Red, Scarlet, or Rose.

A.

10.00. Head black; breast bay p. 73. Bobin.

g.08.** Entire plumage rose-red; brightest on head and rump: wing-bars
white p. 183. Pine Grosbeak.

A'.

8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or reddish;

crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.
6.22. In or under trees ; entire upper parts and throat crimson ; brightest on

head and rump p. 181. Purple Finch.

6.19.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern New England.

p. 180. American Crossbill.

32 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white: not so uncommon in north-
ern New England ... p. 179. White-winged Crossbill.

5.32.** In flocks in birches or in weeds; crown dark crimson; breast and
rump often pink p. 178. Redpoll.

4.62. On limbs of trees ; back bluish ; head black ; line over eye white ; under
parts reddish-brown . . . . p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

Blue.

A.

11.74. In woodland or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail.

p. 198. Rlue Jay.
A'.

7.00. Upper parts bright blue ; breast reddish-brown.

p. 71. cf Bluebird.
7.00. Upper parts grayish; wings and tail bluish; breast pale reddish-
brown p. 71. $ Bluebird.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.07. On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown black; under parts
white p. 86. • White-bellied Nuthatch.

4.62.* On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown and line through eye
black; under parts reddish-brown or buffy; less irregular in north-
ern New England p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

KEY FOR MAECH

Brown or Brownish.
A.

12.00. Flies from or to trees; rump white p. 216. Flicker.

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops; feeds in grass; shows white tail-feathers.

p. 190. Meadowlark.

10.00. Head black; breast bay p. 73. Robin.

7.75. On or near the beach; throat yellow . . p. 200. Shore Lark.

7.26. (Arrives about March 15.) Scratches on the ground; tail reddish-

brown; breast spotted p. 154. Fox Sparrow.

7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit.

p. 139. Cedar-bird.
A'.

8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Crest, wings, and tail tinged

with reddish p. 151. 9 Cardinal.

7.17. Low in thickets; tail reddish-brown; breast spotted ; not common.

p. 74. Hermit Thrush.
6.74. Scratches on ground; tail brown; throat white.

p. 163. White-throated Sparrow.
[6.33. English Sparrow.]

B.

6.36. In flocks on the ground; wing-bars white; breast unstreaked, with
small dusky spot in centre .... p. 162. Tree Sparrow.

6.30. Sings a bright song from bush or small tree; breast streaked with
dark blotch in centre* p. 157. Song Sparrow.

6.27. Brownish-gray; in flocks with slate-gray males; outer tail-feathers

white p. 158. ? Junco.

6.25. Only in beach grass p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow.

5.66. Clings close to tree-trunks p. 88. Brown Creeper.

5.65. In small flocks; common near sea-shore or in bay berry patches; rump

yellow p. 120. Myrtle Warbler.

5.32.** Grayish-brown; feeds in birches or in weed-patches; adults with

dark red crown p. 178. Redpoll.

5.10. In small flocks in trees or on the ground; call-notes sweet; flies high

when startled; wings and tail black and white.

p. 177. Goldfinch.
B'.

5.50. (Very rare in New England.) Skulks in brush; whistles loudly; con-
spicuous whitish line over eye ... p. 94. Carolina Wren.

34 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

4.06. Skulks in brush heaps or walls; dark brown and very small.

p. 91. "Winter "Wren.

B".

5.35. In small flocks in trees; crown dark brownish-gray.

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee.

Gray or Grayish.
A.

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray; wings and tail black.

p. 138. Northern Shrike.

10.00. Back gray; head black or gray ; breast bay . . p. 73. Robin.

9. 08.** Slaty-gray ; wing-bars white . . p. 383. ? Pine Grosbeak.

6.99. (Arrives after March 15.) Brownish-gray; about farm-buildings or

near water; tail frequently jerked; note phoe' bee.

p. 206. Phoebe.
A".

12.00. In woods, often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.27. In flocks on the ground; head and breast dark slate-gray; outer

tail-feathers white p. 158. Junco.

6.22. In trees; often with red males; brownish-gray, streaked.

p. 181. ? Purple Finch.
6.19.* In trees; generally in conifers, often with red males ; rump green-
ish-yellow p. 180. $ American Crossbill.

6.05.** In or under trees ; generally in conifers, often with red males ;
wing-bars white; rump greenish-yellow.

p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill.
5.00.* In flocks in trees; under parts streaked ; bar on wing yellow.

p. 176. Pine Siskin.

4.07. Restless in trees; top of head yellow or orange, inclosed in black;

wing-bars white . . . . p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet.

B'.
6.00. (North as far as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper
parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse.

Yellow.

A.

7.75. In flocks, generally only on or near the sea-shore; throat and line
over eye sulphur-yellow p. 200. Shore Lark.

Black and White.
A.

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray; wings and tail black
and white p. 138. Northern Shrike.

KEY FOR MARCH 35

[10.00. Size of Robin.]
g.40. On trunks or large limbs; wings barred with black and white; stripe
of white down middle of back . p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker.
6.83. Similar to above, but commoner and smaller.

p. 223. Downy "Woodpecker.

6.88. In flocks, generally only on or near the sea-shore; wings and tail

black with much white p. 174. Snow Bunting.

A".
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white.

p. 221. American Three-toed "Woodpecker.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.
6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; back bluish-gray ; under parts

white p. 86. "White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; sides of head white; wings

gray p. 84. Chickadee.

4.62. On trunks or limbs; crown and line through eye black; back bluish;
under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.
Black.
A.

ig.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow.

12.00-13.50. In flocks in evergreens or walking on ground; tail long;
head lustrous blue-black .... p. 184. Crow Blackbird.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]
9.55. Near water; no red or white on wing; eye white.

p. 186. Rusty Blackbird.
9.51. Near water; red on shoulders or white bar on upper wing; note

okaree p. 191. Red-winged Blackbird.

7.92. On the ground in fields, or flying over, or lighting in trees ; head

dark, rich brown p. 192. Cowbird.

A'.
8.50. (Only near New York city and Long Island Sound.) Walks on ground ;
purplish or greenish at close range ; feathers of upper parts heavily
spotted with buff ; bill blackish-brown . . p. 195. Starling.
A".

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest, and a white bar on wing.

p. 219. Northern Pileated Woodpecker.

9.50. On trunks and large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and

white .... p. 222. Arctic Three-toed "Woodpecker.

Red, Scarlet, or Rose.
A.

10.00. Head black or gray ; breast bay p. 73. Robin.

g.08. A.** Entire plumage rose-red; brightest on head and rump; wing-
bars white p. 183. Pine Grosbeak.

36 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

A'.
8.25. (As far north as Central Park.) Entire plumage red or reddish; crest

conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.22. In or under trees ; entire upper parts and throat crimson ; brightest on
head and rump p. 181. Purple Finch.

6.19.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern New England.

p. 180. American Crossbill.

6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white, not so uncommon in north-
ern New England ... p. 179. "White -winged Crossbill.

5.32.** In flocks in birches or in weed}' patches; crown dark crimson;
breast and rump often pink ... p. 178. Redpoll Linnet.

4.62. On limbs of trees; back bluish; head black; line over eye white;
under parts reddish-brown . p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

Blue.
A.

11.74. In woodland, or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail.

p. 198. Blue Jay.
7.00. Upper parts bright blue; breast reddish-brown, p. 71. 3 Bluebird.
7.00. Upper parts grayish; wings and tail blui>h; breast pale reddish-
brown p. 71. ? Bluebird.

B.

6.07. On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown black; under parts
white p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.

4.62.* On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown and line through eye
black; under parts reddish-brown or buffy; less irregular in north-
ern New England .... p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

KEY FOR APRIL

Brown or Brownish.

A.

12.00. Flies to and from trees; rump white .... p. 216. Flicker.

11.42. Upper parts reddish-brown; tail very long; flies into bushes when

disturbed p. 95. Brown Thrasher.

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops, or from posts; feeds in the grass; outer tail-
feathers white p. 190. Meadowlark.

10.00. Wings brownish; head black; breast bay . . p. 73. Kobin,
8.00. (Arrives- April 20.) A large swallow, living in boxes set on poles;

with blue-black males p. 116. ? Purple Martin.

7.92. Walking on ground, or lighting in trees; generally with black males;

breast unstreaked p. 192. 9 Cowbird.

7.75. (Leaves April 10.) In flocks, on or near the sea-shore; throat yellow.

p. 200. Shore" Lark.

7.26. (Leaves April 20.) Fox-color; breast heavily spotted ; scratches on

ground p. 154. Fox Sparrow.

7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek ; eats fruit . p. 139. Cedar-bird.
7.17. On the ground, or on low limbs; breast spotted; tail reddish-brown.

p. 74. Hermit Thrush.
6.99. About farm-buildings, or near water; tail frequently jerked; note

plm'bee p. 206. Phoebe.

6.74. (Arrives April 20.) In docks; scratches on the ground; throat white;

tail brown p. 163. "White-throated Sparrow.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.36. In flocks on the ground; wing-bars white; dusky spot on unstreaked
breast p. 162. Tree Sparrow.

6.30. Singing from bnsh or low tree, or feeding on ground; dark blotch in
centre of streaked breast p. 157. Song Sparrow.

6.27. Brownish-gray; in flocks with slate-gray males; outer tail-feathers

white • p. 158. Junco.

6 25. (Leaves April 10.) Only in beach grass.

p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow.
6.12. In pastures and near cultivated fields; breast streaked; outer tail-
feathers white p- 172. Vesper Sparrow.

5.89. In marshes; breast unstreaked; crown chestnut.

p. 155. Swamp Sparrow.

5.68. In bushy pastures, and cedar-covered hillsides; breast unstreaked;

song sweet and clear p. 160. Field Sparrow.

38 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

5.66. Clinging close to trunks of trees ... p. 88. Brown Creeper.
5.65. In small flocks; often in bay berry bushes near the sea-shore.

p. 120. 9 Myrtle Warbler.
5.37. Near houses or farming land, or in cedars; breast unstreaked; song

unmusical p. 161. Chipping Sparrow.

5.32.** Brownish-gray; in restless flocks; feeds in birches or in weed}'

patches p. 178. Redpoll.

5.10. In flocks in trees, or in weedy patches; throat tinged with yellow;

wings black and white p. 177. Goldfinch.

4.06. (Arrives April 10.) Dark brown; skulks in brush-heaps or in stone

walls p. 91. "Winter Wren.

B'.

5.50. (Very rare in New England.) Skulks in brush; whistles loud; con-
spicuous whitish line over eye . . p. 94. Carolina Wren.

5.35. In trees; crown dark brownish-gray.

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee.

Gray or Grayish.

A.

10.00. Back gray; head black, or dark gray ; breast bay.

p. 73. Robin.
7.92. Light brownish-gray; unstreaked; generally with black males.

p. 192. 9 Cowbird.

6.99. Brownish-gray; about farm buildings, or near water; tail frequently

jerked; note/>/*ce'6ee p. 206. Phoebe.

12.00. In woods; often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white.

p. 138. Northern Shrike.
9.00. Rare, except in western Vermont; similar to above.

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike.
9.08. Slaty-gray; wing-bars white . . . p. 183. 9 Pine Grosbeak.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.27. In flocks on the ground; head and breast dark gray; outer tail-
feathers white p. 158. Junco.

6.22. In trees; often with rose-red males; brownish-gray; streaked.

p. 181. ? Purple Finch.
6.19.* In trees; generally conifers; often with red males; rump greenish-

3'ellow p. 180. 9 American Crossbill.

6.05.** In flocks; generally in conifers; often with rose-red males; wing-
bars white ; rump greenish-yellow.

p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill.

KEY FOR APRIL 39

5.61. (Arrives April 15.) In trees; head slaty-gray; line to and around eye

white p. 132. Solitary Vireo.

5.41. (Arrives April 20.) Perches in trees in flycatcher fashion; wing-bars

white; note sharp, tse-bic' . . . . p. 202. Least Flycatcher.
5.00.* In flocks in trees; under parts streaked ; bar on wing yellow.

p. 176. Pine Finch.
4.41. (Arrives April 10.) Restless in trees and thickets; song loud and

musical; eye prominent . . p. 80. Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
4.07. Restless in trees and thickets; top of head yellow or orange, inclosed

in black; note tsee-tsee-tsee.

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet.

B'.

6.28. Along water-courses ; under parts streaked with black ; tail constantly
tilted; song loud and ringing.

p. 107. Louisiana "Water-thrush.

Yellow without Black.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

5.65. In trees; rump, crown-patch, and patches on sides of upper belly
yellow; throat white p. 120. Myrtle "Warbler.

5.52. In pines; occasionally on the ground; wing-bars white; throat yel-
low p. 111. Pine "Warbler.

5.43. In trees; often on the ground; crown chestnut; under parts bright
yellow; tail constantly wagged . . . p. 110. Palm Warbler

Black and White.

[10.00 Size of Robin.]
9.40. On trunks or large limbs; white stripe down middle of back; wings

barred with black and white . . p. 224. Hairy Woodpecker.
8.56. On trunks or large limbs ; back speckled with black and white; white

stripe along edge of wing p. 220. Sapsucker.

8.35. Head black; tail black and white; scratching on the ground near

bushes p. 152. Towhee.

6.83. On trunks or large limbs: white stripe down middle of back; wings

barred with black and white . p. 223. Downy Woodpecker.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; back bluish-gray; under parts

white p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.65. In trees ; throat white; black patches on sides of upper breast ; sides
of belly, crown patch, and rump, yellow.

p. 120. Myrtle Warbler.
5.30. On trunks or large limbs; striped black and white.

p. 129. Black and White Warbler.

40 A CxUIDE TO THE BIRDS

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; cheeks white; wings gray.

p. 84. Chickadee.
4.62. On trunks or large limbs; crown and line through eve black; back
bluish; under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

A".

12.00. In woods; often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white.

p. 138. Northern Shrike.
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white.

p. 221. American Three-toed "Woodpecker.

Black.

A.

ig.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow.

12-13.50. In flocks in evergreens, or walking on ground; tail long; head

lustrous blue-black j p. 184. Crow Blackbird.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]

9.55. In flocks near water; no red or white on wing; eye white.

p. 180. Rusty Blackbird.
9.51. Near water; red on shoulders or white bar on upper wing; note

oharee p. 191. Red-winged Blackbird.

8.00. (Arrives April 20.) Entire body blue-black; a large swallow, living

in boxes set on poles p. 146. Purple Martin.

7.92. On the ground in fields, or flying over, or lighting in trees; head

dark, rich brown p. 192. Cowbird.

A'.
8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) "Walks on ground ;
purplish or greenish at close range; feathers of upper parts tipped

with buff; bill yellow p. 195. d Starling.

8.50. Similar to above; more heavily spotted below.

p. 195. ? Starling.
A".

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest, and a white bar on wing.

p. 219. Northern Pileated "Woodpecker.

g.50. On trunks or large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and

white p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker.

Red, Scarlet, or Rose.

10.00. Head black or gray ; breast bay p. 73. Robin.

8.56. On trunks or large limbs; whole top of head, and in male, throat

dark red; back speckled black and white . p. 220. Sapsucker.
8.35. On ground near bushes, or singing in trees; head black; sides of
breast and belly chestnut; tail black and white.

p. 152. Towhee.

KEY FOR APRIL 41

A'.
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or red-
dish; crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal.

A".
g.08. Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars "white . p. 183. Pine Grosbeak.
[6.33. Size of English. Sparrow.]

B.

6.22. In trees or feeding on ground; entire upper parts and throat crimson;

brightest on head and rump ... p. 181. d Purple Finch.
6.ig.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern Xew England.

p. 180. American Crossbill.
6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white; not so irregular in northern

Xew England p. 179. White-winged Crossbill.

5.32.** In flocks in birches or in weedy patches; crown dark crimson;

breast and rump often pink p. 178. Redpoll.

4.62.* On limbs of trees; back bluish; head black; line over eye white;

under parts reddish-brown . p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

Blue.

A.

13.02. Near water; much white showing in wings and tail; bill long and

pointed p. 224. Kingfisher.

11.74. In woodland, or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail.

p. 198. Blue Jay.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]

8.00. Blue-black. (See under Black) ... p. 146. Purple Martin.
7.00. Upper parts deep blue; breast reddish-brown.

p. 71. .-f Bluebird.

7.00. Upper parts gravish; wings and tail bluish.

p. 71. $ Bluebird.
6-95- Upper parts deep blue; tail long and deeply forked; throat chestnut;
rest of under parts whitish or salmon.

p. 144. Barn Swallow.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.
6.07. On trunks and limbs; back blui sh -gray; crown black; under parts

white p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.90. Upper parts greenish-blue; tail merely notched; under parts white.

p. 14o. Tree Swallow.
4.62.* On trunks and limbs; back bluish; crown and line through eye
black; under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

KEY FOR MAY
Brown or Brownish.

12. 20 ) In trees; very slender; tail long; under parts white.

or > p. 227. Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

n. 83 ) p. 226. Black-billed Cuckoo.

12.00. Flies from or to trees; rump white .... p. 216. Flicker.
11.42. Reddish-brown; tail long; sings high in trees; flies into bushes when

disturbed p. 95. Thrasher.

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops, or from posts; feeds in grass ; outer tail-feathers

white p. 190. Meadowlark.

9.75. Flutters from ground in woods; band across neck white.

p. 213. "Whip-poor-will.
9.01. In trees; notes loud and harsh; belly yellow; tail reddish-brown.

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher.
8-35- On ground, or in thickets; tail-feathers tipped with white; flanks

reddish-brown p. 152. 9 Chewink.

8.29. On ground or on low limbs; head reddish-brown; breast white;

spotted with black; song beautiful . p. 79. "Wood Thrush.

8.25. (North as far as Central Park, N. Y.) Crest, wings, and tail tinged

with reddish p. 151. 9 Cardinal.

8.12. In trees; streaked with grayish; whitish line over eye; white wing-
bar; bill very large . . p. 150. 9 Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
8.00. Near swampy ground; blackish-brown; often with black red-shoul-
dered males p. 191. 9 Red-winged Blackbird.

7.52. In wet woods ; upper parts tawny-brown ; breast not distinctly spotted.

p. 78. Wilson's Thrush.
7.58-7.00. On ground or low limbs ; breast white, spotted with black ;
upper parts grayish-brown . p. 77. Gray-cheeked Thrush.
7.17. Like above, but eye-ring white; cheek buffy.

p. 76. Olive-backed Thrush.

7.17. (Generally only till May 10.) On ground, or low limbs; breast

white, spotted with black ; tail reddish-brown, often slowly raised.

p. 74. Hermit Thrush.
7.25. Grayish-brown; walking on ground, or lighting in trees, often with

black males p. 192. 9 Cowbird.

7.19. In trees; often in flocks; head and throat rich brown ; belly yellow-
ish; tail-feathers tipped with 3-ellow; head crested.

p. 139. Cedar-bird.
7.12. In grassy fields; under parts yellowish-brown, unstreaked; gene-
rally with black and white males ... p. 193. 9 Bobolink.

KEY FOR MAY 43

6.99. About farm-buildings, or near water; tail constantly jerked; flies
out into the air after insects p. 206. Phoebe.

6.88. Feeds on ground ; head marked with bright black and white; no

yellow line over eye; throat not white.

p. 164. "White-crowned Sparrow.
6.74. Feeds on ground; head marked with bright black and white; line
over eye yellow; throat white.

p. 163. 'White-throated Sparrow.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.30. Wherever there are bushes and water; breast streaked, with dark

blotch in centre p. 157. Song Sparrow.

6.23. In trees; entire under parts grayish-white, unstreaked.

p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo.
6.17. In dry woods; on ground or low limbs; breast streaked with black.

p. 108. Oven-bird.
6.12. In pastures or near cultivated fields; breast streaked; outer tail-
feathers white p. 172. Vesper Sparrow.

5.89. In marshes; breast dark, unstreaked; crown chestnut.

p. 155. Swamp Sparrow.

5.85. In salt marshes p. 167. Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

5.80. In trees; common in village streets; entire under parts white, un-
streaked p. 134. Warbling Vireo.

5.68. In grass-land; breast streaked . . p. 170. Savanna Sparrow.

5.68. In bushy pastures and hillsides; often in cedars; breast unstreaked;
song musical p. 160. Field Sparrow.

5.59. In bushes or small trees; unstreaked; tail nervously twitched to the
side p. 149. ? Indigo-bird.

5.52. In pines; upper parts brownish; under parts dull whitish; wing-
bars dull white p. 111. 9 Pine Warbler.

5.38. (Not common north of latitude of Boston.) In dry sterile fields ; breast
buffy, unstreaked; song insect-like.

p. 169. Grasshopper Sparrow.

5.37. Near houses or farming land, or in cedars; breast ashy, unstreaked;
song unmusical p. 161. Chipping Sparrow.

5.20. In salt marshes or cat-tail swamps; clings to stalks with tail cocked;
song bubbling . . . .p. 89. Long-billed Marsh Wren.

5.00. In wet meadows, or on ill-drained hillsides; breast streaked; sings
from low perch; note jiee-sic'; rare.

p. 168. Henslow's Sparrow.

5.00. In orchards or about buildings; tail often cocked over back.

p. 93. House Wren.

4.00. In marshy meadows; clings to stalks with tail cocked; song not

bubbling p. 90. Short-billed Marsh Wren.

B'.

6.00. In salt marshes; not found north of Long Island Sound.

p. 165. Seaside Sparrow.

5.50. (Very rare in southern Connecticut; not uncommon in the lower
Hudson Valley.) Skulks in bushes; whistles loudly ; conspicuous
whitish line over eye p. 94. Carolina Wren.

44 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

B".
5.35. In trees, chiefly spruces; crown brownish-gray.

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee.

Gray or Grayish.
A'.

10.00. Breast reddish; in trees or on ground .... p. 73. Robin.

10.00. Lengthwise on limbs, or on exposed stones; bar across wing white;

wings long; flight swalloAV-like ... p. 212. Nighthawk.

8.94. Dark slaty-gray; in bushes, or feeding on ground . p. 95. Catbird.

6.99. About farm buildings or near water; flies out into the air after insects;

tail constantly jerked p. 206. Phoebe.

6-53- (After May 15.) In groves or street trees; wing-bars white; flies out
into the air after insects; song/>ee-ee-iyee.

p. 205. Wood Pewee.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.23. In trees; breast whitish, unstreaked . p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo.
6.22. In trees or occasionally on ground; brownish-gray, streaked; often
with rose-colored males .... p. 181. $ Purple Finch.
6.19.* In flocks, often with red males; note when flying hip, hip.

p. 180. ? Red CrossbiU.
6.05.** In flocks, in trees or on ground, sometimes with red males; wing-
bars white p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill.

6.09. (Rare late in May.) In alder thickets; note quee-qtiee'.

p. 202. Alder Flycatcher.
5.41. In trees in open country; note emphatic tse-bic'; flies out into the air
after insects; sits upright on a perch.

p. 202. Least Flycatcher.
6.04. On ground near water; tail constantly wagged.

p. 108. Water-thrush.
5.80. In trees; common in village streets; song warbling.

p. 134. Warbling Vireo.
5.61. (Generally only till May 10.) In trees; head dark; notes rich and

sweet p. 132. Solitary Vireo.

5.56. (After May 15.) Restless in trees; sides streaked with black.

p. 115. ? Black-poll Warbler.

5.28. (After May 15.) In trees; generally with other small birds; spot

on wing white . p. 121. ? Black-throated Blue Warbler.

5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets; under parts yellowish ;

note loud, emphatic p. 131. White-eyed Vireo.

5.00. (Rare, except in northern New York and New England.) In trees;

under parts streaked; bars on wing yellow.

p. 176. Pine Siskin.
4.41. (May 1-10.) Restless in trees and thickets; eye prominent: song

loud and musical . . . . p. 80. Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

B\

6.28. Near water; under parts streaked with black ; tail constantly wagged.

p. 107. Louisiana Water-thrush.

KEY FOR MAY 45

6.00. (As far north as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper
parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse.
5.75. (As far north as Sing Sing, N. Y. ; absent in Xew England.) Sits
upright on a perch, or flies out for insects.

p. 203. Green-crested Flycatcher.
5.51. Back greenish-gray; head striped with black and buff.

p. 128. Worm-eating "Warbler.

6.27. Head and upper breast slaty-gray; outer tail-feathers white.

p. 158. Junco.
6.ig. In trees; generally conifers; often with red males; rump greenish-
yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill.

6.05. In trees; generally in conifers, at high altitudes; wing-bars white;
rump greenish-yellow . p. 179. ? "White-winged Crossbill.
4.07. Active in trees, generally conifers; top of head yellow or orange,
inclosed in black; note tsee-tsee-tsee.

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Yellow or Orange, without Black.

A.

10.75. Breast yellow; back brown; in meadows, p. 190. Meadowlark.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]
g.oi. Belly yellow; throat and breast ashy; note loud.

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher.
7.44. (Bare north of Connecticut.) In thickets and clearings; upper parts
greenish ; throat and breast bright yellow ; very noisy.

p. 102. Yellow-breasted Chat.
7.53. In trees; under parts and middle of back dull orange; wing-bars

white p. 188. 9 Baltimore Oriole.

7.32. (Bare north of Connecticut.) Under parts dull yellow; upper parts

grayish-green p. 189. ? Orchard Oriole.

7.25. In trees; under parts greenish-}rellow; upper parts olive-green.

p. 147. $ Tanager.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.17. Crown dull orange; back brownish; breast spotted.

p. 108. Oven-bird.
5.95. Throat bright yellow; in trees; not restless; song loud and rich.

p. 133. Yellow-throated Vireo.
5.65. Bump yellow; back brownish ; restless in trees.

p. 120. v Myrtle 'Warbler.
5.61. (Arrives May 10.) Low in woodland; under parts yellow.

p. 100. 5 Canadian "Warbler.
5.52. Generally in pines; throat bright yellow; song rippling.

p. 111. Pine "Warbler.

5.43. (May 1-10.) Under parts bright yellow; crown reddish-brown: tail

frequently wagged .... p. 110. Yellow Palm "Warbler.

46 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

5.41. Restless in trees and thickets; sides of breast, wing, and band across

tail yellow p. 99. 9 Kedstart.

5.33. In bushes in wet places; yellow brightest on throat; back brownish
p. 103. 9 Northern Yellow- throat.
5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Sides washed with yellowish; eye ring
and line to forehead yellow; note loud and emphatic.

p. 131. White-eyed Vireo.
5.25. Throat dull yellow; back black, streaked with whitish; wing-patch

white; rare p. 114. $ Blackburnian Warbler.

5.14. In open woodland and roadside thickets; top of head yellow; cheeks

and under parts white; narrow stripe along sides reddish-brown.

p. 117. Chestnut-sided Warbler.

5.10. In flocks, with bright yellow and black males; throat yellowish; back

brownish p. 177. 9 Goldfinch.

5.10. Yellow all over; greenish-yellow on back; clear Vellow or orange-
yellow below p. 122. Yellow Warbler.

5.00. Under parts and forehead yellow; very restless in trees; near water.

p. 101. 9 Wilson's Warbler.
5.00. (Rare, except in northern New York and New England.) "Wing-
bars yellow; entire plumage streaked . p. 176. Pine Siskin.
4.77. Under parts bright yellow; head ashy; very restless, in scrubby
growth p. 126. Nashville Warbler.

Yellow, Orange, or Chestnut, with Black.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]

A.

7.53. In trees; head black; breast and belly reddish-orange ; wings black,
with white wing-bars ; tail black and yellow.

p. 188. Baltimore Oriole.

7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In trees; head black; breast and belly

chestnut; no yellow in tail . . . p. 189. Orchard Oriole.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

5.65. In trees, often flying out for an insect; rump yellow; patch on each
side of breast yellow; throat white, p. 120. Myrtle Warbler.

5.63. (Very rare late in May.) Belly yellow; head and throat bluish-
gray ; breast black ; haunts dry banks.

p. 105. Mourning Warbler.

5.61. Low in wet places; under parts yellow; necklace of spots across
breast black p. 100. Canadian Warbler.

5.41. Restless in trees or thickets ; head lustrous black; orange or yellow
on sides of breast, wing, and tail; latter constantly spread.

p. 99. Kedstart.

5.33. In bushes in wet places; throat yellow; broad band through eye

black; song witchery, icitchery , or wee-see' -sir, wee-see' -sir.

p. 103. Northern Yellow-throat.

KEY FOR MAY 47

5.25. (Rare in eastern New England.) In trees, often conifers; throat
rich orange; head and back black, with white markings.

p. 114. Blackburnian Warbler.
5.12. (May 10-25.) In trees, often conifers; under parts bright yellow,
streaked with deep black; head bluish-ash; rump yellow; back
black with white on wings and tail.

p. 118. Magnolia Warbler.
5.10. In trees, especially pines; throat and sides of breast black; cheeks
yellow; song hoarse but musical.

p. 113. Black-throated Green Warbler.
5.10. In scrubby pastures and edges of woodland; throat black; top of
head and band on wing yellow; song zte zee-zee-zee.

p. 127. Golden- winged Warbler.
5.10. In flocks; back and under parts bright yellow; forehead black;
wings and tail black and white ; notes sweet.

p. 177. Goldfinch.
5.00. In trees in wet places; under parts yellow; cap black; rare.

p. 101. Wilson's Warbler.
5.00. In trees; under parts yellow, streaked with black; crown black;

very rare p. 123. Cape May Warbler.

4.75. In dry, scrubby woodland; under parts bright yellow; sides streaked
with black p. 109. Prairie Warbler.

B'.

5.67. In wet woods and in laurel ; back of head and throat black ; fore-
head and cheeks yellow .... p. 102. Hooded Warbler.
5.40. In wet woods; line over eye yellow; sides of throat black.

p 106. Kentucky Warbler.
4.80. In dry, scrubby growth; top of head and under parts yellow; line
through eye black; wing-bars white.

p. 127. Blue-winged Warbler.
Black and White.
A.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]

g.40. On trunks or large limbs ; under parts white ; wings barred with black
and white ; stripe of white down middle of back.

p. 224. Hairy Woodpecker.
8.51. Flying from exposed perch; under parts white; head black; tail

black, tipped with white p. 208. Kingbird.

8.35. Scratching in thickets, or singing from bush or low tree; head black;
sides chestnut; tail-feathers tipped with white.

p. 152. Towhee.
8.12. In trees; head and back black; wings and tail black and white;
breast white, with a spot of rose in centre.

p. 150. Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
7.25. In or near grassy fields; under parts black; upper parts chiefly dull

white p. 193. Bobolink.

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; under parts white; wings barred black and
white ; stripe of white down middle of back.

p. 223. Downy Woodpecker.

48 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

B.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; under parts white; back bluish-
gray p. 86. "White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.56. (May 15-30.) Restless in trees, not on the large limbs; crown plain
black; back and breast streaked.

p. 115. Black-poll "Warbler.

5.30. On trunks and large limbs of trees; head black, with white line

through centre ... p. 129. Black and "White "Warbler.

5.28. In trees; throat and sides black; upper parts dark bluish; spot on

wing white .... p. 121. Black- throated Blue "Warbler.

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; cheeks white; wings gray.

p. 84. Chickadee.
4.62.* On limbs and trunks; head and line through eye black; back
bluish ; under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Ked-belhed Nuthatch.
A".

12.00. In woods; often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
9.00. On tops of trees or bushes ; wings and tail black and white.

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike.
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white.

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker.

8.56. On trunks or large limbs ; back speckled with black and white; white

stripe along edge of wing p. 220. Sapsucker.

Black.

A.

19.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow.

13.50-12.00. In pines or walking on ground; tail long; head lustrous blue-
black p. 184. Crow Blackbird.

[10.00. Size of Bobin.]
9.55. (May 1-10.) Near water; no red or white on wing; eye white.

p. 186. Busty Blackbird.
9.51. Near water; red on shoulders, or white bar on upper wing.

p. 191. Bed-winged Blackbird.

7.92. On ground in fields, or flying over, or lighting in trees; head dark

brown p. 192. Cowbird.

A'.
8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) Purplish or green-
ish at close range; feathers of upper parts tipped with buff; bill

yellow p. 195. Starling.

A".

17.00. In woods; head with long red crest.

p. 219. Pileated "Woodpecker.
9.50. On trunks or large limbs of trees; back plain black; crown in male
with yellow patch.

p. 222. Arctic Three-toed "Woodpecker.

KEY FOR MAY 49

Red, Scarlet, or Rose.

A.

8.35. On ground near bushes, or singing in trees; head and upper breast
black; belly white; tail black and white; sides of breast and
belly chestnut p. 152. Tbwh.ee.

8.12. In trees; spot of rose on breast; head black ; wings and tail black
and white p. 150. Hose-breasted Grosbeak.

7.25. In trees; whole body red; wings and tail black.

p. 147. Scarlet Tanager.
A'.

8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or red-
dish ; crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal.

A".
8.56. On large limbs and trunks; top of head and in male throat dark
red; back speckled with white; edge of black wing white.

p. 220. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.22. Entire upper parts and throat crimson, brightest on head and rump.

p. 181. Purple Finch.
6.19.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern New England.

p. 180. American Crossbill.
6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white ; not so uncommon in

northern New England . p. 179. White-winged Crossbill.
5.63 In trees; crown, throat, upper breast, and sides bay; wing-bars

white p. 116. Bay-breasted Warbler.

5.25. (Rare in eastern New England.) In trees, often evergreen; throat

rich orange; back black, streaked with whitish; patch on wing

white p. 114. Blackburnian Warbler.

Blue.
A.

13.02. Perched near water, or flying over it; much white showing in wings

and tail; bill long and pointed .... p. 224. Kingfisher.

11.74. In woodland, or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail;

band across breast black; crest often raised p. 198. Blue Jay.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]

7.01. Upper parts deep blue; breast reddish-brown p. 71. Bluebird.
7.01. Upper parts grayish; breast pale reddish; wings and tail bluish.

p. 71. 9 Bluebird.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.07. On limbs and trunks of trees; back bluish-gray; top of head black;
under parts white ... p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch..

50 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

5.59. Sings from a high perch, near bushes; entire body deep blue.

p. 149. Indigo-bird.
5.28. (Arrives May 10.) In trees; throat black; upper parts dark blue;

spot on wing white, p. 121. Black-throated Blue Warbler.
4.73. In trees; head and black bluish-gray; throat yellowish with brown

spot p. 124. Parula "Warbler.

B".

4.62. On limbs and trunks of trees; under parts reddish-brown; black
line through eye .... p. 85. Ked-bellied Nuthatch.

KEY FOE, SUMMER

(JUNE, JULY, AUGUST)

Brown or Brownish.

12. 20. I In trees; very slender; tail long; Yellow-billed/ p ,
11.83. i under parts white . . p. 226. Black-billed (

12.00. Flies from or to trees; rump white p. 216. Flicker.

11.42. Upper parts reddish-brown; tail very long; flies into bushes when

disturbed p. 95. Thrasher.

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops, or from posts; feeds in grass; outer tail-
feathers white p. 190. Meadowlark.

10.00. Breast bay p. 73. Kobin.

g.75. Flutters from ground in woods as if bewildered; band across upper

breast white or buff p. 213. Whip-poor-will.

9.01. In trees; notes loud and harsh; belly yellow; tail reddish-brown.

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher.
8.35. On ground under bushes; tail-feathers tipped with white; flanks

reddish-brown p. 152. ? Towhee.

8.29. On ground in woods, or on low limbs; breast white, heavily spotted;

head reddish-brown p. 79. "Wood Thrush.

8.12. In trees; breast lightly streaked; line over eye and bar on wing
white; no red on breast p. 150. $ Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
8.00. In bushes near water; blackish-brown; streaked.

p. 191. ? Red-winged Blackbird.
7.75. (Very rare in southern and eastern New England.) "Walks or runs
on the ground in grassy fields; throat tinged with yellow; stripe
through eye, sides of throat, and patch on breast black.

p. 199. Prairie Horned Lark.
7.52. In wet woods; upper parts tawny-brown; breast not spotted with

black p. 78. Wilson's Thrush.

7.25. "Walking on ground in fields, or lighting in trees; unstreaked.

p. 192. ? Cowbird.
7.19. In trees; head and neck snuff-brown; line through eye velvety-
black; crest often raised; tail-feathers tipped with yellow.

p. 139. Cedar-bird.
7.17. (Rare in eastern and southern New England after May 10.) Breast
spotted with black; tail reddish-brown.

p. 71. Hermit Thrush.
7.12. In grass-fields; under parts yellowish-brown ; unstreaked.

p. 193. ? Bobolink.

52 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

6.99. About farm buildings, or near water; tail constantly jerked; breast
unstreaked; flies out from perch for insects . p. 206. Phoebe.

A"

12.00. In woods and about camps. Entire plumage sooty brown.

p. 197. /m. Canada Jay.
7.17. Breast white, spotted with black; eye-ring white; cheek huffy.

p. 76. Olive-backed Thrush.
7.17. On ground, or low limbs; breast spotted with black; tail reddish-
brown p. 71. Hermit Thrush.

7.00. (On mountains above 3000 ft.) On ground, or on low limbs; breast
white, spotted with black ... p. 77. Bicknell's Thrush.
6.74. On ground, or in bushes; head marked with black and white; line
over eye yellow; throat white.

p. 163. White-throated Sparrow.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.
6.30. Wherever there are bushes and water; breast streaked, with dark

blotch in centre p. 157. Song Sparrow.

6.23. In trees: entire under parts grayish-white, unstreaked.

p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo.
6.17. In dry woods, on ground or low limbs; teeters as it walks; breast

streaked with black p. 108. Oven-bird.

6.12. In pastures and near cultivated fields; breast streaked.

p. 172. Vesper Sparrow.
5.89. In marshes; breast dark, unstreaked; cap chestnut.

p. 155. Swamp Sparrow.

5.85. In salt marshes p. 167. Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

5.80. In trees; common in village streets; entire under parts white, un-
streaked p. 134. Warbling Vireo.

5.68. In grass land ; breast streaked . . p. 170. Savanna Sparrow.
5.68. In bushy pastures and hillsides; often in cedars; breast unstreaked;

song musical p. 160. Field Sparrow.

5.59. In bushes or small trees; unstreaked; tail nervously twitched to the

side p. 149. rf Indigo-bird.

5.52. In pines; upper parts brownish; under parts dull whitish; wing-
bars dull Avhite p. 111. $ Pine Warbler.

5.38. (Xot common north of latitude of Boston.) In dry, sterile fields; song
insect-like; breast unstreaked p. 169. Grasshopper Sparrow.
5.37. Near houses or farming land, or in cedars; breast ashy white, un-
streaked; song unmusical . . p. 161. Chipping Sparrow.
5.20. In marshes; clings to stalks with tail cocked; song bubbling.

p. 89. Long-billed Marsh Wren.
5.00. In wet meadows, or ill-drained hillsides; breast narrowly streaked ;

note Jlee' -sic; rare p. 168. Henslow's Sparrow.

5.OO. In orchards, or about buildings ; tail often cocked over back.

p. 93. House Wren.
4.00. In wet meadows; clings to stalks with tail cocked.

p. 90. Short-billed Marsh Wren-

KEY FOE SUMMER 53

B'.

6.00. (Not found north of Rhode Island.) In salt marshes.

p. 165. Seaside Sparrow.

5.50. (Rare in southern Connecticut, not uncommon in the lower Hudson
Valley.) Skulks in bushes: whistles loudly ; conspicuous whitish
line over eye p. 94. Carolina "Wren-

B".

6.27. On ground, or in trees; brownish-gray; outer tail-feathers white.

p. 158. ? Junco.
5.66. Clinging close to trunks of trees . . p. 88. Brown Creeper.
5.35. (Only on mountains above 3000 ft. except in northern Maine.) In
trees, chiefly spruces ; crown brownish-gray.

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee.
4.06. Dark brown ; generally on ground; in damp forests.

p. 91. "Winter "Wren.

Gray or Grayish.

A.

10.00. Breast reddish; in trees, or on ground . . . . p. 73. Robin.

10.00. Lengthwise on limbs, or on exposed rocks; bar across wing white;

wings very long p. 212. Night hawk.

8.94. Dark slaty-gray; top of head black; in bushes, or feeding on

ground p. 95. Catbird.

6.99. About farm-buildings, or near water ; flies out from perch for insects;

tail constantly jerked p. 206. Phoebe.

6.53. In groves, or street trees; flies out from perch for insects; wing-bars
white p. 205. Wood Pewee.

A".

12.00. In woods, often about camps; forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
12.00. Entire plumage sooty slate . . . p. 197. Im. Canada Jay.
9.08. Slaty-gray; wing-bars white ... p. 183. ? Pine Grosbeak,
g.oo. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white.

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike.
7-39' On dead trees in clearings or burnt tracts; flies out from perch after
insects; note a wild whistle, p. 206. Olive-sided Flycatcher.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.23. In trees; breast white, unstreaked . . p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo.
6.22. In trees, or occasionally on ground; brownish-gray; streaked all
over ; line over eye white .... p. 181. V Purple Finch.
5.80. In trees, common in village streets; breast unstreaked.

p. 134. Warbling Vireo.
5.61. (Rare south of latitude 43.) In cool woods; head dark ; breast un-
streaked ; line to and around eye white.

p. 132. Solitary Vireo.

54 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

5.41. In trees in open country; note an emphatic tse-bic' ; sits upright on
perch or flies out after insects.

p. 202. Least Flycatcher.
5.28. (Rare south of latitude 43, except in western New England.) Low
in woods; spot on wing white.

p. 121. 9 Black-throated Blue "Warbler.

5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets; under parts yellowish;

note loud and emphatic .... p. 131. "White-eyed Vireo.

B'.

6.28. Xear water; under parts streaked with hlack ; tail constantly wagged.

p. 107. Louisiana 'Water-thrush.

6.00. (As far north as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper

parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse.
5.75. (As far north as Sing Sing, N. Y. ; absent in New England.) Sits
upright on a perch, or flies out for insects.

p. 203. Green-crested Flycatcher.
5.51. Back greenish-gray; head striped with black and buff.

p. 128. Worm-eating "Warbler.

B".

6.27. Head and upper breast slaty-gray; outer tail-feathers white.

p. 158. Junco.
6.19. In trees, generally conifers, often with red males; rump greenish-
yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill.

6.09. In alder thickets ; sits upright on a perch: note que e-quee' .

p. 202. Alder Flycatcher.

6.05. In trees, generally conifers, at high altitudes; wing-bars white;

rump greenish-yellow . p. 179. $ "White-winged Crossbill.

6.04. On ground near water; tail constantly Avagged ; breast streaked with

black p. 108. "Water-thrush.

5.63. Entire under parts yellowish; in spruces; note pee-a.

p. 201. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
5.56. Active in trees, generally conifers; sides streaked with black.

p. 115. ? Black-poll Warbler.

5.28. In trees or underbrush; under parts unstreaked; small spot on wing

white .... p. 121. 9 Black-throated Blue Warbler.
4.07. Active in trees, generally conifers ; top of head yellow or orange,
inclosed in black; note tsee-tsee-tsee, thin and high.

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Yellow or Orange without Black.
A.

10.75. Breast yellow with black crescent ; back brown : in grassland.

p. 190. Meadowlark.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]

9.01. Belly yellow; throat and breast ashy; tail reddish-brown.

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher.

7.53. In trees; under parts and middle of back dull orange; wing-bars

white p. 188. ? Baltimore Oriole.

KEY FOR SUMMER 55

7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Under parts dull yellow; upper parts

grayish-brown p. 189. 9 Orchard Oriole.

7.25. In trees; under parts greenish-yellow; upper parts olive-green.

p. 147. 9 Tanager.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.17. In woodland; crown dull orange; breast spotted.

p. 108. Oven-bird.
5.95. Throat and breast bright yellow; in all but evergreen trees; not
restless; song loud and rich ; wing-bars white.

p. 133. Yellow-throated Vireo.
5.52. Generally in pines; yellow brightest on throat; wing-bars dull white;

song rippling p. 111. Pine Warbler.

5.41. Restless in trees and thickets; sides of breast, wing, and band; across
tail yellow p. 99. 9 Redstart.

5.33. In bushes in wet places; yellow brightest on throat; back brown-

ish ; p. 103. 9 Northern Yellow-throat.

5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Sides washed with yellowish; eye-ring
and line to forehead yellow ; notes loud and emphatic.

p. 131. White-eyed Vireo.

5.25. (Rare south of latitude 43.) In evergreens; throat dull orange; wing-
bar white p. 114. 9 Blackburnian Warbler.

5.14. In open woodland, and roadside thickets; top of head yellow; under
parts white; cheeks white; narrow stripe along flanks reddish-
brown p. 117. Chestmit-sided Warbler.

5.10. Often with bright yellow and black males; throat yellowish; back
brownish ; wings and tail black and white.

p. 177. 9 Goldfinch.

5.10. Yellow all over, brighter below; back greenish-yellow.

p. 122. Yellow Warbler.

4.77. Under parts bright yellow; head ashy; very restless in scrubby
growth p. 126. Nashville Warbler.

B".
5.65. In trees, generally conifers; rump yellow; back brownish.

p. 120. 9 Myrtle Warbler.
5.61 . Low in woodland ; under parts yellow.

p. 100. 9 Canadian Warbler.
5.25. In trees, generally conifers; throat dull yellow; back black, streaked
with white ; wing-patch white.

p. 114. 9 Blackburnian Warbler.
5.00. Wing-bar yellow; under parts streaked . p. 176. Pine Siskin.

Yellow, Orange or Chestnut, with Black.

A.
8.35. Scratching under bushes, or flying through them, or singing from
bush or low tree; head black: tail black, tipped with white; sides
bay p- 152. Towhee.

56 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

7.53. In trees ; head black; breast and belly reddish-orange; wings black,
with white wing-bars; tail black and yellow.

p. 188. Baltimore Oriole.
7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In trees; head black; breast and belly
chestnut; no yellow in tail ... p. 189. Orchard Oriole.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

5.41. Restless in trees or thickets ; head black ; orange or yellow on

sides of breast, wing, and tail p. 99. Redstart.

5.33. Low in thickets, generally in wet places; throat and breast yellow;
broad band through eye black.

p. 103. Northern Yellow-throat.
5.10. In trees, especially evergreens; throat and sides of breast black;
cheeks yellow; song wheezy; common.

p. 113. Black-throated Green "Warbler.
5.10. In scrubby pastures, or edges of woodland; throat black; top of head
and band on wing yellow; rare.

p. 127. Golden-winged "Warbler.
5.10. On the ground, in trees, or flying; back and under parts bright yel-
low; forehead black; wings and tail black and white.

p. 177. Goldfinch.

4.75. In second growth; under parts bright \ellow; sides streaked with

black p. 109. Prairie "Warbler.

B\

5.67. In wet woods and in laurel; back of head and throat black ; fore-
head and cheeks yellow .... p. 102. Hooded "Warbler.
5.40. In wet woods ; line over eve yellow; sides of throat black.

p. 106. Kentucky "Warbler.
4.80. Top of head and under parts yellow ; line through eye black ;
wing-bars white or yellowish-white.

p. 127. Blue-winged "Warbler.

B".

5.65. In trees; rump, crown-patch and patches on sides of breast yellow;

patches on sides of upper belly black.

p. 120. Myrtle Warbler.
5.63. In thickets, chiefly near the ground; head and throat bluish-gray;

breast black; belly yellow . . p. 105. Mourning "Warbler.
5.63. In trees, generally conifers; forehead and cheeks black; crown

chestnut; throat, upper breast, and sides bay.

p. 116. Bay-breasted "Warbler.
5.61. In wet thickets or mountain-sides; under parts yellow; necklace of

spots across breast black ... p. 100. Canadian "Warbler.
5.25. In trees, generally evergreens; throat orange; head and back black,

streaked with whitish . . p. 111. Blaekburnian "Warbler.
5.12. In trees, generally conifers; under parts bright yellow, streaked

with black; head bluish-ash; back and wings black and white;

rump yellow p. 118. Magnolia "Warbler.

KEY FOR SUMMER 57

5.00. In trees; under parts yellow, streaked with black; crown black.

p. 123. Cape May Warbler.

Black and White.
[10.00. Size of Kobin.]
A.

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; under parts and broad stripe down back

white; wings barred, black and white; c? with red patch on head;

rare except near deep woods . p. 224. Hairy Woodpecker.

8.51. Flying from exposed perch; under parts white; head black; tail

black, tipped with white p. 208. Kingbird.

8.35. Scratching in thickets, or singing from bush or low tree; head
black; sides chestnut; tail-feathers tipped with white.

p. 152. Townee.
8.12. In trees, or in potato-fields; head and back black; wings and tail
black and white; breast white with a spot of rose in centre.

p. 150. Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
7.25. In or near grassy fields; under parts black; upper parts chiefly

white p. 103. Bobolink.

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; under parts and broad stripe down back

white; wings barred, black and white; d" with red patch on head.

p. 223. Downy Woodpecker.

A".

12.00. In woods, often about logging-camps, forehead white; nape black.

p. 197. Canada Jay.
9.00. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white.

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike.
8.75. On trunks and large limbs ; back barred with black and white.

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker.

8.56. On trunks and large limbs; back speckled with black and white;

white stripe along edge of wing .... p. 220. Sapsucker.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black: under parts white; back bluish-
gray p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.30. On trunks and large limbs of trees; head black, with white line
through centre; back streaked black and white.

p. 129. Black and White Warbler.

5.28. (Only from northern and western Massachusetts northward.) In
woods; thi'oat black; upper parts dark bluish; spot on wing
white p. 121. Black-throated Blue Warbler.

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; cheeks white; wings gray.

p. 81. Chickadee.

B".

5.56. Active in trees, generally conifers, chiefly at high altitudes; crown
plain black; back and breast streaked.

p. 115. Black-poU Warbler.

58 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

» 5.28. In trees or underbrush; throat and sides black; upper parts dark-
bluish; spot on wing white.

p. 121. Black-throated Blue Warbler.
4.62. On trunks and limbs; top of head and line through eye black;
back bluish; under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

Black.

A.

19.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow.

13.50-12.00. In pines, or walking on ground; tail long; head lustrous

blue-black p. 184. Crow Blackbird.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]
g.51. Near water; red on shoulders, or white bar on upper wing.

p. 191. Bed-winged Blackbird.
7.92. Walking on ground, or lighting in trees; head deep brown.

p. 192. Cowbird.

A'.

8.50. Only near New York city, or Long Island Sound; purplish or
greenish at close range; feathers of upper parts tipped with buff;
bill yellow p. 195. Starling.

A".

17.00. In woods; head with long red crest.

p. 219. Pileated Woodpecker.

g.50. On trunks or large limbs; back plain black; wings and tail black

and white ... p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker.

Red, Scarlet, or Rose.
A.
8.12. In trees; spot of rose-red on white breast; head and throat black;
wings and tail black and white.

p. 150. Rose-breasted Grosbeakc
7.25. In trees; whole body red; wings and tail black.

p. 147. Scarlet Tanager.

A'.
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or red-
dish ; crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal.

A".
9.08. Entire plumage rose-red ; wing-bars white

p. 183. Pine Grosbeak.
8.56. On trunks or large limbs; back speckled with white; whole top of
head, and in male throat also, dark red . p. 220. Sapsucker.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

KEY FOR SUMMER 59

B.

6.22. Entire upper parts and throat dull crimson; brightest on head and
rump; bill stout p. 181. Purple Finch.

5.25. (Rare south of latitude 43.) In trees, chiefly evergreens; throat rich
orange; back black, streaked with white.

p. 111. Blackburnian "Warbler.

B".
6.19. Entire plumage vermilion-red, brightest on head and rump.

p. 180. American Crossbill.
6.05. Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white.

p. 177. 'White-winged Crossbill.

5.63. In trees, generally evergreen ; crown, throat, upper breast, and sides

bay; wing-bars white . . .p. 11G. Bay-breasted Warbler.

5.25. In trees, generally evergreen; throat rich orange; back black,

streaked with whitish; patch on wing white.

p. 114. Blackburnian "Warbler.
4.62. On limbs or trunks of trees; top of head and line through eye black;
back bluish; under parts reddish-brown.

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.
Blue.
A.

13.02. Perched near water, or flying over it; much white and no black
showing on wings, tail, and throat; bill long and pointed; head

crested p. 224. Kingfisher.

11.74. In trees; much white showing in wings and tail, and black on
head and breast; bill not long; head crested

p. 198. Blue Jay.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]

7.01. Upper parts deep blue ; breast reddish . . . p. 71. Bluebird.
7.01. Upper parts grayish; breast pale reddish; wings and tail bluish.

p. 71. 9 Bluebird.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

B.

6.07. On limbs and trunks of trees; back bluish-gray; top of head black;
under parts white ... p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.
5.59. Deep blue all over ; sings from a high perch.

p. 149. Indigo-bird.

BIRDS CONSTANTLY ON THE WING (SWALLOWS,
SWIFT, ETC.)
A

10.00. Wings long and narrow, a white bar on the under side ; birds gen-
erally high in air p. 212. Nighthawk.

8.00. Wings rather broad; birds very dark, or females light below.

p. 146. Purple Martin.
[6-33 Size of English Sparrow.]

60 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

B.

6.95. (Longer but not larger than an English Sparrow.) Glossy blue
above; salmon or whitish underneath; two outer tail-feathers long
and pointed p. 144. Barn Swallow.

6.01. Back bluish; throat chestnut; belly whitish; rump brick red; tail
almost square p. 145. Cliff or Eave Swallow.

5.90. Iridescent greenish-blue above; pure white beneath; tail simply
forked p. 143. White-bellied Swallow.

5.43. Sooty brown, often apparently black; wings narrow and curved;
flight bat-like; tail either cigar-shaped, or, when quickly spread,
fan-shaped p. 210. Chimney Swift.

5.20. Upper parts brown; under parts whitish; band across breast brown-
ish; tail notched p. 142. Bank Swallow.

B'.
5.75. Upper parts brown; throat and breast dusky; no distinct band
across breast p. 141. Bough-winged Swallow.

KEY FOE AUTUMN

(SEPTEMBER 15 NOVEMBER 15)

Brown or Brownish.

A.

12.20. ( In trees ; very slender; tail long: Yellow-billed/ p ,

11.83.1 under parts white . . . p. 226. Black-billed \ Oucl£00'

12.00. Flies from or to trees ; rump white p. 216. Flicker.

11.42, Reddish-brown; flies into bushes when disturbed; tail long.

p. 95. Brown Thrasher.
10.75. Flies up from the grass; outer tail-feathers white.

p. 190. Meadowlark.
[10.00. Size of Robin.]
g.55. In flocks; upper parts rusty-brown . .p. 186. Rusty Blackbird.

8.35. Scratches under bushes; outer tail-feathers deeply tipped with white.

p. 152. ? Towhee.
8.12. In trees; line over eye and bar on wing white.

p. 150. % Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
7.75. On or near the beach: throat yellow ... p. 200. Shore Lark.
7.26. (After October 15.) Fox color; scratches on ground; breast spotted.

p. 154. Fox Sparrow.
7.ig. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit . p. 139. Cedar-bird.
7.17. On ground, or low limbs; tail reddish-brown.

p. 74. Hermit Thrush.
7.17. On ground, or low limbs; head, back, and tail uniform olive-brown;
cheek buffy; eye-ring white . p. 76. Olive-backed Thrush.
6.25-7.58. On ground, or low limbs; head, back, and tail uniform olive-
brown ; Cheek gray; no eye-ring.

p. 77. Gray-cheeked Thrush.

6.99. On trees near water; tail constantly jerked . . p. 206. Phcebe.

6.74. Feeds on ground, generally in flocks; head marked with black and

white; line over eye yellow or yellowish; throat white or whitish.

p. 163. White-throated Sparrow.

6.38. In flocks on the ground in ploughed fields and on mud-flats and

marshes; tail constantly wagged; outer tail-feathers white.

p. 97. American Pipit.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.

6.36. (After October 20.) In flocks on the ground, or in low bushes;

wing-bars white; spot on unstreaked breast dusky.

p. 162. Tree Sparrow.

6.30. In weedy fields, or at the edges of grassy marshes; breast streaked

with dark blotch in centre .... p. 157. Song Sparrow.

62 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

6.27. Brownish-gray, unstreaked; outer tail-feathers white ; generally in
flocks with slate-gray males p. 158. ? Junco.

6.25. Only in or near heach grass ... p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow.

6.17. On the ground in woods; breast streaked . p. 108. Oven-bird.

6.12. In grassy pasture-land, or in old fields; outer tail-feathers white.

p. 172. Vesper Sparrow.

6.12. In grassy marshes, or borders of old fields; breast streaked; line
through forehead white .... p. 170. Savanna Sparrow.

5. go. A swallow with brown back and white under parts; common along
the sea-shore . . . . p. 143. Im. "White-bellied Swallow.

5.8g. In grassy marshes, or weedy edges of old fields; breast unstreaked;
wing reddish-brown p. 155. Swamp Sparrow.

5.68. In bushes, near old fields; breast unstreaked; wing-bars white; bill
reddish p. 160. Field Sparrow.

5.66. On trunks or large limbs of trees . . p. 88. Brown Creeper.

5.65. In trees, or on the sea-shore in barberry bushes; rump yellow; tips
of outer tail-feathers white ... p. 120. Myrtle "Warbler.

5.59. In weedy corners; no reddish-brown anywhere; tail twitched side-
ways p. 149. Indigo-bird.

5.37. Feeding on ground, in old fields or weedy corners; breast un-
streaked; wing-bars dull white; bill black, or dull reddish-
brown p. 161. Chipping Sparrow.

5.10. Upper parts brownish; throat tinged with yellow; wings and tail
dusky, with whitish markings ... p. 177. 2 Goldfinch.

5.00. In brush heaps, or stone-walls ; tail often cocked over back.

p. 93. House "Wren.

4.06. In brush heaps, stone walls, or along woodland streams; call a sharp
chick; curtsies nervously p. 91. "Winter "Wren.

B'.

5.50. (Very rare in New England.) Skulks in bushes; conspicuous whitish
line over eve p. 91. Carolina Wren.

5.35. In flocks in trees; crown dark brownish-gray.

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee.

Gray or Grayish.

A.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]
8.94. In thickets; uniform slaty-gray with a black cap.

p. 95. Catbird.

6.gg. On trees near water, or flying out after insects; tail constantly

twitched. (Much commoner than the next) . p. 206. Phoebe.

6-53- (Only till October.) Perched in trees, or flying out after insects;

wing-bars white p- 205. "Wood Pewee.

A".

12.00. In woods; crown white; nape black , . p. 197. Canada Jay

KEY FOR AUTUMN 63

9.08. Slaty-gray; wing-bars white . . . p. 183. $ Pine Grosbeak.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.
6.23. In trees, often with smaller birds; breast gray, unstreaked; line
over eye white, bordered above with black.

p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo.
6.22. In trees, often with red males; breast streaked.

p. 181. ? Purple Finch.
6.19.* In trees, generally conifers, often with red males; rump greenish-
yellow p. 180. $ American Crossbill.

6.04. (Only till October 1.) Walking on ground under trees or bushes at

the edge of water; tail constantly wagged.

p. 108. Water-thrush.
5.80. (Rare after September 23.) In trees, often with smaller birds; breast

gray, unstreaked p. 134. Warbling Vireo.

5.61. In trees; breast unstreaked; head dark ; ring around eye and line

to bill white p. 132. Solitary "Vireo.

5.56. Restless in trees; under parts yellowish; faintly streaked.

p. 115. Black-poll Warbler.
5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets; breast unstreaked; sides

yellowish p. 131. White-eyed Vireo.

5.27. In trees in small flocks; cap and throat black.

p. 84. Chickadee.
5.00. In flocks in trees; uniformly streaked; bar on wing yellowish.

p. 176. Pine Siskin.
4.41. In trees or thickets; restless; eye prominent.

p. 80. Kuby-crowned Kinglet.
4.07. In trees; restless; wing-bars white; crown yellow, bordered with

black p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet.

B'.
6.00. (North as far as Orange, X. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper
parts grav; crest conspicuous . . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse.
B".
6.19. In trees' generally in conifers, often with red males; rump greenish-
yellow p. 180. 9 American Crossbill.

6.05. In trees, generally in conifers, often with red males; wing-bars

white; rump greenish-yellow.

p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill.

Yellow without Black.
A.
7.25. In trees; back greenish; under parts yellowish; wings brown or
black; bill light-colored .... p. 147. Scarlet Tanager.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.
5.95. (Rare after September 23.) In trees; throat yellow; wing-bars white.

p. 133. Yellow-throated Vireo.

64 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

5.65. In trees, or at the sea-shore in bayberry bushes; rump yellow; tips
of outer tail feathers white ... p. 120. Myrtle Warbler.
5.61. Low in trees or bushes; under parts yellow; upper parts gray.

p. 100. ? Canadian Warbler.
5.56. (Very common till October 15.) Restless in trees, under parts yellow-
ish with faint streakings ... p. 115. Black-poll Warbler.
5.52. In trees, generally in pines; throat yellow; wing-bars dull whitish.

p. 111. Pine Warbler.
5.43. In low trees or bushes; under parts yellow; tail constantly wagged.

p. ilO. Yellow Palm Warbler.
5.41. (Rare after October 5.) In trees; sides of breast, bar across wing, and

band across tail yellow p. 99. $ Bedstart.

5.33. Low in bushes in wet places; throat yellow.

p. 103. 9 Northern Yellow-throat.

5.14. (Rare after September 25.) In trees or thickets; top of head yellow;

under parts white ... p. 117. Chestnut-sided Warbler.

5.12. (Rare after October 10.) In trees; under parts and rump yellow;

tail black, the middle third white, p. 118. Magnolia Warbler.

5.10. In trees, cheeks yellow; wing-bars white.

p. 113. Black-throated Green Warbler.
5.10. In flocks; throat yellowish ; wings and tail dusky and white.

p. 177. ? Goldfinch.
4.77. Restless in trees or bushes; under parts yellow; upper parts brownish
(tinged with green in strong light) p. 126. Nashville Warbler.
4.73. In trees; throat and breast yellow; upper parts grayish-blue; wing-
bars white p. 121. Parula Warbler.

Yellow, Orange, or Chestnut, with Black.

A.

[10.00. Size of Bobin.]

8.35. Scratching on the ground under bushes; head black; sides chest-
nut; tail black, outer feathers tipped with white.

p. 152. Towhee.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.

5.60. Low in trees or bushes; under parts yellow; necklace of black spots

across the breast p. 100. Canadian Warbler.

5.41. In trees; head black; sides of breast orange; bar across wings and

tail salmon p. 99. Bedstart.

5.33. Low in bushes in wet places; throat yellow; band across eyes black.

p. 103. Northern Yellow- throat.
5.10. In trees; cheeks yellow; throat and sides of breast black.

p. 113. Black-throated Green Warbler.
5.10. In flocks; body yellow; cap black; wings and tail black and white.

p. 177. Goldfinch.
Black and White.
A.

10.32. (Onlv after October 25.) On trees ; upper parts gray: wings and tail
black p. 138. Northern Shrike.

KEY FOR AUTUMN 65

[10.00. Size of Hobin.]

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings
and tail barred with black and white.

p. 224. Hairy Woodpecker.
8.56. On trunks or large limbs; back speckled with white; white stripe

along edge of wings p. 220. Sapsucker.

8.35. Scratching on the ground under bushes; head black; tail black,

outer feathers tipped with large white spots . p. 152. Towhee.

6.88. In flocks, generally near the sea; wings and tail black and white;

body chiefly white p. 174. Snow Bunting.

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings
and tail barred with black and Avhite.

p. 22-i. Downy Woodpecker.

A".

12.00. In woods; crown white; nape black ... p. 197. Canada Jay.
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white.

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.
6.07. Climbing about on the large limbs or trunks of trees; top of head
black; back bluish-gray . p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.
5.30. (Rare after October 1.) Climbing about the trunks or large limbs of
trees; streaked black and white.

p. 129. Black and White Warbler.
5.28. (Rare after October 10.) In trees; head and throat black; under parts
white; white spot on wing.

p. 121. Black-throated Blue Warbler.

5.27. In small flocks in trees; cap and throat black; cheeks and breast

white p. 84. Chickadee.

Black.
A.

12-13.50. In flocks; tail long p. 184. Crow Blackbird.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]

g.55. In flocks near water p. 186. Rusty Blackbird.

9.51. In flocks, with red or white at the bend of the wing.

p. 101. Red-winged Blackbird.

7.92. In flocks ; head brown; body black . . . p. 192. Cowbird.

A'.
8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) "Walks on
ground; purplish or greenish at close range; feathers of upper
part tipped with buff p. 195. Starling.

A".

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest and a white bar on wing.

p. 219. Fileated "Woodpecker.

66 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

9.50. On trunks or large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and
white .... p. 22-2. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker.

Red, Scarlet, or Rose.

A.

[10.00. Size of Robin.]

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings
and tail barred with black and white; red patch on back of head.

p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker.
8.56. On trunks or large limbs; back speckled with white; white stripe
along edge of wing; top of head, or top of head and throat, red.

p. 220. Sapsucker.
6.83. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings
and tail barred with black and white; red patch on back of head,
p. 223. Downy "Woodpecker.

A'.
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) In trees or thickets; entire
plumage red or reddish; crest conspicuous. p. 151. Cardinal.

9.08. Entire plumage rose-red ; wing-bars white.

p. 183. Pine Grosbeak.

8.56. On trunks or large limbs ; back speckled with white; whole top of

head, and in male throat also, dark red. p. 220. Sapsucker.

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]
B.
6.22. In flocks in trees; rose-red, brightest on head and rump.

p. 181. Purple Finch.
6.19.* In flocks in trees, chiefly conifers; vermilion-red, brightest on head

and rump p. 180. Bed Crossbill.

4.62. Climbing on trunks and large limbs of trees ; under parts reddish-
brown ; back bluish ... p. 85. Bed-bellied Nuthatch.
B".

6.19. Entire plumage vermilion-red, brightest on head and rump.

p. 180. American Crossbill.
6.05. Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white.

p. 179. "White-winged Crossbill.
Blue.

A.

13.02. Flying over water, or perched near it; bill long and pointed; much

white showing, but no black; head crested, p. 224. Kingfisher.

11.74. In trees; bill not long; much white, and some black about the head

and breast; head crested p. 198. Blue Jay.

[10.00. Size of Bobin.]
7.01. In open country ; upper parts blue; breast reddish.

p. 71. cf Bluebird.

KEY FOE AUTUMN 67

7.01. Upper parts grayish; breast reddish; wing and tail bluish.

p. 71. ? Bluebird.
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.]

6.07. On trunks or large limbs of trees; top of head black; back bluish-
gray . . p. 86. White-bellied Nuthatch.

5.90. Xear water, especially near the sea; flying about, or perched, often
in great flocks; upper parts greenish-blue ; under parts white.

p. 143. White-bellied Swallow.

5.28. In trees ; head and throat black; back and wings grayish-blue; spot
on wing white . . p. 121. Black-throated Blue Warbler.

4.73. In trees; upper parts grayish-blue; throat and breast yellow; wing-
bars white p. 124. Parula Warbler.

4.62. On trunks or large limbs; back bluish; top of head and line through
eye black ; under parts reddish-brown or buffy.

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch.

BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND
EASTEKN NEW YORK

BIEDS OF XEW ESTGLAXD AXD
EASTEKX NEW YOKE

PERCHINQ BIRDS: ORDER PASSERES

THRUSHES : FAMILY TURDIDiE

Five brown, wood-haunting Thrushes occur in various
portions of New York and Xew England. They resemble
one another closely in their general appearance and behavior,
and in the quality of their voices. Only one, the Veery or
Wilson's Thrush, occurs in summer throughout Xew Eng-
land and Xew York. The Wood Thrush is common in
southern Xew England ; the Hermit Thrush and the
Olive-backed are common in northern Xew England. All
are shy and more commonly seen than heard ; when sing-
ing, however, they often sit for a long time on one perch,
generally on some low bough, and may be discovered if one
approaches them carefully. The Brown Thrush, so called,
or Brown Thrasher, is not properly a Thrush. (See p. 95.)

Bluebird. Sialia sialis
7.01

Ad. $. — Entire upper parts bright blue, particularly when
seen in strong light ; throat, breast, and sides reddish-brown • belly
whitish. Ad. £. — Upper parts grayish, but in flight showing
blue on the rump, wings, and tail ; the reddish-brown of the under
parts much paler than in the $ . Im. — Back spotted with whitish ;
throat and breast whitish, mottled with brownish spots.

Nest, in a hollow limb, box, or knot-hole, lined with grass. Eggs,
light blue.

72 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

In southern Connecticut and Rhode Island, especially
along the Sound, and in the lower Hudson Valley, small
flocks of bluebirds spend the winter, feeding largely on
berries. In most of New England and New York, however,
the Bluebird is only a summer resident, common from early
March through October. The breeding birds arrive soon af-
ter the first warm days of March ; a little later the northern
migrants are seen flying over, singly, in pairs, or in small flocks.

The Bluebird frequents country where more or less open
ground is broken by low trees or bushes ; an old apple
orchard is a typical haunt. From some low point of vantage,
a post or bough, it watches the ground, flying down at inter-
vals to secure an insect. From the first of April, the war-
bling of the male becomes less frequent, and by the middle
of the month the bird is comparatively silent. The female
is now sitting in some hollow limb, or in a box or jar pro-
vided for her. In June the second brood is raised, and
during the second mating season there is a renewal of the
song. The late summer and early fall find the Bluebird in
small groups, often associated with Chipping Sparrows,
feeding all through the open farming country. Snatches of
the spring song are now not infrequently heard, but the
characteristic note of this season is the call-note, cker-ioee,
uttered by old and young of both sexes. When the parents
are attending their young, they utter a peculiar chatter, like
the syllables chut-ut-ut. The song is simple, and consists
chiefly of variations on the call-note ; its charm is due to
the gentleness and richness of the voice, and its association
with early spring.

The Bluebird should be confused with no other blue
bird ; the Indigo-bird is blue on the breast, while the
Bluebird's breast is reddish-brown; the female Bluebird
is dull-colored, but both females and young show blue in
flight. The Bluebird when perched looks round-shouldered,
and the male nearly always flutters a wing on alighting.

AMERICAN ROBIN 73

American Robin. Merula migratoria
10.00

$ • — Head black, a white spot above the eye ; back grayish ;
wings brown ; breast bay ; tail black, outer feathers tipped with
white. 9 . — Head the same color as back ; breast paler than
in $ . Im. — Breast spotted with black.

Nest, of grass and mud. Eggs, blue.

Small flocks of Robins sometimes spend the winter even
in northern New England, feeding on the berries of the
mountain ash. In southern New England and the lower
Hudson Valley, especially near the sea-coast, Robins often
winter in large flocks 5 they rarely come into the villages,
but live in thick groves or swamps of cedar, on the berries
of which they feed. The flocks in winter seem to be made
up entirely of males. In late January or early February,
large flocks of Robins generally appear in the cedar groves,
even when there have been none observed previously. In
early March the resident Robins return, the males first, in
flocks which feed chiefly on the hillsides ; by April the
females appear and the pairs are scattered about the vil-
lages, the males joining in the early morning and evening
chorus. The nest is now built on the limb of a tree, or in
some crotch, or on a projection of a shed or piazza ; the
same site is often used year after year. By the end of May
the first brood have left the nest. The young may be
known by their spotted breasts and by the harsh squawk
which they utter. Soon a second nest is built and the male
again sings regularly. In midsummer the male Robins
and the young of the first brood repair each night to some
low wooded swamp ; thousands occupy one " roost," comino-
in from miles about. In the fall Robins linger into No-
vember, singing occasionally on warm mornings.

The song is a series of phrases rising and falling, four
often constituting a series, which is then repeated or varied.
The birds sing even before it is light, and after continuing

74 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

for about an hour, cease and disperse to feed. Then there
is desultory singing from individuals through the morning.
Besides the single pip or pop of the Robin and the excited
pip, pip, pip, it has a high, thin hissing note, very like the
Cedar-bird's, but a trifle sharper. A common call-note is a
shrill tsee, tsee, often followed by a low tut, tut.

When a Robin flies over an observer, the white feathers
under the tail oiler a striking contrast to the dark breast.
Just after a Robin lights it almost always pumps its tail
vigorously once or twice. When a Robin flies up from
the ground, the white spots on the tips of the outer tail-
feathers are conspicuous.

Hermit Thrush. Hylocichla guttata pallasii

7.17

Ad. — Head, back, and wings olive-brown ; tail reddisli-brown •
throat and breast white, spotted with black.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, pale greenish-blue.

The Hermit Thrush is a common summer resident of
northern New York and New England, of the higher por-
tions of the Catskill region, and of Berkshire and Worces-
ter counties, Massachusetts. It also breeds here and there
in cool woods in eastern Massachusetts, and on Cape Cod
and Martha's Vineyard. It occasionally spends the win-
ter in southern New England and the lower Hudson
Valley, feeding at that season on berries. In April and
early May, and in October, it is a not uncommon migrant in
woodland and thickets, flying up when disturbed into the
low limbs of neighboring trees or to stone Avails. Here, if
it is conscious of observation, it expresses its excitement by
slowly elevating its tail, till it makes a considerable angle
with the body. This action is also characteristic of the bird
when disturbed on its breeding-ground, and is then accom-
panied by a harsh, nasal speke, or a thin, hissing note, like
the Robin's. It also has in the breeding season a sweet

HERMIT THRUSH 75

call-note, like the introductory note of its song ; this is
often heard about the nest, when the birds are not alarmed.
Its ordinary note on migration is a chuck. It sings very
rarely when on migration, and with only a hint of the power
which it reserves for its northern home. As a second brood
is raised in late July and early August, the male is in full
song at that season.

The song of the Hermit Thrush is, next to that of the
White-throated Sparrow, the most noticeable feature of the
cool woods of northern New York and New England ; it
is heard both in deciduous and evergreen forests, but on
the higher mountains above 3000 feet it is replaced by
the song of the Olive-backed Thrush. Its voice bears a
strong resemblance in quality to that of the Wood Thrush,
so that the identity of the common thrush of any one
region is often a matter of constant discussion among ama-
teur lovers of birds. The ranges of the two overlap so
little that it ought to be easy from a study of the map
(p. 15) to make a shrewd guess ; the form of the song
should then decide the matter. The song of the Wood
Thrush begins with a phrase which suggests the syllables
ee-o-lee, and continues with phrases, often containing notes
separated by great intervals. The song of the Hermit is
divided into cadences of different pitch. Each cadence is
introduced by a pure fluted note, then follow two or three
higher notes, given with a tremolo effect. These are either
all three on the same pitch, or more often the last two are
a little higher or lower than the first. The introductory
note is held long enough to give a calm, meditative effect
to the song ; it also serves to give the pitch to the cadences,
one of which is so high that it is hardly to be heard
at a distance ; the others are very full, soprano or mezzo-
soprano. There are no bass notes, such as the Wood
Thrush strikes, and no great intervals between any two
notes.

76 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Its reddish-brown tail and the trick of raising it slowly,
distinguish the Hermit from the other thrushes. (See also
under Fox Sparrow, p. 154.)

Olive-backed Thrush ; Swainson's Thrush. Hylo-

cichla ustulata swainsoni

7.17

Ad. $ . — Upper parts olive-brown; eye-ring huffy • cheek, when
seen in strong light, washed with buff; breast whitish, spotted with
black.

Nest, in bushes or small trees, bulky and compact. Eggs, light
greenish-blue, spotted with brown.

The Olive-backed or Swainson's Thrush breeds on Grey-
lock Mountain in Massachusetts, on the higher Catskills, in
deep spruce swamps on the southern XewT Hampshire and
Vermont upland, and commonly all through northern Xew
England and in the Adirondacks. In the rest of Xew Eng-
land and Xew York it is a spring and fall migrant, a bird
seen only by those who look for it. During the second half
of May it may be found in roadside thickets, open woods,
and even in the }^ards of villages and towns, if there is attrac-
tive shrubbery and if the locality is favorable to migration.

The bird occasionally sings on migration, early in the
morning and toward evening ; but on its northern breeding-
ground the song becomes a characteristic sound. It is un-
mistakably the voice of a thrush, like a Veery's song in-
verted, going up instead of down the scale, but throatier,
more gurgling, inferior in purity, richness, and suggestive-
ness to those of the three other common thrushes. Its call-
note is a sharp wit it. which can be varied in tone and power ;
it also utters on its breeding-ground a note like the syllables
chee-urr. In the fall, from the end of September to early
October, the migrant birds frequent the dry birch-lined
lanes or country roads, or the open glades of woodland ;
with them are often associated, both in spring and fall, the

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH 77

Gray-cheeked Thrushes described below. Both species are
so shy that it is often impossible to get near enough to
distinguish one from the other. If an Olive-back perches
for a moment in good light, the observer can make out that
the feathers under the eye, the cheek, so to speak, are of a
yellower shade than the rest of the head ; a. faint huffy eye-
riny, too, is a distinctive mark. The spotting is not heavy,
nor does it extend down the flanks, as in the Wood Thrush ;
the entire upper parts are olive-brown, nowhere tawny.
Sometimes the bird when startled utters its call-note, whit,
or answers an imitation of it ; this note is characteristic, and.
settles its identity.

Gray-cheeked Thrush. Hylocichla alicim

Bickxell's Thrush. Hylocichla alicice bicknelli

7.58; 6.25-7.25

Ad. $. — Upper parts olive-brown; no huffy eye-ring or wash
on cheek ; under parts white; throat and breast spotted with black.

Nest, in scrub spruce or fir. Eggs, greenish-blue, spotted with
brown.

The Gray-cheeked Thrush is a migrant through New
England and New York. Its habits and haunts are very
like those of the Olive-backed Thrush, and it appears at
about the same time. On the higher Catskills and on the
high mountains of northern Xew England just below the
timber line, where the stunted spruce and fir grow close
together, a smaller race of this thrush, known as Bicknell's
Thrush, is a common summer resident.

As a migrant it sings less than the Olive-backed Thrush,
but on the mountain summits its song and call-note are
constantly heard, especially at dawn and at dusk. The call-
note is like the syllables fee'-a, sharp and petulant, often
rising to a high strident note suggesting a nasal note of the
Red-winged Blackbird. This call, like the Veery's, may be
much modified and subdued. The song is very similar in

78 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

quality to the Veery's, though perhaps a trifle thinner, with
a marked upward inflection at the close. It may be written
thus : te-dee1, clee^a, te-dee^ee, with a slurring effect on all
the long syllables. On Mount Mansfield, in Vermont, the
hotel is in the midst of the breeding-ground of the Bick-
nell's Thrushes, and is an excellent place to observe them.
Much remains to be learned about their nesting habits.

To distinguish the Gray-cheek from the Olive-back, one
must see the side of the head in strong light. If there is
no difference in shade between the top of the head and the
cheek, — if both are gray, — and if there is no tawny color
on head or tail, then the bird is a Gray -cheeked Thrush.

Wilson's Thrush ; Veery. Hylocichla fuscescens
7.52

Ad. — Upper parts brown, with a distinct, though often not a
strong, tawny tinge; under parts white; breast and sides of throat
washed with yellowish-brown, lightly spotted with tawny-brown.

Nest , on or near the ground, in wet woods. Eggs, greenish-blue.

The Veery is a common summer resident all through
New York and New England, wherever the ground is moist
and there are trees. On the higher mountains it rarely as-
cends above a level of 1500 feet, and in northern New Eng-
land is not common away from the river valleys. It comes
in early May, but does not sing for a week or ten days after
its arrival ; then it sings freely till July. During August it
is rarely seen, and probably leaves during that month or
early in September. It may often be seen feeding in any
shaded road that passes through its haunts, its quick run
suggesting the Robin.

The song of this thrush, from which one of its names
is derived, consists of three or four phrases, the last two
lower than the preceding and ending with a strong vibrat-
ing chord, suggesting a sound muffled by a tube. The song
proceeds from the recesses of swampy woodland, or ceasing,

WOOD THRUSH 79

is followed by a low sharp phew or a higher phee-oo, which
in turn may be subdued or softened or varied in tone.

The Veery's huffy, comparatively unspotted breast, and
its tawny head, back, and tail, distinguish it from the
other thrushes. The Brown Thrush, so called, or Brown
Thrasher, has white under parts heavily spotted with black.

Wood Thrush. Hylocichla mustelina
8.29
Ad. — Head and upper back, reddish-brown; lower back and
tail brown ; breast and sides of belly white, heavily spotted with
large black spots.

Nest, generally in a sapling about eight feet up. Eggs, green-
ish-blue.

The Wood Thrush is a common summer resident of
southern New England and the Hudson Valley, but north
of Massachusetts it is only found up the valleys of the
Connecticut, the Merrimac, and their chief tributaries, and
along Lake Champlain. It is true that it has been found at
Willoughby Gap, and at Lake Memphremagog in Vermont,
near Mt. Moosilauke, at Jefferson, and at Franconia in New
Hampshire, but in most of the upland country of New
England — in Worcester and Berkshire counties in Massa-
chusetts, and farther north, wherever spruce and fir are
found, in all of Maine but the extreme southwest, in the Adi-
rondacks, and in nearly all of New Hampshire and Vermont —
the Hermit, Veery, and Olive-backed are the only common
thrushes. The Wood Thrush comes in early May, and is only
occasionally seen after the first of September. In southern
Connecticut and in the neighborhood of New York city it
is a familiar dooryard bird, but in the rest of its northern
range it is a bird of rich woods, especially where there is
young growth near water.

The Wood Thrush is in song from the morning of its
arrival till July, often all through the day, especially in cool

80 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

woods, but more noticeably in late afternoon and early
evening, when many other birds are silent. After the song
ceases, one may still hear in the darkness a pip pip
pip pip, which serves also as the alarm-note with which
breeding birds greet an intruder. In August the Wood
Thrush and the Veery become silent, and are seldom seen ;
they slip southward almost unnoticed.

This is the largest of our true brown thrushes. (The
Brown Thrush, so-called, is the Thrasher ; see p. 95.) It is
the most heavily spotted, not only on the breast, but also on the
flanks; is tawny on the head and upper back, and olive-brown
on the tail. For a suggestion of the difference between the
song of this species and that of the Hermit Thrush, see p. 75.

KINGLETS : FAMILY SYLVIIDiE

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Begulus calendula
4.41

Ad. $. — Upper parts gray, with a greenish tinge in strong
light; croivn with a partially concealed patch of flame-colored
feathers ; wing-bars whitish ; under parts dull whitish. Ad. 9 • —
Lacks the crown-patch.

Nest and Eggs as in the following species.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a rather common migrant
through New York and New England, in April, and again
in October. It probably breeds sparingly in eastern Maine,
but in the rest of New England it is unknown in summer.
In the migrations it frequents the edges of woodland, or pas-
tures overgrown with bushes and small trees. Like its rela-
tive the Golden-crowned Kinglet, it is often found in ever-
greens, either red cedar groves or the spruces in plantations.
Its feeding habits are similar to its relative's. It inspects
the twigs with restless activity, frequently flitting its wings.

The harsh, grating call-note of the Ruby-crowned King-

GOLDEN-CROWXED KINGLET 81

let is often the first thing that attracts onr attention to it.
Often the repetition of this note is followed by the song, a
performance deservedly noted for its sweetness, brightness,
and vigor; it may always be recognized
by the high, thin introductory notes and
by a phrase of three notes, tee'-di-dt re-
peated several times toward the end of \"f^^'
the song. The song is often uttered in if^
the fall. Fig. 1- Ruby-crowned

When a male is excited, the feathers
of the crown are slightly raised and show the flame-colored
patch from which the term ruby-crowned has been derived.
If two males pursue each other, the color actually seems to
blaze forth, but often no color at all is visible. The species,
nevertheless, may always be distinguished from the Golden-
crowned Kinglet by the absence of any markings over the
eye, the adult Golden-crown always showing at every sea-
son the black stripes inclosing the yellow crown. The eye
of the Ruby-crown is surrounded by a whitish ring which
makes it seem large and prominent for so small a bird.

Goldex-crowxed Kixglet. Ilegulus satrapa
4.07

Ad. $. — Upper parts gray, with a greenish tinge in strong
light ; wing-bars whitish ; crown orange, edged with yellow and
black ; line over the eye white ; under parts dull whitish. Ad. $?.
— Crown-patch entirely yellow edged with black. Im. — Lacks
yellow crown-patch, black lines very indistinct.

Nest, globular, of moss, etc., in an evergreen from six to sixty
feet up. Eggs, sometimes as many as ten, dull white, faintly
speckled with buffy.

The Golden-crowned Kinglet is a common summer resi-
dent in the Canadian Zone (see map, p. 15), but throughout
the rest of New York and New England a winter visitant
only, arriving in late September and leaving by the end of

82 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

April. In northern New England it is not common in win-
ter. Kinglets are often associated in winter with Chicka-
dees ; if, therefore, the sharp tsit of the Chickadee is heard
in fall or winter, it is Avell to follow the
sound and, when the Chickadees appear,
to keep eye and ear alert for any of
their traveling companions. Often the
Kinglets travel alone, searching restlessly
the twigs of trees and hedges, following
crowned Engtet perhaps a well-marked course through
plantations and woodland, and calling to
each other with a thin sharp see-see-see. If the birds are
in thick evergreens, spruces or cedars, it is very hard to
get even a glimpse of them, but in leafless apple-trees, a
favorite resort, they display their brightly marked heads
and quick, restless ways. They do not cling to a twig
upside down like the Chickadees, but occasionally one flut-
ters for an instant before the desired morsel and picks it
off. Their numbers vary from winter to winter, and even
in the course of a single season there seems often to be
a fluctuation. In April their numbers increase, as the birds
that have wintered to the southward pass through as mi-
grants. In March and April the males continue the lisping
note, put more and more power into it, and then by a de-
scending trill fall, as it were, from the height to which
they have scaled, — this is the song of the Golden-crowned
Kinglet. The lisp of the Chickadee, the screep of the
Brown Creeper, and the see-see-see of the Kinglet all have
a strong resemblance. The last two are sharper and more
finely drawn out, the Kinglet's is quickly repeated, while
the Creeper's is one long continuous note.

In summer the Kinglets keep almost wholly in the
spruces, and are thus even more inconspicuous than in win-
ter ; their song and call-notes, however, make their presence
known. Their call is now often longer and still more like

HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE 83

that of the Creeper. The young, which are found in little
companies in late July and August, lack the head-markings
of the adult ; they may be recognized by their small size and
by their lisping notes, identical with those of their parents.

NUTHATCHES AND TITS : FAMILY PARIDiE

Two Nuthatches and three Tits or Chickadees occur in
New York and New England. The White-bellied Nut-
hatch and the common or Black-capped Chickadee are found
everywhere ; the Hudsonian Chickadee is confined to north-
ern New York and New England ; the Tufted Tit does not
regularly occur north of New York city. Nuthatches fly in
undulations something after the manner of Woodpeckers.

Hudsoxian Chickadee. Parus hudsonicus
5.35
Ad. — Top of head brownish] back brownish-gray; throat
black, separated from the brown by a stripe of white ; breast and
middle of belly white ; side of belly reddish-brown.

Nest, in holes in trees. Eggs, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Hudsonian Chickadee is a permanent resident of the
extensive spruce forests on the higher mountains of New
Hampshire and Vermont, in the Adirondack^ and in north-
ern and eastern Maine. In summer it is confined in the
White and Green Mountains to the spruce belt above 3000
feet, but in autumn it wanders down into the valleys, in
company with migrating warblers. In winter a few occasion-
ally wander southward ; small flocks have been observed
on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, and stragglers occa-
sionally occur even in eastern Massachusetts. Its habits
are very similar to those of the common Chickadee ; in fact,
the two not infrequently wander about together. Bones or
bits of meat left about logging camps in winter are equally
attractive to either species.

84 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The dee dee dee of the Hudsonian Chickadee sounds
more " babyish " than that of the common species ; the
notes are lower and more drawled. The Hudsonian Chick-
adee seems to have no note that corresponds to the phee-bee
of the common Chickadee.

Chickadee. Pants atricaplUus
5.27

Ad. — Top of head and throat black ; sides of head, and belly-
white ; back, wings, and tail gray ; wing-feathers edged with
white ; flanks washed with light brownish, especially in the fall.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, often as many as eight, white,
spotted with reddish-brown.

The Chickadee is a permanent resident throughout New
England and Xew York ; in the southern portions of its
range it is less common in summer than in winter. At this
season little flocks of five or six pass through the woodland,
orchards, and plantations, often accompanied by Kinglets, a
Brown Creeper, a Downy Woodpecker, or a Nuthatch. As
spring approaches, the winter bands separate into pairs,
which then often retire from the neighborhood of villages,
so that a notion prevails that the Chickadee is only a winter
resident. The pair, too, become very silent ; the male, how-
ever, occasionally utters his whistled phee-bee. The nest is
placed either in a natural cavity or in a hole picked out of
a soft birch stub by the birds themselves. The pure whistle
above described, though uttered oftenest in March and April,
may be heard in any month of the year. Besides this song
the Chickadee has various little lisping calls, a note something
like the syllables tout de suite, and the well-known tsic-a
dee-dee. When feeding, the Chickadee has a habit of cling-
ing upside down to the tips of twigs ; occasionally it flies
to a limb and there hammers open a seed or a tough cocoon.
If bones, suet, or broken nuts are hung on the trees near a
window, Chickadees will become constant and familiar vis-

TUFTED TITMOUSE 85

itors throughout the winter. The Chickadee is readily told
by its black throat and top of head, and white cheeks.

Tufted Titmouse. Bceolophus bicolor
6.00
Ad. — Forehead black ; upper parts, wings, and tail gray; sides
of belly reddish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; head crested.
Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-
brown.

The Tufted Tit is a permanent resident of New Jersey,
as far north as Orange, and of Staten Island, though not
common in the northern portion of its range. In south-
western Connecticut it occurs only as a rare visitant ; it is
absent from the rest of New England. Its loud whistle,
like the syllables peto, attracts notice to it, and its con-
spicuous crest and plain gray colors make it easy to iden-
tify. It has also lisping calls very like the Chickadee's,
and a hoarse dee dee dee.

Red-breasted Nuthatch ; Red-bellied Nuthatch.

Sitta canadensis

4.62

Ad. $. — Upper parts bluish-gray, top of head and stripe
through eye black ; line over eye white; under parts reddish-brown.
Ad. 9- — Top of head and stripe through eye bluish-gray; under
parts paler.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white, speckled with reddish-
brown.

In northern New England and New York, in tracts of
spruce, the Red-bellied Nuthatch is generally an abundant
permanent resident. The forests are sometimes filled with
its little nasal call. At very irregular intervals, it moves
southward in large numbers, and becomes a common fall
migrant, in September and October, throughout southern
New England and the Hudson Valley. After such a

86 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

migration many individuals stay through the winter, and
some linger till May. As an ordinary thing, however, these
birds find food enough in the north,
and are either entirely absent in south-
ern New England in winter, or occur
only as straggling migrants, or as rare
winter visitants. When they come

south, they resort either to the pines
Fig. 3. Red-bellied ' \T ,. .

Nuthatch. or to the .Norway spruces, clinging to

the cones till they extract the seeds,
then flying with nervous little movements to a limb where
they either hammer open the seed, or as frequently hammer
it into a crevice for safe-keeping. The Bed-bellied Nut-
hatch is a very active, restless bird, and its short tail gives
it a comical air of fussiness. The ordinary call-note is a
high-pitched nasal ank, ank ; when the bird is excited
this note is repeated very rapidly and for a long period. It
has, besides, a call-note like the syllable hut, which is often
varied in pitch. Its nasal call is one or two tones higher
than that of the following species.

If a Nuthatch has bright reddish-brown under parts,
there can be no doubt as to its identity, but in spring and
summer the color fades, and the female in particular is al-
most grayish below. It must then be distinguished from
the White-bellied Nuthatch by its small size, and by the
black or bluish-gray line through the eye

White-breasted Nuthatch ; White-bellied Nut-
hatch. Sitta carolinensls
6.07
Ad. $ . — Upper parts grayish-blue, except the crown and front
part of back, which is black ; under parts white ; feathers under
the tail reddish-brown ; tail short aud square, all but the central
pair of tail-feathers black, the outer ones with large white spots.
Ad. 9 . — Similar to the $ , but the black of head and back re-
placed by dark grayish-blue.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 87

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white, thickly spotted with
brownish or lavender.

The White-bellied Nuthatch is a permanent resident of
southern and central New England and the lower Hudson
Valley, and a summer resi-
dent throughout New Eng-
land and New York, but it
is a local bird, and very rare
in summer in many places.
It spends almost its entire

time on the trunks and large FlG< 4< White.bellied Xuthatch
limbs of trees, where it

hunts in a characteristic manner, sometimes peering over
the sides, like a Black and White Warbler, often walking
entirely around the limb, and not infrequently walking head
downward on the trunk and observing an intruder with out-
stretched head. Unlike its relative, it rarely visits conifers,
keeping chiefly to deciduous trees.

Attention is often drawn to the White-bellied Nuthatch
by its nasal quank; the pitch of this call-note is very close
to B-flat, though it varies to B, and it is always lower and
heavier than the similar call-note of the Red-bellied Nut-
hatch. Its song, which it begins to utter early in March,
resembles the syllables too-too-too, quickly repeated. When
singing, the Nuthatch generally perches on some small
twig. The male brings food to the female while she is sit-
ting.

A Nuthatch may be identified by its long, straight, slen-
der bill, by its manner of clinging to the trunks or large
limbs of trees, and by its grayish-blue black. The White-
bellied Nuthatch may be distinguished from the preceding
species by its greater size, by its pure white under parts
(reddish only under the tail), and most surely by the absence
of a black line through the eye ; the white of the fore-neck
extends up a little behind the ear.

88 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK
CREEPERS: FAMILY CERTHIIDiE

Brown Creeper. Certhia familiaris amertccuia

5.66

Ad. — Head, upper back, and wings brown, finely speckled with

gray ; rump reddish-brown ; tail grayish brown, unspeckled ;

tail-feathers pointed ; under parts white ; bills slender, slightly

curved.

Nest, in a crevice under a flake of bark. Eggs, white, spotted
chiefly about the larger end with reddish-brown.

The Brown Creeper is a winter visitant in southern New
York and New England from the end of September to the
end of April ; in northern New York and New England it
is absent or rare in winter. In summer it inhabits the deep
woods of the Canadian Zone, keeping chiefly to the spruces,
but occurring also in forests of hard wood. Nests of the
Brown Creeper have occasionally been found in eastern Mas-
sachusetts, but its occurrence there in summer is exceptional
(see map, p. 15). It is everywhere a common migrant in
April, late September, and early October. It spends its whole
existence on the trunks and large limbs of trees. In winter
it often associates with Chickadees and Kinglets, and like
them has routes along the village streets and through the
plantations, or through the wroods. It may often be detected
by its note, a thin, fine screep, like the Kinglet's, but not
broken into parts, and almost exactly like the Cedar-bird's
wheeze. Soon the eye is caught by the flutter of the Creeper
from one tree to the base of the next. Its usual method of
feeding is to ascend close to the trunk, partly supported by its
tail, often making a spiral and reappearing higher up, or fly-
ing off to begin again at the base of the same or another tree.

In March or April a well-trained ear may occasionally
hear the Creeper's song, a wiry little performance suggesting
the syllables, wees, wee' -si, ici-see. If two are together at
this season, they utter a slight tsip, and often engage in an
animated chase among the trees.

LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN 89

THRASHERS, WRENS, ETC. : FAMILY TROGLODY-
TID-53

Wrens : Subfamily Troglodytinae

Five species of Wren occur in New York and New Eng-
land. The two Marsh Wrens are found only in extensive
marshes or wet grassy meadows. The Great Carolina Wren
is not regularly found north of southern Connecticut. The
House Wren, though local, is fairly common from Massa-
chusetts southward, and occurs here and there in northern
New England. The Winter Wren is a common summer re-
sident of the moist forests of northern New York and New
England, and occurs elsewhere as a migrant. Wrens are
noisy and active, but secretive birds, concealing themselves
in tall grass, brush heaps, or stone walls. They often cock
their tails over their backs. They are all rather small and
of a nearly uniform brown color.

Long-billed Marsh Wren. Telmatodytes palustris
5.20

Ad. — Head blackish-brown, unstreaked; middle of back black-
ish, spotted with white; rest of back, wings, and tail brown; tail
barred with black ; line over eye white • under parts ivhite ; only the
sides washed with buff.

Nest, globular, with the opening at the side ; made of grasses
or cat-tails, and fastened to the stalks of cat-tails or to the stems
of bushes. Eggs, chocolate-brown, spotted with darker brown at
the larger end.

The Long-billed Marsh Wren is a common summer resi-
dent of the tidal marshes from Staten Island to eastern
Massachusetts. It is also common near the coast in exten-
sive cat-tail marshes along sluggish streams, as at Wayland,
Mass., but in the interior of New7 England it is rare or
absent, except along the valley of the Connecticut River,
where it occurs as far north as Springfield. The Wrens

90 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

arrive early in May and remain into October. A few even
spend the winter in thick tangles of cat-tails near the coast.
In the tidal marshes they frequent the ditches, and nest in
the high-tide bushes (Iva).

The Wrens sing all day and through much of the night,
often flying up over the cat-tails or grass, and singing as
they descend. In making their way through cat- tails, they
grasp the stalks with their strong feet, often standing with
each foot on a separate stalk and their tails cocked over their
backs so far that the white under tail-coverts show. When
disturbed, they often show themselves only for a moment,
and then disappear into the rushes, where they keep up a
harsh scolding, or when reassured, pour out again their rapid,
bubbling song. The alarm-note is
an energetic tschuk. The nest is
made of the stalks of cat-tails bent
into a globular shape and fastened
to cat-tails or to high-tide bushes.
It is lined with the soft down from
Fig. 5. Long-billed Marsh the cat-tail head, and is entered
through an opening at the side.
The nest that contains the eggs is often a shabby-looking
affair, made of old brown stalks, while all about are empty
nests of fresh green cat-tails. These are busily woven by the
male — why, no one knows.

The white line over the eye, the blackish, unstreaked head,
and the black patch on the upper back distinguish this wren
from the following species.

Short-billed Marsh Wren. Cistothorus stellaris
4.00

Ad. — Upper parts brown, streaked with black and white ;
lower parts buff]/, especially on the sides; no distinct line over eye.

Nest, globular, with the opening at the side; made of grasses
bent over and fastened to the stalks of stout grass, on or near the
ground. Eggs, white, generally unspotted.

SHORT-BILLED MARSH WEEN 91

The Short-billed Marsh Wren is a somewhat rare and
local summer resident throughout southern and central New
England and New York. It ar-
rives in May and stays through
September. "While the Long-billed
Marsh Wren lives among cat-tails,
the Short-billed prefers the sedgy
meadows that border sluggish fresh-
water brooks or rivers. If the
meadows are extensive, there may Fig. 6. Short-billed Marsh
be hundreds in a colony, or it may

consist of only a pair or two. A few have been found as
far north as Dublin, X. H., and several large colonies in
Berkshire County, Mass. The bird is common in the Pur-
gatory Meadows at Norwood, Mass., and in the marshes
bordering the Sudbury at Wayland, Mass.

While the song of the Long-billed Marsh Wren resembles
the House Wren's in its volubility, that of the Short-billed
Marsh Wren suggests rather some species of sparrow. It
may be represented by the syllables tsip tsip tsip tsipper
tsipper tsipper, the first two or three notes staccato, the
rest running rapidly down the scale. The call-note is like
the opening note of the song.

The bird clings to the grass stalks in the same attitude
as its relative, with tail cocked over its back, but it may be
distinguished by the absence of a white line over the eye,
and by its streaked head and upper back, which lacks the
black patch.

Winter Wrex. Olbiorchilus hlemalis

4.06.

Ad. — Upper parts deep brown; line over eye pale brown or light
tawny- wings and tail crossed with narrow dark bars ; under
parts brownish or tawny, lighter than upper parts, but barred
with blackish and white, and darker than in following species;
tail less than l^in. long.

92 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Nest, on the ground, often under the roots of an overturned tree.
Eggs, often six or seven, white, speckled with reddish-brown.

The Winter Wren is a common summer resident of the
Canadian Zone (see map, p. 15), a rare winter visitant in
southern New England, and a not uncommon winter visitant
in the lower Hudson Valley. It passes north in April, and
returns in September and early October, but it is rarer as a
migrant than its abundance in the north leads one to expect.
In winter and on migration it frequents brush heaps, stone
walls, or fallen trees, particularly along the banks of wood-
land streams. It seldom sings while migrating. It breeds
rarely in deep-wooded swamps on the upland of Worcester
and Berkshire counties in Massachusetts, and in southern
Vermont and New Hampshire, but as soon as one enters the
damp forests of Mount Grey lock in Massachusetts, the Cats-
kills, and the higher mountains of northern New York and
New England, the song of the Winter Wren becomes one
of the characteristic summer sounds ; it is as if the bird
had been uncorked, Thoreau said, and the song left run-
ning.

The song is long and high, in two equally balanced parts,
the first ending in a contralto trill, the second in a very high
trill ; after a little interval the song is repeated or answered.
The Wren sings either from some high dead stub, or from
the mossy logs over which it creeps in search of food.
When alarmed on the breeding-ground, the bird utters a
sound like the syllables crrrrip, and at other times a sharp
chick, very like a note of the Song Sparrow, but quickly
repeated. It has also a fashion of bobbing or curtsying
when observed. When searching for food, it seems often
to skip, rather than to fly, from one log to the next.

To distinguish a Winter Wren from a House Wren is a
difficult matter. Except in September, however, the two will
rarely occur together. The House Wren is nearly an inch
longer, and much of the additional length is in the tail ; its

HOUSE AVE EX 93

under parts arc lighter, and it is likely even in the fall to
utter its grating scolding-note. The Winter Wren utters a
chick of surprise, and generally bobs or curtsies; this bob-
bing action will identify it at once. The Winter Wren has
a light line over the eye, which the House Wren lacks, but
the line is often rather indistinct, and especially difficult to
see clearly on such an active and secretive bird.

House Wrex. Troglodytes aedon
5.00

Ad. — Upper parts warm brown ; wings and tail faintly barred
with black ; under parts grayish, the flanks faintly barred with
black ; bill long, slender ; tail more than \\ in. long.

Nest, of sticks, etc., in a hole in a tree or box. Eggs, sometimes
as many as eight, thickly speckled with pinkish-brown.

The House Wren is a common summer resident in most
of New England and the lower Hudson Valley, but it is a
local bird, and may be wholly absent from certain regions. It
is rare in northern Xew England, and confined to the Transi-
tion Zone. Occasionally it is found nesting in dead trees in
the burnt tracts away from the settlements, but as a rule any
wren seen in the forests of northern Xew England is a Win-
ter Wren. The House Wren arrives late in April, or early
in May, and stays till October. It frequents apple orchards,
or the yards about houses. Its small size, brown, unstreaked
upper parts, and its pert ways readily distinguish it from
other small birds. It often cocks its tail over its back, espe-
cially when scolding an intruder. When it sings, it holds its
tail pointed downward.

The House Wren's song is a vigorous, bubbling perform-
ance, the notes following each other very rapidly. Its scold-
ing-note is a harsh grating chatter, often uttered by the bird
from its hiding-place in a stone wall or a brush heap, into and
out of which it slips with the ease of a mouse. (See preced-
ing species.)

94 BIRDS OF 'NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Carolina Wrex. Thryothorus ludovicianus
5.50

Ad. — Upper parts rich reddish-brown; line over eye whitish;
throat white; breast and belly washed with buff.

Nest, bulky, of sticks, etc., in a hole in a tree or in some cavity
about buildings. Eggs, whitish, speckled about the larger end
with reddish-brown.

The Carolina Wren is a very rare permanent resident of
southern Rhode Island and southern Connecticut, and a
rather common summer resident of
the eastern slope of the Palisades ;
it occasionally wanders into Massa-
chusetts. The bird's favorite haunts
are brushy tangles. If a male is
anywhere about he can hardly be
overlooked ; he is a constant singer,
even in winter, and his song is so
loud and clear that it can be heard easily a quarter of a
mile away. It consists of short phrases of from two to four
notes repeated again and again in a loud clear whistle. These
phrases vary greatly ; some of the common forms may be
written twip'pity, twip'pity ; whiddy you', whiddy you1
whiddy you' ; thri'ou, thri'ou, thri'ou. Certain phrases
suggest notes both of the Cardinal and the Tufted Tit ; a
beginner should make a careful study of the notes of these
three species. The alarm-note is a rather smooth pen it.

A Carolina Wren is easily recognized by its wren-like
behavior, by the rich brown of its upper parts, and by the
conspicuous whitish line over its eye.

Fig. 7. Carolina Wren

Thrashers and Mockingbirds: Subfamily Miminae

The Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Mockingbird form a
closely related group, which is included in the same family
with the Wrens.

BROWN THRASHER 95

Browx Thrasher. Toxostoma rufum
11.42

Ad. — Upper parts reddish-brown - wing-bars white; bill long,
slightly curved; tail very long; under parts white; breast, belly,
and sides of the throat spotted with black.

Nest, of coarse twigs, on the ground, or in a low bush. Eggs,
white, thickly speckled with reddish-brown.

The Brown Thrasher, or Brown Thrush, is a common
summer resident of southern New England and the lower
Hudson Valley ; it becomes less common on the upland of
central New England and is absent from all the less culti-
vated northern portions of New York and New England.
It arrives toward the middle of April and remains till Octo-
ber. It frequents dry, scrubby growth, roadside thickets
and overgrown pastures, scratching on the ground and slip-
ping into the bushes when alarmed, with the ease of its com-
panion the Chewink ; it may often be seen running in the
roads. When a pair have a nest or a young bird hidden in
a thicket, they manifest great excitement at the approach of
an intruder, uttering a loud smack and a mournful ti-yoo-oo,
or a puffing or hissing sound. The yellow eye seems to
glare at such times. The male sings from a high perch,
often the uppermost spray of a tall tree, with tail depressed.
The song is the most brilliant performance given by our
New England birds, a succession of finely executed phrases,
very often in pairs, and of great variety. Thoreau's phrasing
of it is, " Drop it, drop it, — cover it up, cover it up, —
pull it up, pull it up, pull it up."

A Brown Thrasher is readily told by the reddish-brown
color of its upper parts and by its long tail.

Catbird. Galeoscoptes carolinensis
8.94
Ad. — Entire body slaty gray, except the head and tail, which
are black ; feathers under base of tail chestnut.

Nest, of sticks, in a thick bush. Eggs, glossy greenish-blue.

96 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Catbird is a common summer resident of New Eng-
land and New York, except in the mountainous northern
portions, though it is found along large streams even in
northern Maine. It arrives in May and lingers into October.
It frequents shrubbery and thickets, especially the tangles
of vines and bushes near water. It is fond of fruit, and
may often be seen in midsummer with a raspberry in its
bill. Its ordinary call-note, from which it gets its name, is
familiar ; it is, perhaps, more snarling than a cat's mew. It
utters, besides, a mellow chuck, and occasionally a grating
chatter, kcrk leak kak. Its song is very similar to that of
the Thrasher, but it is not so vigorous, and though it un-
doubtedly does contain fine passages, it is marred by the
constant introduction of harsh phrases. When singing, the
Catbird often sits on some high spray, with tail depressed ;
when it hops along the ground or on a fence, the tail is
either cocked at an angle or thrown jauntily from side to
side. The bird always has an alert, saucy air.

Mockingbird. Mimus polyglottos
10.50

Arfm — Upper parts ash-gray; wings black, with a broad white
bar ; three inner pairs of tail-feathers black, fourth and fifth pairs
white, edged with black, outer pair white ; under parts grayish-
white.

Nest, of twigs, weed-stalks, etc., in a thick bush or low tree.
Eggs, bluish or greenish, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Mockingbird is a rare visitant in southern New Eng-
land and the lower Hudson Valley ; there are several records
of its breeding in New England, notably near Springfield.
Single birds are not infrequently seen, especially in the fall
or early spring ; some of these may, of course, be escaped
cage-birds. An observer must guard carefully against taking
a Shrike for a Mockingbird ; the two birds resemble each
other somewhat in figure and coloration, but the Shrike in

AMERICAN PIPIT 97

adult plumage has black wings and tail and a black stripe
through the eye, while the Mockingbird has brown icings
and tail and a gray head. If the bill can be examined at
close range, the two birds can be readily distinguished ; the
Shrike's is like a Hawk's, thick and hooked ; the Mocking-
bird's is like a Catbird's, long and rather slender, with no
hook. (See Fig. 30.)

TITLARKS : FAMILY MOTACILLID-5S

American Pipit; Titlark. Anthus pensilvanicus

6.38

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray ; end of outer tail-feathers
white; next pair tipped with white ; line over eye whitish or
buffy; throat white; breast streaked with black; belly white.

The Titlark is a migrant through New England and New
York, rare in New England in spring, but common in the
fall, especially near the coast. It passes north in April and
May, and returns in late September, October, and early
November. Near the coast it frequents the short grass of the
tidal marshes or grassy hills, where it feeds in company with
Shore Larks and Snow Buntings. It often occurs in large
flocks, which rise when disturbed and fly off over the marsh
with a shrill tsee-tseep tsee-tsee-tseep, very like the call-
notes of the Shore Lark. Inland it is fond of ploughed
fields, mud-flats, or low meadows, but is also found on
grassy hilltops, even at great elevation. Its long tail is
constantly wagged as it walks ; this wagging should iden-
tify it at once, as the birds with which it consorts do
not have this trick, and the other birds that do, the water-
thrushes, etc., are not found in open fields. When the
Titlark flies, it shows two outer tail-feathers tipped with
ichite.

98 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

WARBLERS (PROPERLY WOOD-WARBLERS) :
FAMILY MNIOTILTID^!

The term Warblers is applied in America to a very large
family of small birds, many of which live almost wholly in
trees. The number of species to be distinguished often dis-
courages a beginner, but many are confined almost wholly
to certain kinds of country, and much may be done by
learning where to expect each one. The males, moreover,
are generally brightly marked, often with yellow ; the fe-
males and young are harder to distinguish. Half a dozen
species occur commonly throughout New York and New
England and are easily distinguished, both by their appear-
ance and from the kind of country which they prefer ;
these are : the Redstart, wherever trees and open spaces are
combined, especially near water and often near our houses ;
the Northern Yellow-throat, in low bushes in wet places ;
the Black and White Warbler, on the trunks of trees in
open woodland ; the Oven-bird, on or near the ground in all
kinds of woodland ; the Black-throated Green, in evergreens,
and the Yellow Warbler, either in the shrubbery near
houses, or in the willows along water-courses. The Chestnut-
sided Warbler occurs nearly everywhere in New England,
being absent only where extensive coniferous forests still
exist ; it delights in dry roadside thickets and the second-
growth in clearings. The Pine Warbler is common wher-
ever pitch pine is abundant ; it breeds also in white pine
groves, but is not found in the Canadian Zone. In the
spruce forests of northern New England the Myrtle Warbler
is abundant, occurring even in the dooryard, if spruce-trees
surround the house. In wilder country, where young spruces
grow, the Black and Yellow Warbler is common, and on
mountains, in stunted spruce, the Black-poll is abundant.

In southern New York and New England the northern
species occur as more or less common migrants in April and

AMERICAN REDSTART 99

May, and September and October. They are to be looked
for in the broad valleys of large streams, or near the
coast, occurring in almost any bit of woodland or orchard
along their paths of migration (see p. 11) ; they now occur
in mixed flocks, often associating with Vireos and Kinglets^
between which they are intermediate in size. Their songs
are seldom beautiful, and often hard to distinguish ; they
are in full song in spring, but few sing in the fall. Several
species change their plumage in the fall ; the Black- poll,
Myrtle, and Yellow Palm Warblers are the commonest ex-
amples of this class.

The Oven-bird, the Water-thrushes, and the Yellow Palm
Warbler obtain their food on the ground ; the Black and
White Warbler gleans from the trunks and large limbs ; the
Redstart often pursues an insect through the air ; the Yellow-
rump is an expert fly-catcher, but in winter lives largely on
bayberries. The Parula and the Blue-winged Yellow often
cling to the tip of a twig like a Chickadee. Nearly all the
others pick their food, chiefly insects, from twigs and leaves.

American Redstart. Setophaga ruticilla
5.41

Ad. $. — Head, throat, and back lustrous black; sides of
breast and flanks reddish-orange ; large bar across wing and tail
light salmon • tips of tail-feathers black for a third of their length ;
belly white. Ad. 9- — Head gray ; throat grayish-white, orange
and salmon replaced by yellow. Young $ resembles the female
until the third year.

Nest, a soft cup, generally in the crotch of a tree or sapling
from ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, thickly spotted with dark brown,
chiefly around the larger end.

The Redstart is a common summer resident throughout
New York and New England, absent only at high altitudes.
It arrives early in May and . remains through September.
The male Redstart's bright colors always attract attention
and excite admiration, and, unlike its rival, the Blackburnian

100 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Warbler, it may easily be seen by the beginner. It is com-
mon in the shrubbery about dwellings, and in its restless
course flies from twig to twig, sometimes pursuing an in-
sect to the ground at the observer's feet. Both sexes have
a habit of keeping the tail spread like a fan, so that the
yellow or salmon band is very conspicuous.

It needs practice to distinguish the song of this species
from that of the Yellow Warbler, often its neighbor about
our houses. The Redstart's song is less complicated : wee1-
see'-see1 is its shortest form ; wee'-see-wee'-see-ivee1 is an-
other. All the phrases are on one key, and are almost never
followed by the additional phrase with which the song of
the Yellow Warbler ends. The male in his first spring
wears the gray and yellow of the female, so that one often
hears the song uttered apparently by the female.

C ax ad i ax Warbler. Wilsonia canadensis

5.61

Ad. $. — Upper parts ashy gray ; crown blackish, especially

on the forehead ; breast crossed by a broad band of black spots

which separate the yelloiv throat from the yellow belly. Ad. 9 and

Im. — The blackish crown lacking ; spots on breast faint.

Nest, in mossy banks and under roots. Eggs, white, spotted
about the larger end with reddish-brown.

The Canadian Warbler is a migrant through southern New
England and the lower Hudson Valley in the second half
of May and in September. As a
migrant it is found chiefly in wet
woodland, where it keeps rather low
in the bushes, though it may occur
in dry places, and when singing
often mounts fairly high in trees.
It breeds from the edge of the
Canadian Zone northward, occurring
Fig. 8. Canadian Warbler here and there in deep, cool swamps,

WILSON S "WARBLER 101

even in central and eastern Massachusetts, and not uncom-
monly in the highlands of western Massachusetts. It is
often abundant in the thickets of mountain maple on ill-
drained mountain summits. It is very inquisitive, and an
intruder may frequently hear its alarm-note, chick, or catch
a glimpse of the black "necklace" across its yellow breast
as it flies low in the bushes. Its song is a rather hurried out-
pouring of notes, introduced by the same chick which it uses
as an alarm-note. (See Magnolia Warbler, Fig. 18, p. 119.)

Wilson's Warbler. Wilsonia pusilla
5.00

$ . — Upper parts bright olive-green in a strong light ; crown
black; forehead and under parts bright yellow. 9- — Black
crown generally wanting.

Nest, on the ground in wet woods. Eggs, white, speckled with
reddish-brown, and with lavender.

The Wilson's Warbler is a rather uncommon migrant
through New England and New York, occurring in the latter
half of May and in September. It breeds
rarely in the extreme northern and
eastern portions of Maine. It is gen-
erally found in trees or bushes near
water, along the edges of swamps or in
the bushy borders of streams, though,
like most migrants, it may appear, when Fig. 9. Wilson's
more than usually common, in any
suitable cover. Its song suggests to most observers the
song of the Yellow Warbler ; it is briefer, less lively, and
ends in some rapidly delivered notes. It is a restless little
bird, difficult to observe. The yellow of the under parts
first attracts attention ; then a glimpse of its dark back dis-
tinguishes it from the female Yellow Warbler, but a sight
of the black crown bordered by the yellow forehead is
necessary for an absolute identification.

102 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Hooded Warbler. Wilsonia mitrata
5.67

Ad. $. — Forehead and cheeks bright yellow ; top of head and
throat black, inclosing the yellow cheeks ; under parts yellow ;
back brown (olivaceous in strong light) ; outer tail-feathers white.
Ad. 9 an<i Im- — The black of the throat absent or inconspicuous.

Nest, in a crotch of a bush or sapling about four feet up.
Eggs, white, spotted, generally about the larger end, with red-
dish-brown.

The Hooded Warbler is a summer resident of southern
Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley, arriving early in
May and leaving in August. It is locally common along
the Sound and in the Connecticut Valley, and in northern
New Jersey. At Englewood and at Fort Lee, 1ST. J.,
it frequents rich swampy woods, feeding either in the
undergrowth, or in tall trees. In
southern Connecticut it seems to
prefer woods with extensive under-
growth of mountain laurel. It is
an active bird, and has a loud,
bright song. The song varies con-
siderably; in some forms the open-
ing notes have something of the
Fig. 10. Hooded Warbler Avikiness an(i sweetness of the Field

Sparrow's song, and are followed by notes with an upward
inflection, suggesting those of the Black and Yellow War-
bler. The alarm-note is a sharp chip. The male is unmis-
takable; the female may be known by her yellow forehead
and white outer tail-feathers.

Yellow-breasted Chat. Icteria virens

7.44

Ad. — Upper parts brown, tinged with green in strong light;
throat and breast rich yellow , eyelids, a line over the eye, and
another under the cheek white; line from eye to bill black; belly
white.

NORTHERN YELLOW-THROAT 103

Nest, rather bulky, of coarse grasses, leaves, and strips of bark,
low in a thicket. Eggs, white, speckled and spotted with reddish-
brown.

The Yellow-breasted Chat is a common summer resident
of southern Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley ; in
southern Rhode Island it is locally common ; northward
it becomes rare, and though found sparingly in the
valleys of Berkshire County, Mass., and rather commonly
at Swampscott, Mass., it does not seem to breed north
of the latter State. The Chat arrives in May and leaves
in August. Its favorite haunts are tangled briery thick-
ets, or thick bushes in clearings. Here it soon makes
its presence known by its loud calls. These are of aston-
ishing variety, and sometimes absurdly grotesque. When
uttering them the bird is often concealed in the thicket ;
at such a time he frequently utters his notes with such
modulations and in such different keys that he seems now
close at hand, and now far away. When singing on a
limb, he turns with an air of ludicrous gravity from side to
side, and in the height of the breeding season dances jerkily
in the air with outstretched legs. The commoner calls are
a loud too too too, resembling somewhat the song of the
White-bellied Nuthatch, a whistled whit, and various
clucking and mewing sounds.

Northern Yellow-throat ; Maryland Yellow-
throat. Geothlypis trichas br achy dacty lev
5.33

Ad. $. — Upper parts deep olive-green in strong light; fore-
head and broad line through eye black, bordered above by ashy
gray; throat and breast bright yellow; belly yellowish. Ad. £.
— Without the black or ashy lines ; throat and breast yellowish ;
belly whitish.

Nest, on the ground or in a tussock, a deep structure of
leaves and grasses. Eggs, speckled with brown at the larger
end.

104 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Northern Yellow-throat (known formerly as the

Maryland Yellow-throat) is a common summer resident of

all New England and New York, arriving early in May

and staying till October. In southern

New England it is largely confined

to swampy thickets, or the bushy

borders of streams ; but farther north,

where the upland is ill-drained, it is

common in the roadside bushes, even

Fig. 11. Northern on the hills. Its mask of black, like

Yellow-throat -i • , . .,, .. , . , .

a domino, contrasting with its bright
yellow throat, its nervous actions, twitchings of the tail,
and manner of climbing up the stalks of reeds or twigs,
all serve to call attention to it and to fix its appearance in
the mind.

The Yellow-throat's song is loud and emphatic and at-
tracts attention. It varies in different localities, but the same
form is generally used by birds of one region ; there are dia-
lects, in other words. Three common forms are, (a) wee'-
see-see, wee'-see-see, wee'-see-see, (b) ivee-see'-ser, ivee-see'-
ser, wee-see' -ser, and (c) wee-see-see'-see, wee-see-see'-see,
wee-see-see1 -see. At intervals the male mounts a short dis-
tance into the air, and while descending utters a series
of chips, followed by a bit of the ordinary song. The call-
note is a rather loud tchek : the bird has also a rapid,
rather wren-like chatter; in fact, its form and many of
its actions suggest a wren, but no wren shows yellow any-
where.

The female, though less conspicuous, may be distin-
guished from other small yellow-throated birds by the low,
wet situation where she is found, and by her nervous ways.
No Pine Warbler would be found in the places which she
frequents ; the occasional Nashville Warbler or female
Yellow Warbler that might occur there would be yellow or
yellowish on the belly, as well as on the throat.

MOURNING WARBLER 105

Mourning Warbler. Geothlypis Philadelphia
5.G3

Ad. $ . — Head and neck bluish-gray, mixed with black on the
throat ; breast black ; back, wings, and tail brown, tinged with green
in strong light ; belli/ bright yellow. 9 • — Head, neck, and breast
brown, or brownish-gray ; back, wings, tail, and belly as in $ .

Nest, on or near the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with brown or
reddish-brown.

The Mourning Warbler is a rare migrant through south-
ern and central New England and the Hudson Valley, occur-
ring late in May or early in June. In migration, the bird
frequents dry, bushy banks. On Mount Greylock in Massa-
chusetts, on the higher Catskills, and from central Vermont
and New Hampshire northward, the bird is a somewhat local
summer resident, nowhere very common. It frequents clear-
ings and burnt tracts, where in the thickets of mountain ma-
ple under fallen trees it searches for food, or utters its rather
striking song. It also sings from the tops of small trees, and
occasionally delivers an outburst in the air. The song may
be written thurree, thurree, thurree, generally followed by
two or three lower notes. Whether the accent is on the first
or second syllable is hard to tell, but a throaty quality, and
the presence of the letter r, characterize the song, and a
glance at the gray, black, and yellow of the singer identifies
him at once.

Connecticut Warbler. Geothlypis agilis

5.40

Ad. $ . — Head, neck, and upper breast ash-gray ; ring around
eye white ; back, wings, and tail brown, tinged with greenish-yel-
low in strong light ; belly bright yellow. Ad. 9 and Im. — Upper
parts, wings, and tail brown, tinged with greenish-yellow in strong
light ; throat and upper breast brownish ; rest of under parts yel-
low ; ring around eye brownish-white.

The Connecticut Warbler is a rare fall migrant through
New England and the Hudson Valley, occurring in the latter

106 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

half of September and in early October. In the swamps
about Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Mass., it is sometimes
common. In such places it feeds in the jewel-weed
(Impatiens), great masses of which grow in the wet soil. In
western Massachusetts it occurs in rather dry lanes. It is
more leisurely in its behavior than its relative the Northern
or Maryland Yellow-throat, and when disturbed often flies
to some low limb near by, where it sits quietly. An adult
in full plumage is rare, but the bird may always be distin-
guished from the female Northern Yellow-throat by its
throat, which is brownish where the other species is yellow,
and by its bright yellow under parts. If the bird is seen
at close range, a whitish eye-ring is visible.

Kentucky Warbler. Geothlypis formosa
5.40

Ad. $. — Crown and stripe from bill along side of throat
black ; line over eye and under parts bright yellow ; back, wings,
and tail brown, tinged with greenish-yellow in strong light.
Ad. 9 • — Similar, but the black veiled with gray.

Nest, of dried leaves on the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with
brown or reddish-brown.

The Kentucky Warbler is a rather common, though local,
summer resident of the lower Hudson Valley as far north as
Sing Sing. It arrives early in May
and leaves late in August. It fre-
quents low damp woods, spending
most of its time on or near the
ground. Its song is loud and bright,
Fig. 12. Kentucky and resembles the syllables tiveedle,
Warbler tiveedle, tweedle. The Northern Yel-

low-throat has been taken for the Kentucky Warbler ; the
yelloiv line over the eye is the distinguishing mark of the
latter.

LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH 107

Louisiana Water-thrush. Seiurus motacilla
6.28

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown; line over the eye pure white;
under parts white, tinged in strong light with buffy; throat un-
spotted ; breast and flanks streaked with black.

Nest, placed under the bank of a stream or under the roots of
an overturned tree. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Louisiana Water-thrush is a summer resident of
Berkshire County, Mass., of Bhode Island, Connecticut, and
the lower Hudson Valley. It is rare in Berkshire County,
local in Rhode Island and northern Connecticut, but fairly
common in southern Connecticut and along the Hudson ;
it even penetrates the Catskills, following the mountain
streams. It arrives in the middle of April, often a fort-
night before the northern species, and leaves before Sep-
tember. Though it does to some extent frequent swampy
woods and sluggish woodland streams, as at Englewood,
N. J., yet its favorite haunts are clear mountain brooks,
where it trips over the stones, or utters its wild ringing
song from the branches of the overhanging trees. Like
its relative, it has a habit of wagging the tail as it
walks.

During May, both the northern and the southern species
occur in southern New England and the Hudson Valley.
The southern species may then be distinguished by the
pure ivhite line over the eye and by the unspotted throat.
Its song, generally described as wilder than that of the north-
ern species, and the call-note, may both be distinguished by
a practiced ear, but a beginner must depend for identifica-
tion either on the time of year, or on the white line over the
eye and the unspotted throat. A Water-thrush seen in
southern New England or New York between the tenth of
June and the first of August will, almost undoubtedly, be
the southern species.

108 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Water-thrush. Seiurus noveboracensis

0.04

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown ; line over the eye whitish, huffy in
a strong light • under parts buffy ; everywhere spotted with black.

Nest, on or near the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-
brown.

The Water-thrush is a common migrant through southern
and central New York and New England during May, and
again in August and September. From central New Hamp-
shire, through northern Maine, and in the Adirondacks, it is
a summer resident, frequenting the swampy edges of lakes,
swampy woods, or the pools in mountain streams. In migra-
tion it may be found in any low, wet ground, under trees or
bushes, picking its way along the edges of the water, con-
stantly wagging its tail. Its song is loud and clear and may
be represented by the syllables twit twit twit twee twee
twee^oo, all very staccato, and the last notes going down
the scale. The call-note is a clear, metallic chip. (See pre-
ceding species.)

Oven-bird. Seiurus auroca/pillus
6.17

Ad. — Upper parts brown; crown dull orange, edged with black;
breast and sides spotted with black.

Nest, ?i bulky structure of dry leaves and stalks, on the ground,
with the opening at the side. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-
brown.

The Oven-bird is a common summer resident throughout
New England and New York, arriving early in May and
lingering through September. It inhabits woodland of every
sort, if there are open spaces under the trees where it may
walk over the ground in search of food. It prefers, how-
ever, dry open woods of deciduous trees. Here its loud
song, Teacher, Teacher, TEACHEB, TEACH, to modify
Mr. Burroughs' s version, is one of the first sounds to attract

PRAIRIE WARBLER 109

the ear. When uttering it, the bird is generally perched on
a rather high limb, but at other times it walks with pinkish
feet over the dry leaves or along
some low limb, with a constant
upward tilt of the tail. Towards
evening and at intervals during the
night, one is surprised, while walking
in or near woodland, by a burst of
rather rapid music from a bird high
overhead, and as he shoots earth-
ward a few phrases remind one of
the teacher teach of the Oven-bird.

This is the famous flight-song of the Oven-bird, not rare,
but rarely heard, unless one happen to live in the very woods.
Its alarm-note is a vigorous tscliuk. When the brooding
female is frightened off the nest, she tries to draw the in-
truder away from the spot by fluttering helplessly along the
ground, trailing behind her an apparently broken wing.

Prairie Warbler. Dendroica discolor
4.75

Ad. $ . — Upper parts with a strong greenish tinge, when seen
in strong light; when the bird is seen from above, reddish-brown
markings show in the middle of the back ; forehead, a line over
eye, and a spot below eye yellow ; spot in front of eye and stripe
below eye black; wing-bars yellowish; breast bright yellow with
black streaks down the sides. Ad. 9. — With less, sometimes no
reddish-brown on the back. Im. — Upper parts olive-green; under
parts yellow; no wing-bars.

Nest, in a bush or low tree, generally lined with horse-hair.
Eggs, white, speckled with dark brown, chiefly about the larger end.

The Prairie Warbler is a summer resident of southern
New England and Long Island, but is rare in northern
New Jersey and in the lower Hudson Valley ; it is not
found north of Massachusetts, except in a few stations in
the Merrimac Valley, nor does it occur, so far as I know,

110 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

in the interior of the State. It is found in dry, scrubby
second-growth, especially on sandy soil. It is abundant on
Martha's Vineyard and on parts of Cape Cod, but rare or
only locally common over most of its range. It arrives
early in May, and leaves in September.

The Prairie Warbler's song is a series of sharp, thin notes
running rapidly up the scale. They may be distinguished
from the Parula's notes by their thin-
ness ; the Parula's voice is wheezy,
nor would it be often heard in the hot,
dry situations in which the Prairie
Warbler delights.

The Canada Warbler (p. 100), the
Black and Yellow (p. 118), and the
Fig. 14. Prairie Warbler rare £ape ^ay also have yellow under
parts streaked with black. Only in the Prairie Warbler,
however, is the black confined to the sides. The Canada
Warbler, moreover, chooses low, wet places, even on migra-
tion, and in summer the breeding areas of the two birds
hardly overlap.

Yellow Palm Warbler ; Yellow Redpoll. Dendroica

palmarum h ypoch rysea

5.43

Ad. in spring. — Crown chestnut; back brownish; under parts
bright yellow; sides of throat, breast, and sides of belly streaked
with reddish- brown ; no white wing-bars. Ad. in fall and Im. —
Crown-patch concealed; under parts as above.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, buffy white, speckled with brown.

The Yellow Palm Warbler or Yellow Eedpoll is a mi-
grant through New England and New York, appearing in
April and early May, and again in September and early
October. It breeds sparingly in open juniper-bogs in north-
ern and eastern Maine (Knight). In spring it is a bird of
stone walls, bushes, and low trees, feeding often on the

WESTERN PALM WARBLER 111

ground. Its song resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow,
but is less strong even than that simple performance. It is
often associated in migration with the Yellow-rumped War-
bler ; the songs of the two Warblers are both rather feeble,
but the Yellow Redpoll's is rougher and less likely to rise
or fall into a different key.

The Yellow Palm Warbler has in spring a chestnut
crown, like that of a Chipping Sparrow, but its bright yel-
low under parts distinguish it, of course, from that bird.
It has, moreover, a trick of constantly wagging its tail up
and down ; this habit distinguishes it readily from the two
other warblers with yellow under parts, the Nashville and
the Yellow Warbler. (See also the account of the Black-
poll Warbler in autumn, p. 116.)

Palm Warbler. Dendroica palmarum
5.25

The Western Palm Warbler is a regular, though rare, mi-
grant in the latter half of September, generally appearing
earlier than the preceding species. Its habits and haunts
are similar to those of the Yellow Palm Warbler, and it
takes a trained eye to distinguish between the two. Its
breast, throat, and upper belly are all dingy whitish, only
the extreme lower belly and the feathers under the tail are
bright yellow. The eastern bird is yellow over the entire
under parts.

Pine Warbler. Dendroica vigorsii

5.52

Ad. $. — Upper parts with a- strong greenish-yellow tinge in
a good light; wing-bars whitish; throat and breast yellow, brightest
on the throat; belly paler. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brownish with
fainter greenish-yellow tinge; under parts grayish-white with a
faint tinge of yellowish on the breast; wing-bars narrower, gray-
ish. Im. — Similar to £>> but without any yellowish tinge; wing-
bars very faint.

112 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Nest, generally in pines, from twenty to fifty feet up. Eggs,
dull white, spotted with brown, chiefly about the larger end.

The Pine Warbler is a common summer resident of cen-
tral New England and of parts of Long Island ; in northern
New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley, and in southern Con-
necticut it occurs only as a migrant. In the valleys of the
Housatonic, Connecticut, and Merrimac, and in southern
Maine it is found as far north as the pitch pine grows, but
it also occurs sparingly near its northern limit in groves of
tall white pine. It is the first warbler to arrive in spring,
appearing early in April, and it lingers till the middle of
October, singing freely again toward the end of its stay.
In the spring, the bird often descends to the ground to
feed, and it may in any case be more easily observed in the
loose growing pitch pines than the equally common Black-
throated Green Warbler in the dense white pines. The
movements of the Pine Warbler are leisurely, and it stops
continually to shake out the sweet trill which constitutes its
song.

The song resembles in form the Chipping Sparrow's and
the Snowbird's, but is sweeter and less staccato than either
of these songs ; moreover, it is rarely heard outside of a
pine grove. At the height of the breeding season the trill is
occasionally followed by a few additional notes in a lower
key.

The resemblance of the Pine Warbler in pattern of color-
ation to the Yellow-throated Vireo is discussed on p. 134.
The dull colors of the female Pine Warbler make her one
of the most difficult birds to recognize ; the faint tinge of
yellow on the breast is perceptible only at close range in
good light, and the wing-bars are narrow and grayish. The
shape of the bill, of course, indicates that she is a warbler ;
it is often only by a process of elimination that one dis-
covers her identity. The young birds in autumn are even
more non-committal.

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER 113

Black-throated Greex Warbler. Dendroica virens

5.10

Ad. $. — Back greenish in strong light; wing-bars broad,
white ; cheeks and forehead yellow; middle of throat, upper breast,
and sides black; belly white, running up into the black area. Ad.
9 . — The yellow cheeks duller, tinged with greenish ; black
throat almost obscured with gray ; wing-bars white. Im. — Show-
ing hardly any black on the throat.

Nest, from fifteen to fifty feet up in coniferous trees.

The Black-throated Green Warbler is a common summer
resident of most of New York and New England ; in north-
ern New Jersey, the lower Hudson
Valley, and southwestern Connecticut
it occurs only as a migrant. It arrives
late in April or early in May ; north-
ern individuals occur in September
and early October in the mixed
flocks of migrating warblers. It is

the chief inhabitant of the white Fig-15- Black-throated

. Green H arbler

pines, where one hears continually

its wheezy notes. It is also a common resident of the red
cedar or savin groves of southern New England and of the
spruces of northern New England and New York. In mi-
gration it is common in deciduous trees.

The song of this warbler has two forms, one quicker
than the other; they may be written zee zee zu zi and
zl zi zi zi zee zu zi. When a male is singing freely, he
often keeps up a chipping note through the short intervals
between the repetitions of his song.

The bird is seldom clearly seen, though its notes are so
constant, but as it comes to the end of a twig, one gets from
below a glimpse of the bright yellow cheeks, the black
throat, and the entering angle of white between the block
sides. The only other small bird with a black throat and
yellow about the head is the Golden-winged Warbler. In

114 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

this species the cheeks are clear black and white and only
the top of the head is yellow ; the black throat, too, covers
only a small area, not extending down the sides, nor is the
Golden-winged Warbler found in pines. (See Fig. 22, p. 127.)
The songs of the two species and of the Black-throated
Blue have something of the same quality of tone, but differ
decidedly in form. The Black-throated Blue utters three
notes, the last two drawled, and generally with a rising
inflection. The song of the Golden-winged Warbler may be
written zee zee-zee-zee, the first note long, the next three a
bit lower and quicker.

Blackburn ian Warbler. Dendroica blackbumice
5.25

Ad. $ . — Crown and line under eye black ; back black, streaked
with gray ; wide bar on wing white ; throat, breast, and line over
eye bright reddish-orange ; sides of breast streaked with black ;
belly whitish. Ad. 9 . — Similar, but duller, yellow replacing the
orange, lm. — Similar to the female ; the back browner, the yel-
low paler.

Nest, in evergreen trees, from ten to forty feet up. Eggs,
greenish-white, speckled or spotted, chiefly about the larger end,
writh reddish-brown.

The Blackburnian Warbler is a migrant through south-
ern New England and the Hudson Valley, in May and Sep-
tember, rare in eastern New England, but fairly common
in western New England and in the Hudson Valley. Tt
breeds from the edge of the Canadian Zone northward, lo-
cally in deep hemlocks or pine woods at the southern border
of its range, commonly in the coniferous forests of the north.

The song of the Blackburnian Warbler is characterized by
its extreme thinness ; one form resembles a very wiry Red-
start's song, but the commoner form, by which the bird may
always be recognized, may be described by the syllables wee,
see, see, see, zi, zi, zi, ending in the thinnest note imagin-
able. The singer is generally feeding high in thick ever-

BLACK-POLL WARBLER 115

greens/ and it is only now and then, when he comes out to
the tip of a twig, that his splendid color is visible. If seen,
it can never be mistaken or forgotten. The deep orange
of the throat and breast are unlike the color of any other
small bird, except the Redstart, where the orange is on
the sides of the breast and the throat is black. The female
and young may be known by the suggestion of buff in the
yelloiv throat, and by the white wing-patch.

Black-poll Warbler. Dendroica striata
5.56

Ad. $ . — Crown black ; back gray, streaked with black ; wing-
bars white ; cheeks white ; under parts white, the sides streaked
with black. Ad. 9- — Upper parts gray, showing black streaks
and a greenish tinge in strong light ; wing-bars white ; sides
streaked with dull black. Ad. in winter and Im. — Similar to the
female, but more yellowish below, and the streaking on the back
and under parts very faint.

Nest, in evergreens, about six feet up. Eggs, white, speckled
and blotched at the larger end with brown.

In most of New England and New York the Black-poll
Warbler is a very common migrant in the second half of
May, and in September and early
October. On the mountains of
northern New York and New Eng-
land it is a common summer resi-
dent, occurring most commonly in
the stunted spruces at the edge of
the timber line.

The song of the Black-poll is con- FlG- 16- Black-poll
stantly heard from the migrants in

May ; it is a high thin tsit tsit tsit tsit tsitf of a pene-
trating quality, delivered with a crescendo and diminuendo ;
the last notes are by some birds run rapidly together with
almost a sputtering effect. The alarm-note is a strong chip.

116 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The call-note is a rather rough lisp ; it is constantly heard
from the trees in autumn, and is the sound heard most fre-
quently at night as the birds migrate southward.

The male Black-poll Warbler may be told from the Black
and White Warbler (see Fig. 25, p. 129) by its plain black
caj), and by its very different manner of feeding. The
former hops from one small twig to another, while the lat-
ter climbs along the large limbs in the manner described
on p. 129. The female is harder to identify ; one must look
for the white wing-bars and the dull streaking along the
sides. In the fall the young Black-polls and the adults in
winter plumage are very abundant and should be looked for
and carefully studied. Their upper parts have a greenish
tinge when seen in strong light ; they are yellowish below
and have white wing-bars. They have a way of twitching
their tails, but it is a slight nervous action, different from
the deliberate sweep of the Yellow Red-poll. (See also
next species.)

Bay-breasted Warbler. Dendroica castanea
5.63

Ad. $. — Top of head chestnut, bordered in front and on the
side with black ; back streaked with black ; throat, breast, and
sides chestnut ; sides of neck and rest of under parts huffy ; wing-
bars white. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts olive, streaked with black ;
uuder parts huffy ; sides of breast tinged with reddish-brown.
Jm% $ . — Similar to ad. 9 ; flanks with a tinge of reddish-brown.
/w# £ . — Upper parts olive-green, usually unstreaked ; flanks
usually without tinge of reddish-brown ; under parts buffy.

Nest, in coniferous trees, fifteen to twenty feet from the
ground. Eggs, white, tinged with greenish, and finely speckled
about the larger end with brown.

The Bay-breasted Warbler, as a migrant, is not uncom-
mon in the Hudson Valley and in western Massachusetts,
but is generally very rare in eastern New England, where
it occurs, as a rule, only when there is an unusually heavy

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 117

migration of warblers. It passes north in the middle of
May and returns in September. It breeds commonly on the
high mountains of northern New England and in the exten-
sive coniferous forests of northern and eastern Maine. The
song of the Bay-breast suggests somewhat that of the Black
and White Warbler, or the short form of the Redstart's
song.

This is the only warbler that has a chestnut crown, throat,
breast, and sides ; the Yellow Redpoll has a chestnut crown
and slight streaking of chestnut on its yellow under parts ;
the Chestnut-side has a narrow stripe of chestnut along the
sides, but a yellow crown and a white throat. In Septem-
ber a few Bay-breasts pass through eastern Massachusetts,
and a larger number through the Hudson Valley. They
now resemble the immature Black-poll Warblers so closely
that only a trained eye can distinguish them. The buffy
tinge over the under parts, the buffy under tail-coverts,
and occasionally the tinge of reddish-brown along the sides
are their distinguishing marks.

Chestnut-sided Warbler. Dendroica pensylvanica-
5.14

Ad. $ . — Top of head yellow ; back in strong light of a green-
ish tinge, streaked with black ; wing-bars yellowish ; cheeks
white ; sides of throat black ; a narrow stripe of chestnut-red
along the sides of breast and belly. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but duller.
Im. — Entire upper parts yellowish-green ; wing-bars yellowish ;
under parts white.

Nest, in a low, slight bush, often a blackberry or a raspberry.
Eggs, white, speckled, chiefly about the larger end, with reddish-
brown.

The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a common summer resi-
dent of ]STew York and Xew England, but is less common
in the lower Hudson Valley than farther north. It arrives
early in May and stays till the end of September. It pre-
fers dry roadside thickets or clearings, and though its song

118 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

closely resembles that of the Yellow Warbler, the two spe-
cies are so rarely found breeding in the same kind of coun-
try that one will not often confuse
their songs. The singer in the dry
scrubby thickets is nearly always the
Chestnut-side, while the bird of the
streams and cultivated land is the
Yellow "Warbler.

Each of these two warblers com-
Fig. 17. Chestnut-sided monly has two quite distinct songs,
Warbler one strong and incisive, the other

feebler and less piercing. The sharp incisive song of the
Chestnut-side ends with a phrase which has suggested the
rendering, Very, very glad to meet you. The loose or feeble
song has so little character that it is hard to learn.

The yellow crown of this bird, and the white throat,
breast, and belly make it easy to recognize, even if the
narrow line of chestnut is not at first seen. The yellow-
ish wing-bars of the young, and their greenish-yellow
backs, and white, unstreaked under parts, distinguish them
from other young warblers.

Magnolia Warbler ; Black and Yellow Warbler.

Dendroica maculosa

5.12

Ad. $ . — Head ashy ; cheeks and back black ; large patch of
white on the wing ; all the tail-feathers tipped with black for some
distance, all but the central ones white above the tips ; rump
yellow ; under parts yellow ; breast and sides heavily streaked ivith
black. Ad. J. — Similar, but duller. Im. — Upper parts gray ;
back greenish in strong light ; rump and under parts yellow ;
tail as in adult.

Nest, from three to six feet up, in coniferous trees. Eggs,
white, marked with brown at the larger end.

The Black and Yellow Warbler is a migrant through
southern New York and New England, common in western

MAGNOLIA WARBLER . 119

New England and in the Hudson Valley, fairly common in

eastern New England. It arrives about the tenth of May,

passes north before the end

of that month, and returns

in September, and early

October. On migration the

Black and Yellow seems

to prefer evergreens, but

when abundant, it is found

in all suitable places. It

Fig. 18. Magnolia Warbler
is a common summer resi-
dent in the Canadian Zone, from the edge of the spruce
belt northward. It delights in the pasture spruces, the
thick growth of healthy young trees, whose lower branches
sweep the hillsides ; but it will live in almost any growth
that contains spruce, even high up the mountain-sides.

The song is as characteristic a sound of the smaller
patches of spruce as that of the Yellow-rump is of the more
extensive tracts. Generally it suggests the syllables weely,
iveely, ivichy, with a rising inflection at the close, but there
are several variations, which can be learned only after long
practice. The song generally has more character than that of
the Yellow-rump. The alarm-note is a rather sharp chip ;
the bird has other short notes, one of which is a tizic,
resembling the song of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, but
thinner and drier (F. H. Allen).

The Prairie, the Canada, and the Cape May are the
other warblers whose yellow under parts are streaked with
black. Neither the Prairie nor the Canada shows white on
the wing : the Prairie has no ashy-gray or black on the up-
per parts; the Canada has no white in the tail. A study,
too, of Eigs. 14 and 8 on pp. 110 and 100, will show the
difference in the pattern of black and yellow. The much
rarer Cape May, which, like the Black and Yellow, has a
yellow rump and white on the wing, may be distinguished

120 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

by the black

In all plumages the tail of the Black

and Yellow is a good field-mark ; even when closed it shows
white halfway down, and extensive black tips.

Myrtle Warbler ; Yellow-rumped Warbler. Den-

droica coronata

5.65

Ad. $. — Upper parts gray, with a bluish tinge in strong
light ; rump and small crown-patch yellow ; wing bars white ;
cheeks black ; throat white ; sides of upper breast black, of lower
breast yellow ; belly white ; three outer tail-feathers with large
white spots. Ad. 9- — Upper parts browner ; less black below.
Ad. in winter and Im. — Yellow crown-patch partly hidden by
brownish ; back brownish ; breast washed with brownish ; rump
yellow ; outer tail-feathers spotted with white.

Nest, in coniferous trees, five to ten feet up. Eggs, grayish
white, spotted with brown.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only member of its
family which winters in New York and New England ; it

is found in winter from
Ipswich, Mass., southward
along the sea-coast wher-
ever bayberries are abun-
dant. It has even been
found at Pine Point, Scar-
boro, Me., in January.
Early in April the Yel-
low-rump appears as a
migrant, and early in May
it becomes abundant. A
few migrants occasionally reappear late in August, but the
great host, now in their winter plumage, pass through late
in September and through October. It breeds commonly
in the extensive spruce forests of northern New York and
New England ; sparingly in Worcester and Berkshire coun-
ties, Mass., and here and there on the upland of southern

">«

Fig. 19. Mvrtle Warbler

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 121

New Hampshire and Vermont, wherever there are patches
of spruce ; in the southern part of its range it breeds occa-
sionally in white pine groves.

The song is difficult to learn ; it generally consists of two
sets of phrases composed of the syllables tcee-see-see'-see,
the second sometimes in a lower, sometimes in a higher key
than the first, but neither of them at all sharp or decided.
In spring it gleans insects from the twigs of trees, or
flies out from the branches to catch the little winged crea-
tures that swarm at this season ; its yellow rump is now
often hard to see, but the bird may be recognized, if seen
from below, by the large black patches on the breast and
the yellow patches lower down. Note also its white throat ;
it is the only white-throated warbler, except the Chestnut-
side, that has any yellow in its plumage. In winter, when
it adds bayberries to its insect fare, it feeds in low bushes ;
when it flies up, the bright yellow rump and the spots of
white on the outer tail-feathers make an unfailing field-
mark.

Black-throated Blue Warbler. Dendroica cceru-

lescens

5.28

Ad. $ . — Upper parts grayish-blue; a white patch in the wing ;
throat, and sides of head, sides of breast, and belly black ; rest of
breast and belly white. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts brownish or gray-
ish, tinged with green in strong light ; line over eye dull yel-
lowish-white; white wing-patch smaller than in male; under parts
dingy yellowish. Im. $. — Similar to ad. $, but upper parts
tinged with olive-green, the black somewhat veiled with white.
Im. 9 • — Similar to ad. 9 •

Nest, in a low bush or sapling, often in laurel, hemlock, or yew,
two feet or less from the ground. Eggs, wdiite, spotted with
brown, chiefly at the larger end.

The Black-throated Blue Warbler is a common summer
resident of northern New York and New England from

122 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Berkshire County, Mass., northward, and a rather common
migrant through southern New England and the lower

Fig. 20. Black-throated Blue Warbler Massachusetts or in the

Hudson Valley. In
summer it frequents, in the southern part of its range, cool
woods of deciduous trees, — beech, maple, and birch, —
where its drawling notes are as characteristic as those of
the Black and Yellow Warbler in the spruces.

The song varies somewhat in form and in length : a com-
mon form consists of three rather pure notes with a down-
ward inflection, followed by a fourth, hoarse note with rising
inflection, whee-a whee-a whee-a ivhee-ee ; another common
form consists of one short introductory note and two up-
ward hoarse notes, the whole given rapidly. The hoarse
drawling character of the last notes will always serve to
identify the song. The alarm-note is a rather heavy chuck.

The male is unmistakable ; the female and young are
rather puzzling birds, unless one can make out the small
white spot on the wing, and the whitish line over the eye.

Yellow Warbler ; Summer Yellowbird. Dendroica

cestiva

5.10

Ad. $ . — Entire bird yellow or yellowish; the crown in good
light bright yellow; the upper parts greenish-yellow; wings and
tail brownish; the breast streaked with reddish-brown. Ad. <?• —
Like the $, but crown not brighter than the back, breast not
streaked with reddish-brown.

YELLOW WARBLER 123

Nest, a neat gray cup in the fork of a bush or low tree. Eggs,
bluish-white or greenish-white, spotted with brown, generally in a
wreath around the larger end.

The Yellow Warbler is a summer resident of New York
and New England, arriving late in April or early in May,
and leaving about the middle of
August ; a few migrants from
the north are seen in Septem-
ber. It is common in central
and southern New England and
in the lower Hudson Valley, and
frequents orchards and gardens,

even in large cities : in the hilly

* ,, , J Fig. 21. Yellow Warbler

country of western Massachu-
setts and in northern New England it is much less common,
and is generally confined to the valleys of the large streams
and their tributaries. It is active, and a constant singer,
uttering its bright song from the morning of its arrival to
that of its departure. The song has two forms : one loud
and incisive, like the syllables ivee'-chee, chee, chee, chee'-
wee, the other less sharp and strong. (See under Chestnut-
sided Warbler, p. 118.) The alarm-note is a rather loud ch ij).
There is hardly any bird with which the Yellow Warbler
can be confused : none of the other warblers is so yellow-
ish above, except the Blue-winged WTarbler (see Fig. 23,
p. 128) ; the Goldfinch has black and white wings and tail,
and a black forehead. (See, also, p. 126, Nashville Warbler.)

Cape May Warbler. Dendroica tigrina

5.00

Ad. $. — Crown blackish ; patch back of eye orange-brown or
chestnut ; hack streaked with black; white patch on the wing;
rump yellow; under parts yellow, streaked with black. Ad. 9« —
Upper parts gray ; rump yellowish ; under parts white, tinged
with yellowish and streaked with dusky brown; white wing-bar
very narrow.

124 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Cape May Warbler is a very rare migrant through
New York and New England, generally occurring only when
the other migrating warblers are unusually abundant. It
should be looked for in the height of the spring migration,
about the middle of May, and again late in August and
September. It is probably less rare in western New Eng-
land, and is reported as tolerably common in the fall at
Sing Sing (Chapman). From 1871 to 1875 it bred ""really
abundantly in the coniferous forests about Lake Umbagog
in western Maine " (Brewster), but is now rarely found
breeding even in northern New England.

The song resembles the Black-poll's quite closely ; it
has been described as peculiarly " faint and listless," " a
monotonous zee-zee-zee-zee" lt sometimes with three zees,
sometimes with four, but always in an unhurried mono-
tone " (Torrey).

A male in spring plumage could be confused only with
the Black and Yellow Warbler, from which its black crown
and orange-brown ear-coverts should distinguish it.

Northern Partjla Warbler. Compsothlypis ameri-
cana usnece

4.73

Ad. $. — Upper parts and sides of head grayish-blue, with a
patch of greenish-yellow in the middle of the back ; wing-bars
ivhite ; throat and breast yellow, washed across the upper breast
with chocolate-brown; belly white. Ad. $. — Upper parts as in
male; breast without the brown band.

Nest, of nsnea, generally in a pendent bunch of the same moss.
Eggs, white, speckled with reddish-brown about the larger end.

The Parula Warbler breeds in swamps or deep moist
woods, wherever the trees are hung with the long gray usnea
moss. It is, therefore, found in summer in the white cedar
swamps of Cape Cod, southern Rhode Island, and Connec-
ticut, and throughout the damp forests of Berkshire County,

TENNESSEE WARBLER 125

Mass., and northern New York and New England. In the
vicinity of New York city, however, and throughout most
of southern New England, including the neighborhood of
Boston, it occurs chiefly as a migrant. It is often very com-
mon throughout May, and again in late September and early
October. It may then be seen wherever migrating warblers
are found, — in the village streets, about houses, and along
the edges of streams or swamps. It generally keeps well
up in the tops of trees, where it often clings like a Chicka-
dee to the ends of small twigs.

Like many of our other warblers the Parula has two
songs : one is easy to learn, a series of zee-like notes, which
rise quickly and end in a little zip, as if one were winding
up a little watch ; the other, though of a less distinctive
form, has the same hoarse quality.

This is our smallest warbler, and should be confused with
no other bird, if one can get a view of the bluish head, the
yellow throat, and white n-'uig-bars.

Tennessee Warblee. Helminthophila jjeregrina

5.00
Ad. $. — Top of head ash-gray; rest of upper parts olive-
green; under parts white. Ad. 9- — Similar, but top of head
tinged with greenish; under parts washed with yellowish.

The Tennessee Warbler is a migrant through New York
and New Englana, in May and September ; it is usually
very rare, though sometimes common in the autumn in the
lower Hudson Valley. On migration it frequents apple or-
chards and tall woodland trees, but in northern New Eng-
land, where it breeds sparingly, it frequents larch swamps
and occasionally spruce growth. On account of its lack of
bright colors it is the least likely of the rare warblers to
come under the notice of any but an expert field ornitholo-
gist. Its song is a series of sharp slfs, like a Black-poll's,

126 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

but with a decided change to a higher pitch in the middle
and a fall at the close. But for the sharp slender bill and the
smaller size the bird might pass for a Red-eyed Vireo, until
its song betrayed it.

Nashville Warbler. Helminthophila rubricapilla
4,77

Ad. — Top of head ashy, with a chestnut crown-patch some-
what hidden; rest of upper parts brown, tinged with greenish in
strong light; under parts bright yellow • ring around eye white or
yellowish-white. Im. — Similar, but head like back; under parts
not so bright.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, white, speckled with reddish-brown,
chiefly at the larger end.

The Nashville Warbler is a common summer resident of
portions of Xew York and New England. It is rare or
absent in the neighborhood of Xew York city, except as
a migrant, but breeds from Highland Falls northward. In
Connecticut it is generally distributed, but is not common in
the southern part of the State. In the upland of central and
northern New England it is common. It arrives early in
May, and leaves in September. It frequents land which is
partially overgrown with small trees and bushes, and as it is
one of the most active of an active family, it often leads a stu-
dent a very long chase before he gets a glimpse of its ashy head
and yellow under parts. Its song, however, is very charac-
teristic. It begins like a Black and White Warbler's, or
a Beds tart's, and ends with two or three quick phrases that
run down the scale, ivee-tse ivee-tse ivee-tse, chiddle ehiddle
chiddle. Occasionally the ending is omitted, leaving a puz-
zling beginning which is hard to tell from a Bedstart's song.

The chestnut crown-patch of the Nashville is often diffi-
cult to make out, but no other warbler has bright yellow
unstreaked under parts and an ashy head. The white eye-
ring, too, is diagnostic, if one can get a view of it. The

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER 127

Connecticut Warbler, which occurs only in the fall, also has
a whitish eye-ring, but its throat is not yellow.

Goldex- winged Warbler. Helminthophila chrysoptera

5.10

Ad. $ . — Crown yellow; upper parts ashy-gray; wings and tail
bluish-gray; patch on wing yellow; throat and stripe through eye
black, separated by a white stripe. Ad. $>• — Black of male re-
placed by gray.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, white, speckled with brown, chiefly
about the larger end.

The Golden-winged Warbler is a rather rare and local
summer resident of southern New England and eastern
New York. No other
New England bird has
such a restricted range.
It is rare in the Hudson
Valley, has been found
in New Hampshire only
in the Lower Merrimac
Valley, and not at all in
the interior of Massa, FlG' 22" Golden-winged Warbler

chusetts, unless in the Connecticut Valley near Springfield.
It is not rare in eastern Massachusetts, but is uncommon
in Rhode Island and southern Connecticut. It arrives in
May, and leaves in August. It frequents dry woodland,
particularly near open bush-grown pastures. Its song, though
like that of the Black-throated Green Warbler in its wheezy
quality, differs decidedly in form (see pp. 113, 114).

Blue-winged Warbler. HelminthophUa jpinus

4.80

Ad. $. — Crown bright yellow; back and rump bright olive-
green in strong light; a narrow black line through the eye ; wings
and tail bluish-gray; wing-bars white or yellowish- white; outer

128 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

tail-feathers showing white when spread; under parts bright yel-
low. Ad. 9. — Similar, but yellow of head restricted to the
forehead; under parts duller.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, white, thinly speckled with reddish-
brown.

The Blue-Winged Warbler does not occur north of
southern Connecticut and the Lower Hudson Valley, but

in most of this region it is
fairly common. It arrives early
in May and leaves early in
September. It is found in dry
busby fields, on the edges of
woodland, and sometimes even

in swampy growth. It is not
Fig. 23. Blue-winged Warbler , . - ,.

so active as many 01 the war-
blers, and gleans its food leisurely among the branches of
trees. Its song is characteristic ; the syllables zwee-churr,
both notes drawled, represent the ordinary song. It occa-
sionally utters a longer, more complicated series of notes.
From the Yellow Warbler it may readily be distinguished
by its gray wings and by the black line from the bill
through the eye.

Worm-eating Warbler. Helmitheros vermivorus
5.51

Ad. — Head with four black lines, two through the eyes, and
two on the top of the head, separated by huffy lines; back olive
green in strong light; throat huffy; breast and belly whitish.

Nest, on ground, always with the heads of a common moss, Poly-
trichum, in the lining. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Worm-eating Warbler is a regular, but not very com-
mon, summer resident of the lower Hudson Valley, is locally
common in northern New Jersey, and occurs locally in
southern Connecticut. It arrives in May and leaves in
August. It is a bird either of dry wooded banks, or of

BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER

129

swampy thickets, where it feeds either on the ground or in
the trees, gleaning among the twigs, or flying up to a bunch
of dried leaves to pick off an insect.
Its song is almost exactly like that
of a Chipping Sparrow ; in fact, if
one hears in dry woodland in the
region above denned what seems
to be a Chipping Sparrow singing
perhaps a bit faster than the aver-
age, the song should be followed to its source, and the singer
scrutinized. The clearly defined contrasting colors of its head
give it a trim appearance, and make it easy to identify.

Fig. 24. Worm-eating
Warbler

Black axd White Warbler. Mniotilta varia
5.30

Ad. $ . — Streaked everywhere, except on the throat and belly,
with black and white ; a broad streak of ivhite through the middle
of the black crown. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts streaked with brownish-
black and white ; under parts white, with obscure streakings on
the sides ; bill slender, slightly curved.

Nest, on the ground; generally in a depression. Eggs, white
with brown spots on the larger end.

The Black and White Warbler, or Black and White
Creeper, as it was formerly called, is a common summer resi-
dent of most of New York and Xew
England, becoming less common in
the northern portion of the region and
infrequent in the deep northern for-
ests. It arrives in the latter part of
April, and leaves in September. It is
found in woodland, particularly where FlG- 25- Black and White
trees and bushes grow near open spaces.

Here the bird may be seen following each large limb to its
extremity, peering now over one side, now over the other,
searching for the insects even on the under side.

130 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

When singing, the male sits on a twig, his long bill open,
uttering again and again the thin, wiry notes which consti-
tute his song, wee-see', ivee-see', wee-see', ivee-see'. In the
height of the breeding season there is often an intermediate
portion of the song in a lower key. Both birds utter a chat-
tering note when excited, but I have never heard the great
variety of notes which has been attributed to this species.
After a period of silence in early August, the song may oc-
casionally be heard again.

The Black and White Warbler may possibly be confused
with the Black-poll Warbler in spring, or with the Downy
Woodpecker. From the former, its manner of feeding and
the broad white stripe through its crown should distinguish
it (see Fig. 16, p. 115) ; from the latter it may be distin-
guished by its smaller size, slender bill, and by the absence
of a broad white stripe down the back (see Fig. 16, p. 115).
In strong light the contrast of the lustrous black and the
white gives the male almost a bluish look.

VIREOS : FAMILY VIREONID-51

Four Vireos occur in summer in nearly all southern New
York and New England, and another species passes through
as a migrant. In northern New York and New England,
especially in the upland, only two are common. The Red-
eyed Vireo is universally distributed ; it occurs wherever
there are trees. The White-eyed Vireo breeds commonly
in low thickets as far north as southern Rhode Island and
Connecticut, and rarely in eastern Massachusetts. The
Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos are birds of the
shade trees in village streets, or tall trees in groves or along
streams. The Solitary Vireo occurs in summer in the cool
northern woods, and as a migrant in the rest of New York
and New England. The Vireos feed in trees, hopping and
flying from one twig to another, keeping in fairly constant

WHITE-EYED VIREO 131

motion, but in a leisurely fashion. They are stouter than
warblers and their tails are shorter in proportion to their
length. They are unwearying singers, the Red-eye alone
furnishing a large proportion of the woodland chorus. All
the Vireos come down to the ground on occasions, for in-
stance to pick up nesting material, but as a rule only the
White-eye comes habitually below a line ten feet above the
ground ; the Red-eye and Solitary vary from ten to thirty ;
the Yellow-throat between twenty and thirty ; the Warbling
between thirty and sixty. All but the Yellow-throat are
chiefly gray in color. All the Vireos build neat, cup-shaped
nests, hung generally from a forked twig.

White-eyed Vireo. Vireo noveboracensis
5.27

Ad. — Upper parts greenish-yellow in strong light ; throat gray-
ish-white ; line from bill to and around eye yellow ; sides and belly
very yellow; wing-bars yellowish ; iris white, visible at a greater-
distance than the red iris of the Red-eyed Vireo.

Nest, a cup hung from a fork in a low horizontal bough, some-
times from a vine. Eggs, like the Red-eye's.

The White-eyed Vireo is a common summer resident in
southern Connecticut and in the vicinity of New York
city, but is rather local in Massachusetts, and absent north
of that State. It arrives early in May, and stays through
September. It frequents tangled thickets, particularly in
lowlands. It seems to be a more excitable bird than the
other Vireos, and begins to scold and sing whenever its
thicket is approached. It greets a visitor with a startlingly
energetic song, containing the notes chip-whee-oo. Besides
this phrase, the White-eye has a great variety of notes,
many of them imitative of other birds ; I have heard it
give the chip'-churr of the Tanager and the dick' -you of
the Chewink. Its scolding-note is a mew, suggesting that
of the Catbird.

132 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The White-eyed and Solitary Vireos both have a strong
yellow tinge on the sides of the belly, bnt in the former
the line to and around the eye is yellow, while in the lat-
ter it is white. The White-eye is small and is rare north of
Connecticut ; the Solitary is larger and breeds in northern
New England, passing through southern New England and
the Hudson Valley before the White-eye arrives.

Blue-headed Vireo ; Solitary Vireo. Vireo solitaries

5.61

Ad. — Top and sides of head dark slate-gray ; line from bill to
and around eye white ; back gray, with a greenish-yellow tinge in
strong light ; wing-bars white; throat and breast white; sides of
breast dark gray ; sides of belly greenish-yellow.

Nest, a cup, hung from a fork in a horizontal branch. Eggs,
white, sparsely spotted with brown at the larger end.

The Solitary Vireo is confined in summer to the Canadian
and the sub-Canadian areas, but is a common migrant
through the rest of New York and
New England, passing north in
the latter part of April and early
in May, and returning late in Sep-
tember and early in October. As
^^ a migrant it frequents almost any

Fig. 26. Solitary Vireo piece of woodland, often coming
into orchards and about houses.
It breeds in deep, cool woods, either evergreen or deciduous,
preferring possibly the former. It is much less common
than the Red-eye, and its voice is louder and richer, so that
as one passes along a woodland road, the Solitary Vireos
inhabiting the region are easily noted, and are found to be
separated by far greater intervals than the Red-eyes. The
song resembles that of the Red-eye in form, but it has a
sweeter, more appealing tone. Certain passages are charac-
teristic; one is a "double note," that is a phrase repeated

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO 133

quickly in a lower key ; another resembles the syllables
to-iveef-choo, the singer sliding from a high to a low note.
Sometimes the singer has a fit of ecstasy in which he runs
his phrases, ordinarily separated by considerable intervals,
rapidly together, and follows them by sweet twittering.
The song is not infrequently heard in the autumn, when
the bird is migrating south. The alarm-note is an unmusical
chatter, similar to that of the Yellow-throated Vireo.

The ivhite ring around the eye of the Solitary Vireo and
the ivhite line from the eye to the bill are excellent field-
marks.

Yellow-throated Vireo. Vireo fiavifrons
5.95

Ad. — Head and upper back greenish-yellow in strong light;
rest of back gray; wing-bars white; throat and breast bright yellow.

Nest, a cup hung from a twig, from ten to twenty-five feet above
the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with brown at the larger end.

The Yellow-throated Vireo is a summer resident in cen-
tral and southern New York and New England ; it is rare
north of Massachusetts. It arrives in early May, and stays
till the middle of September. Like the Warbling Vireo it
prefers the shade trees in the village streets and about houses,
and the tall trees along streams; in the northern part of its
range it is found only along the alluvial flood plains of large
rivers. After an interval of silence in August, it sings again
in September, especially early in the morning, and continues
to do so till its departure.

The song in form resembles those of the Red-eye and
the Solitary, and differs from that of the Warbling Vireo.
It is made up of separate phrases, one with a rising, the
next with a falling inflection. The notes are louder and
richer than those of the Red-eye, but generally harsher and
more querulous than those of the Solitary. The phrases are
separated by considerable intervals, giving the song a more

134 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

leisurely character than that of the Red-eye. The male has
a harsh chattering note with which he scolds intruders.

The bright yellow throat should distinguish this bird
from other vireos. It resembles the Pine "Warbler very
closely in coloration, and during migration the two might
occur in the same places. Ordinarily, however, the Vireo
would rarely, if ever, be found in evergreens, and the Pine
Warbler rarely away from them. The songs of the two
species are very different, and on close inspection the Vireo
is seen to be heavier, with a stout bill, while the Pine
Warbler has a more slender bill.

Warbling Vireo. Vireo gilvus
5.80

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray; under parts grayish-white,
with a slight yellowish tinge on the belly; a whitish streak over
eye, but no dark line through it.

Nest, a cup hung from a fork, from twenty to forty feet up.
Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown at the larger end.

The Warbling Vireo is a rather common summer resi-
dent of southern and central New England and of the
lower Hudson Valley. In northern
New York and New England it is
confined to the neighborhood of vil-
lages in the vallejs. In most of
New England, in fact, it is a bird

of the village street rather than of
Fig. 27. Warbling Vireo °

the woodland, though it is also

found in tall trees along streams. It arrives a little earlier
in May than the Red-eyed Vireo, and leaves in September.
The Warbling Vireo is less frequently seen than the Red-
eye, as it often stays for hours in tall shade-trees, but its
song is uttered constantly, and affords an easy means of dis-
tinguishing it from its relative. It is a true warble, that
is, a succession of smooth notes run into one another, and

PHILADELPHIA VIREO 135

though repeated in the height of the breeding season more
than four thousand times a day, never varies perceptibly.
The song of the Red-eye is made up of short phrases of
almost endless variety. Beginners often have great diffi-
culty in distinguishing the song of the Warbling Vireo from
that of the Purple Finch. The song of the Finch is ex-
tremely rapid arid energetic ; the Vireo's is deliberate and
languid compared with the burst of melody that the Finch
utters. The Warbling Vireo, after a period of silence in
August, sings again in September, but only for a short time,
early each morning. Both sexes have a querulous call-note,
which suggests the mew of the Catbird.

If seen at close range, the Warbling Vireo may be" dis-
tinguished from the Bed-eye by the different appearance of
the side of the head ; there is no dark streak through the
eye, nor is the light line over the eye bordered above by a
black line. From the following species it may be distin-
guished by the absence of a yellowish tinge on the throat
and breast.

Philadelphia Vireo. Vireo philadelphicus
4.75

Ad. — Upper parts grayish, tinged with green in strong light;
top of head clear gray; cheek gray; a whitish line over eye; under
parts distinctly but not strongly tinged with yellow.

Nest and eggs, like those of the Red-eyed Vireo, but slightly
smaller.

The Philadelphia Vireo breeds from northern New Eng-
land northward, and in most of New York and New Eng-
land occurs only as a very rare migrant, generally in Sep-
tember or early October. In northeastern Maine, in the
vicinity of Lake Umbagog, and at Dixville Notch, N. H., it
is not uncommon. Here it frequents the thin growth of
poplar and bird-cherry in clearings and along roadsides
rather than the deeper woods. A male sang constantly in

136 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

June, 1903, in a group of birches almost under the eastern
windows of The Balsams, at Dixville Notch.

The song is at times identical with that of the Red-eye,
though generally a little more languid. One phrase sug-
gests, in form, but not at all in power and sweetness, the
double note of the Solitary Vireo. The scolding-note is a
harsh twee-twee-tivee, which closely resembles that of the
Warbling Vireo.

A good look at the bird should leave no doubt of its
identity ; the side of the head resembles the Warbling
Vireo instead of the Bed-eye, but the entire under parts,
particularly the breast, are distinctly tinged with yellow.
(See Brewster, " Auk," 1903, p. 369, and Dwight, " Auk,"
1897, p. 259.)

Bed-eyed Vireo. Vireo olivaceus
6.23

Ad. — Upper parts brownish, with a greenish tinge in strong
light; crown gray, bordered on each side by a blackish line; line
over the eye white ; dusky stripe through eye ; under parts white,
with no tinge of yellow.

Nest, a cup hung from a fork, from five to twenty-five feet up.
Eggs, white, spotted with brown, chiefly at the larger end.

The Bed-eyed Vireo is a very common summer resident
throughout New York and New England, arriving in May,
and sometimes staying into October.
It lives in deciduous trees, and may
be found wherever they occur, — in
the woods, orchards, plantations, vil-
lage or city streets. It is a constant
\' singer, so constant, in fact, that its

Fig. 28. Red-eyed Vireo gong ig yery generauy overlooked.

It is only when one's ears are opened that we realize how
large a proportion of the daily chorus of bird-song is fur-
nished by the Bed-eye. The bird itself spends so much of

RED-EYED VIREO 137

his time among the leaves that unless one knows his song
and follows it to its source one sees little of the singer.
A male often sings for a long time on one twig, merely
turning his head from side to side.

The song is made up of separate phrases of from two to
fonr syllables, with either a rising or a falling inflection, as
if the bird were carrying on a conversation. The phrases are
separated by very short intervals, and vary greatly. Certain
forms recur, but in no fixed order. Beginners have much
difficulty in distinguishing the song of the Red-eye from
that of the Robin. This latter is a true song, an outburst of
melody in which the same phrases are repeated in a definite
sequence and after a certain interval. There is more power,
too, in the voice. The Red-eye's phrases are each separated
by a slight interval, so that it is impossible to say when the
song is over ; it goes on practically all day. The songs of
the Yellow-throated and the Solitary Vireo resemble that
of the Red-eye in form, but each possesses more power, and
the latter greater sweetness.

To distinguish a Red-eye when not in song from the
warblers which frequent the tree-tops, it is necessary to get
a view of the pure white under parts, and to note the
heavier proportions, and the more leisurely behavior. From
the Warbling Vireo it may be distinguished either by the
markings on the side of the head (see Fig. 27), or by the
song (see p. 135). The red eye is visible only at very short
range, when the female, for instance, is sitting in the nest
and allows a very near approach.

SHRIKES : FAMILY LANIIDiE

Loggerhead Shrike. Lanius ludovicianus
9.00
Ad. — Top of head and back ash-gray; black lines extending
from sides of throat through the eyes and meeting over the bill;

138 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

wings and tail black and white; under parts grayish-white. Im.
in summer. — Top of head and back brownish-gray; breast washed
with brownish; black lines hardly extending beyond the eye, and
not meeting over the bill.

Nest, in a thick bush or tree, often a hawthorn bush. Eggs,
whitish, thickly marked with brown.

The Loggerhead Shrike is a not uncommon summer resi-
dent of the Lake Champlain Valley. It breeds rarely in the

rest of northern New England,
and is a very rare migrant in
southern New England and
the Hudson Valley. Its habit
of perching on the tips of trees
or bushes, and its contrasting

colors, gray, black, and white,
Fig. 29. Loggerhead Shrike n ., , -,

make it easy to observe and

recognize. It feeds on grasshoppers, frogs, and mice, and, to

a certain extent, on small birds, and impales its prey on

thorns. Its song is described as low and musical, and its

call-notes as harsh and unmusical. The ordinary shrike in

New England between October and April is the Northern

Shrike. The Loggerhead is over an inch smaller than its

relative, and the black marks in front of the eyes meet

across the forehead.

Northern Shrike. Lanius borealis

10.32

-4c?. — Upper parts ash-gray, becoming whitish on the forehead,
over the eye, and on the rump; a blackish stripe back of the eye,
extending to the base of the bill, but not over it; wings and tail
black and white; under parts grayish-white, crossed with dark
wavy lines which show only at close range. Im. — Upper parts
grayish-brown; wings and tail duller; under parts much more
distinctly covered with wavy lines of dark gray.

The Northern Shrike is a winter visitant in New York
and New England ; rare in some years, not uncommon in

NORTHERN SHRIKE 139

others. It arrives in October, and leaves towards the end
of March. Each Shrike, on its arrival from the north,
apparently settles for the
winter in a fixed region,
which becomes its regular
hunting-ground. Here one
finds, during the winter,
mice, small birds, and grass-
hoppers wedged in the forks <-;^

of low trees or bushes, or im- ^ on XT .. „. ..

. ' Fig. 30. Northern Shrike

paled on thorny twigs, and

occasionally a Shrike is seen dashing at a flock of frightened
birds, and pursuing its victim till it is exhausted and caught.
At other times it perches on the top of some tree or bush.

The Shrike sings occasionally all through the winter, but
more often in February and March. The song is a medley
of harsh calls, mews, and screams, never very loud, inter-
spersed with some rather sweet notes ; it suggests the song
of the Catbird. Its call-notes are extremely harsh and grating.

A Shrike in adult plumage is unmistakable. Young birds
lack the bright black and white of the adults, but they may
be recognized by their rather plump look, habit of tilting the
tail on alighting, and by the characteristic flight, two or
three rapid wing strokes, followed by a scaling flight on set
wings. A close inspection will show the heavy bill with
its hooked tip. (See Mockingbird, p. 96, and Loggerhead
Shrike, p. 138.)

WAXWINGS, ETC.: FAMILY AMPELID-ffi

Cedar Waxwing ; Cedar-bird. Arwpelis cedrorum
7.19

Ad. $ . — Head and throat rich snuff-color, fading into grayish-
brown on the back and breast; under parts yellowish; wings and
tail ash-gray; tail tipped with yellow ; shorter wing-feathers often

140 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

tipped with red; line from bill through eye black; long crest-
feathers often conspicuously elevated.

Nest, of grass, stalks of weeds, etc., on the limb of a tree, from
ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, gray or bluish, spotted with black or
dark brown.

A few Cedar-birds are occasionally seen in southern New
England and the lower Hudson Valley in early winter, and
in mid-winter great flocks appear, especially near the coast,
and feed on the berries of the red cedar. In April these
birds often disappear, and the breeding birds do not arrive
till May. These come in small flocks, and do not pair till
June, and often do not build till July. They now frequent
almost every kind of country where both trees and open
spaces occur, nesting in orchards, neglected pastures, and
open spaces in woodland throughout New England and
New York. In the upland region of middle New England
they are among the most abundant birds. In late summer
they gather about water, and spend much time flying out or
up after insects. They are very fond of small fruits, and in.
September gather in flocks, often with Robins, in the rum-
cherry trees. By November they have almost all disap-
peared. The young in early fall have none of the rich brown
of the parents, being of a much grayer shade, with streaked
breasts. Cedar-birds often fly in compact flocks, which wheel
on set wings before alighting. Their only note throughout
the year is a wheezy lisp.

SWALLOWS : FAMILY HIRUNDINID^J

Five species of Swallow (the Chimney Swallow, so called,
is really a Swift ; see p. 210) occur throughout New York
and New England. The Barn Swallow is by far the com-
monest, and is found wherever old-fashioned barns exist;
though a meadow-haunting bird in inland regions, it is a
constant visitor along the sea-beaches, and over bays and

ROUGH-WIXGED SWALLOW

141

harbors. The Bank Swallow occurs over lakes and streams
near steep banks of sand. The other three — the White-
bellied Swallow, the Eave Swallow, and the Purple Mar-
tin— are more or less local, and may be wholly absent from
any given locality. Where the Eave Swallow occurs at all,
it is generally found in large colonies. The White-bellied
Swallow is common in the Maine wilderness, nesting in dead
trees, and is an abundant migrant along the salt marshes and
where bay berries abound, hovering over the marshes by day,
and gathering at night in enormous flocks.

Rough-wixged Swallow. Stelgidopteryx serripennis
5.75

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown; throat and breast broivnish-
gray ; belly white. Im. — Similar to adult, but wings tinged with
cinnamon.

Nest, in holes in sand banks, or in a crevice of masonry or a
ledge of rock.

The Rough-winged Swallow is a summer resident of the
lower Hudson Valley, locally common at Riverdale, Hast-

ings,

and Sing Si

it occurs

here and there in northern New
Jersey, and in southwestern
Connecticut as far north as Hart-
ford. Erom the rest of Xew
England it is apparently absent,
though a pair has bred for many
years in a limestone quarry at
North Adams, Mass. It arrives

Fig. 31. Rough-winged
Swallow

in April and leaves in August.

The Rough-winged Swallow
often breeds in banks with Bank Swallows, and can then
hardly be distinguished from the Bank Swallow except by
a trained observer ; the upper parts are very similar, but
the throat of the Rough-wing is darker, and the middle of

142 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

the breast lighter than in the Bank Swallow, so that there is
no appearance of a dark band across the breast. The choice
of a nesting-site is often a clue to the bird's identity ; if
one sees in the region above denned what is apparently a
Bank Swallow entering a crevice in masonry or in a natural
ledge of rock, or a hole in a building, one may be pretty
confident that it is a Rough-winged Swallow.

Bank Swallow. Riparia riparia

5.20

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown ; under parts white ; a
brownish band across the breast • tail slightly forked.
Nest, in a hole in a sandy bank. Eggs, white.

The Bank Swallow is a summer resident throughout
New York and New England, arriving late in April, and
leaving early in September. Over
the surface of the large New Eng-
land rivers, from the Housatonic to
the Penobscot, and up the valleys
of their tributaries, far into the
mountains, little bands of these
small brown swallows hunt back
and forth throughout the summer.

Fig. 32. Bank Swallow Banks °f cla^ 0r Saild> Cut thr0U§h
by the river, are breeding-sites for

colonies of them ; occasionally they take possession of a
deserted gravel-pit. Here the little toes scratch out holes
which run two or three feet into the bank ; often there are
many holes close to each other, and perhaps a Kingfisher's
hole, twice as large as the swallow's, among them.

The small size of the Bank Swallow, the absence of any
blue or greenish lustre, and its harsh, gritty note easily dis-
tinguish it from all other adult Swallows, except in south-
western Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley. Here
the Rough-winged Swallow must be taken into considera-

TREE SWALLOW 143

tion (see p. 141). Young White-bellied Swallows have
brown upper parts, and in their first plumage a wash of
brown on the sides of the breast, but no decided band
entirely across the breast, as in the Bank Swallow.

Tree Swallow; White-bellied Swallow. Iridoprocne

b [color

5.90

Ad. $. — Upper parts greenish-blue, especially bright in
strong light ; under parts pure ivhite ; tail notched, but not deeply.
Ad. 9 . — Upper parts usually duller. Im. — Upper parts brown ;
a faint incomplete dusky collar across the breast.

Nest, in a hole in a tree, or in a box. Eggs, white.

The White-bellied Swallow is a summer resident through-
out New England and the Hudson Valley, but it is only
locally common. Many of the
boxes formerly tenanted by Swal-
lows are now occupied by English
Sparrows. In pure farming coun-
try, as along the Concord River,
the WThite-bellied Swallow is still
a characteristic feature of the farm.
In wilder country, in northern
New England, and occasionally
throughout its range, it nests in FlG" 33> Tree Swallow
deserted woodpecker holes in trees. About the first of
April the earliest arrivals appear along the sea-shore, or
over some lake or river, and in a week or two their
shrill notes are heard about the farmhouses where they
breed. As early as July migrants begin to return from the
north, and multitudes now collect over the marshes and
along the beaches at the sea-shore, fringing the telegraph
wires for rods, hovering in clouds over the bay berry
bushes, the fruit of which they eat, or sunning themselves
on the sand. A few stay into October.

V

144 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The notes of the Tree Swallow are generally sharp and
high, but occasionally sweet and twittering. Near a breed-
ing-site the male may be heard singing before dawn, either
from the box, or as he flies to and fro in the darkness.

The pure white under parts distinguish this swallow
from both the Barn and Eave Swallows, each of which has
a reddish-brown chin. The Bank or Sand Swallow has a
brownish band across the upper breast. Young White-
bellied Swallows not only lack the steel-blue of the adult,
but have a faint brownish collar nearly across the breast ;
they must therefore be carefully distinguished from the
Bank Swallow, which has a broad dark band completely
across the breast. The flight of all four swallows may be
distinguished after much practice. The White-bellied often
hangs in the wind with outspread wings and tail, and back
curved like a dolphin.

Barn Swallow. Hirundo erythrogastra
6.95

Ad. — Entire upper parts, except the forehead, deep purplish-
blue ; forehead, upper breast, and throat chestnut ; sides of throat
and upper breast bluish ; lower breast and belly varying from sal-
mon to whitish ; outer tail-feathers long and narrow • tail, when
spread, much spotted with white. Im. — Outer tail-feathers shorter
than in adult.

Nest, made chiefly of mud mixed with straw and lined with
feathers, placed commonly against a rafter of an open barn. Eggs,
white, speckled with brown and lavender.

The Barn Swallow is a very common summer resident of
all New York and New England, wher-
ever there is any grass-land. It arrives
towards the end of April, and leaves
early in September. It builds a nest of
straw and mud on a rafter of a barn or
Fig. 34. Tail of Bam shed> or occasionally on some projection
Swallow outside, but not fastened by the side

CLIFF SWALLOW 145

under the eaves. In late June the old birds are very busy,
hawking for insects over the tall grass in the meadows, and
flying in and out through the open door, or through a
broken pane. In July the young appear, sitting on the
shingles on the slope of the roof, or later on the dead
branches of neighboring trees, or on the fences. Here they
are still fed by the parents. A little later, they too are
constantly on the wing and are fed in the air, the old bird
and the young one mounting upward together, their breasts
almost touching. The young at this season lack the long
outer tail-feathers.

The Barn Swallow's notes are pleasing and often musical.
In the barn, or when flying in friendly companies, they
utter a gentle twitter. "When they become excited, this
changes to a more emphatic kit-tic. The male often sings
a song of some length, which ends with a very curious rub-
bery note. The song is uttered either high in air or from
the barn ridge-pole.

When a Barn Swallow perches, the long outer tail-
feathers show like two long needle-points projecting beyond
the wings. These long feathers and the white in the tail
distinguish the Barn Swallow from all the other swallows.

Cliff Swallow ; Eave Swallow. Petrochelidon

lunifrons

6.01

Ad. — Head dark blue; forehead cream-white; back dark, with

bluish reflections; rump pale hrick-red ; throat deep chestnut; belly

whitish; tail square or fan-shaped in flight.

Nest, of mud, under the eaves of barns or outbuildings. Eggs,
white, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Eave Swallow is a summer resident of Xew England
and New York, arriving about the first of May, and leaving
early in September. In some regions it is very abundant, but
it is often absent from wide areas, as about Boston. Even

146 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

where it does not breed, it may be observed as a migrant near
large bodies of water. Its ordinary note is a harsh mono-
syllable.

In western Massachusetts and in northern New England,
colonies, numbering frequently over fifty nests, may be

found under the eaves of barns
on large farmsteads ; these colo-
nies are often a mile or so apart,
whereas the Barn Swallow in-
habits almost every outbuilding
along the road. Toward the end
of May, Eave Swallows are seen
hovering daintily over mud-
puddles, or flying with a pellet
of mud to their half-finished
nests. These are composed of
mud, and are gray when dry ;
they are placed outside of the
barn, directly under the eaves,
and are often retort-shaped, that
is, furnished with a neck bent
away from the round body of
the nest.

The sitting female often
thrusts out her head, showing
the cream-white frontlet, and in early July, as the parents
fly up to the nests from below, or cling to the entrance,
they show the reddish-brown nun p.

Purple Martin. Progne subis
8.00

Ad. Z- — Entire body glossy blue-black ; wings and tail brown.
Ad. 9 . — Upper parts, wings, and tail brown, glossed on the head
and back with purple; throat and forehead gray; breast brown;
belly whitish.

Nest, in " martin boxes." Eggs, white.

Fig. 35. Cliff Swallow

SCAKLET TANAGER 147

The Purple Martin is a summer resident throughout New
York and New England, but it is extremely local, and ap-
parently growing more rare. Martin boxes set up on tall
poles are an interesting feature of many villages and farm-
steads, but through large sections of the country, most of
Berkshire County, Mass., for instance, Martins are entirely
absent. They seem to have a decided preference for the
valleys of slow streams, where they may hawk over exten-
sive meadows and sheets of water. They return to their
boxes toward the end of April, and leave New England
before September.

Their loud, deep voices and the rich blue-black of the
males make them attractive neighbors. They spend much
time sitting on the doorsteps, so to speak, of their houses,
— the ledge before the entrance to the box. In July the
young birds are seen thrusting their heads out for food.
The ordinary notes are a deep musical peiv, pew, peiv, and
a twitter like that of the Barn Swallow, but richer. They
have also a harsh squeak. The colonies nearest Boston are
in West Roxbury, Hyde Park, Dedham, Lexington, and
Concord ; near New York city there are colonies at Plain-
field, N. J.

TANAGERS: FAMILY TANAGRID^I

Scarlet Tastager. P-iranga erythromelas
7.25

Ad. $. — Entire body bright scarlet; wings and tail black.
Ad. 9- — Upper parts greenish; wings and tail brown; under
parts yellowish. Ad. $ in autumn. — Like the 9 > but wings and tail
black. Im. — Like the female, but $ has black wing coverts.

Nest, of fine twigs, loosely built, on a limb, seven to twenty
feet up. Eggs, bluish, with reddish-brown markings.

The Scarlet Tanager is a summer resident throughout
New England and New York, common in southern New

148 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

England, especially in oak and chestnut woods, rarer in the
evergreen forests of northern New York and New England.
It arrives early in May, and is occasionally seen in Sep-
tember. The Tanager is chiefly a bird of the forest trees,
though it not infrequently nests about houses in well-
wooded towns or villages. It is not a very active bird, and
unless its note attracts attention, it escapes observation to
such a degree that it is commonly considered rare.

Its song, rhythmical, hoarse, and not long sustained, sug-
gests a Robin with a cold. Occasionally, in the height of the
breeding season, it is a prolonged and sweet performance.
Both sexes have a characteristic call-note, chip-churr, the
last note lower. The female can hardly be confused with
anything else ; it is hard, however, to think of a yellow-
ish bird, with greenish upper parts, as a " Scarlet "
Tanager.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.: FAMILY FRIN-
GILLIDiE

The Sparrow family includes a larger proportion of the
bird population of any region than any other family, but
many of its representatives go by the name of Finches, or
conceal their relationship by other names. One branch of the
family contains chiefly bright tree-haunting birds of north-
ern affinities. Many of these are of only irregular occur-
rence in southern New England ; such are the Crossbills, the
Redpoll, and the Pine Grosbeak. The Goldfinch is common
throughout New York and New England, and the Purple
Finch common north of Connecticut. Another branch of
the family includes three or four bright-colored birds of
southern affinities ; these are the Indigo-bird, the Rose-
breasted Grosbeak, the Cardinal, and the Chewink. The
rest of the family is mainly made up of the brown, ground-
haunting birds, that are commonly referred to as Sparrows.

INDIGO BUNTING 149

These inhabit every sort of country except the deep forest ;
some are local, and never occur except in salt marshes or wet
meadows ; others, like the Song Sparrow and the Chipping
Sparrow, are widely distributed. The White-crowned. Tree,
and Fox Sparrows breed north of the United States, and
occur here only as migrants ; others, such as the White-
throated Sparrow and the Junco breed only in northern New
York and New England. In trying to identify a brown
Sparrow one should notice first of all whether the breast is
streaked or not ; the next important point to settle is the
presence or absence of yellow, buff, or black lines on the
side of the head.

Indigo Bunting; Indigo-bird. Cyanospiza cyanea
5.59

Ad. $. — Entire body deep indigo-blue, deepest on the head,
often with greenish reflections; wings and tail brown, the feathers
margined with blue. Ad. 9 aild Im. — Upper parts light brown,
unstreaked ; under parts grayish, washed with brown, especially
on the breast ; wings and tail sometimes margined with bluish,
Ad. $ in autumn. — Like the 9, but wings and tail decidedly
bluish.

Nest, in low bushes, a foot or two from the ground. Eggs,
white.

The Indigo-bird is a common permanent resident of New
England and New York, very common on the upland region
of New England, but not known to occur on Cape Cod. It
arrives early in May, and remains till October. It frequents
bushy roadsides, overgrown pastures, and the edges of wood-
land. In the fall it is found in low gardens or cornfields,
or neglected weedy spots.

The male generally sings from the top of some low tree,
where his deep color fades into the blue or light-colored
background of the sky. The song is difficult for beginners
to remember ; it consists often of sets of phrases given in a

150 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

high key, then repeated in a slightly lower key, growing
feebler as the song ends. It resembles the syllables swee-
sivee-swee, swee-swee (slightly lower), siceet-sweet-siveet,
swee-swee (slightly lower), swee, swee, swee. The song is
heard constantly through July and into August.

The male can be confused only with the Bluebird, and
then only if the under parts are not seen ; no other New
England bird is blue all over. The female may be known
by her unstreaked brown back, her brownish under parts,
and her habit of twitching the tail sideways as she appears
and disappears in the roadside thickets.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Zamelodia ludoviciana
8.12

Ad. $. — Head, throat, upper back, wings, and tail black;
wings and tail much spotted with white ; lower back white ;
breast rose-red, a stripe of this color often extending down the
white belly, and a salmon tinge under the wings ; bill large,
white when seen from below. Ad. 9- — The black of the male
replaced by brown ; back and breast streaked ; bar across the
wing and line over eye, white • line through crown white, streaked
with brown; bill large, light colored. Ad. $ in late summer and
fall. — Head brown ; line above eye whitish ; back brown ; rump
whitish; breast pink, veiled with buff ; wings and tail jet-black and
white. Im. $ . — Similar to ad. $ in late summer, but piuk not
so extensive ; wings and tail brown.

Nest, of twigs, loosely constructed, from five to twenty-five
feet up in bush or tree. Eggs, pale blue, with numerous brown
markings.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a summer resident through-
out New York and New England, common in some regions,
but rare in others, for instance on Long Island. It is said
not to occur on Cape Cod, and in the upland of northern
New England, though found even high up on the moun-
tains, it is nowhere common. It arrives in May, and
remains into September. Of late years it has shown a
preference for villages, and even for city streets, if well-

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 151

shaded ; it also occurs in orchards, but apparently its natural
habitat is a growth of young trees or saplings, particularly
in low ground. In midsummer it is often seen in potato-
fields, collecting the slugs of the potato-beetle to carry to
its young.

The song of the Rose -breasted Grosbeak is a fine, power-
ful warble, with some of the cadence of the Robin's song,

Fig. 36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Female

though faster ; a " glorified Robin," Burroughs has called
it. Its alarm-note is a sharp, metallic click.

The female looks like an overgrown sparrow, and may
readily be told by her large bill, the white line over her
eye, and the white on the wing. As the male flies, he shows
a ring of white, formed by the white in his wing.

Cardinal. Cardinalis cardinalis

8.25

Ad. $. — Top and sides of head, conspicuous crest, and under
parts bright red; forehead and throat black; back, wings, and tail
tinged with gray; bill red. Ad. £. — Crest, wings, and tail dull

152 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

reddish; upper parts brownish ; throat gray; rest of under parts
dull buffy, sometimes showing a trace of red on the breast; bill
light-colored. Im. — Similar to 9, but bill blackish.

Nest, in bushes or vines, of twigs, bark, and rootlets. Eggs,
white or bluish-white, spotted with brown or lavender.

The Cardinal is a permanent resident of northern New
Jersey, Staten Island, and the lower Hudson Valley, as far
north as Hastings ; it . is rare on Long Island, but is not
uncommon in Central Park ; in New England it occurs only
as an accidental visitor. It frequents thickets, especially
along streams, mounting tall trees to utter its loud, pure
whistle, but seeking its food in the shrubbery, or on the
ground. In winter it frequents warm hollows on sheltered
hillsides.

Its notes are too numerous to transcribe, but are nearly all
loud and clear ; the same note is generally repeated with
energy and rapidly. Some common forms of the song re-
semble the syllables whoit, ichoit, whoit, etc., ku, ku, kit,
etc. ; one form ends in a series of ee's " so long continued
that it apparently ends only when the singer becomes out
of breath." The female also has sweet whistled notes, and
both sexes utter as an alarm-note a sharp tsip, slight in pro-
portion to the size of the bird.

There is no other bird in New York or New England
with which the male Cardinal can be confused ; the Tan-
ager has black wings and tail, and no crest. The female
shows a reddish tinge in her crest, wings, and tail, and,
like the male, has a trick of nervously jerking her tail
upward.

Towhee ; Chewixk. Pipilo erythrophthalmus

8.35

Ad. $ . — Head, throat, breast, back, wings, and tail black; the
wing-feathers margined with white; the outer tail-feathers with
large white spots; belly white; flanks chestnut. Ad. 9- — The
black of the male replaced by a light reddish-brown • otherwise

TOWHEE

153

Fig. 37. Towhee

similar. Im. — Head and back brown; breast streaked with black;
wings brown and white; tail as in ad.

Nest, on the ground, often under a heap of brush. Eggs, white,
evenly speckled with brown.

The Chewink is a common summer resident of southern
and central New England and of the Hudson Valley. In
the northern parts of New York and
New England it is confined to the more
settled portions, and frequents pastures
that are becoming overgrown with
bushes. It arrives late in April, and
stays into October. It is abundant in
scrubby oak, such as is common on
Cape Cod and on Martha's Vineyard.
When undisturbed, it scratches ener-
getically in the dry leaves under the bushes, or mounts some
low tree to sing.

The song varies considerably, but as a rule resembles the
syllables dick-yoo, chiddle-chiddle-chiddle. The Chewink
has two broods, and therefore
sings well „into July. The
alarm-note, chi-icee1, has given
the bird its name ; often the
southern name, Joree, 'seems
to suggest the note better.
During the breeding season
it has a sharp, sibilant call-
note which suggests the sst
of certain of the sparrows.

When startled, the Chewink
flies with jerks of its widespread tail, so that the large
white spots on the outer tail-feathers show clearly. When
seen from below, the angle made where the black breast
meets the white belly is an excellent field-mark. At close
range the bright red iris is conspicuous.

Fig. 38. Tail of Towhee

154 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca

7.26

Ad. — Top of head and back reddish-brown and gray; tail red-
dish-brown ; sides of throat and breast thickly marked with bright
reddish-brown spots, forming a heavy blotch in the centre of the
breast; belly and sides marked with dark brown arrow-shaped
spots.

The Fox Sparrow is a common migrant through New
York and New England from the middle of March to the
end of April, and from the middle of October to the end of
November. The bushes along the edges of cultivated fields
and open places in woods are the resort of this large and
handsome sparrow. When a flock of Fox Sparrows are
startled from the ground, they generally fly into a tree, one
after another, instead of diving headlong into cover after
the manner of their frequent companions the Song Spar-
rows. The rich tawny color of the back and head, and par-
ticularly the reddish-brown tail, are then conspicuous.
When seen on the ground, the large arrow-shaped mark-
ings on the white breast and flanks are prominent. When
on the ground, they scratch with both feet at once, jumping
forward and back, often making a noticeable rustling among
the leaves. Often the little flocks which we meet are silent,
but sometimes they sing freely.

The song is loud and rich, one of the finest of sparrow
songs ; there is a suggestion of generosity and courage in
the manner of its delivery and the fullness of its tone ; it
is occasionally heard in the autumn. The ordinary call-note
is a st, similar to that of the Song Sparrow and the White-
throat, but slightly heavier. The bird also utters a chuck
of alarm.

The fox color should distinguish this sparrowr from the
others. Certain Song Sparrows, especially those seen in early
spring, are so unusually reddish-brown on the upper parts,
that a beginner might be puzzled to decide whether they

SWAMP SPARROW 155

were Song Sparrows or Fox Sparrows, but as in many simi-
lar cases, a doubtful Fox Sparrow is probably a spurious
one ; the genuine Fox Sparrow is so very tawny that, when
he really appears, no doubt of his identity is left in the
mind. The White-throated Sparrow's period of migration
slightly overlaps the Fox Sparrow's, both in April and
October, but the tail of the former is grayish-brown. The
Fox Sparrow is not infrequently mistaken for the Hermit
Thrush ; the tail is reddish-brown in both birds, but the
back and head of the Thrush and his breast-markings have
none of the rich tawny color of the Sparrow.

Swamp Sparrow. Melospiza georgiana
5.89

Ad. in summer. — Crown rich reddish-brown, blackish on the
forehead; back brown, streaked with black; wings reddish-brown;
breast and sides of throat ashy gray, uustreaked; throat whitish;
flanks washed with brownish. Ad. in winter and Im. — Crown
streaked with black and reddish-brown.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, whitish, thickly covered with brown-
ish markings.

The Swamp Sparrow breeds in any extensive grassy
swamp throughout New England and the Hudson Valley,
arriving early in April, and remaining through October.
Along the sea-coast of southern New England and New
York, where the winter is not very severe, it occasionally
winters in the edges of the cat-tail swamps. In migration,
especially in September and early October, when Swamp
Sparrows are often abundant, they may occur at some dis-
tance from swamps or wet meadows.

The song of the Swamp Sparrow is simple but musical,
as if a Chipping Sparrow were singing in the marshes an
unusually sweet song. Toward evening the birds make
many little twittering and scolding sounds, as they pursue
each other to and fro. The call-note is a metallic chink,

156 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

resembling that of the White-throated Sparrow, but a little
less heavy.

In spring the chestnut crown and reddish-brown of the
wings, without white bars, distinguish the Swamp Sparrow
from all but the Chipping Sparrow ; the latter, however,
never resorts to the wet swamp lands and has a more slen-
der, less stocky figure (see p. 162). In the fall the un-
streaked breast distinguishes it from the Song Sparrows
which abound in the swamps at that season. The Swamp
Sparrow has a square whitish throat-patch, but it is far
less conspicuous than the pure white throat of the White-
throated Sparrow ; the latter moreover may readily be dis-
tinguished by its greater size and the black and white head
markings. (See Fig. 45, p. 164.)

Lincoln's Sparrow. Melospiza lincolnii

5.7 5

Ad. — Upper parts brown, finely streaked with black and gray;
under parts white, finely streaked with black, and washed across
the breast with buff.

The Lincoln's Sparrow, or Lincoln's Finch, is a rare
migrant through New York and New England in May, late
September, and early October. It is probably less rare in
western New England than along the eastern coast. In
spring it frequents the bushes on the edges of swampy or
wet places, especially in valleys which are good migration
routes. In the fall it accompanies the migrant Song and
Swamp Sparrows, and may be found near the grassy swamps
and wet meadows where these species then congregate. It
rarely sings on migration, and only occasionally utters its
alarm-note, a slight tswp.

It requires a well-trained eye to distinguish it from the
Song Sparrow. It is possible to find it by persistently gazing
at every sparrow in a migrating company in turn, using the
opera-glass, until one is at last discovered with a pale buff

SONG SPARROW

157

band across the narrow streaking of the breast. When one
has become familiar with the species, other differences are
apparent ; the bird is smaller than the Song Sparrow, trim-
mer, more elegant. Its tail is shorter, and the color of its
back and the side of its head is olive-gray rather than red-
dish-brown. It is more apt than the other sparrows to raise
its crest-feathers slightly when alarmed. (See "Bird-Lore,"
vol. ii. p. 109.)

Song Sparrow. Melospiza cinerea melodia
6.30

Ad. — Upper parts brown, the back streaked with darker
brown; top of head reddish-brown, with streaks of gray through
centre and over each eye; breast and sides streaked with reddish-
brown, the streaks generally coalescing to form a large spot in the
centre of the breast ; two other large spots at the sides of the
throat ; tail rather long.

Nest, placed either in grass or sedge on the ground, or in a low
bush. Eggs, heavily spotted with reddish-brown.

The Song Sparrow is a common permanent resident in
the lower Hudson Valley and in southern Connecticut and
Rhode Island ; it winters not
uncommonly in the edges of
marshes or in piles of brush
along the Massachusetts coast.
In the rest of New York and
New England the Song Sparrow
is an abundant summer resident,
arriving early in March and re-
maining through October. Where
the bird winters, its song may
be heard on mild days, even in
the winter months, and especially during the latter part of
February, but in general its song is one of the signs of
spring.

From about the middle of July, through the late summer

Fig. 39. Song Sparrow

158 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

and fall, the Song Sparrow utters from the weeds or corn-
fields a low warbling song, quite different from the ordinary
sprightly song. The ordinary alarm-note of the Song Spar-
row is a sharp tsch ik ; another very common note may be
written sst ; White-throats and Fox Sparrows both utter
notes similar to the last, but slightly heavier. The song is
subject to endless variation in the species, and varies to a
considerable degree even in the same individual, but it com-
monly begins with three brisk notes or pairs of notes, whit,
whit, whit, or o-lit o-lit o-lit, and in the middle of the song
there is apt to be a harsh burring note, after which the
song runs quickly out to some ending.

The Song Sparrow is found wherever there are bushes,
but particularly near water. It is a brisk, active bird, but
not at all fond of the open, diving headlong into the nearest
tangle when alarmed. When in the bushes it is continu-
ally hopping about, with jerking movements of wing and
tail. Only when preening its feathers after a bath, or when
singing from the top of some low tree, does it sit quiet.
(See under Vesper Sparrow, p. 172, and under Savanna
Sparrow, p. 170.)

Slate-colored Junco ; Snowbird. Junco hyemalis
6.27

Ad. $. — Head, back, throat, and breast slate-gray, the latter
sharply defined from the white belly ; two outer tail-feathers and
part of the third, white. Ad. £. — The upper parts browner;
throat and breast paler. Im. — Upper parts, throat, and breast
streaked.

Nest, often built in the side of road, or in a depression in a
bank, or on the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with brown.

The Snowbird is a common winter resident of southern
Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the lower Hudson Val-
ley, and not uncommon along the Massachusetts coast as far
north as Boston. In the interior, where snow is deep during

SLATE-COLOEED JUNCO

159

Fig. 40. Slate-colored Junco

much of the winter, the Snowbird occurs only as a migrant,
through April, and again in late September and October.
On the higher summits of Berk-
shire and Worcester counties, on
the Catskills, and in northern
New England and New York,
wherever there are patches of
spruce, the Snowbird is a com-
mon summer resident. In winter
flocks frequent the warm slopes
where weedy patches have been
laid bare, in severe weather often
coming about the house and barn,
particularly if seed is scattered for them. In the spring migra-
tion they are found at the edges of cultivated fields, and
along the roadsides ; and in the autumn in more open wood-
land. They breed either on rocky mountain tops, where they
occur higher up than any
other bird, or in spruce for-
ests, particularly where there
are clearings or pastures.

The Snowbird's song is a
pleasant little jingle, like the
clinking of bits of metal
struck rapidly together. (See
under Chipping Sparrow, p.
161.) The bird sings often
from a stone, or from the top
of an evergreen. It has also a smack of alarm, a peu peu
peu, uttered when two birds are quarreling, and a twittering
sound given when one bird starts to fly, apparently to keep
the flock together.

The pure white V made by the outer tail-feathers, when
the bird rises from the ground, or the dark cowled appearance
of the head, as it is seen from below, easily distinguish it.

Fig. 41. Tail of Slate-colored
Junco

160 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Field Sparrow. Spizella pusilla
5.68

Ad. — Top of head and back reddish-brown ; a rusty streak be-
hind the eye; cheeks otherwise grayish ; gray line over eye, but
no black Hue through it ; bill reddish-brown ; wing-bars whitish ;
under parts gray ; breast washed with pale buff.

Nest, placed on the ground, or in a low bush. Eggs, white, with
brown markings.

The Field Sparrow is a common summer resident of
southern New England and the lower Hudson Valley ; in
northern New England it is confined to
the cleared land in the settlements, and it
is absent in the Canadian Zone. It arrives
early in April, and remains through Octo-
ber. There are several records of its occur-
rence in southern New England in winter.
Fig. 42. Field Q}^ pastures, overgrown with high bushes
and cedars, and the edges of woodland are
its favorite resorts ; it is never a bird of the yard, or of the
cultivated fields.

Its song is a fine strain, beginning with two or three
high sustained, piercing notes, then running into a succes-
sion of similar, more rapid notes, all in a minor key, and
often running down, or occasionally up, the chromatic scale.
Sometimes the last rapid notes rise, and occasionally one
note is repeated throughout. A beautiful form of the song,
often given towards evening, is made by a repetition of the
whole in a different key, as soon as the first part is ended.
The call-note is a tsip lighter than that of the Chipping
Sparrow.

The reddish-broivn bill of the Field Sparrow is the best
mark by which to distinguish it from the Chipping Spar-
row ; any one familiar with the bird soon learns also to
recognize a certain characteristic aspect of the side of its
head, where its black eye stands out in contrast with the

CHIPPING SPARKOW 161

light gray around it ; in the Chipping Sparrow the black
line through the eye and the white line over it give the
head a very different appearance.

Chipping Sparrow. Spizella socialis
5.37

Ad. — Crown reddish-brown, a gray line over the eye, a black
line through it ; cheek gray ; back brown, streaked with black ;
under parts ash-gray ; bill black (cinnamon-brownish in winter) ;
tail long and slender, rather deeply notched. Im. — Young birds
in the first plumage have the breast streaked, in the next they
lack the reddish crown.

Nest, always lined with horsehair, placed in a bush, vine, or
low tree. Eggs, bluish, with brown or blackish markings.

The Chipping Sparrow is an abundant summer resident
throughout New York and New England, breeding even in
the forested regions wherever there are
clearings and cultivated ground. It arrives
early in April and remains through Octo-
ber. It is common in the village door-
yards, about farm buildings, along the
roadsides, and in the pasture, especially

where there are groves of red cedars. It

° -, ,, , , . Fig. 43. Chipping

is unsuspicious, and oiten comes to the Sparrow

doorstep in search of food.

The song is a succession of staccato notes, or rather the
same note repeated rather rapidly ; the songs of different in-
dividuals vary greatly as to time. The song resembles that
of the Snowbird, but is drier and less musical ; the Swamp
Sparrow's song is still more powerful and musical, while the
Pine Warbler's song is a trill, the notes running lazily into
each other. The Chipping Sparrow's call-note is a slight tsip.

The reddish-brown crown and unstreaked ashy breast
distinguish it readily from most of the other sparrows ;
from its close relative the Field Sparrow it may be told in

162 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

summer by its black bill and the black line through the
eye; in the fall Chipping Sparrows are often seen with
reddish-brown bills. There is more black in the Chipping
Sparrow's back and less reddish-brown, so that its back
looks darker. From a description of the Swamp Sparrow,
one might suppose that it resembles the Chipping Sparrow ;
as a matter of fact, the latter is so slender and its tail is
so long, that even if the two happened to come together
as migrants in the spring and fall, one ought to have no
difficulty in distinguishing them.

Tree Sparrow. Spi&ella monticola

6.36

Ad. — Crown reddish-brown; back brownish, streaked with
black; wing-bars white; under parts pale gray; a dusky spot in the
centre of the breast ; sides tinged with reddish-brown.

The Tree Sparrow is a common winter visitant in New
York and New England, appearing in October and leaving

in April. Vb is even more nu-
merous as a migrant than in
winter. Tree Sparrows fre-
quent sheltered spots where
food and cover can be found ;
the edges of marshes, old fields
grown up to weeds, and dry
hillsides covered with ragweed
{Ambrosia) are favorite resorts.
A single bird is rare, and flocks
sometimes number a hundred. They scatter over the feeding-
ground, reaching up for the seeds, jumping for them, or even
lighting on the taller plants, and bending them down with
their weight. A snow-fall enables them to reap a harvest
from still taller plants, and their tracks now form a network
from one stalk to the other.

Fig. 44. Tree Sparrow

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 163

While feeding, the flock keep up a cheerful twitter, each
bird repeating the syllables teel-tcit in a sweet, lively tone.
When startled the Tree Sparrow utters a slight tsip. This
note is also used as a call-note, and may be heard on dark
winter afternoons as the birds fly into weedy thickets to
spend the night. The song, uttered in March and April, and
occasionally in the autumn, is sweet and rather loud, be-
ginning with four long-drawn notes, ichee-hee-ho-hee (Lan-
gille). The form of the opening is like that of the Fox
Sparrow, but the notes are not so rich and powerful.

In winter the Tree Sparrow may easily be distinguished
from any other wintering sparrow by its unstreaked breast,
chestnut crown, and white wing-bars. In October and April
it often associates with Chipping Sparrows and Field Spar-
rows, and from these two species it may be distinguished
by its greater size and the whiter wing-bars, but chiefly by a
dusky spot in the centre of the breast.

White-throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis
6.74

Ad. — Crown black, with a white stripe through the centre; a
broad white stripe over each eye, ending in a yellow line before
the eye ; back and wings rich reddish-brown; wing-bars white; a
square white throat-patch bounded by ash-gray; breast pale-gray;
belly white; sides of belly brownish; tail brown, with no tawny
tinge. Im. — Crown dark brown; stripe through middle of crown
very faint; line over eye dull buffy; yellow before eye dull; throat-
patch grayish-white.

Nest, placed either on the ground, or in low bush. Eggs, heavily
spotted with pinkish-brown.

The White-throated Sparrow is a common summer resi-
dent of the Canadian Zone, wherever balsam firs grow. In
southern and central New York and New England it is a
common migrant in late April and early May, and again in
late September and through October. A few White-throats
winter in southern New England and in the lower Hudson

164 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Valley, finding shelter in piles of brush, or the edges of
marshes. In migration they frequent dry roadside thickets,
or shrubbery, where they scratch for
food on the ground, or fly when startled
into the neighboring trees. In the
breeding season they prefer overgrown
clearings, where raspberry-bushes grow
breast high among fallen trees, or the
swampy forests of balsam fir.
Fig. 45. White-throated Their song is perhaps the most no-
ticeable sound in the northern woods,
and oftenest attracts the attention of a beginner ; it is
easily imitated by whistling, and has been variously ren-
dered as Old Sam Peabody^ Peabody, Peabody, or Soiv
wheat, Peeverly, Peeverly, Peeverly ; in fact it is often
called the Peabody-bird. The song is often attempted in
the fall, but is rarely clear and true at that time. Even in
summer it often drops on the second triplet to a flatted
note. The alarm-note is a brisk metallic chip ; this note
is also used in the dusk when the birds are settling for the
night. Another note is a sst similar to the lisp of the Song
Sparrow and the Fox Sparrow. (See following species.)

White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys

6.88

Ad% — Crown black, with a broad white stripe through the centre,
and a white hue extending back from the eye ; no yellow before the
eye; sides of head and back of neck brownish-gray; back, wings,
and tail brown; wing-bars white ; under parts gray; no well-marked
white throat-patch ; bill reddish-brown. Im. — Crown reddish-brown ;
stripe through centre pale grayish-brown; otherwise as in adult.

The White-crowned Sparrow is a migrant in May, and in
late September and October ; rare in eastern Massachusetts
and in the Hudson Valley, not uncommon at times in Berk-
shire County and in the White Mountains. It is fond of the

SEASIDE SPARROW 1G5

same places that the White-throated Sparrow frequents, —
thickets and undergrowth, the edges of roads, and weedy
patches.

Its song is too rarely heard ; it be-
gins with pure sweet notes that suggest
the Meadowlark's whistle, or a Vesper
Sparrow singing louder than usual,
and continues with notes that recall
the Black-throated Green Warbler;

the whole performance is quite differ- Fl6' 46" White-crowned

1 ^ Sparrow

ent from the song of the White-throat.

An adult bird is distinguished from its relative the
White-throat by the absence of yellow before the eye, by
the pure ashy throat, which lacks the square white throat-
patch, and by the different aspect of the crown, — the broad-
est white stripe is in the centre, and there is no broad stripe
of white over the eye. The shape of the head, moreover,
is different and characteristic : the back of the head seems
a little higher than the crown. In fall the immature bird
must be distinguished by the cleaner look about the sides of
the head and throat ; everything is ashy-gray, except the
crown. The bill in both adults and young is reddish-brown.

Seaside Sparrow. Ammodramus maritimus
6.00

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray, nearly uniform ; line from
bill to eye yelloiv ; throat whitish, with a dark streak on each side ;
rest of under parts grayish-white ; breast streaked with dull gray;
no buff on side of head. Im. — Upper parts streaked with black;
under parts buffy white; breast and sides streaked with dark
grayish-brown.

Nest, in the grass on the ground. Eggs, white, speckled with
reddish-brown, especially at the larger end.

The salt marshes along the sea-coast from Point Judith,
K. I., southward, are inhabited by the Seaside Sparrow as

166 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Fig. 47. Seaside Sparrow

well as by the Sharp-tailed Sparrow, while north of Rhode
Island only the latter is found. Both species inhabit the

marshes along the Ar-
thur Kill, on Staten
Island. The Seaside
Sparrows arrive in
May, and can be found
in the marshes till Oc-
tober, but the breed-
ing season, June and
July, is the best time
to visit them, for then
they and their relatives, the Sharp-tailed Sparrows, are
found well out in the marsh, and hardly any other species of
Sparrow with them. The grass, too, is short, and progress
not difficult. As one looks over the level expanse, small
birds are seen flying jerkily up and dropping down again
a short distance beyond. Occasionally one flies to a con-
siderable height, and sings as he drops back. The birds
cling to the coarse grass along the tidal streams or ditches,
or to the old stalks of high-tide bushes (Iva). Here they
utter their feeble trisyllabic song, the last syllable a
wheeze.

From their relatives the Sharp-tails they may be easily
distinguished by their dark gray look, due to the absence of
bun on the sides of the head ; the Sharp-tails* have so much
buff about the head that they are almost bright colored.
From the Swamp Sparrows, which also have a white throat,
the gray look and the absence of rich reddish-brown on the
flanks should distinguish them ; note, too, the Seaside Spar-
row's long bill. There are generally Long-billed Marsh
Wrens associated with the Seaside Sparrows in the coarse
grass along the ditches, but the Wrens are smaller birds,
and they cock their tails over their backs with an absurd
effect.

SHARP-TAILED SPARROW 167

Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Ammodramus caadacutus
5.85

Ad. — Top of head dark brown, with an indistinct gray line
through the centre ; back brown, the feathers margined with whit-
ish; line over eye and for some distance behind it huffy, separated
from a huffy stripe alongside of throat by au ash-gray cheek-
patch; under parts washed with buffy (except in midsummer),
hreast and sides streaked with Mack; tail-feathers narrow and
pointed, the middle pair the longest. Im. in summer. — Under
parts buffy, with very indistinct streaking on the breast.

Nest, of grasses on the ground. Eggs, pale blue, finely speckled
with reddish.

The Sharp-tailed Sparrow is a common, though somewhat
local, summer resident of extensive salt marshes along the
coast of New York and New
England, such as occur along
the Arthur Kill, on Staten
Island, and at Revere and Ips-
wich, Mass. It arrives in May,
and stays till October. The
tall coarse grass (Spartina),
called thatch in New England,
which grows along the tidal FlG' 48" Sharp-tailed Sparrow
creeks and ditches, is its favorite haunt. When perching,
it grasps the stalk with feet widespread, or, when startled,
dives down, perhaps to appear on the top of another patch.
When feeding in the shorter grass, it runs with head down,
like a Savannah Sparrow, or stands high on its stout legs.

Its song is simple and unmusical ; Dr. Townsend has
well described it as like " the hiss of hot iron in water."
The male, when singing, frequently mounts a short distance
into the air, but more often sings from the top of the grass,
or from some post.

It is to be recognized by its rather long bill and by its
narrow tail, not square like a Savannah's, but with the middle
feathers longest, but chiefly by the huffy line over the eye

168 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

and along the sides of the throat. Birds seen from June to
the middle of September all have streaked breasts ; and this
streaking and the buffy cheeks distinguish them from their
relatives and companions the Seaside Sparrows. (See preced-
ing species.) Young birds have less streaking than the
adults, but are much yellower below than the Seaside Spar-
rows.

Note. — There is another species of Sharp-tailed Sparrow, the Aca-
dian (Ammodramus nelsoni subvirgatus), which inhabits the salt marshes
of New Brunswick, and has been found breeding- in Sagadahoc County,
Me. It occurs on the rest of the New England coast as a spring and
fall migrant in May and October, but resembles the preceding species
so closely that only a trained observer, viewing the bird at close range,
could distinguish it. A third subspecies (Ammodramus nelsoni) also
occurs in October.

Henslow's Sparrow. Ammodramus henslowii
5.00

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown, streaked with blackish; under
parts whitish, narrowly streaked with black on breast and sides;
tail short and narrow; bill heavy.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, grayish-white, thickly speckled with pale
brown.

Henslow's Sparrow is a rare summer resident of southern
and central New England, arriving in May and leaving in

August. It is an extremely
local bird, occurring in south-
ern New England in exten-
sive wet meadows along
sluggish streams, and in
Berkshire County and in
southern New Hampshire
in the ill-drained hillsides

Fig. 49. Henslow's Sparrow 0R tne Uplaild, where the

wet, neglected pastures are partially overgrown with spiraea,
or the shrubby cinquefoil. From May to early August one
can hear from such meadows or pastures one of the simplest

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW

169

bird-songs, two syllables, flee'-sic, delivered almost as one.
The. notes are sharp and carry a long distance, nor do they
sound much more penetrating when one is almost upon the
singer as he crouches on a low bush or plant. Like several
of its relatives, the Henslow's Sparrow prefers, when dis-
turbed, to hide silently in the grass, or to fly but a few rods
and then drop into the grass, where it runs or squats. Its
narrowly streaked breast and the absurdly large beak
should identify it.

Grasshopper Sparrow. Coturniculus savannarum

passerinus

5.38

Ad. — Upper parts streaked with black, rich chestnut, and gray;
line through the crown buff; under parts huffy, unstreaked. Im. —
Breast spotted with blackish.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Grasshopper Sparrow is a common summer resident
of southern New England and the lower Hudson Valley,
but is rare in most of
Massachusetts ; in New
Hampshire, it is found
only here and there in
or near the valleys of
the Connecticut and the
Merrimac, and in Maine
it does not occur. It is
common in certain sec-
tions of Massachusetts,
as on the dry, sterile fields of Nantucket, or the extensive
plains in the Connecticut and Sudbury valleys, where the
ground is sandy and the grass not too luxuriant. The bird
arrives late in April or early in May, and remains till Sep-
tember.

It utters its insect-like song from some tall weed or low

Fig. 50. Grasshopper Sparrow

170 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

post, and sometimes from the very ground. The song is so
shrill that it takes a sharp ear to catch it. It is almost ex-
actly like the stridulation of the green grasshopper, com-
mon in low grass-land (Orchelimum vulgare), tslcl-, tsick,
tsurrrrrrr. The call-note consists of two notes, tillic, almost
run together into one. The flight of the male from his sing-
ing perch is curiously feeble and fluttering.

From other grass-loving sparrows, the buffy unstreaked
under parts should distinguish it.

Savanna Sparrow ; Savannah Sparrow. Passerculus

sandwichensis savanna

5.68

Ad. — Upper parts brown, streaked with blackish; a yellow line
over each eye, and a narrow white stripe through the centre of the
crown; breast and sides rather narrowly streaked; the spot in the
centre of the breast and on the sides of the throat not so prominent
as in the Song Sparrow; tail rather short ; legs and feet pale pink.
Im. — No yellow over eye.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, bluish-white, thickly marked with
reddish-brown.

The Savannah Sparrow is a common summer resident of
the upland meadows of Berkshire County, Mass., and of
northern New England and New York. It also breeds com-
monly on the edges of extensive salt meadows along the
New England coast, north of Long Island Sound, and on
the wide alluvial meadows of certain rivers, such as the
Concord and the Connecticut. Through southern New Eng-
land and the lower Hudson Valley it occurs chiefly as a
migrant, common in April and early May, and again in
September and October. It should then be looked for in
grassy fields, particularly near the sea-shore, or along the
larger streams.

The Savannah Sparrow, unlike most migrants, rarely
sings during migration. On its breeding-ground the song

IPSWICH SPARROW 171

continues through July. The song is unlike those of the
Vesper Sparrow and the Song Sparrow, but might be con-
fused with that of the Grasshopper Sparrow. It is uttered
from a rock or a low post, and consists of two or three pre-
liminary chips, followed by two long insect-like trills, the
second in a little lower key than the first, tsip, tsip, tsip,
tseeeeeeeee tsee-ee-ee-ee. The Grasshopper Sparrow's song
is drier, less musical, and the trill is all on one note (see
p. 169). When the birds have young about, they are very
watchful, and observe an intruder by the hour, continually
uttering a sharp tsup. When two birds quarrel, they utter
a harsh bsss. The appearance of the Savannah Sparrow's
head, as the bird faces one, should distinguish it from the
Song Sparrow and the Vesper Sparrow ; the white median
line and the yellow lines over the eyes give the head a
striped appearance, quite distinct from that of the other two
species. The shortness of its tail, too, is apparent when it
flies ; after a short nervous flight it drops into the grass,
where it runs along or squats motionless.

Ipswich Sparrow. Passerculus princeps

6.25

Ad. in spring. — Spot before the eye yellow; line over eye
white ; upper parts pale gray, streaked on the head with black,
on the back with brown ; throat and belly white ; breast and
sides streaked with brown ; legs and feet pale pink. Ad. in
winter. — Similar, but without the yellow before the eye.

The Ipswich Sparrow is a migrant and winter visitant
along the sea-coast of New England and New York, com-
moner during the migration than in winter. It arrives in
November and stays till the first week of April. At all
seasons it is confined to extensive stretches of beach-grass,
such as occur at Ipswich, Mass., on Cape Cod, and on Long
Island ; occasionally it comes down to the beach and feeds
there with Shore Larks and Snow Buntings. One can flush

172 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

it by walking through the beach-grass ; after a hurried
flight it dives down again into the grass, and either crouches
under a tuft of grass, or runs low from one bit of cover to
the next. Its note is a faint tsip.

Its general aspect is that of a large, pale Savannah Spar-
row, and care must be taken to distinguish it from this
species, which is often abundant in the beach-grass.

Vesper Sparrow; Bay-winged Bunting. Pocecetes
gramineus
6.12
Ad. — Upper parts grayish brown, streaked with dark brown ;
breast and sides rather narrowly streaked, the streaks often form-
ing a spot in the centre ; sides of the throat narrowly streaked :
cheek washed with buff ; bend of wing bay ; outer pair of tail-
feathers mostly white, the next partly white.

Nest, in a depression in grass or under a clump of plants.
Eggs, dull white, buffy, or pinkish buffy, stained and speckled
with reddish-brown.

The Vesper Sparrow is a common summer resident of
New York and New England, though absent, of course, in

the heavily forested re-
gions of northern New
England. Even here it
appears in the upper val-
leys as soon as clearings
are made and grass-land
becomes extensive. The
Vesper Sparrow arrives
in early April, and stays
till the middle or end
of October. It frequents
short-cropped pasture land, and the edges of cultivated
fields. Here from a rock, a fence, or the limb of a tree,
it sings its song, so often repeated toward evening that it
has won for the bird its name.

Fig. 51. Vesper Sparrow

VESPER SPARROW 173

Beginners have much difficulty in distinguishing the
song of this sparrow from that of the Song Sparrow. The
opening notes of the latter are very various, but are almost
always three, rather brisk and high. Those of the Vesper
Sparrow are two, low, long, and sweet ; then after two
higher notes the song runs off into a succession of trills,
not musical in themselves, but aiding in giving the whole
performance more dignity and sweetness than the Song
Sparrow's livelier effort. The time is distinctly slower, and
the whole number of notes greater than in the Song Spar-
row's song. In certain regions the first of the opening notes
is omitted, as in Berkshire County, Mass., and northern New
England, or they are modified, as on Nantucket, where they
resemble those of the Field Sparrow.

To distinguish between the Vesper Sparrow and the Song
Sparrow, observe, if possible, the white outer tail-feathers
of the former ; these, however, are often not clearly visible,
— the bird must spread its tail fully to show them. One
may also note the grayer shade of the Vesper Sparrow's
brown, the dusky cheek-patch, and the absence at the sides
of the throat of the reddish-brown marks, which on the
Song Sparrow form a triangle with the dark breast-spot.
The Vesper Sparrow is a less nervous bird than the Song
Sparrow ; it often runs or squats before one, either in the
road, where it dusts itself like a hen, or in the grass ; the
Song Sparrow darts with a jerk of its tail into the nearest
bushes.

Lapland Longspur. Calcarius lapponicus
6.25
Ad. $ in autumn. — Top of head and back brown, streaked
with black ; sides of head and line behind eye bnffy ; reddish-
chestnut collar on hind neck obscured by gray ; wings chestnut,
with two white bars ; tail nearly black, outer pair of feathers
tipped with white ; black feathers of the breast and sides veiled
with gray ; belly white. Ad. $> in autumn. — Similar, but with

174 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

less black on the upper parts, and on the breast ; no buffy line
back of eye ; often no reddish-brown on the hind neck.

The Lapland Longspur is a very rare winter visitant
along the sea-coast in the neighborhood of New York city,
and a rare migrant along most of the New England coast.
At Ipswich, Mass., on the grassy hills near the ocean, espe-
cially at Great Neck, it is often a common fall migrant. It
arrives late in October and often stays into January. It
feeds either dn company with Horned Larks and Snow Bunt-
ings, or in small flocks alone. None of these birds hop ;
all walk or run.

Its notes are a harsh and rattling chirr, less musical
than the roll of the Snow Bunting, and a sweet tyee, which
corresponds to the tee of the Bunting. If one is thoroughly
familiar with the Lark and the Bunting, it is easy to distin-
guish the Longspur from them. The absence of a yellow
throat-patch outlined with black separates it from the Lark,
and its general dark tone distinguishes it from the Bunting.
In fact, the reddish-brown wings and blackish breast suggest
an immature male English Sparrow.

Sxowflake ; Snow Bunting. Passerina nivalis

6.88

Ad. in autumn and winter. — Head and under parts white,
washed on the head and sides of breast with brown ; the black
feathers of the back veiled with gray and brown ; wings and tail
black and white ; bill reddish-brown. Im. — Brown on the crown,
and sides of throat deeper ; black of wings and tail not so clear,
and white less pure. Ad. in March. — The brown begins to wear
off, the plumage tending to become black and white.

The Snow Bunting is a common winter resident on the
coast of New York and New England, and along the shore
of Lake Cham plain, arriving late in October and leaving
toward the end of March. Occasionally large flocks appear
in the interior, especially in northern New England, feeding

EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH 175

on the seeds of weeds in neglected fields and waste ground.
It occurs also as a migrant in large river valleys, feeding on
the muddy flats of lakes or ponds. On the sea-coast, flocks
of Snow Buntings associate with Horned Larks, but the for-
mer frequent the beach more than their companions, and the
grassy hills less.

The notes of the Snow Bunting are a high, sweet, though
slightly mournful tee or tee-oo, a sweet rolling whistle, and
a harsh bzz. The great amount of white about the bird
serves to distinguish it ; the white in the wing is especially
conspicuous, as it flies over. On the ground it either walks
or runs.

European Goldfinch. Carduelis carduelis
5.50

Ad. — Region about the base of the bill bright red; top of the
head and a stripe down the side of the neck black; sides of head
white; back brown; rump white; wings and tail black, the former
crossed by a broad band of bright yellow ; under parts dull white,
sides brown ; bill reddish-white, tipped with black.

Nest, a neat cup, in bushes or small trees. Eggs, bluish-white
or greenish-white, marked with purplish around the larger end.

The European Goldfinch has been introduced in the
neighborhood of Xew York city, and seems to have become
permanently established in Central Park and other favora-
ble places in the upper part of the city. It is resident
throughout the year ; in the neighborhood of Boston it occurs
rarely. It is restless and active, flies like our Goldfinch in
undulations, but is more at home in trees than on the
ground.

A common note is like the syllables steeglit. It may
easily be known by the broad band of yellow across the
black wing. Its under parts are white, unstreaked, while
the Pine Siskin, which has a smaller yellow bar across the
wing, is everywhere streaked.

176 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Pine Siskin ; Pine Finch. Sjpinus pinus
5.00

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown, streaked with black; a yel-
low bar across the wing, partly concealed by a whitish wing-bar;
bases of tail-feathers sulphur-yellow, these and the wing-patch
showing in flight; under parts gray, streaked with brownish; bill
sharply pointed.

Nest, in coniferous trees. Eggs, pale greenish blue, speckled
chiefly around the larger end with reddish brown.

The Pine Siskin is an abundant resident of the great
coniferous forests of northern New England and New York.

Occasionally it moves south-
-'*?-**- *^|^ ward in great Hocks, and

spends the winter in south-
ern New England and New
York, often in company with
Crossbills and Redpolls. An
occasional migrant flock or

single bird generally appears
Fig. 52. Pine Siskin . _. , . . . . ..

m October, and in April or

May. The Siskin, like the other northern finches, is rest-
less and yet fearless. It occasionally feeds on the ground,
and may then be approached almost within reach. It gen-
erally feeds on the seeds of birches, and on those of pines
and spruces, clinging easily to the twigs or cones.

The common call-note resembles the syllables chee-ee
given in a husky tone ; when flying it utters a note like the
syllables tit-i-tit. Another very sweet call, often given by a
single bird to call back the flock, is identical with a note of
the American Goldfinch. The song heard even in March in
the depths of the spruce forests is a rather formless succession
of sweet notes, varied occasionally by a screeching note, like
the noise made by blowing through a comb covered by paper.

Siskins may be told from Goldfinches, with which they
often associate, by the thick streaking over the entire
under parts, and from Redpolls by the thicker streaking on

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 177

the belly, and by the absence of the blackish throat. (See
Fig. 53.)

American Goldfinch. Astragalinus tristis
5.10

Ad. $. — Crown black; body bright yellow; wings and tail
black, spotted with white. Ad. £. — Upper parts brownish-olive;
under parts yellowish, with a dusky wash on the throat and
breast; wings and tail like the male's, but duller. $ in winter. —
Like the female, but with black-and-white wings and tail. Im. —
Like winter adults, but browner, the wing-markings brownish in-
stead of white.

Nest, a gray cup, lined with down, placed in fork from five to
thirty feet up. Eggs, white.

The Goldfinch is a common permanent resident of New
England and New York. As winter approaches, flocks,
sometimes of over fifty birds, gather together and wander
about, feeding on the seeds of birches or on the seeds of
weeds and grasses in neglected fields. At all seasons the
birds are fond of the seeds of composite flowers ; a gay
company often scatter over the lawn and feed on dandelion
heads ; bachelors buttons, thistles, and sunflowers also at-
tract them. By May the males have recovered their yellow
and black, and begun to twitter their sweet if rather char-
acterless song. They are still in flocks, even when other
birds are • building. By June, however, they are met with
in pairs, the dark female with the bright male, and by July
they are building in the sugar maples or apple-trees.

While the female is brooding the male goes swinging
over in deep undulations, calling te tee' de de, and she
answers with a simple te' de dee, ter de dee. When the
male sings on the wing, he flies around in circles, with
broad, fluttering wings, and keeping the same level ; but the
ordinary flight is undulating, and in midsummer the male
often seems to accent the curve, as if enjoying the great
plunge through the air. The voice is always sweet ; one
call-note is very like a call of the Canary, sivee-ee, with a

178 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

rising inflection. The young bird, just out of the nest,
has a peculiar call, chi-pee' , a characteristic sound in late
summer.

Goldfinches often associate with Redpolls and Siskins,
when these visit southern New England, but may be dis-
tinguished from them at all seasons by the black and
white in the wings and tail, and by their unstreaked breasts.
The winter plumage of the male is very different from the
bright yellow and black of spring, but there is always a
tinge of yellow on the throat.

Redpoll. Acanthis linaria

5.32

Ad. $ . — Crown crimson; back streaked with gray and brown;
middle of throat blackish ; rump slightly tinged with pink ; breast
and upper belly suffused with rose ; sides streaked with brown.
Ad. 9 • — Similar, but no rose on rump or breast. Im. — Similar
to 9 > hut without crimson crown.

The Redpoll is a very irregular winter visitant in south-
ern New York and New England, often absent for periods

of from five to ten years.
In northern Xew Eng-
land it occurs more fre-
quently. It varies, too,
in abundance, occurring
at times in large flocks,
and throughout the coun-
"^ try, at other times in

small flocks, and only
here and there. It fre-
quents neglected fields, feeding on the seeds of weeds and
grasses, or visits groves of birch, picking the seeds from the
ripe catkins. It is often found near the sea beaches.

The Redpoll has a sweet call-note, almost identical with
a note used both by the Goldfinch and by the Pine Siskin.

Fig. 53. Redpoll

WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL

179

It also utters, especially when flying in flocks, a rattling
note, like the syllables tshu, tshu, tshu.

A flock is generally composed of birds in many stages of
plumage ; some show no red, others have only a small dark
red cap, still others have a suffusion of rose over the breast
as well. They may be distinguished from the Pine Siskins,
with which they are often associated, by their grayer tone,
by the smaller amount of streaking on the under parts,
and by the blackish throat.

White-wixged Crossbill.
6.05

Loxla leucoptera

Ad. $. — Head, rump, and under parts rose-red; middle of
back black, streaked with rose ; wings and tail black ; two broad
bars on the wing white ; tips of the mandibles crossed. Ad. 9 and
lm. — The red of the $ replaced by gray, tinged with olive-yel-
low, and streaked with black; rump yellow; wings and tail almost
black; wing-bars as in male. Im. $. — Often shows stages be-
tween the plumages of the ad. 9 and $ .

Nest, in coniferous trees. Eggs, pale greenish, dotted about
the larger end with brown.

The White-winged Crossbill is a very irregular winter
visitant in southern New York and Xew England, often ab-
sent for a period
of many years.
In northern New
England and in
the Adirondacks,
it breeds spar-
ingly, and is a not
infrequent win-
ter visitant in the
valleys. Its call-
note is a sweet
monosyllable, re-
sembling the syl-

Fig. 54. White-winged Crossbill

180 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

lable peet. It has also a chattering note, uttered when it
flies. Its disposition and habits are similar to those of the
Red Crossbill, from which it may always be distinguished
by the presence of conspicuous white wing-bars. The red
of the adult male is a rose-red, different from the vermilion-
red of the Red Crossbill.

American Crossbill ; Red Crossbill. Loxla curvi-

rostra minor

6.19

Ad. $. — Entire body dull vermilion-red, brightest on head,
rump, and belly; wings and tail dark; tips of the mandibles
crossed. Ad. 9 aud Tm. — Entire body gray, with a greenish
wash on the breast; rump greenish-yellow.

Nest, in coniferous trees. Eggs, pale-greenish, spotted with
purplish-brown.

The Red Crossbill is a common permanent resident of
the coniferous forests of northern New England. A few
Crossbills may be seen in any month of the year on the
upland of Berkshire County, Mass., and in southern New
Hampshire and Vermont (see map, p. 15), but in southern
New England they are very irregular visitors, occurring
abundantly in some winters, at other times being wholly
absent, or appearing only as rare migrants in spring and fall.
When they spend the winter in southern New England,
they resort to the cone-bearing evergreens — the hemlocks,
spruces, and pines — and feed on the seeds, hanging to the
cones and forcing their scales apart, or later on in the season
picking up the fallen seeds from the ground. They also
extract the seeds from the rotten apples left on the trees.
Like the other northern visitors they are very tame, but
when startled often fly off to a distance. Their call-note,
always uttered when flying, is a loud hip-hip, kip-kip-kip,
very like a note made by young chickens. The song re-
sembles the syllables too-tee', too-tee', too-tee', tee, tee', tee.
(See preceding species.)

ENGLISH SPARROW 181

English Sparrow. Passer domesticus
6.33

Ad. $ . — Top of head grayish ; a patch of chestnut on each side
of the head ; back brown, streaked with black; wing-bars white;
a stripe of chestnut on each wing; throat and upper breast black ;
rest of under parts grayish-white. Ad. $> . — Head grayish-brown ;
back streaked with black and buff; under parts whitish; breast
washed with grayish-brown.

Nest, either in trees, or in a hole or corner. Eggs, generally
white, sometimes brownish, finely speckled with brown or gray.

The English Sparrow is now a permanent resident of
nearly every city, town, and village in New York and New
England. Only the wilder or more hilly portions of north-
ern New England are still free from its presence. In many
suburbs it occupies the boxes and holes which otherwise
Bluebirds,. Wrens, and White-bellied Swallows would use.
It also annoys Robins by following the parents when they
are collecting food for their young and stealing it from out
of their bills. At night Sparrows roost in thick trees or
vines, and in large cities collect in astonishing numbers in
small parks. In the country small flocks often collect in
brush-heaps.

The Sparrow's voice is harsh, and too suggestive of the
city to please most ears. Its ordinary note is the well-known
eh irp, but it has an astonishingly large number of modifica-
tions of this note. In spring, or on warm days in winter,
the male utters a cry, like the syllables fee-lee}), with a per-
sistence worthy of a better cause. The chunkiness of the
Sparrow, the unstreaked dingy-white breast of the female,
and the black throat of the male, will serve to identify it to
any one who is so fortunate as to be unacquainted with it.

Purple Finch. Carpodacus purpureus
6.22
Ad. $ . — Entire body suffused with rose-red, strongest on the
head, rump, and throat; back streaked with brownish; belly gray-

182 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

ish; wings and tail brownish; tail rather deeply forked. Ad. <?
and Im. — Upper parts grayish-brown, streaked ; under parts
grayish, streaked with brown ; line behind eye gray. $ in first
breeding season, like the female.

Nest, in evergreens, five to thirty feet up. Eggs, blue, spotted
at large end with brownish.

Fig. 55. Purple Finch, Female

The Purple Finch is a permanent resident of New Eng-
land and New York, but of irregular occurrence in winter,

sometimes very rare, often
rather common. In south-
ern New England and the
lower Hudson Valley, it is
a common migrant in April,
and in September and Oc-
tober, but few remain
through the summer. In
New England the summer
residents arrive in April
and stay until October.
They are found, in winter, either in cedar groves or in hard
wood, near groves of hop hornbeam, but they are active, rest-
less birds, and may be heard anywhere flying overhead. In
spring they frequent the same places, but come also to the
evergreens about houses, and to the elms in the street, the
swelling buds of which they bite off. In summer they build
chiefly in conifers, and are numerous in the great northern
forests. They utter, when flying, a single sharp pit, by which
they may be easily identified.

Their song is vigorous and musical, a rapid, energetic
warble, often lengthened in the height of the mating sea-
son to a long, passionate utterance (see Warbling Yireo,
p. 135). The male at this season walks, or rather dances,
about the female, with wings spread and quivering, repeat-
ing the song in a low, pleading tone, or he flies off singing
in the air in his loudest tones. A call-note, resembling the

CANADIAN PINE GROSBEAK 183

syllables pe-weef, is given by both sexes, and it is known
that the female occasionally sings, though often when the
song seems to be uttered by a female, the singer is really
a male of the preceding summer. The large bill of the
female should distinguish her from any brown, streaked
sparrow.

Canadian Pine Grosbeak. Pinicola enucleator leucura

9.08

Ad. $. — Entire body rose-red, brightest on head and rump;
middle of back spotted with black; wings brownish-black, with
white wing-bars ; tail brownish-black; bill short and stout; tail
deeply forked. Ad. 9 and Im. — Top of head, rump, and some-
times the breast, washed with saffron or reddish; rest of body
dark gray ; wings and tail as in male.

Nest, rather flat, of rootlets, in coniferous trees. -Eggs, green-
ish or bluish, spotted with brown.

The Pine Grosbeak is a very irregular winter visitor in
southern New York and New England, often absent for
periods of several years, occasionally appearing in very
large flocks, at other times less abundantly. The first flocks
generally arrive in November or December, and all leave
southern New England for the north before April. In west-
ern and northern New England it occurs less irregularly.
A few birds breed on the high mountains of northern New
England and in the vicinity of the Connecticut Lakes.
When the Pine Grosbeak visits southern New England, it is
remarkably unsuspicious, allowing people to approach al-
most near enough to touch it. It feeds on the fruit of
the mountain ash, on cedar berries, on seeds of the white
ash, and, towards spring, on the buds of pine, spruce, and
maple. There are generally several red males in a large
flock of grayish birds.

The common call of the Pine Grosbeak consists of two or
three clear whistled notes, that suggest the notes of the
Greater Yellow-legs j they may be written tee-ti, tee'-tee-ti,

184 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

the last note lower than the others. They often utter a
sharp peer, something like the cry of a Blue Jay ; while
the birds are feeding they utter a low musical twitter, and,
when flying up suddenly, a low trilled whistle.

The size, the undulating flight, the short, stout bill, and
the white wing-bars serve to identify the gray birds ; the
red ones are unmistakable.

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. : FAMILY ICTERIDiE

The eight members of the family Icteridae differ widely
in appearance and habits. The two Orioles are rarely seen
on the ground ; when they do come down, they hop. All
the other species get their food chiefly on the ground, and
these all walk. In four of the eight species black predomi-
nates ; these species are gregarious, often occurring in very
large flocks. The Orchard Oriole is found commonly only
as far north as southern Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The Rusty Blackbird is only a migrant in most of New
York and New England.

Bronzed Grackle. Quiscalus quis-

cula cenens
_, _, r\ • , • V Crow Blackbird

Purple G-rackle. Quiscalus quis-

cula

12.00-13.50

Ad. $ . — Head, neck, and upper breast iridescent purple, vio-
let, or brassy-green in good light (at a distance the whole bird
looks black); rest of body black, with metallic reflections; wings
and tail bluish, violet, or purplish; tail long, middle pair of
feathers much longer than outer pair ; eye pale yellow. Ad. 9 • —
Similar, but browner and smaller.

Nest, bulky, of dried grasses, etc., in trees. Eggs, greenish,
spotted and streaked with black and brown.

The Crow Blackbird is a summer resident throughout
New York and New England, but in northern New England

CROW BLACKBIRD

185

occurs only locally in low ground near water. It arrives
late in February, or early in March, and stays occasion-
ally as late as Oc-
tober. When the
Blackbirds first re-
turn, they come in
flocks, and they
breed in commu-
nities, preferring
the security of
evergreen trees for
nesting-places.

Here they may be seen on the tops of the trees squeak-
ing and whistling like creaking sign-boards. When the

Fig. 57. Tail of Bronzed Grackle

186 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

male utters his song, he spreads his wings slightly and
puffs out his feathers. When the young are in the nest, the
female, a little smaller and duller than the male, may be
seen walking over lawns or open places in the neighbor-
hood, hunting for grubs or bits of refuse, and then flying to
the nests. From all the surrounding country, lines of such
foragers converge in the chosen grove in midsummer.
After the young are able to fly, the breeding-places are
deserted, and either no Grackles are to be seen or else
very large flocks are met with, blackening the fields or
trees. Sometimes these flocks, or migrants from the north,
are seen late in October, and occasionally in November.

The absence of red on the shoulder distinguishes the
Crow Blackbird from the Red-wing, and the long, wedge-
shaped tail, conspicuous in flight, from the Rusty Black-
bird. This tail is often held keel-shaped, the middle
feathers being depressed. On the ground the bird some-
what suggests a Crow ; the gait, as in the case of all the
blackbirds, is a walk. When Crow Blackbirds fly, their
line of flight is level, not undulating, so that the members
of a flock do not rise and fall as the other blackbirds do.
Like several of the other blackbirds, it often jerks its tail
upward when perched.

Note. — The Crow Blackbird, in the neighborhood of New York
city, is the Purple Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) ; about Boston and
northward it is the Bronzed Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula adieus). In
the former the colors of the head and neck are not sharply defined from
those of the body, as they are in the latter. In Connecticut intermediate
races occur. The habits and notes of the two are practically the same.

Rusty Blackbird. Scolecopliagus carolinus

9.55

Ad. $ in spring. — Entire plumage glossy bluish-black; eye pale
yellow or white. Ad. 9 *w spring. — Slate-gray; eye as in $. Ad.
in autumn. — Feathers of head, neck, and back tipped with rusty-
brown; under parts buffy.

RUSTY BLACKBIRD 187

Nest, in trees, bulky. Eggs, bluish-green, olive, or brownish,
speckled and spotted with brown.

The Rusty Blackbird (rusty only in the autumn) is a
common migrant through [New York and NewT England,
from the middle of March to the first week of May, and
again from the end of September through October, or in the
vicinity of New York city until December. It breeds to
some extent in the northern and extreme eastern counties
of Maine. The Rusty Blackbird is as fond of wet places as
the Red-wing ; it is generally found in small flocks near
marshes and at the borders of water-courses. Like the Red-
wing, it visits to some extent the dry hillsides, particularly
in the fall.

When seen at a distance, and in flight, it is almost im-
possible to distinguish between this bird and the Red-wing,
unless the split or squeaking whistle of the Rusty is heard.
This is its song, corresponding to the congaree of the Red-
wing ; it is heard both in spring and fall. The species also
has a chuck practically indistinguishable from that of the
Red-wing, and has the same trick of jerking its tail upward
when perched. When seen near to, the absence of any mark
on the shoulder should distinguish the Rusty ; the tail,
though slightly rounded, can hardly be confused with the
long, extremely rounded tail of the Bronzed Grackle. The
surest mark by which the Rusty may be distinguished from
the Red-wing, if one can get near enough, is the white eye.
The female might be confused with the female Cowbird,
but in most cases the latter would not occur in the wet
places affected by the former ; moreover the Cowbird's bill
is shorter. The female Red-wing is heavily streaked. A
Rusty Blackbird in autumn might be mistaken for a male
Cowbird, but the rusty is much more wTidely distributed in
the former, extending well down the back, and the bill is
longer and sharper.

188 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Baltimore Oriole. Icterus galbula
7.53

Ad. $. — Head, throat, upper back, wings, and tail black;
wing-feathers margined with white ; tips of outer tail-feathers
yellow for nearly half their length ; lower back, breast, and belly,
reddish-orange. Ad. 9- — Black of the male much duller; rump,
breast, and belly yellow ; throat often spotted with blackish ; tail
grayish-orange. Im. — Similar to the 9 •

Nest, a pocket composed of tough fibres or string, hung from
the tips of pendulous twigs, commonly of elms, or sometimes
close to the upright stem of small trees. Eggs, white, scrawled
with irregular lines of brown or black.

The Baltimore Oriole is a common summer resident of
southern and central New England, and the lower Hudson
Valley. In the upland of northern New England and New
York, the Oriole is confined to the village streets in the
more settled valleys ; in the forested region of the north
it is wholly absent. It arrives early in May, and stays till
about the first of September.

All through May and early June Orioles are active and
musical, flashing through the trees and whistling, now a
single note, now a phrase or two. By the middle of June
the young begin to call from their hanging nest, and their
crying is then incessant, and resembles the syllables tee'-dee-
dee, tee'-dee-dee. Some time in July the old Orioles moult,
and are then quiet and retiring; after the moult the male
whistles again, especially early in the morning, and con-
tinues to sing till his departure. The female during the
mating season whistles two or three notes similar to the
male's. Both sexes utter a long chatter when excited. The
question is often asked whether the Oriole ever uses the
same nest a second season. I have never observed such an
instance, but it is a very common sight to see a new nest
built only a few feet from the old one, or sometimes even
the tattered remains of the nest of two years before on
still a third twig.

ORCHARD ORIOLE 189

It is a common error in central New England to imagine
that a dull-colored oriole seen in an orchard is the Orchard
Oriole ; the latter occurs commonly only in southern New
England and in the lower Hudson Valley. (See following
species.)

Orchard Oriole. Icterus spurius
7.32

Ad. $ . — Head, throat, and upper back black ; lower back, breast,
and belly chestnut; wings dark brown, tail almost black. Im. $
in second year. — Upper parts greenish-yellow, brightest on the
rump; tail brown, tinged with greenish-yellow; throat black;.
under parts yellow. Ad. £. — Similar to Im. $, but throat yel-
low; back browner.

Nest, a deep cup made of long green grass-blades, hung gen-
erally in apple-trees ten to fifteen feet up. Eggs, bluish white,
spotted and scrawled with black or brown.

The Orchard Oriole is a common summer resident of
southern Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley ; . in
eastern Massachusetts it is a rare summer resident as far
north as Ipswich. It is not uncommon in the valleys of the
Connecticut and Housatonic, as far north as Springfield and
Pittsfield, though it is far less common everywhere in Mas-
sachusetts than the Baltimore Oriole. In northern New
England the Orchard Oriole does not occur. It arrives early
in May, and leaves in August. The Orchard Oriole, as its
name suggests, frequents apple orchards, but it is often
found in low shade-trees.

The song is very different from that of the Baltimore
Oriole ; it is not made up of separate whistled phrases, but
is a definite outburst of musical notes. It recalls the rich-
ness of the Eox Sparrow and the energy of the Purple
Finch. The call-note of the Orchard Oriole suggests the
chwk of a Blackbird; it has also a chatter resembling that
of the Cowbird.

A bird in the adult plumage of chestnut and black is

190 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

unmistakable, but the males in the second year and the
females may be confused with female Baltimore Orioles ;
the greenish tinge of the upper parts should distinguish the
female Orchard Oriole, while the pure black throat of the
young male should identify him.

Meadowlark. Sturnella magna
10.75

Ad. — Upper parts brown, streaked with black; line through
crown buffy ; line from eye to bill yellow ; throat and belly
bright yellow ; black crescent on breast ; tail-feathers short and
narrow, outer ones white. Ad. in winter. — Upper parts a redder
brown ; black and yellow of under parts veiled with buff and
reddish-brown. Im. — Yellow of breast much paler ; black
crescent replaced by a few dark streaks.

Nest, on ground, of dry grass, sometimes arched over. Eggs,
white, speckled with reddish-brown.

In southern New England and in the lower Hudson Val-
ley, wherever the ground is fairly free from snow, par-
ticularly on salt marshes,, the Meadowlark spends the
winter in small flocks. The clear whistled notes of the
bird may there be heard in every month of the year. But
in the interior the Meadowlark is only a summer resident,
and in northern New England it is rare or absent. It fre-
quents wide stretches of grass-land, associating either with
Bobolinks in rich meadows or with Grasshopper Sparrows
in dry fields; at all seasons it is common on salt marshes.

Its ordinary song is a clear, rather plaintive whistle, ut-
tered from the top of a tree, or a fence, and often in the
air ; it has besides a harsh guttural chatter, and a nasal
peent. In the breeding season the Meadowlark indulges
occasionally in a flight-song, more prolonged, but less clear
than its usual whistle. The yelloiv breast and the black
crescent do not often show ; the bird commonly keeps his
back to observers. The legs are long and stout, and the
bird spends much time on the ground, where it walks.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

191

Though about the size of the Flicker, it can readily be
distinguished by its flight ; after a few strokes it sails a
short distance, then repeats the few strokes, then sets its
wings and sails again. When it flies up from the ground,
the white outer tail-feathers are a conspicuous mark ; as
the bird walks on the ground, its short tail is often ner-
vously opened, so that the white feathers show.

Bed- winged Blackbird. Agelaius phazniceus
$ 9.51. 9 8.00

Ad. $. — Entire plumage black, showing in flight a bright
scarlet patch edged with buff and white, at the bend of the wing •
often only the white edging shows when the wing is closed. Ad.
9 and Im. — Brown, everywhere streaked ; throat often buffy.

Nest, of grasses and weed-stalks, in a low bush or on a tussock
of sedge. Eggs, pale blue, scrawled and spotted with dark purple
or black.

The Bed-winged Blackbird is a common summer resident
of the Hudson Valley and of southern and central New
York ; in northern New
England, especially on
the upland, it is much
less common. Occasion-
ally a few Bed-wings
winter in the marshes
near Boston, and may
do so in favorable local-
ities in southern New
England. The male ar-
rives early in March,
but it is often three
weeks before the female joins him. When the young are
full grown, the breeding birds depart and are rarely seen
after August. Flocks of northern migrants often arrive in
September and linger till October, and on mild days sing
in chorus, though without the vigor of spring.

Fig. 58. Red-winged Blackbird, Female

192 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

At first, while the marshes are still cold, the hillsides are
visited by flocks of males, and here they may often be seen
feeding on the ground with Robins, or in a noisy chorus on
some tree near by. The song has a liquid opening-note,
and ends in a ree or ray, long prolonged ; when uttering it,
the male spreads his wings and shows his blazing scarlet
epaulets. When a flock are singing, the liquid notes form a
musical undertone to the shriller ree, the whole suggesting
the music of waters. Besides the song, the species has a
rather heavy chuck, used as a call-note, and a long, rather
pure whistle, constantly heard in the marshes in early sum-
mer, and often followed by a series of staccato scolding-notes,
and in midsummer a loud nasal dissyllabic note, suggesting
the cry of the nighthawk. The birds are intolerant of in-
trusion, and gather round a visitor with much expostulation.
They also attack and escort away any large birds — hawks,
crows, and even inoffensive bitterns.

A male Red-wing is easily told by his scarlet wing-patch
or even by its white edging, which shows when the wings
are closed. A female differs from the other blackbirds in
the heavy streaking above and below. (See Rusty Black-
bird, p. 187.)

Cowbird. Molotlirus ater
$ 7.92. 9 7.50

Ad. $ . — Head, neck, and upper breast rich brown (at a dis-
tance the bird seems entirely black) ; rest of plumage iridescent
black. Ad. 9 and Im. — Entire plumage brownish-gray, un-
streaked.

Nest, none, the eggs being laid in the nests of other birds.
Eggs, white, evenly speckled with brown.

The Cowbird is a summer resident of New York and
New England, but is rare in the hilly country of northern
New England, and entirely absent from the unsettled forest
regions. It arrives late in March or early in April. In late

BOBOLINK 193

summer or early autumn the Cowbird is either absent or
else occurs in large flocks, which occasionally linger through
October. Cowbirds have several times been found in New
York and New England in winter.

In spring flocks of two or three, or more, fly about in a
restless fashion, and attract attention by a long, high
whistle, followed by two shorter, lower notes. The bird's
flight is unsteady, and it looks distinctly smaller on the
wing than the Red-winged Blackbird, with which it often
associates. When the flock lights on trees, the males spread
wings and tail, lift the latter, extend the neck, and follow
these absurd gestures by a feeble squeak. Both sexes have
a harsh chatter. They make no nest, and by laying in the
nest of smaller birds, force them to bring up their young.
The young Cowbird is brownish-gray, and generally larger,
by the time it leaves the nest, than the foster-parent that
is feeding it.

In summer Cowbirds are often seen following cattle
about, walking on the ground. They can then be readily
distinguished from the much larger Crow Blackbirds by the
short, stout bill, by the reddish-brown head of the male, and
by the grayish-brown females in the flock. (See under Rusty
Blackbird, p. 187.)

Bobolink. Dolichonyx oryzivorus
7.25

Ad. $. — Nape buffy- white ; shoulders and lower back white ;
otherwise black. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brown, streaked ; under
parts yellowish-brown, unstreaked ; line over eye and line through
crown buffy. $ in August and Im. — Similar to female, but yel-
lower.

Nest, placed on the ground in some tuft of grass or weeds.
Eggs, white, blotched with brown.

The Bobolink is a common summer resident throughout
New England and New York, wherever there is grass-land,

194 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Fig. 59. Bobolink, Female

though absent apparently from Cape Cod, and local in the
vicinity of New York city. It arrives early in May, and

stays till Septem-
ber. It breeds in
mowing-land of
grass or clover, and
at the edges of
grassy marshes.
Here the males
through May and
June pour forth
their rollicking
song, either from
the tops of the
neighboring trees,
or from some bending weed, or tuft of grass. Often they
sing in the air, either gliding with curved wings or chasing
each other furiously over the field. About the first week in
July the young ones leave the nest, and now the song of the
males ceases abruptly. If one approaches the grass where
a young one is hiding, both parents hover near, uttering a
chuck of alarm, flying from one perch to another, spread-
ing the tail nervously. Towards the end of July the males
begin to lose the black-and-white plumage ; it is replaced
by a dress similar to the female's, but yellower. About this
time old and young gather in large flocks, which roost each
night in the long grass of some low meadow. As they pass
to and fro they utter a mellow chink, which is one of their
ordinary call-notes ; this note may be heard at night in
August and early September from migrant flocks.

The young birds and the males in autumn may be known
by their unstreaked yelloivish under parts, and by the
buffy line over the eye ; in spring the presence of the
brightly marked males will often help one to identify the
plain-colored females.

STAELING 195

STARLINGS : FAMILY STURNIDiE

Starling. Sturnus vulgaris
8.50

Ad. $ in summer. — Entire body black, with green and purple
reflections ; each feather of the back tipped with grayish-yellow ;
bill yellow. Ad. 9 • — Plumage less brilliant ; buffy spots larger,
especially below. Ad. in winter. — Spotting much more conspicu-
ous ; light brown on upper parts, and whitish on under parts ;
bill blackish. Im. — Grayish-brown.

Nest, in hollow trees, or in crevices in buildings. Eggs, pale
greenish-blue or bluish- white.

The Starling has been introduced from Europe into
Central Park, and has not only become well established
there, but has spread to New Jersey, Staten Island, and
along Long Island Sound. It is resident throughout the
year. Starlings feed on the ground, where they walk after
the manner of our blackbirds. In late summer and autumn
they collect in flocks, which in Europe blacken the sky ;
they now resort to the reeds in low ground. The male
sings in early spring from the top of a tree, or on some build-
ing ; some of the notes are very sweet, others are harsh,
and many are imitations of the surrounding noises.

CROWS, JAYS, ETC. : FAMILY CORVID-S!

Fish Crow. Corvus ossifragus
16.00

Ad. — Entire bird black, with blue or purplish reflections at
close range.

Nest, of sticks, in trees, generally in evergreens. Eggs, like
those of the common Crow.

The Fish Crow is a common permanent resident of the
lower Hudson Valley, and occurs regularly but not com-

196 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

monly along the coast of Connecticut, as far east as Strat-
ford. It has been taken at Springfield, Mass., but is prob-
ably very rare north of Long Island Sound ; in fact, it is
almost always found near the sea or on large streams.
Though the Fish Crow is smaller than the Common Crow,
it is very difficult to distinguish it by the size alone, but its
car is distinctive ; it is higher, more nasal, and less power-
ful than the caiv of the common Crow.

American Crow. Corvus americanus
19.30

Ad. — Entire bird black, with blue or purplish reflections when
seen in strong light.

Nest, of sticks, in tall trees. Eggs, generally bluish-green,
marked with brown.

The Crow is a permanent resident of the warmer portions
of New York and New England, but a summer resident of
that portion only of the interior where the winter is not
severe. Great numbers move to the coast at this season,
and find food on the marshes and beaches. Each evening
multitudes assemble and fly off to certain roosts several
miles away ; in the morning they return and scatter over
the feeding-ground. In March long trains flying northward
show that the migration has begun. Mating begins early in
April ; Crows are now seen pursuing each other in the air,
turning and swooping with considerable grace. Besides the
ordinary caw, and the many modifications of which it is
capable, the Crow utters commonly two other striking
notes. One is like a high-pitched laugh, ha-a-a-a-a-a ; the
other a more guttural sound, like the gobble of a turkey,
cow coiv coit\ Crows have a strong antipathy towards the
larger hawks and owls, pursuing them sometimes in great
flocks, and cawing vehemently each time the victim makes
an attempt to escape his noisy escort.

NORTHERN RAVEN 197

Northern Raven. Corvus corax principalis
22.00-26.50

Ad. — Entire bird black ; the long feathers of the throat and
the thick bill show only at close range.

Nest, of large sticks, lined with grass and wool, on cliffs or in
trees. Eggs, bluish-green or olive, spotted with brown.

The Raven is a rare permanent resident of the coast of
Maine, breeding on some of the small islands of Penobscot
Bay. According to Mr. Brewster, it " regularly visits the
interior of northern New England in late autumn and win-
ter." It probably still occurs in the Adirondacks. In spite
of its greater size, it is often difficult to distinguish it from
a Crow, unless it utters its hoarse curruek.

Canada Jay. Perisoreus canadensis
12.00

Ad. — Forehead, sides of head, and throat whitish ; hind part of
head dusky grayish ; back gray ; tail gray, feathers tipped with
white. Im. — Entire plumage sooty -slate.

Nest, in coniferous trees, of twigs, bark, etc. Eggs, grayish or
whitish, speckled with brown.

The Canada Jay is a permanent resident of the conifer-
ous forests of northern New England and New York. It is
especially common in autumn, but rarely appears far south
of central New Hampshire and Vermont ; its presence in
Massachusetts is accidental. It is noted for its fondness for
meat, and in winter comes boldly about the logging-camps
in its search for scraps of refuse. It is noisy, like its rela-
tive the Blue Jay, and has a variety of notes, many of
which bear a strong family resemblance to its relative's.
Its fluffy appearance and its pattern of coloration has sug-
gested a comparison with a " magnified Chickadee " (Seton).
The white spot on the forehead is the best recognition
mark ; the bird has no crest.

198 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Blue Jay. Cyanocitta crlstata
11.74

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-blue ; head furnished with a crest,
which is often, however, depressed; wings and tail bright blue, with
narrow black bars and broad white spots; throat gray ; collar about
breast and neck black; lower belly white.

Nest, placed in thick evergreen from five to twenty feet up.
Eggs, greenish, spotted with brown.

The Blue Jay is a common permanent resident of New
England and New York, but is most numerous in the au-
tumn. It inhabits woodland
of any sort, feeding in fall
and winter on grain, acorns,
and nuts ; in spring and sum-
mer it lives largely on in-
sects, but too often robs the
nests of other birds of eggs
or young. Though a noisy
bird at times, a pair can be
so silent about the nesting-
site that the eggs will per-
haps be laid before their
presence is suspected. Their
bright contrast, too, of blue
and white, is not nearly so conspicuous in leafy shade as
one might expect. Jays have a habit of hopping upward
from one branch to the next till they reach the top of a
tree. When flying through open spaces, they keep at
almost an exact level, and may by this peculiarity of flight
be recognized at some distance. Jays are very vigilant and
give notice by their screams of the presence of an intruder ;
hawks and owls are frequently pursued by a noisy mob.

Their notes vary greatly j the commonest are the well-
known strident djay djay, a higher and more prolonged
tee-ar tee-ar, which exactly simulates the scream of the

Fig. 60. Blue Jav

PRAIRIE HORNED LARK 199

Red-shouldered Hawk, a resonant, trumpet-like teerrand
a too-wheedle too-ivheedle, which suggests the creaking of
a wheelbarrow. When uttering these sounds from a perch,
Jays open the wings, and bend the head back and forth,
like crows when cawing. They have also, in spring, low,
sweet crooning notes. Many good observers believe that the
Jay imitates the cries of various hawks, such as the Broad-
winged and the Sparrow Hawk. The fact remains that
even where the Red-shouldered Hawk is uncommon, the
Jay frequently uses a note like his scream, so that it may
be a part of his original repertoire, and not an imitation.

LARKS : FAMILY ALAUDID-5J

Prairie Horned Lark. Otocoris alpestris praticola

7.25

Ad. — Similar to the following species but smaller, the throat
white, or only tinged with yellow ; the line over the eye pure white.
Im. — Lacks the black and yellow about the head ; breast washed
with brownish buff, speckled with dusky.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, pale olive or pale buffy, finely but
thickly speckled with olive-brown.

The Prairie Horned Lark is a summer resident of north-
eastern New York, Berkshire County, Mass., and northern
Xew England. It has been found in North Adams, Wil-
liamstown, Lanesboro, and Pittsfield in Berkshire County,
at Hubbardston in Worcester County, and at Ipswich,
Mass., at Franconia, Errol, and Shelburne, N". H., etc. It is
apparently extending its range eastward, and will probably
become commoner, and appear in new localities. It arrives
in March and raises two broods, the first in April, the second
in June. It frequents grassy hills or intervales, and feeds
on the ground, walking or running.

It is restless, and often flies about, uttering a sharp tsee
or tsee-de-ree. Its song is uttered either on the ground, and

200 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

then consists of four or five introductory tic its, followed by
a little trill, all in a very sharp tone, or it is delivered
after the bird has mounted, like his famous cousin, to a
considerable height ; it is then much longer, but still sharp
and unmusical and lacking the strength of the Skylark.

The Prairie Horned Lark also occurs as a rare migrant
in late October and November along the sea-coast of New
England and New York, often in company with its relative
the Shore Lark. It must not be confused with the small
pale-colored females of the latter species, from which the
pure white line over the eye will distinguish it.

Horned Lark ; Shore Lark. Otocoris alpestris

7.75

Ad. $. — Forehead and patch back of eye yellow; "horns,"
or tufts of feathers projecting backward from the head, black ;
front and sides of crown, line from bill under eye along sides of
throat and band across upper breast black ; back of head, back,
and rump pinkish-brown ; tail dark, outer pair of feathers edged
with white; throat yellow • belly white, sides pinkish-brown. Ad.
9- — Similar to $, but decidedly smaller, the black much less
pronounced; the pink tinge often wanting; throat duller.

The Shore Lark is a common winter visitant along the sea-
coast from October to April ; small flocks occasionally occur

inland. Shore Larks feed in
flocks along the flats left bare
by the tide, and on the fields
and hillsides, within sound of
the surf.

Their notes are shrill, re-
sembling the syllables tsee,
tsee-de-ree; it is hard to distin-
guish them from those of the
Titlark, which may be found
in the same localities in fall and

Fig. 61. Horned Lark

HORNED LARK 201

spring, but not in winter. They are restless birds, flying
high when disturbed, and passing back and forth from one hill
to another, so that their notes are often heard high in air.
On the ground they run or walk ; in the air their wings look
long and pointed. The " horns " show as little tufts of elon-
gated feathers projecting backward on each side of the head.
The females are smaller, the yellow of their throats is
duller, but they may be distinguished at very close range
from the inland Prairie Horned Lark by the white eyebrow
of the latter. Shore Larks are often associated with Snow
Buntings, but may be known by their heavy square-shoul-
dered build, the yellow throat, and the black markings
which include it.

FLYCATCHERS : FAMILY TYRANNIDiE

Nine Flycatchers occur as summer residents in some parts
of New York and New England. Four or five are commonly
distributed throughout the whole region ; these are the
Phoebe, the Kingbird, the Least Flycatcher, and the Wood
Pewee, all of which are fairly common, and the Crested Fly-
catcher, which is locally common, but in many places rare or
absent. In the lower Hudson Valley, the Green-crested Fly-
catcher occurs as a summer resident ; in northern New York
and New England, the Alder and the Olive-sided Flycatchers
occur as fairly common summer residents. The Yellow-
bellied Flycatcher is a summer resident of high mountains,
and of the damp forests of northern New York and New
England. All the Flycatchers sit more or less on exposed
perches, in an upright position, with the tail held nearly
straight down. From this station they fly out after passing
insects, and then return to the same perch or another. Many
of them during the breeding season are of a rather overbear-
ing disposition, constantly wrangling with other birds that
come near their nesting haunts.

202 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Least Flycatcher ; Chebec. Empidonax minimus
5.41

Ad. — Upper parts olive-green, tinged with brownish; wing-
bars ash-white ; under parts whitish, with a slight tinge of yellow
on the belly.

Nest, a neat gray cup, often in a crotch from twenty to thirty
feet up. Eggs, white.

The Chebec is very common throughout New York and
New England, except in the less cultivated districts of
northern New England and New York, where it is chiefly
confined to the villages and the neighborhood of tilled fields,
its place being taken in the wilder regions by the Alder
Flycatcher. It arrives late in April, and in eastern Massa-
chusetts is rarely seen after the end of August. It breeds in
apple orchards, edges of woodland, in fact, wherever trees
are separated by slight open spaces in which it can hunt. It
sits on some fairly exposed perch, in the manner character-
istic of flycatchers, and makes constant sallies into the air,
down over the grass, or even against the trunks of trees.

The male in spring and early summer is a constant singer,
snapping out the syllables se-bic', with a violent jerk of his
head and a quiver of the tail. Both sexes, after alighting,
often utter a little gurgling note, and quiver wings and tail.
The call-note is wh it. Just before dusk the male often flies
up from some tree near the nest, and delivers a flight-song,
in which the call-note, whit, and the ordinary song, se-bic' ',
are repeated many times. (See also following species.)

Alder Flycatcher. Empidonax traillii alnorum
6.09

Ad. — Upper parts dark olive-green, often with a tinge of
brown ; under parts white, washed with yellowish on the belly •
wing-bars broivnish-gray.

Nest, in crotch of small bush near the ground, made of coarser
material than the Chebec's. Eggs, spotted.

\\ Jr

v^^HB^H

Lp

jUL/'t (fotiiv* -^u

IT

LEAST FLYCATCHER

GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER 203

The Alder Flycatcher has been found breeding in northern
New Jersey, in northwestern Connecticut, and in eastern
Massachusetts, but outside the Canadian Zone it occurs
chiefly as a regular but rare migrant late in May or very
early in June. From the edge of the Canadian area north-
ward it is a rather common summer resident, frequenting
alder thickets along streams and swampy places, as well as
wet clearings and ill-drained hillsides.

Its song is like the syllables qui-dee1, ending with a
marked ee instead of the sharp ic of the Chebec. The
singer either mounts an exposed perch, where he may be
seen jerking his head violently, or as often sings concealed
in the leafy twigs. Where the birds are common, the song
is heard as late as the first week in August, but it is not
regular after the middle of July. The call-note is a sharp
pip.

Its appearance in the field is so like the Least Flycatcher
that only a very well-trained eye can distinguish the two
species. The notes, however, of the two are very unlike ;
the marked difference in habitat, moreover, should make it
comparatively easy to separate the two species in the breed-
ing season.

Green-crested Flycatcher. Empidonax virescens
5.75

Ad. — Upper parts dark gray; back tinged in strong light
with greenish; icing-bars buff or buffy -white ; under parts white,
tinged with sulphur-yellow, shaded on the breast with grayish or
greenish.

Nest, on a limb, from four to twenty feet up, shallow, pensile,
of rootlets, grass, and plant stems, loosely put together. Eggs,
creamy-white, spotted with brown.

The Green-crested Flycatcher is a locally common sum-
mer resident in the lower Hudson Valley as far north as
Sing Sing, and in New Jersey as far north as Plainfield,

204 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

but occurs in New England only as an accidental visitor.
It arrives in May, and generally leaves in August. It fre-
quents woodland and orchards, especially in the neighbor-
hood of small streams. The sharp call-note, queej), and the
song, which Bendire writes wick-up1 and Chapman jpee-e-
yuk', are characteristic ; these notes, the larger size, and
the buffy wing-bars distinguish the Green-crested from the
Least Flycatcher.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Emjndonax flaviventris

5.63

Xd. — Dark olive-green above; wing-bars whitish; entire under
parts yellowish, brightest on the belly, shaded with olive on throat,
breast, and sides.

Nest, sunk in mossy bank, or " among the earth-laden roots of
a fallen tree" (Brewster). Eggs, white, marked with reddish-
brown, chiefly at the larger end.

The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a rare migrant in eastern
New England, and, like the Alder Flycatcher, appears very
late in May or early in June, and again in August and early
September. In western New England and in the Hudson
Valley it is not rare, but it is often silent and of a retiring
disposition, frequenting low woods and swampy places. On
the higher Catskills and the mountains of northern New
England and in the great spruce forests of Maine, where
the ground is deep with a feathery moss (Hypnum), the
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a fairly common resident.
Here, too, it is shy and retiring, but its notes differ from
those of the other small Flycatchers, and assist in its iden-
tification. Its call-note is like the syllables ti-pee'-a, and
resembles closely a note of the Wood Pewee ; its absurd
little song, like the syllables pe-wick, is uttered almost as a
monosyllable.

Its great similarity in appearance to the other little fly-
catchers, the Least and the Alder, should make a student

WOOD PEWEE 205

very careful in identifying it ; the distinctly yellowish tinge
over the entire under parts distinguishes it.

Wood Pewee. Contopus virens
6.53

Ad. — Upper parts dark brownish-gray; two white wing-bars ;
under parts whitish, the sides washed with dark gray.

Nest, flattish, saddled on a limb, twenty to forty feet up, exqui-
sitely decorated with a green lichen. Eggs, white, with a ring of
dark markings about the larger end.

The Wood Pewee is a rather common summer resident
of New York and New England. It arrives in May, and
leaves toward the end of September. It is a characteristic
bird of open woodland groves or the tall shade-trees of vil-
lage streets and plantations. It sits on the ends of dead
limbs, usually in the shade of the upper branches, and darts
out at passing insects, returning, after its sally, to the same
perch or to a neighboring limb. The ordinary drawled pee-
a-wee pee-a is to be distinguished, on the one hand, from
the pure phee-bee of the Chickadee and the rather hoarse
phee'-wi of the Phoebe. Toward the middle of August the
full song is rarely heard, and the common note is a shorter
pee1 -a, which must not be confused in northern New Eng-
land with the call-note of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
The bird utters beside a low chit, and about the nest an
excited chitter.

The long-drawn song, when given, distinguishes the Wood
Pewee from any of the other Flycatchers, but when the bird
is silent it may be confused either with the Phoebe or with
the Chebec. It may be distinguished from the former by its
smaller size and by its w ell-marked wing-bars ; moreover,
it never flirts its tail after the manner of the Phoebe. It is
considerably larger than the Chebec, and, when it faces an
observer, the middle of its breast shows a light line sepa-
rating the darker sides.

206 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Olive-sided Flycatcher. Nuttallomis borealis
7.39

Ad. — Upper parts dark olive-gray and brown ; under parts
dark brownish on the sides, with a whitish stripe down the middle;
no wing-bars, except in young birds ; two white cottony tufts on
the flank, which show in flight.

Nest, placed on a limb of an evergreen, twenty or thirty feet up.
Eggs, white, with dark spots.

The Olive-sided Flycatcher breeds here and there in the
hill country of Berkshire and Worcester counties in Massa-
chusetts, not uncommonly in portions of Cape Cod, and
regularly in the Canadian Zone. It is a rare migrant through
eastern New England, in late May and early June ; in west-
ern New England and the Hudson Valley it is less rare.

On the higher Catskills and the Adirondacks, and in
northern New England, wherever the woodsman or a forest
fire has left tall dead trees, the wild call of this bird may be
heard. The birds fly from the tops of the tall stubs, some-
times almost straight up, or circle about, and light again on
another perch. The song is loud, and resembles the syllables
pi-pee', or pip, pi-peer. The call heard constantly, even in
August, when the song is infrequent, is a loud pip, pip-pip.

Phcebe ; Bridge Pewee. Sayornis phcebe
6.99

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown; head dark brown; no con-
spicuous icing-bars; throat and breast grayish; belly pale yellow-
ish; sides dark. Im. — Wing-bars more distinct, and the under
parts yellower.

Nest, composed largely of moss, placed on a beam or rafter in
a shed or under a bridge, and in less settled regions on a ledge of
rock.

The Phoebe is a common summer resident throughout
New York and New England. It arrives late in March or
early in April, and lingers into October. It is common about

CRESTED FLYCATCHER 207

farm-buildings, sitting often on the ridgepole, but it also
shows a marked fondness for the neighborhood of water.

The name Phoebe suggests the song, phee'-wt or plied -
ivi-wi, hoarser than the pure whistle of the Chickadee, and
with much more snap than the drawling note of the Wood
Pewee. The Phcebe has also a chip, and about its nest a
curious chattering cry. It raises two broods in the northern
states, and the song is therefore heard well into July ; after
the moult in late summer the song is often heard again. In
early spring the Phcebe occasionally utters a flight-song,
beginning with whits and running into pjlioebes rapidly
repeated.

The sideways sweep of the tail is a characteristic action
by which the bird may always be identified ; in the old birds
the absence of wing-bars also serves to distinguish it from the
Wood Pewee. Young birds have dull wing-bars, but they
cannot refrain long from making a suggestive movement
of the loose-hung tail.

Crested Flycatcher. Myiarchus crinitus

9.01

Ad. — Head dark brown above; back olive-brown; tail in flight
nearly as reddish as a Brown Thrasher's ; wing-bars brownish-
white ; throat and breast ashy ; belly sulphur-yellow.

Nest, in holes in trees. Eggs, white, with dark streaks.

The Crested Flycatcher is a summer resident throughout
New York and New England, but is absent from the forest
region of northern New England and New York, except
along the great water-courses. It is much commoner in
Connecticut than in Massachusetts, where it is absent from
many localities. It arrives early in May, and remains till
September, but, like most of the flycatchers, is rather silent
in August. It frequents orchards and woodland, breeding in
holes in trees, generally using a piece of cast snake-skin in the
material of the nest.

208 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

It has a very strong, harsh voice, and soon makes its pre-
sence known by its characteristic calls ; one of these is a
hoarse, long-drawn wheep ; another is a lower whip whip
whip, and a third a guttural, rattling cry. It frequents the
tops of tall trees, and seems to get much of its food without
the sallies into the air characteristic of the rest of the family.
The crest is not nearly so prominent as in the Jay or Cedar-
bird ; the loose feathers on the head are partially erected.
The loud, harsh notes first call attention to the bird, and
the peculiar coloring of the under parts — ashy, yellow, and
reddish-brown — should distinguish it when seen from
below.

Kingbird. Tyrannus tyrannus
8.51

Ad. — Top of head blackish, with a concealed crest of orange-
red; back gray; wings brown; tail black, tipped icith white; under
parts white, washed with grayish across the breast. Im. — Tip of
tail and breast tinged with pale brownish-buff.

Nest, rather bulky, either in trees from ten to thirty feet up,
or in bushes near water. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown.

The Kingbird is a common summer resident throughout
New York and New England, except in heavily forested
regions. It arrives early in May, and is rarely seen after the
first of September. It occurs wherever there are trees sur-
rounded by open country, either in orchards or open farm-
ing land, or along streams. From the top of a tree, from a
mullein stalk, or a telegraph wire, it watches the air round
about, and makes sallies after passing insects. As it returns
to its perch, it spreads its broad fan-shaped tail, showing the
white tips of the black feathers.

The Kingbird is notorious for its habit of pursuing crows
and hawks, darting at them from above with vicious jabs,
often following them for a long distance, and returning at
last with a shrill kp-per, hip-per. Its mating performance

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 209

consists in flying upward, and then tumbling suddenly in
the air, repeating the manoeuvre again and again, all the time
uttering its shrill cry. During the nesting season, the male
may often be seen on a conspicuous perch near the nest, and
when the young are being fed, one parent flies out to meet
the one that is bringing food, and welcomes it noisily.

The flight of the Kingbird is steady and at about the same
level. The orange-red crest-feathers are generally concealed
by their blackish tips, but in the mating season, or under the
influence of anger, they flare out. The black tail, broadly
tipped with white, and the ivhite under parts make the
Kingbird an easy bird to identify, even from a car window.

GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS,
ETC. : ORDER MACROCHIRES

HUMMINGBIRDS : FAMILY TROCHILIDiE

Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Trochilus colubris
3.74

Ad. $, — Chin black, rest of throat, when seen from in front,
intense crimson changing' to golden red, but from the side appar-
ently without color ; rest of lower parts dusky-whitish ; upper
parts bright green. Ad. 9- — Throat whitish; otherwise as in
male.

Nest, of plant-down, saddled on a limb, the outside covered
with lichen. Eggs, two, white.

The Ruby -throated Hummingbird is a rather common
summer resident of New York and New England, arriving
in May, and leaving in September. The neighborhood of
flowers, particularly red flowers, attracts this insect-like
bird ; columbine, nasturtium, trumpet-vine, scarlet honey-
suckle, monarda, and jewel-weed are particular favorites.
Contrary to the general notion, the Hummingbird often
perches either on a dead twig or on a telegraph wire ; as it

210 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

sits, the long needle-like bill appears out of all proportion
to the size of the tiny creature. Hummingbirds are very
fearless, and will frequently fly about a bunch of some
favorite flower, though held in the hand ; they are also
very irritable, constantly pursuing each other with excited
squeaking. The male often poises in mid-air, and then with
a sudden downward rush executes an arc, rising to the
same height, then swinging back to the former station. The
female alone is said to attend to all the duties of nest-build-
ing and the care of the young, which she feeds by thrusting
her bill far down into their throats.

There is only one species of Hummingbird in eastern
North America, but the male alone has the ruby throat.
Certain sphinx moths, poising before the flowers in the
afternoon, are often mistaken for hummingbirds.

SWIFTS: FAMILY MICROFODIDiE

Chimney Swift. Chcetura pelagica
5.43

Ad. — Entire bird sooty-brown, palest on throat ; wings long
and narrow; tail either cigar-shaped, or, when spread, fan-shaped.

Nest, a shallow platform of sticks glued to the inside of a
chimney. Eggs, white.

The Chimney Swift is an abundant summer resident
throughout New England and New York. It arrives to-
ward the end of April or early in May, and leaves toward
the end of August; small flocks, presumably migrants from
farther north, are often seen, particularly along the valleys
of large rivers, till late in September.

The nest is made of short twigs broken off by the bird
while flying. It is a moot point whether the bill or the feet
are used for this purpose. These twigs are glued together
and to the bricks in the chimney by saliva, and form a shal-
low platform on which the eggs are laid. In northern New

£**'* Gyircf't tfuer/ei.

CHIMNEY SWIFT

CHIMNEY SWIFT 211

England and New York the Swift still builds occasionally
in hollow trees, as all its ancestors once did, or " on the
inner walls of barns and outbuildings" (Brewster). Rain
sometimes loosens the nest, which then falls to the bottom.
The young, when fed, keep up an energetic crying, easily
heard through the walls of the chimney.

The Swift's common note is either a loud staccato chip,
chip, chip, or the same notes run rapidly together. This
chippering, heard from little groups high overhead, is often
the first intimation of the bird's presence in spring, and it
is continued constantly till mid-July, then less frequently
or only rarely till the bird's departure.

Chimney Swifts resemble swallows in their appearance on
the wing and in their manner of feeding, but may be distin-
guished after a little practice by the appearance of the tail,
which is short and cigar-shaped, or fan-shaped when spread,
but never notched, forked, or square. Their flight, too, is
characteristic ; they alternate rapid bat-like strokes of the
wings with periods when they glide with their wings curved
in a long narrow crescent. Just before descending into a
chimney and often when two are flying together they raise
their wings at an angle over the body and keep them so for
an instant. As a rule they hawk high, sometimes very high,
but occasionally they fly low over grass, and they commonly
fly low over water. Swallows frequently light on wires and
twigs, but Swifts, as far as I know, have never been seen
to perch. At night, and in the heat of the day, they cling
to the rough bricks inside the chimney, supporting them-
selves with the help of the needle-like tips of their tail-
feathers. Marvelous tales are told by the older writers of
enormous numbers of Swifts which resorted nightly to
certain well-known hollow trees to roost. It is still pos-
sible to see several hundred gathering about some tall
deserted chimney down which they vanish at the approach
of dusk.

212 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

NIGHTHAWKS, WHIP-POOR-WILLS, ETC.:
FAMILY CAPRIMULGIDiE

There is a belief common among country people that the
Nighthawk and Whip-poor-will are one and the same bird ;
it is probably due to the fact that the latter is so rarely
seen, and so constantly heard.

Nighthawk. Chordeiles virginianus
10.00

Ad. $. — Entire upper parts, when seen near to, black, finely
speckled with gray, and a little brown ; middle pair of tail-feathers
like back, the others tipped with black and crossed near the tip
by a white band ; a broad band of white across the throat • breast
black, speckled with gray; belly gray, barred with black, often
tinged with buff ; wings long and narrow ; a broad white bar crosses
the wing, showing best from below. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but throat-
band buff instead of white ; no white on tail.

Eggs, laid on bare rocks or gravel roofs, dull white speckled
with gray or brown.

The Nighthawk is a summer resident throughout New
England and New York, common in some localities, rare
or absent in others. It arrives in
May and leaves for the south to-
ward the end of August, when
large flocks- of Nighthawks are
often seen passing overhead, par-
ticularly along broad river valleys ;
it is occasionally seen in Septem-
ber.
Fig. 62. Nighthawk .

Curiously enough, though the

suburbs of many of our large cities are no longer wild
enough to offer the Nighthawk proper breeding-sites, it has
found the flat gravel-covered roofs of the cities themselves
suitable for nesting-sites, while the air about supplies it
with an abundance of food. The Nighthawk is a not un-

NIGHTHAWK 213

common sight over the streets of Boston and New York, and
its harsh peent is a common sound. Outside the cities it
breeds on rocky hillsides, or in wild pastures, laying its

Fig. 63. Wing of Nighthawk

two eggs on flat rocks or bare spots where their speckles of
gray or brown harmonize with the surrounding stones and
lichens. In the breeding season the male dives down from
a considerable height, and as he nears the ground turns off
and up in an abrupt curve ; at the same time he manages
to produce, probably with his wings, a loud and peculiar
booming sound. The neighborhood of water attracts Night-
hawks, as it does the swallows, and doubtless for the same
reason. They may be seen hawking high over the river
valleys, their long wings carrying them forward with ap-
parent deliberation, though constant, quick upward strokes,
or rapid turns to either side, betray the ceaseless search
for insect food. Their size, when thus feeding, distin-
guishes them from any swallow and from the Swift ; they
are often taken for small hawks, but they may be always
recognized by the bar of white across the icing, which
shows best from below. Occasionally one may be seen
perched lengthwise along a limb or a fence-rail. (See fol-
lowing species.) *►

Whip-poor-will. Antrostonius vociferus

9.75

Ad. $ . — Upper parts a mixture of black, gray, and yellowish-
brown, no white • wings barred with black and yellowish-brown ;
throat black ; upper breast black, crossed by a narrow white

214 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

band; rest of under parts buff, speckled with black; middle tail-
feathers like back, the three outer pairs with the terminal half
white. Ad. 9- — Similar, but band across breast buff, and outer
tail-feathers narrowly tipped with buffy white.

Eggs, creamy-white, spotted with lilac or lavender, laid in dry
leaves on the ground in woods.

The Whip-poor-will is a locally common summer resident
throughout New York and New England, arriving late in

April or early in May, and
staying into September. It is
a bird of the woodland, espe-
cially along streams or at the
edges of farming-land, and has
become scarce in many locali-
ties, as the wroodland has given
way to cultivated ground. It

spends the day in dense thick-
Fig. 64. Whip-poor-will r J

ets or in deep woods, on the

ground or on low limbs, and if surprised in such a place it

nutters off as if bewildered, but writh noiseless flight.

The song of the Whip-poor-will begins at dusk, is heard
at intervals all night long, and regularly before dawn ; it
is often repeated a hundred times in rapid succession. If
the song is heard at close range, it is found to begin with
an introductory chuck. During midsummer the song is less
frequently heard, but on the breeding-ground it is repeated
a few times nearly every night, even in September.

By those who live surrounded by woods, the Whip-poor-
will is not infrequently seen sitting at dusk on the ridge-
pole of some shed, or flying about engulfing moths and
beetles in its cavernous mouth. Its relative the Night-
hawk is much more often seen by day, roosting on some
limb, fence-rail, or rock. Both lie lengthwuse on the limb,
but the Whip-poor-will has a white or buffy band on the
upper breast, while the Nighthawk has one on the throat

WHIP-POOR-WILL 215

The Whip-poor-will has conspicuous bristles about the bill,
has no white bar on the icing, and has the entire plumage
much speckled with yellowish-brown. The Whip-poor-will
has a rounded tail, and the outer feathers end for a greater
or less length in white or buff ; the Nighthawk has a forked
tail tipped with black and crossed in the male near the tip
by a white band.

WOODPECKERS, ETC. : ORDER PICI

WOODPECKERS : FAMILY PICID22

Eight species of Woodpecker occur in New York and
New England. Only two, however, the Downy and the
Flicker, are common residents throughout this area. The
Hairy Woodpecker is very similar to the Downy, and is
generally confined to regions which have a certain amount
of good-sized timber, while the Pileated Woodpecker lives
only in deep forests. The Sapsucker breeds in northern
New York and New England, and occurs as a migrant
elsewhere. The Red-headed Woodpecker occurs only in
southern and western New England and in eastern New
York. The two Three-toed Woodpeckers are confined to
the forests of northern New York and New England. The
habitual resorts of all Woodpeckers are the trunks and
large limbs of trees, though, except in the breeding season,
the Flicker is nearly as often seen on the ground, where
it feeds on ants, as on trees, to which it resorts chiefly as a
perch. Woodpeckers all fly in great undulations, holding
their wings close to the body for an instant, then rising
by means of two or three more strokes. Most of the Wood-
peckers feed on the larvae of borers which they extract from
the trunks or limbs of trees ; they are, therefore, permanent
residents. The Sapsucker, however, and Flicker are not
adapted to feed on borers, and are therefore migrants.

216 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Northern Flicker ; Golden-winged Woodpecker.

Colaptes auratus luteus

12.00

Ad. $. — Head grayish-brown, a scarlet band across nape of
neck ; back brown, barred with black ; wings and tail black ;
shafts and under sides of icings and tail-feathers golden-yellow •
rump white ; throat pinkish-brown ; line along side of throat and
band across upper breast black ; rest of under parts buffy,
marked with round black spots. Ad. 9- — Similar, but without
the black line along the side of the throat.

Nest, in a hole in a dead limb. Eggs, white.

Near the sea-coast, from Massachusetts southward, and in
the lower Hudson Valley, the Flicker is not uncommon in

Fig. 65. Northern Flicker

winter. In the rest of New England it is only a summer
resident, common everywhere except in the northern
heavily-forested regions. The migrants return in March or
April, and are then extremely noisy ; their loud icick trick
ivick wick is one of the characteristic sounds of a bright
spring morning. This is generally the cry of the male only,
who also delivers at this season a tattoo on a resonant limb,
which may often be heard in the pauses of the loud call.

NORTHERN FLICKER 217

The ordinary call-note of the Flicker is a high-pitched
ti-err, often confused by beginners with the teer of the
Blue Jay. The Flicker's note is sharper, less prolonged,
and has a marked downward inflection ; it is, moreover,
usually given but once, or repeated only after a little in-
terval, whereas the Jay generally screams two or three
times in quick succession.

When two or more birds come together, the males spread
wings and tail, bowing and turning, while both sexes utter
a note, like the syllables yuck'-a yuck'-a yuck'-a. At such
a time the full beauty of the plumage is displayed, the
large black dots on the breast, the red band on the ashy
nape, the black collar on the breast, and the black mus-
taches of the male. Ordinarily, however, the bird looks
merely brown. When uttering the long, loud call, the male
often perches across a large twig or small limb, but as a
rule he alights on the upright trunk of a tree after the
fashion of other Woodpeckers. In spring and summer
Flickers spend much 'time on the ground, feeding on ants ;
and in autumn they eat greedily of black cherries.

The eggs are laid in a hole excavated by the birds, gen-
erally in a dead limb, with a large circular opening. The
same nest is often used over and over. If one raps on the
trunk of a tree so occupied in May, the startled female often
appears for an instant in the opening and then hurries off.
At such a time, when the bird flies directly overhead, the
golden under sides of the icing and tail-feathers show ; or-
dinarily, the Flicker is readily identified by its size and pecu-
liar flight (see Woodpeckers, p. 215) and by the white rumj),
which shows as it flies from one group of trees to the next.

Eed-headed Woodpecker. Melanerpes erythrocephalus

9.75

Ad. — Whole head and upper breast crimson ; upper back, wings,
and tail bluish-black ; lower back, wide band across iving, and

218 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

belly white ; outer tail-feathers tipped with white. Im. — Head
and breast gray, streaked with black ; black of back veiled with
gray; white in wing barred with black ; belly white, streaked
with grayish-brown.

Nest, in a hole, in a tree. Eggs, white.

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a permanent resident of
New York, and along the valley of Lake Champlain in

Fig. 66. Red-headed Woodpecker
(From Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture)

Vermont. In the latter region it is not uncommon, but in
the lower Hudson Valley and about New York city it is
generally rare, though occasionally common as a migrant.
In eastern New England it is only an accidental visitor.
The Red-headed Woodpecker is fond of open groves, and
is often seen flying from fence-posts in pastures which
contain trees. Its common note is almost identical with
the grrrr of the tree-toad.

NORTHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER 219

The term Red-headed Woodpecker is commonly misap-
plied to various Woodpeckers ; the Flicker, the male
Downy, and the Hairy, all have a red patch on the back of
the head, while the Sapsucker either has the crown red, or
both the crown and throat red. In the adult Red-headed
Woodpecker, however, not only the whole head and throat
are red, but the upper breast as well. When it flies, it
shows a striking contrast of white with glossy black.

Northern Pileated Woodpecker. Ceophlosus pileatus

abieticola

17.00

Ad. $ . — Entire plumage apparently black; throat, two stripes
on side of head, one on side of neck, and a bar on the wing,
white; whole top of head bright scarlet, the feathers forming a
crest; stripe along the cheek red. Ad. £• — Similar, but only
the crest scarlet.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

The Pileated Woodpecker, Logcock, or Woodcock, as
the lumbermen call it, is a permanent resident of those por-
tions of northern New York and New England that are still
heavily forested ; elsewhere in New York and New England
it is a rare straggler. It is a mighty hewer of wood, leaving
signs of its activity in nearly every decaying tree and on many
sound ones in its neighborhood. Where it digs for grubs, it
cuts out great square mortise-like holes, different from the
round nesting-holes of woodpeckers in general. These
holes often run deep into the tree, or run into each other
up and down the trunk. The noise of its hammering
resounds through the woods like the blows of a woodman's
axe. Its call, or cackling, frequent in spring, suggests that
of the Flicker, but is wilder and louder.

Its flight is undulating, and this, with the white patch
and scarlet crest, will easily identify it when flying ; when
against the trunk of a tree it is, of course, unmistakable.

220 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus varius
8.56

Ad. $. — Crown and throat crimson, edged with black; line
from bill under eye white ; back and wings black, everywhere
speckled with white ; broad stripe from shoulder along edge of wing
white; middle tail-feathers barred with white ; upper breast
black; belly yellowish. Ad. 9- — Similar, but throat white.
Im. — Crown blackish; throat whitish; breast gray, with blackish
bars.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

In the Canadian Zone the Sapsucker is a common sum-
mer resident ; elsewhere in New England and New York it

Fig. 67. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

is a migrant, passing north in April, and returning in late
September and early October. It is occasionally found in
winter in the lower Hudson Valley. On migration it is
found in apple orchards, open groves, and not infrequently
on shade trees about the houses. The Sapsucker breeds
in Massachusetts only on Mount Greylock, and there but
sparingly ; but on the upland of Vermont, in northern and
central New Hampshire, in the Adirondacks, and in the
Maine woods, it breeds commonly.

Each pair have a " sugar orchard " of maple or birch,
to which they resort constantly to drink the sap ; in order to

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 221

obtain it they drill small holes in successive rows, which
often completely encircle the tree. Here they may be found
clinging to the trunk, which is already riddled with holes
and perhaps dying. About them fly hummingbirds, bees,
and butterflies, attracted by the sweet liquid. For a long
time there was doubt as to their object in drilling the holes,
many believing it was to attract insects. Mr. Bolles ("Auk,"
vol. viii. p. 256) has shown that while insects do form a
considerable part of their food, their chief object in drill-
ing the holes is to get the sap. They also eat pieces of
one of the inner layers of the bark. Nearly every old
apple-tree gives evidence in its numerous rings of the vis-
its of the Sapsucker. The young while in the nest are
fed on insects, which the Sapsuckers often take on the
wing.

On the breeding ground the Sapsucker is noisy, uttering
a squealing cry like a Jay's or Bed-shouldered Hawk's, but
more subdued ; it also drums on resonant bark loud enough
to be heard at a considerable distance. While migrating
however it rarely utters a sound, and it is only when the
eye catches sight of its rather stout body, pitching from one
tree to the trunk of the next, that attention is called to it.
If it is an adult, the crimson crown extending over the
forehead serves to identify it. The speckled back and the
stripe of white which shows along the black icing, even
when the wing is closed, serve to distinguish the young
bird.

American Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides

americanus

8.75

Ad. $. — Similar to the following species, except the top of
the head, which is more or less mixed with white, and the back,
which is crossed by narrow white bars. Ad. 9 . — Similar to $ ,
but without the yellow crown-patch.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

222 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The American Three-toed Woodpecker " has practically
the same range in New England as [the following species,
but] it is in most places very much less numerous. Among
the White Mountains, however, and about the sources of
the Connecticut River, it is not so very uncommon for a
bird of its solitary and retiring disposition " (Brewster).

This species occurs south of its breeding-range far less
often than the following, from which it may be distin-
guished by the narrow bars of white across its back.

Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides arcticus
9.50

Ad. $. — Top of head black, with yellow crown-patch; back
black ; stripe on side of bead white, bordered beneath by a black
line; wings black, spotted with white; middle tail-feathers black,
the outer feathers white. Ad. £>• — Similar, but without the
yellow crown-patch.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

The Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker is " a rather common
but somewhat local resident of the wilder and more heavily
timbered portions of northern New England, whence it
sometimes wanders southwards in autumn and winter"
(Brewster). It is rare south of the White Mountains, the
Adirondacks, and the forests of Maine, though stragglers
are occasionally found in autumn and winter as far south
as Connecticut. Its notes are loud and shrill, and are often
uttered as the bird flies.

The plain black back serves to distinguish it from any
other small woodpecker. The white stripe on the side of
the head is also a help to identification, the corresponding
mark on the American Three-toed Woodpecker being a mere
line. Mrs. Eckstorm, in " The Woodpeckers," says that
she has found this to be the best field-mark of this species.
Adult males of both this species and the preceding have
conspicuous yellow patches on the crown.

DOWNY WOODPECKER 223

Downy Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens medianus
6.83. Bill .68

Ad. $. — Upper parts black; stripe above and below eye,
middle of back, and bars across the wing white ; outer tail-feathers
white, barred with black; under parts white; a scarlet patch at
the back of the head. Ad. 9 • — Similar, without the scarlet patch.
Im. — Young males in summer have a reddish-brown patch at the
back of the head.

Nest, in a hole in a dead limb, from ten to thirty feet up. Eggs,
white.

The Downy Woodpecker is a common permanent resident
of New England and New York. It frequents woodland,
orchards, and shade trees. In winter it often follows a wan-
dering band of Chickadees, and may easily be attracted to
a bone or piece of suet hung on a limb near the house.
Occasionally in spring one sees a Downy flying through the
trees as if crazy, or two sometimes have a wild chase in and
out of the tree trunks.

In March the male begins to drum on some dry resonant
limb, and by April the pair have excavated a nesting-hole
in a dead limb in some woodland tree. The call-note of the
Downy is a sharp chick, and it also gives, less frequently, a
shrill cry with a rapid downward fall, suggesting in form
the whinny of a horse. The young, when following the
parents, have a shrill whinnying cry like the adults, but
with less downward inflection.

The attitude of the Downy, when climbing the trunk or
large limb of a tree, distinguishes it readily from the smaller
Black and White Warbler. It is always erect, parallel, that
is, with the limb, sometimes above a horizontal limb, some-
times on the under side, but never peering over each side as
the Warbler does. Its progress is by jerks ; it often backs
down, tail first, but never comes down head first, like the
Nuthatch. Occasionally it perches like a song-bird across a
small twig. (See, also, following species.)

224 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Hairy Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus
9.40. Bill 1.22
Ad. — Similar to the Downy Woodpecker, but larger, the outer
tail-feathers pure white, not barred with black.
Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

The Hairy Woodpecker is a permanent resident of New
England and New York, but is much rarer than the Downy
in more cultivated districts. Where there is considerable
woodland, especially good-sized timber, it is fairly common.
In the breeding season it is rarely seen out of the woods,
but in fall and winter it wanders about, and not infre-
quently comes to suet or bones hung out in village yards.

The chink of the Hairy is like that of the Downy, but
to a trained ear it sounds heavier and wilder. Its rattling
call lacks the downward run so characteristic of the Downy
and suggests the rattle of a Kingfisher.

If one is in doubt about a woodpecker, the bird is prob-
ably the Downy rather than the Hairy, for when the larger
bird is seen its size attracts notice at once ; it is nearly as
large as a Robin, and its bill looks long and heavy. The
outer tail-feathers are pure white, not barred with black as
in the Downy ; but this difference is of little help, unless the
bird is seen near at hand, and with outspread tail.

CUCKOOS, KINGFISHERS, ETC.: ORDER
COCCYGES

KINGFISHERS : FAMILY ALCEDINID^J

Belted Kingfisher. Ceryle alcyon

13.02

Ad. $ . — Upper parts grayish-blue ; feathers of the wing
tipped with white; spot before the eye white; tail-feathers nar-
rowly barred with white ; broad collar white ; band across the
breast bluish-gray ; lower breast and belly white ; bill long ;

BELTED KINGFISHER 225

feathers of the back of the head long, often raised as a crest.
Ad. 9. — Similar to $ ; band across the belly and sides chestnut.
Nest, in a deep hole in a bank of sand. Eggs, white.

The Kingfisher is a summer resident of all parts of New
England and New York, appearing in April, as soon as the

Belted Kingfisher

ice melts from the streams and ponds, and staying till October.
Along Long Island Sound and in the lower Hudson Valley,
where there is open water all winter, a Kingfisher is occasion-
ally seen even at that season. Any point of lookout over the
water may become the Kingfisher's perch, — spar-buoys and
spindles in little coves and harbors, limbs of trees extending
over quiet mill-ponds or pools in mountain streams. Here
it sits and watches the water below, or when startled passes
along the shore or up the brook, with a loud cry, like a
watchman's rattle. It often hovers over one spot, with body
nearly perpendicular, and wings beating rapidly, watching
some fish below, ready to plunge and seize it in its long bill.

226 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Kingfisher may often be seen flying high overhead
from one fishing-ground to another, or to its burrow. It
may then be identified by its curious flight ; after two or
three wing-strokes at ordinary intervals it quickens the time,
taking two or three strokes much more rapidly.

CUCKOOS: FAMILY CUCULIDiE

Neither of our two species of Cuckoo gives the cuckoo
cry of the European species.

Black-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus
11.83

Ad. — Upper parts uniform brown; under parts white; bill
black ; skiti about the eye red • small tips of white on all but the
inner pair of tail-feathers.

Neat, of sticks, loosely constructed, in a bush or a low tree, or
in a dense mass of vines. Eggs, pale greenish-blue.

The Black-billed Cuckoo is a common summer resident of
southern and central New England and of the Hudson Valley,

arriving in the
first half of May,
and occasionally
lingering till late
in September; it
is less common in
northern New England and is absent from the higher and
heavily forested regions. It inhabits tangled thickets, plan-
tations, and the edges of woodland, feeding on caterpillars in
the thick foliage. In May, when the web-like nests of the
tent-caterpillar are conspicuous in apple and wild cherry-
trees, both species of cuckoo resort to them, and pick out the
hairy caterpillars, which most birds eschew.

Each species of cuckoo has two sets of notes, which are
very similar in tone and form. One consists of a series of

YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 227

notes like the syllables kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kyow-kyoic-kyoiu.
These the Black-billed introduces by a gurgling note; its
notes, moreover, are more liquid, less wooden than those of
the Yellow-billed. Besides these prolonged calls each species
has a shorter call : that of the Black-billed sounds like the
syllables kuk-kuk, or kuk-kuk-kuk, the double, triple, or
sometimes quadruple combinations being repeated often
many times ; the corresponding notes of the Yellow-billed
are single, low, dove-like notes, coo, coo, coo, coo.

The Black-billed Cuckoo, when seen at short range, may
be distinguished by the black under mandible, by the rim
of bare red skin about the eye, or by the small white tips
on the dusky (not black) tail-feathers. It has a habit when
alarmed or excited of raising its long tail slowly.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus americanus
12.20

Ad. — Upper parts brown ; under parts white ; lower mandible
yellow, except the tip, which is black; tail long, rounded, the three
outer blackish tail-feathers ending in large white spots ; a broad
area of cinnamon showing in the wings when the bird flies.

Nest, of sticks, loosely constructed, in a low tree or bush, or in
a dense mass of vines. Eggs, pale greenish-blue.

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a summer resident of New
York and New England, rarely occurring beyond the north-
ern boundary ^
of Massachu-
setts. It ar-
rives in the

„ , , ,. - Fig. 70. Tail of Yellow-billed Cuckoo

first hall ol

May, and occasionally lingers late into September. In the

hilly portion of central Xew England it is rare, occurring in

Berkshire County only along the rivers and at the outlets

of lakes. In eastern Massachusetts and about New York

this and the preceding species are often equally common.

228 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The haunts and habits of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo are
similar to those of the preceding species. It slips quietly
into the trees and then sits motionless, so that it is more
often heard than seen. Its notes have been described under
the preceding species.

To distinguish the Yellow-billed Cuckoo from the Black-
billed it is necessary to get near enough to see the large
ivhite sjiots on the tips of the blackish tail-feathers, or the
yellow under mandible, or to catch, as the bird flies, the
cinnamon in the winy.

BIRDS OF PREY: ORDER RAPTORES
OWLS: SUBORDER STRIGES

HORNED OWLS, ETC. : FAMILY BUBONID-53

While seven or eight species of Owl occur in New York
and New England, only one, the Screech Owl, is at all com-
mon in inhabited regions. The Barred Owl and the Great
Horned Owl are the species most frequently heard in deep
forests. The other species are either uncommon and retiring
permanent residents, or rare or regular wanderers from the
north. The Snowy Owl and the Hawk Owl hunt by day,
and the Short-eared Owl is often seen in the daytime, but
the other Owls are nocturnal, hiding by day in some hollow
tree or thick evergreen. Here they are occasionally discov-
ered by a band of jays, crows, or smaller birds, who surround
or pursue them with great outcries. Owls bolt their prey
bones and all and then disgorge the indigestible portions
in the form of pellets ; their presence is, therefore, often
indicated by the appearance on the ground of numbers of
these gray pellets. They hoot at all seasons of the year,
but less commonly in summer and very constantly in late
winter and early spring. An Owl is easily recognized by its

AMERICAN HAWK OWL 229

noiseless flight and by the peculiar human appearance of
the face, due to the position of the eyes, both of which look
forward. The feathers which surround the eye are known
as the facial disk ; in one or two species their color serves
as a good field-mark. It is important also to determine the
presence or absence of " horns," or erect tufts of feathers,
which in several species rise from the head.

American Hawk Owl. Surnia ulula caparoch

15.00

Ad. — Top of head and hind neck spotted with white; back
dark brown; under parts white, streaked on the throat, barred on
the breast and belly with brown; wings and tail brown, barred
with white; face whitish, encircled icith black ; tail considerably
more than a third as long as the whole bird; bill yellowish-white.

The American Hawk Owl is usually a very rare winter
visitant in northern New England ; occasionally, however,
it is fairly common in winter in Maine and northern New
Hampshire. It is as diurnal as a hawk, and watches for its
prey on a perch in plain sight. It may be known by its tail,
which is much longer in proportion than that of any of our
other owls.

Sxowy Owl. Nyctea nyetea

25.00

Ad. $. — Entire plumage white, more or less barred on head,
back, wings, and tail, and often on the belly and sides, with brown.
Ad. 9- — Much darker than $, only the face, front of neck, and
middle of breast pure white; rest of plumage heavily barred with
brown.

The Snowy Owl is a very irregular winter visitor from
the north, sometimes occurring in large numbers, but often
absent for several years ; it is found more often along the
sea-shore than inland. It is strictly diurnal, and may be
seen perched on some rock or tree, conspicuous enough if

230 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

there is no snow about. The sexes vary in the amount of
brown color in the white feathers, but the general effect is
always so white that there is no chance of confusing it with
any other owl.

Great Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus
22.00

Ad. — Head and neck speckled with black and tawny; rest
of the upper parts speckled with gray; collar across breast
white; rest of the lower parts tawny, barred with black; disk
tawny; ear-tufts nearly two inches long, black and tawny; eyes
yellow.

Nest, in trees, often a deserted hawk's or crow's nest. Eggs,
white.

The Great Horned Owl is a permanent resident of New
York and New England ; it is found only in extensive tracts
of woodland, particularly where swamps give shelter to
hares and grouse, on which it feeds. Its common call is a
deep-voiced hoot, made up of a number of syllables. It
differs from the cry of the Barred Owl in keeping on the
same note to the end, and being less regular in form and
accent. It may be written thus : TVhoof, hoo-hoo, h'ob, hob.
If discovered in the daytime, it may be readily identified by
its great size, prominent ear-tufts, and broad white collar.

Screech Owl. Megascops aslo
9.40

Ad. — Either bright reddish-brown, or delicate brownish-gray,
streaked with black, the two phases of color having nothing to do
with sex or age; two "ears," tufts of feathers about an inch long,
on the sides of the head.

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

The Screech Owl is a common permanent resident of
New York and New England, more common in the southern
portion of its range, and absent from the mountainous and

SCKEECH OWL

231

Screech Owl

heavily forested regions of the north. It is the only owl
which remains in the towns and villages, the only one
whose voice is regularly heard away from deep woods. Its
notes are a frequent accom-
paniment of winter twilights,
and though more often heard
in autumn and winter, they
are uttered occasionally at
every season. The name, bor-
rowed from Europe, is not ap-
propriate to our species. The
cry is tremulous, quavering,
suggesting the soft whinny-
ing of a horse, or the rapid
and muffled beating of wings.
Sometimes the little owl is seen sitting on a branch of the
tree in the gathering dusk, but as a rule it keeps concealed
during the day in thick evergreens, or more often in the
hollow of a tree. The presence under a tree of gray pellets
of mouse-fur, inclosing skull and bones, is evidence that an
owl either inhabits or has inhabited the tree. Sometimes
an excited scolding and fluttering of Chickadees about a
hole in an apple-tree betrays the little recluse. The ear-
tufts distinguish it from the much rarer Acadian, our only
other small owl ; its small size should easily distinguish it
from the other owls. (See also Long-eared Owl, p. 233.)

Saw-whet Owl ; Acadian Owl. Nyctala acadica
8.00

Ad. — Upper parts brown, more or less spotted with white;
under parts white, striped with brown; wing, when spread, crossed
with several rows of white spots; no ear-tufts. 1m. — Upper parts
plain brown; under parts brownish, fading on the belly into yel-
lowish-brown.

Nest, in holes in trees, often in a deserted woodpecker's hole.
Eggs, white.

232 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Acadian Owl is a rare permanent resident of north-
ern New York and New England, and a rare migrant and
winter visitant in southern New York and New England.
Its notes, which have given this owl one of its names,
suggest the rasping sound made in filing a saw. It is
smaller than a Screech Owl, and is readily distinguished by
the absence of ear-tufts. The spots of white on the brown
back, moreover, give it a very different tone of color from
that of the Screech Owl, with its fine streaking of black
and reddish-brown, or gray.

Barred Owl. Syrnium varium
20.00

Upper parts dark brown, barred or spotted with buffy; lower
parts whitish, barred with brown across the breast; belly striped
with brown ; disk gray ; bill yellowish ; no ear-tufts.

Nest, in trees, usually in hollows, sometimes in a deserted
hawk's or crow's nest. Eggs, white.

The Barred Owl is a permanent resident of New York
and New England. Like most of the large owls, it is now
rare and confined to the wilder, more heavily wooded dis-
tricts, where its hooting is a characteristic sound of wild,
swampy woods. Its ordinary cry is composed of a regular
number of syllables, about eight in all, divided into two
sets of four each, very similar in form ; the second, how-
ever, ends in a deep hollow note with a downward cadence.
It may be written Jwo hoo hob hob, hoo hoo hob hoo'-aw.
Its regular form and the falling cadence at the close
distinguish it from the other common hooting sound in the
wild forests, that of the Horned Owl. It is oftener heard
in winter and early spring than in summer ; it is regularly
uttered in the evening, but not infrequently in the daytime
also, especially in answer to an imitation of the cry, or be-
cause of some other unusual excitement.

Sometimes the Barred Owl is discovered in the daytime,

SHORT-EARED OWL 233

hiding in a thick evergreen, or in some hollow tree, the
centre, perhaps, of a little mob of angry birds. It may be
then recognized by its large size, absence of ear-tufts, and
the brown barring across the breast.

Shout-eared Owl. Asio accipitrinus
15.50

Ad. — Upper parts yellowish-broitm, streaked with black; under
parts buffy, streaked with dark brown, particularly on the
breast; wings and tail, when spread, spotted and barred with
white; disk blackish around the eyes; ear-tufts very short. Im. —
Upper parts darker; under parts dull buffy, unstreaked ; disk
brownish-black.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, white.

The Short-eared Owl is a rare and local permanent resi-
dent of New York and New England, but is chiefly met
with as a migrant, especially along ocean beaches and in
extensive marshes. It is occasionally as diurnal as the
Snowy Owl, and may be seen beating over the marshes or
sand dunes. When startled it sometimes flies to a post or
knoll in the marsh or on the beach, and lights there. Dusk,
however, is its favorite hunting-time, and it generally spends
the day on the ground in thick grass. Its ear-tufts are
not at all prominent, even in the live bird, but it may be
known from the forest-haunting Barred Owl by the nature
of the country in which it is generally found, by its smaller
size, the lighter tone of its upper parts, and by the absence
of barring on the breast.

American Long-eared Owl. Asio wilsonianus

14.80

Ad. — Prevailing color of the upper parts dark brown,
speckled with whitish and yellowish-brown; lower parts whitish,
streaked and barred with dusky; ear-tufts conspicuous, over an
inch long, blackish, rising from the middle of the head ; disk about
eyes rich reddish-brown.

234 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Nest, in trees, generally a deserted crow's or hawk's nest.
Eggs, white.

The Long-eared Owl is a. rather uncommon permanent
resident of New York and New England. Like all the
larger owls, it is more common in the wilder parts of its
range. It frequents swampy woods or thick evergreens,
hunting at night and hiding in thick foliage by day. Its
cry is "said by some to resemble the noise made by
kittens, while others state that it is like the barking of
small dogs " (Fisher). It may be known by its size, inter-
mediate between the Screech Owl and the Great Horned
Owl, and by its conspicuous ear-tufts, which rise from the
middle and not the sides of the head. (See also Screech
Owl, Fig. 71, p. 230.) If it faces an observer, the rusty-
brown facial disk is consiricuous.

BARN OWLS : FAMILY STRIGIDiE

American Barn Owl. Strix jiratincola
18.00

Ad. — Upper parts huffy-yellow, mixed with white and gray,
and speckled with black ; under parts varying from white to
bright tawny, dotted with black ; disk varying from white to
tawny.

Nest, in a tower, steeple, or hole in a tree. Eggs, white.

The Barn Owl is a rare but regular resident from Long
Island and northern New Jersey southward. It very rarely
issues forth in the daytime. Bendire describes its common
cry as a " peevish scream," frequently heard at night ; he
mentions also " a feeble querulous note sounding somewhat
like the call of the Nighthawk," and " an unpleasant hiss-
ing noise." If seen perching, it will be readily recognized
by its white or tawny face, encircled by a reddish-brown
ring, and by its conspicuous long legs, which are not hidden
by its plumage, as in the other owls.

AMERICAN OSPREY 235

HAWKS, ETC.: SUBORDER FALCONES

HAWKS AND EAGLES: FAMILY FALCONIDiE

Thirteen species of Hawks (including the Bald Eagle)
occur regularly in New York and New England. Of these,
nine belong to three genera, Falco, Buteo, and Aceipiter,
which differ so much in their proportions and in the char-
acteristics of their flight, that it is important to become
familiar with them. The Sparrow Hawk, the Bed-shoul-
dered Hawk, and the Cooper's Hawk are the commonest
representatives of these three genera. All these species hunt
in country where woods alternate with open land, and are seen
most frequently flying overhead or perched upright on some
lookout post.

The Marsh Hawk, which belongs to a different genus, is
often commoner than the Sparrow Hawk, while the little
Sharp-shinned Hawk is common everywhere in spring and
fall. The frontispiece and the plate facing page 246 illus-
trate the differences between the four common genera. The
Marsh Hawk hunts low over extensive meadows ; the Eish
Hawk plunges into the water from a great height ; the
Eagle, too, is generally seen near large bodies of water ; the
Rough-legged Hawk is a rare migrant or winter visitant to
extensive meadows : the Goshawk and the Pigeon Hawk are
rare, and the Broad-winged Hawk is only locally common.

American Osprey ; Fish Hawk. Pandion haliaetus

carolinensis

23.10

Ad. $. — Upper parts grayish-brown ; head, neck, and under
parts lohite ; sides and top of head marked with dusky. Ad. 9- —
Similar to $ , but with breast spotted with brown.

Nest, in trees or on poles near the water. Eggs, varying from
buffy-white to reddish-brown, spotted with dark brown.

236 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Fish Hawk is a local summer resident of New York
and New England, breeding near the coast or on large inland
rivers and lakes. There are colonies in northern New Jer-
sey, on Long Island, and on Narragansett Bay ; in Maine
it breeds both on the coast and in the interior. In the rest
of New York and New England it is a rather common
migrant, both on the coast and inland, in April and May,
and in September and October. Its habit of plunging into
the water from a height is, of course, characteristic. When
not fishing, its great extent of wing, and its white head and
under parts distinguish it.

American Sparrow Hawk. Falco sparverius
$ 9.50. 9 10.75

Ad. $ . — Upper parts conspicuously reddish-brown • head, when
seen near to, slate-blue, with a large reddish-brown spot; throat
and cheeks white, a black mark from in front of the eye along
the side of the throat, another from back of the eye; wings
slate-blue; tail tipped with black; large black spots on belly and
side. Ad. 9- — Very similar, but with more reddish-brown on
the wings; no black band across tip of tail.

Nest, in a hole in a tree, or in a tower. Eggs, varying from
white, with few markings, to deep buff, more or less speckled
with brown.

The Sparrow Hawk is a summer resident of New York
and New England ; it is nowhere common, and in the up-
land of northern New England it does not occur. It is a
common spring and fall migrant along the coast, and an
occasional winter visitant from eastern Massachusetts south-
ward. It frequents extensive meadows, where a few tall
trees here and there furnish it with posts of observation
and a breeding-site in some dead limb. It often hovers over
the grass, with tail broadly spread, the wings rapidly vibrat-
ing forward of the almost perpendicular body. Just after
alighting the tail is tilted once or twice. During the court-

PIGEON HAWK 237

ship the male performs evolutions in the air, dropping rap-
idly from a height, uttering a note like the syllables killy,
hilly.

The small size of this hawk will distinguish it from all
other hawks except the Sharp-shinned and the rather rare
Pigeon Hawk, and from each of these the reddish-brown
of the back and tail at once distinguishes it. In flying, the
Sparrow Hawk takes rapid strokes, and does not alternate
these regularly with intervals of gliding, as the Sharp-
shinned Hawk does. The tail of the latter extends far out
behind him as he circles high in the air ; the former's
wings reach well toward the tip of the tail, so that its tail
does not show as conspicuously. The Sparrow Hawk's
wings are long and narrow ; the Sharp-shinned Hawk's are
short and broad. (See Frontispiece.)

Pigeon Hawk. Falco columbarius

$ 10.00. 9 13.00

Ad. $ . — Upper parts bluish-gray ; under parts white, streaked
with black, the throat lightly, the rest heavily. Ad. 9 and Im. —
Upper parts brownish; under parts as in male.

The Pigeon Hawk is a somewhat rare migrant in New
York and XewT England in April, September, and October,
more common along the coast ; it is an occasional winter
visitant. When a student has thoroughly learned the differ-
ence in appearance and flight between the Sparrow Hawk
and the Sharp-shinned Hawk, between a Falcon with long,
narrowT wings, and an Accipiter with short, rounded wings,
he will be able, if a good opportunity offers, to identify a
Pigeon Hawk. If a small hawk has a powerful head and
shoulders, long narrow wings reaching well toward the tip
of the tail, and the rapid flight of a falcon, and yet has a
brownish (not reddish-brown) or a slaty-blue back, it can
be no other than the Pigeon Hawk.

238 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Duck Hawk. Falco pevegrinus anatum
$ 16.00. ? 19.00

Ad. — Top and sides of head black, throat inclosed by two broad
black stripes ; rest of upper parts, wings, and tail bluish-gray ; tail
crossed with narrow black bars; throat and breast buffy, or white;
belly buffy, crossed with narrow black bars. Im. — Upper parts
blackish-gray, the feathers edged with brown; black bars border-
ing throat, as in adult; throat buffy; rest of under parts buffy
or yellowish-brown, thickly streaked with black.

Nest, on steep cliffs. Eggs, varying from buffy to brown,
sometimes plain, sometimes spotted, or blotched.

The Duck Hawk breeds here and there on a few steep
cliffs along the Hudson and in New England. Mount Tom
and one or two other cliffs in Massachusetts, Eagle Cliff and
Dixville Notch, N. H., and Lakes Willoughby and Mem-
phremagog, Vt., each has an eyrie of these noble hawks.
In most of New England the bird is a rather rare migrant
or a still rarer winter resident. In April and May, and
again in September and October, it is not infrequently seen
along the sea-shore, where it preys on the sea-fowl and
shore birds. When one approaches the cliff where a pair
are breeding, the parents become much agitated, and fly up
and down with a loud, harsh cry. The Duck Hawk may
readily be known by its size, by the cut of its wings and
tail, and by the black "mustaches"

Bald Eagle. Haliceetus leucocephalus
$ 32.85. 9 35.50

Ad. — Head, neck, and tail white ; rest of plumage dark brown.
Im., second or third year. — Head and neck blackish; rest of upper
parts mixed grayish-brown and blackish ; under parts mixed
white and dark. Im., first year. — Whole plumage nearly uni-
form black; under parts more or less spotted with whitish.

Nest, on tall trees, sometimes on cliffs. Eggs, white.

The Bald Eagle is a permanent resident of the lower
Hudson Valley and along Long Island Sound, and a rare

AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 239

winter visitant in southeastern New Hampshire. It is a
summer resident of the Maine coast and of some of the
large lakes of northern New England. Elsewhere in New
England it is a rare migrant, occurring in May and at
almost any time during the summer. It frequents bodies of
water at all times, feeding on the dead fish and other refuse
cast up on the shore.

An old bird, with white head and tail, is unmistakable ;
in the brown immature plumage the eagle can be told from
one of the larger hawks only by its great size and by its
proportions. The wing is twice as long as the tail, so that
the whole extent of the spread wings from tip to tip is six
or seven times the length of the tail. •

American Rough-legged Hawk. Archibuteo lagopus
sancti-johann is

$ 21.50. 9 22.50

Ad., normal phase. — Head and neck whitish, streaked with
brown ; rest of upper parts brown, streaked with lighter tints ;
base of the tail ivhitish, barred with black ; lower parts dark
brown, spotted with white. lm., normal phase. — Similar, but
lower parts whitish or buffy, streaked on the breast with brown,
and crossed over the belly by a broad band of deep brown.

Both old and young have so-called melanistic phases, in which
they vary from deep black to forms a little darker than the
normal.

The American Rough-legged Hawk is a very rare
migrant or winter resident in New York and New England.
It was formerly a common migrant through the Connecti-
cut Valley. " The Rough-leg is one of the most nocturnal
of our hawks, and may be seen in the fading twilight
watching from some low perch, or beating with measured
noiseless flight over its hunting-ground. It follows two
very different methods in securing its food : one by sitting
on some stub or low tree and watching the ground for the
appearance of its prey, as the Red-tail does ; the other by

240 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

beating back and forth just above the tops of the grass or
bushes, and dropping upon its victim, after the manner of
the Marsh Hawk" (Fisher).

The whitish base of the tail and its length help to
identify this hawk in the light-colored phase ; care, how-
ever, must be taken not to mistake the much commoner
Marsh Hawk, which has pure white upper tail-coverts, for
a Rough-leg. The former I have never seen light on a tree ;
the latter often watches for its prey from a perch ; the
flight of the former is light, the latter's heavy.

Broad-wixged Hawk. Buteo platijpterus
$ 14.00. 9 17.00

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown; tail dark, crossed by two to
four broad bands of light gray or whitish, which show from
below ; under sides of quill-feathers white, tipped with black ;
under parts brownish, spotted with white. Im. — Upper parts
dark brown ; tail duller, with fainter bars ; cheeks with rather
distinct dusky streaks or "mustaches;" under parts white or
buffy, heavily streaked with black.

Nest, in trees, from twenty-five to fifty feet up. Eggs, buffy-
whitish, spotted with brown.

The Broad- winged Hawk is a summer resident of New
York and New England. In some parts of northern New
England it is the commonest hawk, but it is rare or absent
in many localities. It arrives in April, and leaves in Sep-
tember. It is a bird of wooded hills, and disappears if the
country is cleared.

If a student has become familiar with the commoner
hawks, and can recognize a Buteo by the cut of the wings
and tail, he may hope under favorable conditions to identify
a Broad-winged Hawk. It is decidedly smaller than a
Red-shouldered Hawk, and has in the breeding season a
cry that resembles the note of the Wood Pewee. It is the
most unsuspicious of our hawks, especially about the nest.
In the adult the dark bars across the tail show distinctly

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 241

from below ; a large part of the under side of the icings
when spread is white without any barring, and offers a
marked contrast to the black tips.

Red-shouldered Hawk. Buteo lineatus
$ 18.30. 9 20.35

Ad. — Bend of wing and under parts reddish-brown; tail black,
crossed with five or six narrow white bars. Im. — Upper parts
dark brown, spotted with white; tail dark, crossed with grayish
bands ; under parts whitish, streaked or spotted with brown.

Nest, in large trees, from fifty to seventy-five feet up. Eggs,
white or whitish, spotted with brown.

The Eed-shouldered Hawk, called Hen Hawk by the
farmers, is the commonest hawk in southern New England
and the lower Hudson Valley. It is a permanent resident,
but less common in winter than in summer in the northern
portion of its range. It becomes rare at the edge of the
Canadian Zone. It may be seen circling high overhead,
often screaming tee'-ur tee'-ur, or a pair may be seen over
low, swampy woods, screaming, and soaring higher and
higher, till they become mere specks in the blue. In fall
and winter it often perches on some favorite tree, watching
for mice or frogs in the low meadows or swampy grounds.
The Red-shouldered Hawk is not swift enough to pursue
many birds on the wing, as the Falcons and Accipiters do ;
it either watches the ground from a perch, as above de-
scribed, or when soaring high overhead, scans the ground
or trees beneath it for mice, squirrels, rabbits, and occasion-
ally birds. When it sees its prey, it closes wings and tail,
and drops swiftly down upon it.

Adults have reddish-brown under parts, and may be
thus distinguished from Red-tailed Hawks ; but immature
birds of both species differ very little, and can hardly be
distinguished unless killed. The notes of the two, however,
differ, and in spring and summer are excellent means of

242 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

identification. The scream of the Red-shouldered Hawk is
identical with one of the notes of the Blue Jay ; it can
easily be imitated by whistling. The scream of the Bed-
tailed Hawk is higher, more sputtering, more of a squeal
than a scream.

Bed-tailed Hawk. Buteo boreal is
$ 20.00. J 23.00

Ad. $. — Upper parts brown ; tail deep reddish ; under parts
white, more or less heavily streaked with brown. Im. — Similar
to adult, but tail brown, crossed by numerous blackish bands.

Nest, in tall trees. Eggs, dull white, more or less spotted with
brown.

The Bed-tailed Hawk breeds throughout New England
and the Hudson Valley, but except in the wilder and more
hilly portions of New England it is less common than the
Bed-shouldered Hawk. Though the species is a permanent
resident, there is a regular migration in spring and fall;
sometimes a large number pass over in a day. The bird's
hunting and nesting habits are similar to those of the Bed-
shouldered Hawk ; its notes have already been described
(see preceding species). In the glens among the mountains
the high, sputtering cry of the Bed-tailed Hawk is a not
uncommon sound, and a day hardly passes without a sight
of the majestic bird soaring overhead. Even when the hawk
is high in air, if it is an adult, the reddish tail shows as
the bird wheels. (See plate facing page 246.)

American Goshawk. Accipiter atricapillus

$ 22.00. 9 24.00

Ad. — Top of head and region back of the eyes black, a white
line over the eye; rest of upper parts, wings, and tail bluish-gray;
under parts white, everywhere streaked and barred with dark gray.
Im. — Upper parts brown, spotted especially about the head with
whitish; tail and under parts white, streaked and spotted with
brown.

coopek's hawk 243

Nest, of sticks in trees. Eggs, white, sometimes faintly marked
with brownish.

The Goshawk is a rare summer resident of the Canadian
Zone, where it is confined chiefly to the deep forests of the
higher mountains. In the autumn and winter, at irregular
intervals, Goshawks appear in southern New England and
the Hudson Valley in considerable numbers. They are ex-
traordinarily bold and rapacious, and fly, when hunting, with
great speed.

An adult is a very beautiful bird, the slaty gray of the
back and fine gray barring on the white under parts giving
it a lighter tone than any other hawk, except the adult male
Marsh Hawk. The black cap and the wh ite line over the eye
are also distinctive marks. An immature bird could hardly be
told from a large Cooper's Hawk, unless killed and measured.

Cooper's Hawk. Accijriter cooperll
$ 15.50. 9 19.00

Ad. $. — Upper parts dark gray, bluish-gray in strong light;
top of head blackish ; tail crossed by several blackish bands ; under
parts white, closely barred with reddish-brown; tail rounded. Ad.
9 . — Duller than the $ . Im. — Upper parts dusky brown ; lower
parts white, striped with brown, the sides barred with the same.

Nest, in high trees, often a deserted crow's nest. Eggs, bluish-
white, rarely spotted with pale brownish.

The Cooper's Hawk, called Chicken Hawk by the farm-
ers, is a not uncommon summer resident throughout south-
ern and central New England and the lower Hudson Valley ;
it occurs sparingly on the uplands of central New England,
but is absent from the deep forests of the Canadian Zone.
It is a rare winter resident in the vicinity of New York city.
The Cooper's Hawk is bold, strong, and swift, and destroys
more poultry and wild birds than any other hawk. When
the nesting-site is approached, the birds utter cries like " a
Flicker's laugh or a tree-toad's trill magnified" (F. H. Allen).

244 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The male is hard to distinguish from a female Sharp-
shinned Hawk, but the female is considerably larger. Her
long tail and manner of flight ought easily to distinguish
her from the other common large hawks, the Bed-shouldered
and the Marsh Hawk. The Red-shouldered Hawk soars or
circles high in air, with a cut of wings and tail like that
of the Red-tailed Hawk shown in plate facing page 246 ;
the Marsh Hawk glides low over meadows and marshes,
and sooner or later shows the large white spot at the base
of the tail. The Cooper's Hawk either flies fairly high, the
powerful wing-strokes alternating with periods of gliding,
during which the length of tail is evident, or, when hunt-
ing, flies rapidly over the tops of bushes and between the
trees. When a Cooper's Hawk perches, the tail projects well
below the wings, and is crossed by blackish bands. The
breast is either finely barred with reddish-brown, or streaked
with blackish or reddish-brown.

Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter velox
$ 11.25. 9 13.50

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown; tail crossed with blackish
bars; under parts white, streaked with reddish-brown. Im. —
Resembles immature Cooper's Hawk, but tail square.

Nest, usually in trees. Eggs, white, greenish-white, or bluish-
white, usually heavily blotched with brown.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a common migrant through-
out New England and New York, occurring in April, Sep-
tember, and October. It is rare in the breeding season in
New England, and still rarer in winter ; but it is a common
permanent resident of the lower Hudson Valley. The
Sharp-shinned Hawk is the commonest small hawk in spring
and fall, and the most destructive to bird-life. Often a hush
falls over the thickets which a moment before were full of
song and fluttering wings ; if we glance upward at such a
time, we can generally discover a small hawrk drifting over,

MARSH HAWK 245

taking a few strokes, then gliding forward on spread wings,
or wheeling motionless.

Its long tail and short, rounded icings, and the alter-
nation of wing-stroke and periods of gliding, mark it as
either a Sharp-shinned Hawk, or a near relative, the Coop-
er's Hawk, and distinguish it from the other small hawk, the
Sparrow Hawk. When pursuing its prey, however, it does
not stop to glide, but flies with rapid wing-strokes, dashing
into a thicket where the frightened birds have taken refuge.
It is then to be distinguished from the Sparrow Hawk by
the entire absence of reddish-brown on the back. When it
perches, it chooses a limb more or less in shadow ; its tail
extends some distance beyond its folded wings, and is crossed
with several blackish bars. There is no way of surely tell-
ing a large female Sharp-shinned Hawk from a small male
Cooper's Hawk ; the male of the smaller species and the
female of the larger may, however, always be told by their
size. When the nest is approached, the parents utter a
cry suggesting " a Hairy Woodpecker's long call " (F. H.
Allen). (See Frontispiece.)

Marsh Hawk. Circus hudsonius
$ 19.00. 9 22.00

Ad. $ . — Upper parts light bluish-gray ; tail crossed by black
bars ; upper tail-coverts (over the base of the tail) pure white ;
throat and breast gray ; belly white, flecked here and there with
brown ; under surface of the wings white ; wings tipped with
black. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brown; "rump" white', lower
parts buffy-whitish ; breast thickly streaked with brown. Im. —
Upper parts similar to 9 '■> lower parts rich rusty, streaked with
brown on the breast, paler and unstreaked on the belly.

Nest, on the ground, in wet meadows. Eggs, white or bluish-
white, often spotted with pale brown.

The Marsh Hawk is a summer resident throughout New
England and New York. It winters sparingly in southern
New England and the lower Hudson Valley. It arrives in

246 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

March or April, and stays till October. The usual haunts
of the bird are extensive meadows, where it hunts mice
and frogs by gliding low over the grass and occasionally
dropping to the ground, beating up and down apparently
in a regular course. It is found, however, even in the
hills, where there are only restricted swampy tracts. In
the breeding season the male performs aerial revolutions,
dropping from a height, turning, and screaming in his
descent. When the nest is approached, the parents swoop
at the intruder, uttering cries like the syllables geg, gegt

gey-

When it flies low, the pure white upper tail-coverts offer
an unmistakable field-mark ; they are especially conspicu-
ous in the brown birds, the females and immature males.
The adult male is a beautiful bird, the delicate gray shade
of its plumage and the black-tipped wings suggesting a
gull. Sometimes the Marsh Hawk is seen at a considerable
height ; at such a time its long tail distinguishes it from
the Red-shouldered Hawk, and its long wings from the
Cooper's Hawk.

PIGEONS: ORDER COLUMB^

PIGEONS : FAMILY COLUMBIDiE

Mourning Dove. Zenaidura macroura
11.85

Ad. $ . — Back of head bluish-gray ; rest of head and neck
pinkish-brown, sides of neck with metallic reflections ; a small
black spot below the ear ; back, and wings and tail when closed
brown ; outer tail-feathers and wing-feathers, when opened,
bluish ; the outer tail-feathers much shorter than the middle
pair, banded with black, tipped with white • breast pinkish-brown ;
belly buffy. Ad. $?. — Similar, but duller; hardly any bluish
on head. Im. — Duller and browner than 9 •

Nest, a loose platform of sticks, generally in trees, not over ten
feet from the ground. Eggs, two, white.

RED-TAILED HAWK (upper); MARSH HAWK (lo%v<

MOURNING DOVE

247

The Mourning Dove is a summer resident of central
and southern New England and of the Hudson Valley,
arriving late in March, and re-
maining till October. Though
found as far north as Concord,
X. H., it is generally rare north
of southern Connecticut, or only
locally common in the broader
river valleys. It frequents sandy
plains and the edges of old fields,
particularly in the neighborhood
of pine groves and of orchards,
in both of which it nests. In
late summer it feeds on the
stubble of grain-fields, and is
not infrequently to be seen from
the cars, as it flies off at the ap-
proach of the engine. Its notes,
heard in early spring, particularly at sunrise and sunset,
are like the strokes of a distant bell, low and sweet, but
mournful. They may be written thus : coo-ah, cod, cod,
cod.

When a dove flies from the ground, it often lights in
some tree near by ; its long, rounded tail, marked with
black and deeply tipped with white, serves as an excellent
field-mark. At a distance the general appearance of the bird
is brownish, but it is readily told by its pigeon-like aspect,
and by its flight, which is very swift, rather low, and is
accompanied by a noticeable whistling sound. (See Yellow-
billed Cuckoo, p. 227.)

Fig.

Tail of Mourning
Dove

Note. — The Wild Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), formerly seen in
innumerable multitudes, is now practically extinct in New England.
Any bird which ansAvers fairly well to the description of the Pigeon,
unless seen in the woods of northern NeAv England or by a very well
trained observer, is probably the Mourning Dove.

248 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

GALLINACEOUS BIRDS : ORDER GALLING

PHEASANTS : FAMILY PHASIANIDiE

The Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus torquatus) and
the English Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) have been
introduced in various places in New York and New Eng-
land, and have become well established here and there.

GROUSE, BOB-WHITE, ETC. : FAMILY
TETRAONIDiE

Though there are four species belonging to the Grouse
family in New York and New England, two are so rare or
local that few observers will meet them. The Ruffed
Grouse or Partridge is everywhere distributed. The Quail
or Bob-white is common from Massachusetts southward.
The Spruce Grouse is a permanent, though rather rare or
local, resident of extensive spruce forests in northern New
York and New England. On Martha's Vineyard a very
small colony of the Heath Hen are the last representatives
on the Atlantic coast of the Prairie Hen so common in
the West.

Heath Hen. Tympanuchus ciqndo
18.00

Ad. $ . — Upper parts brownish, barred with black and buff ;
under parts white, barred with brown ; sides of the neck with
tufts of stiff, rather long black feathers. Tail grayish-brown,
without bars or bands, except a whitish tip. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but
neck-tufts much shorter. Tail barred with buff or light brown.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, creamy buff, with a slight greenish
tinge.

The Heath Hen is the eastern representative of the
Prairie Hen of the West, and though formerly found along

RUFFED GROUSE 249

the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Virginia, is now
confined to the island of Martha's Vineyard, where it is a
permanent resident. Only a small number of Heath Hens
still survive, and the great plains of oak scrub in which
they live are so extensive that it is only by chance that one
meets them. A guide is necessary, and repeated visits
must be made to insure even a chance of success. The male
in spring inflates two yellow sacs on each side of the neck
and utters a booming sound which can be heard over a mile
away. The lack of a broad black band across the base of
the tail should distinguish the Heath Hen from the Ruffed
Grouse.

Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus \
Canadian Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa > Partridge
umbellus togata )

17.00

Ad. $ . — Upper parts and wings reddish-brown or gray,
streaked with black; large tufts of glossy black feathers on the
sides of the neck; tail broad, reddish-brown or gray, crossed by
a broad band of black near the tip ; throat buffy ; rest of under
parts white, tinged with buffy, and barred, particularly on the
sides, with blackish-brown. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but smaller; neck-
tufts small or almost wanting.

Nest, on the ground in woods. Eggs, buffy, usually unmarked,
sometimes slightly speckled with brown.

The Partridge, as it is usually called in the north, is
a common permanent resident of New York and New
England. It is exclusively a woodland bird, only appear-
ing in open country when it has lost its way. It frequents
all kinds of forest growth, and is equally at home in
swamps and upland. As one walks through the under-
growth, a Partridge often starts off directly at one's feet,
with a loud whirring of wings. In summer the female
frequently tries to divert attention from her young by feign-
ing a broken wing, sometimes circling within a few feet of

250 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

an observer, whining piteously. When the woods are again
quiet, she may be heard mewing and clucking to the young,
who have been hiding in the dry leaves and now rejoin her.

From March to May the drumming of the male is a con-
stant sound in swampy woods. It begins with hollow thump-
ing sounds, separated by slight intervals ; these soon run
rapidly into one another, and the performance ends in a
reverberating roll. The best explanation of the dramming
of the Partridge is that of Mr. Brewster, who is convinced
" that the bird's wings strike neither its body nor the log [on
which it stands], but simply the air, and that the sound
which they produce while the Partridge is drumming is
essentially the same as that heard when it starts in flight "
(Minot, p. 409, note). The drumming is rare in mid-
summer, but is not infrequently heard on warm days in the
autumn. At night Partridges roost in trees, and where they
are not shy they often fly to a tree when startled and watch
the intruder from their perch. On winter afternoons they
often burrow into the snow and spend the night in this shel-
ter. Their tracks are frequent in the winter woods, for they
walk rather than fly from place to place, making long lines
in various directions. When they do fly, their outspread
wings leave one or two impressions just beyond the end of
their track. In summer they frequently dust themselves in
the road, and, like many birds, seem little alarmed by the
approach of a carriage.

The male may be told from the female by his larger size,
longer tail, and more conspicuous ruff of black feathers,
formed by prominent tufts at each side of the neck. The
widespread tail varies in color from gray to reddish-brown.
The G-rouse found on the upland of western Massachusetts
and in northern New York and New England has grayer
upper parts, more distinct barring on the breast and belly,
and generally a grayer tail ; it is known as the Canadian
Ruffed Grouse.

CANADIAN SPRUCE GROUSE 251

Canadian Spruce Grouse. Canachites canadensis

canace

15.00

Ad. $. — Upper parts barred with black aiicl gray; under parts
black, many of the feathers bordered or tipped with white; tail
black, tipped with reddish-brown; a line of bare skin above the eye
bright red. Ad. 9- — Upper parts barred with black, gray, and
pale yellowish-brown; under parts whitish, barred with black.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, buffy or pale brownish, spotted
with brown.

The Spruce Partridge, as it is commonly called by the
lumberman, to distinguish it from the Birch Partridge or
Ruffed Grouse, is a permanent resident of the heavy conif-
erous forests of northern New England and New York.
It is rarely seen south of the White Mountains, and is no-
where in New England at all common. It is found, as its
name suggests, in dense swampy growths of spruce and fir.
It is remarkably tame, allowing such a near approach that
it should be impossible to confuse it with its relative, the
Ruffed Grouse, which, except for its ruff, has hardly any of
the black shade so characteristic of the Spruce Grouse.

Bob-white; Quail. Colinus virginianus
10.00

Ad. $. — Line over eye white, bordered above and below with
black; top of head reddish-brown, mixed with black; back of neck
reddish-brown, mixed with white; back and wings chiefly reddish-
brown • tail gray ; throat white ; band across upper breast black ;
breast and belly white, barred with black; sides heavily washed
with reddish-brown. Ad. £. — Similar, but throat and line over
eye buff; little or no black on the breast.

Nest, on the ground, in meadows or grain-fields. Eggs, white
usually more or less stained with light brown.

The Quail is a permanent resident of the Transition
Zone, common in southern New England and the lower
Hudson Valley, but rare or absent from the upland of west-

252 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

ern Massachusetts, and north of that State found only in
the valleys where the winters are not severe. (See map,

p. 15.) It frequents scrubby
growth, where bushes alter-
nate with small trees, espe-
cially in the neighborhood
of farming country. Here
the male may be heard from
May to August, whistling
his vigorous Bob-White, or
oli-Bob- White. When sing-
ing, the male is often perched
on a fence, wall, or limb of
a tree, and an answer may bring him flying angrily up.
Later in the summer and all through the fall a covey of
birds, if scattered, call to each other by a note like the
syllable quoit, suggesting a note of the guinea hen.

Quail tracks may often be seen in the snow ; they are
smaller than those of the Grouse, or Partridge, occur in
more open country, and are generally more numerous, the
Grouse being in winter a more solitary bird. When the
Quail is startled, it flies with great speed, and then scales
with wings bent downward in a sharp curve. The small size
should distinguish a Quail from a Grouse when flying ; the
latter, moreover, is not so richly colored, and has a much
broader, fan-shaped tail, tipped with black.

Fig. 73. Bob-white

SHORE BIRDS : ORDER LIMICOL^E

TURNSTONES : FAMILY APHRIZIDiE

Ruddy Turnstone. Arenaria morinella

9.50

Ad. — Top of head grayish- white ; breast and line about eye
black ; back and wings warm reddish-brown, mottled with black;

RUDDY TURNSTONE 253

three stripes of white on the hack showing in flight ; white showing
in wings in flight ; legs red. Im. — Upper parts brown, streaked
with gray ; lower back, wings, and tail in flight, similar to adult;
sides of throat and breast dark brown; rest of under parts white.

The Turnstone is a' not uncommon migrant along the sea-
coast in May, and again in August and September, feeding
on the outer beaches either in small flocks by itself or in
company with Ring-necks, Sanderling, and " Peep." It may
readily be distinguished from any of these species by its
size (it is larger than a King-neck) and by its striking colors.
In the adult plumage, the black breast, rich reddish-brown
back, and red feet are very noticeable when it is feeding, and
when it flies the display of white, formed by stripes down
the middle and sides of the back and along the wings, makes
a striking pattern. The young birds may be known by the
same pattern of white which shows in flight. The Turn-
stone's call-note is a chuckling whistle.

PLOVERS : FAMILY CHARADRIID-21

Five species of Plover occur in New York and New Eng-
land. The Killdeer is rare and occurs only as an accidental
migrant or as a local summer resident. The Golden Plover
is a regular autumn migrant, but is far less common than
the Black-bellied Plover, and is becoming steadily rarer.
The Black-bellied. Plover, the Beetle-head of the gunners,
is not uncommon on mud-flats and sand-bars. The Piping
Plover breeds not uncommonly on the sandy beaches of
Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, and sparingly on Cape
Cod and on the Maine coast ; it occurs also as a not uncom-
mon migrant at other beaches in New England. The Semi-
palmated Plover, the Ring-neck of the sportsmen, is by far
the commonest member of the family. It associates regu-
larly with the smaller sandpipers, either on the beaches or
in the sloughs in the marshes. Plover may be told from

254 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

sandpipers by their shorter bills. All but the Black-
bellied Plover have a habit of bobbing the head as they
stand.

Pipixg Plover. JEgialitis meloda
7.00. Bill .50

Ad. $ . — Forehead, throat, and ring around neck white ; for-
ward part of crown black ; a partial ring, broken in the middle
of the breast, black ; rest of upper parts light brownish-gray ;
tip of tail black ; breast and belly white ; base of bill orange,
tip black; feet yellow. Ad. 9- — Similar, but the black bars
tending toward brownish, and less distinct.

Eggs, laid in a hollow on little pebbles on the open sand,
creamy white, speckled or spotted with dark brown.

The Piping Plover is one of the few waders that breed
on the coasts of New York and New England ; it may there-
fore be looked for in June and early July, when there is
only the Spotted Sandpiper from which it must be distin-
guished. It also occurs as a reg-
ular but not common migrant
in April and May, and again
in August and September. It
breeds on the sand-beaches of
Long Island, Martha's Vine-
yard, and the adjoining islands,
and sparingly on Cape Cod, at
Ipswich, Mass., and on the
Maine coast.

Its sweet but mournful call
consists of two notes, pi-pee',
the first very short and about half an interval above the
second. The bird frequents the upper part of the beach,
where its pale colors harmonize so perfectly with the dry
sand that it is often invisible till it starts to fly. It bobs,
like its relative the Semipalmated Plover, but may be dis-

Fig. 74. Piping Plover

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER 255

tinguished by its lighter color, and by the difference in the
black collar, which in the Piping Plover does not cross the
breast.

Semipalmated Plover; Rixg-xeck. JEgialitis semi-

palmata

6.75. Bill .50

Ad. — Forehead white ; forward part of crown, stripe under
each eye and over bill black; throat and narrow ring around neck
white ; band across breast and neck black • rest of upper parts
grayish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; legs yellow ; base of
bill orange ; tip black.

The Semipalmated Plover, or Ring-neck, is a common
migrant along the sea-coast in May, and again from the
middle of July to October.

Ring-necks frequent the

beaches and mud-flats exposed

at low tide. They are not, as a

rule shy, and if startled, fly only

a short distance, uttering as they

rise a sweet call, chee-icee, as

characteristic of the mud-flats

and beaches as the hew, hew,

hew, hew of the Yellow-legs is

of the grassy marshes. They

are often associated with the

,, , . , Fig. 75. Semipalmated Plover

smaller sandpipers known as

" Peep " (see p. 267), or with their larger relative the

Black-bellied Plover ; their bobbing readily distinguishes

them from the Peep. They are much commoner than the

Piping Plover, and are a darker shade of brown on the

back, the color of wet rather than of dry sand. The

blach ring encircles the breast, while in the Piping

Plover the black bands from each side of the breast do

not meet.

256 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Killdeer. Oxyechus vociferus
10.50

Ad. — Head and back brown ; ring entirely around neck white,
edged on the hind neck with black ; forehead, stripe over eye,
throat, and lower parts white ; two black bands across breast, the
lower one narrow ; rump and base of tail cinnamon.

Nest, on ground. Eggs, buff y- white, with chocolate markings,
chiefly at the larger end.

The Killdeer is a rare summer resident in southeastern
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and a rare spring and

fall migrant along
the coast. It occa-
sionally appears in
western Massachu-
setts, and on Long
Island has been re-
corded in every
month but January.
In the breeding sea-
son it is noisy and
restless, continually
uttering the com-
plaining kill-dee,
from which it gets
its name, and occa-
Fig. 76. Killdeer sionally a rolling

whistle a little like that of the Upland Plover. Like most
of the plovers, it bobs constantly. It may be readily distin-
guished from the smaller Ring-necks by the tivo bands of
black and by the cinnamon rump and base of tail, which
are conspicuous in flight.

The Killdeer's wings are long and narrow, and its flight
graceful and vigorous, suggesting somewhat that of the
Sparrow-Hawk.

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER 257

Amebic ax Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus

10.50. Bill .90

Ad. in breeding plumage. — Top of head and upper parts black,
spotted with bright yellow and white ; tail dark grayish-brown,
barred with white, tinged with yellow ; a white line from fore-
head passes over the eyes, and broadens into a wide patch on the
side of the breast ; sides of head, neck, throat, and under parts
black. Ad. in late summer and fall. — Upper parts as in spring, but
duller ; under parts white, with a few grayish-brown feathers on
neck and breast. Im. — Upper parts dusky, mottled with dull
whitish spots, becoming yellow on the rump ; under parts ashy,
especially on neck and breast.

The Golden Plover is a migrant along the coast, ex-
tremely rare in spring and rather rare in fall, passing north
in May, and returning from the end of August to Novem-
ber. It is occasionally found on the flats left bare by the
tide, but is more likely to occur well up on the beach, or
still more frequently on the short grass of marshes or hill-
sides, especially where the ground has been burned over.

The call of the Golden Plover is a bright whistle, queep,
quee-lee-leep, without the mournful character of the Black-
belly's call, and with no modulation. It has also a note
like the syllable queedle. Immature birds resemble young
Black-bellied Plover, but are much less common. They
may be distinguished at close range by the absence of the
whitish tail, and of the white in the outspread wings. The
Golden Plover bobs regularly and the Black-belly rarely,
if ever.

Black-bellied Plover ; Beetle-head. Squatarola

squatarola

11.00. Bill 1.10

Ad. in spring. — Hind head and back black, spotted and
barred with white ; tail white, barred with brownish-black ; wings
showing white inflight ; sides of head and neck, throat and breast,
and upper belly black, bordered by white on each side, the white

258 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

border meeting over the forehead; feathers under the raised wings
black. Ad. in late summer and fall. — Upper parts dark brown,
speckled with white ; under parts white, with an occasional black
feather ; tail and wings as in spring. Im. — Upper parts lighter
and with a golden shade on each feather; under parts white.

The Black-bellied Plover is a rather common migrant
along the coast in spring and fall, passing north in May,

Fig. 77. Black-bellied Plover, Immature

and returning from late July to November. The young
birds which appear in August are called Beetle-heads by
the gunners ; as they are more numerous than the adults
and far less wary, they are more often seen by students.
Both old and young frequent the mud-flats and sand-bars
left bare by the tide ; here they feed either alone or in
company with Ring-necks, Turnstones, and Peep. They
scatter when feeding like Ring-necks and stand about head-
ing in different directions, or after a short run, pick some-
thing from the sand. So far as I know, they do not bob,
though all our other plovers do.

The notes of the Black-belly are among the most musical
uttered by shore-birds ; the call most often heard, either

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 259

from flying or standing birds, consists of three syllables, all
legato, the first prolonged, the second a bit lower and short,
the last higher than the first. They are not unlike the
toor-a-iuee of a bluebird, but are lower in pitch, more pro-
longed and mournful. When feeding with other birds, the
Black-bellies may easily be distinguished by their greater
size; the whitish tail and the white in the wing readily
identify them in flight. It is quite possible for a sharp
eye to note the black axillars, — the long feathers close to
the body under the raised wing, — either just as the bird
raises his wings to fly, or as he takes his strokes.

SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. : FAMILY
SCOLOPACIDiE

The Sandpipers constitute a numerous family, many of
which are so rare on our northeastern coast that only an
inveterate gunner can hope to find them. There are about
seventeen species which occur in Xew York and Xew Eng-
land regularly. These may all be distinguished after a certain
amount of practice without the use of a gun. One species,
the Woodcock, is rarely found away from the cover of trees
or bushes, and several other species occur inland more com-
monly than along the coast. The Snipe frequents fresh-
water marshes. The Upland Plover (really a Sandpiper)
breeds on upland pastures, chiefly in Xew Hampshire and
Vermont, but occurs as a migrant on grassy hills along the
coast. The Solitary Sandpiper is a regular migrant inland,
and the Spotted Sandpiper, though a very common summer
resident along the coast, is equally common on inland ponds
and streams. The other Sandpipers are preeminently sea-
shore birds, though like the sea ducks they not infrequently
visit large bodies of fresh water. Several of them, includ-
ing the two Yellow-legs and the Pectoral Sandpiper, are
birds of the marshes, feeding in the pools that abound

2G0 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

throughout the tall salt-marsh grass. The Least Sandpiper,
though frequent on the beaches, is more common on the
pools or sloughs in the marshes. The Semipalmated Sand-
piper, the White-runiped Sandpiper, the Sanderling, the
Knot, and the Dunlin feed either on the beach at the very-
edge of the ocean, or on extensive mud-flats. The Curlew
is rare ; it may be met with either on the beach, particu-
larly on a muddy shore, or on a grassy upland. The Purple
Sandpiper is a winter visitant, and keeps to rocky ledges
generally well off shore. Many of the shore-birds return
very early from the north ; after the first week in July
there is a constant succession of them. The Dunlin comes
in September, and the Winter Yellow-legs stays till late in
the fall. The young birds appear considerably later than
the old ones, and are much less suspicious.

Sandpipers fly in flocks, often made up of several species,
and frequently accompanied by their relatives, the Plover
(see p. 253). They are easily decoyed, especially where they
are not made wild by constant shooting. There are two
methods of studying them ; one is to lie concealed in a
blind before which stand decoys, among which the birds
alight, if attracted by an imitation of their whistle ; the
other method is to walk along the beach or over the marsh,
taking advantage of natural shelter and stalking the birds
that may be feeding here and there. Many of the smaller
birds may in this latter way be successfully observed.

It must be borne in mind that many of the following
species, though termed common, are not common, except in
just the places best suited to them. These places, moreover,
are in the possession of sportmen's clubs or hotels, and the
birds that light here are pretty thoroughly shot off; one
may therefore see more Knots, for instance, in the ice-
chest of such a hotel than in many days' tramping over less
favorable ground. A Sunday spent at Monomoy or at
some famous Long Island resort would be very profitable,

HUDSONIAN CURLEW 261

especially if one hired a gunner (without his gun) and oc-
cupied a blind.

Hudsoxiax Curlew; Jack Curlew. Numenhis hud-

sonicus

17.00. Bill 3.75

Ad. — Top of head blackish, with a central whitish stripe; line

over eye white; line through eye brown; rest of upper parts and

tail brown, speckled with white; throat and belly white; neck

and breast thickly streaked with dusky. Bill long and curved.

The Hudsonian Curlew is a rather uncommon migrant
along the ' coast in May, and again in August and Septem-
ber. It occurs on mud-flats and on sandy beaches, either
at the edge of the water or walking in the shallow pools,
picking up food from the water with the head apparently
held side wise. It often stands when undisturbed, with
one leg uplifted and crooked, or squats with its breast on
the sand. It also frequents grassy hills near the sea. In
spring the curlew utters a sweet mournful cry, like the
syllables kur-lew ; its ordinary call-note and cry when
startled sounds like pip-pip-pip-pip. The general brown
tone of the plumage and the long curved bill make it
impossible to mistake the Jack Curlew for anything "except
a smaller species, the Eskimo Curlew, which was formerly
common, but is now extremely rare.

Spotted Sandpiper. Actitis macularla
7.50. Bill .95

Ad. — Upper parts light brown; under parts white; every-
where marked with roundish spots of blackish ; a row of white
spots on the wings show in flight as a white stripe ; the outer
tail-feathers barred with white. Im. — The under parts white,
unspotted, washed on the breast with grayish.

Nest, on the ground, of dried grasses and straw, in a field or
pasture, often at some distance from water. Eggs, buffy, thickly
speckled with dark brown and black.

262 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Spotted Sandpiper is a common summer resident
of New England and Xew York, along the coast and also
along the margins of inland ponds and streams, arriving late
in April and staying till late in October. It is the only
bird with the long bill and legs of a sandpiper regularly
found on inland waters in June and early July, and, except
the Solitary Sandpiper, is at any season the only sandpiper
commonly seen on the margins of small inland ponds and
rivers. On the ground, its tail and the hinder part of its
body are repeatedly tipped upward ; when it flies, its long
narrow wings after a few strokes are held so as to form a
crescent, which swings first to one side and then to the
other close over the water.

As it flies it utters a loud peep, peep, peep, or peet-weet,
a sound often heard in the gathering dusk from lake or
sea. At close range the spots on the under parts of the
adult can be readily made out, but at a distance they
hardly show, and in the young bird they are absent. The
white along the wing, however, is conspicuous in flight,
and helps to distinguish the Spotted from the Solitary
Sandpiper. The difference in the tail-feathers is described
under the Solitary Sandpiper (see p. 264.)

Bartramian Sandpiper ; Upland Plover. Bartra-

mia longicauda

11.50. Bill 1.15

Ad. — Upper parts a mixture of black and buffy-brown; outer
tail-feathers barred with white, black, and reddish-brown; tail
reaching considerably beyond the tips of the wings; breast and
sides buffy, streaked with black; belly white.

Nest, a depression in the ground. Eggs, buff, or buffy-white,
speckled with dark brown or purplish, chiefly around the larger
end.

The Upland Plover occurs as a migrant on the grassy
hills along the sea-shore in May, and again in August and

WILLET 263

early September. It breeds on grassy hillsides or fields,
chiefly in the uplands of New England, though not now so
commonly as formerly. A few breed on Long Island, on
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and in Worcester, Berk-
shire, and Barnstable counties, Mass. ; in southern Ver-
mont and New Hampshire it is generally distributed, though
nowhere common.

As one goes through a mowing-field, a large bird springs
up with a rolling whistle, and flies anxiously about on long
curved wings, finally alighting on some heap of stones or
some other point of observation; just after alighting it
stretches both wings to their utmost up over its back. At
night its long mournful song is heard overhead or from the
moonlit fields. The long neck and rather long bill, the
general sandpiper appearance, will serve to identify it easily
in its grassy summer home, where no other similar bird
will be met. On the shore it can be told by its size, its
rolling whistle, its lack of marked white, and its preference
for grassy hillsides.

Willet. Symjiliemia semipalmata

15.00. Bill 2.15

Ad. in summer. — Upper parts brownish-gray; lower parts
white; fore neck and upper breast streaked with dusky, the sides
barred with buff; icing blackish, showing when spread a conspicu-
ous patch of white ; basal half of the tail white. Ad. in win-
ter. — Upper parts ash-gray; under parts white; wing as in sum-
mer. Im. — Upper parts brownish-gray, tinged with buff; sides
tinged with buff, finely mottled with gray; wings as in adult.

The Willet is a rare migrant along the sea-coast in August
and early September. Along the Sound stragglers are some-
times seen in May, and very rarely in summer. The great
contrast of black and white in the outstretched wing readily
distinguishes the Willet. The much commoner Black-bellied
Plover also shows white in the wings and at the base of

2Q>± BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

the tail, but should be distinguished by its shorter legs and
much shorter bill. (See Fig. 77.)

Solitary Saxdpiper. Helodvomas solitarius

8.40. Bill 1.15

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts olive-brown, sparsely speckled
with white; front of neck streaked with dusky; outer tail-feathers
tvhile, barred with black ; wing not showing a row of white spots
in flight. Ad. in fall. — Upper parts dark ashy, even less
speckled with white ; front of neck less streaked with dusky.
Im. — Upper parts brownish-gray, everywhere speckled with
white ; sides of head and neck dusky ; rest of under parts white ;
tail as in adult ; legs greenish.

The Solitary Sandpiper is a not uncommon migrant
throughout New York and New England, passing north in
May, and returning in late July,
August, and September. It is the
only sandpiper except the Spotted,
which occurs regularly away from
the sea-coast or from extensive
bodies of water. In fact, it may be
found as a migrant near any ditch
or pool of stagnant water, and
seems to prefer a muddy shore to
the pebbly beaches which the Spotted Sandpiper haunts.

Its notes are almost identical with those of the Spotted
Sandpiper. It sometimes occurs in sloughs on the marshes,
and might there be confused with the Summer Yellow-legs.
Its tail, however, distinguishes it both from the Yellow-
legs and from the Spotted Sandpiper. The central pair of
feathers are dark, but the outer ones are white, barred with
black ; it therefore shows much more white in the out-
spread tail as it flies up than the Spotted Sandpiper, but
less than the Yellow-legs. Moreover, it lacks the line of
white in the wing which is so characteristic of the Spotted

Fig. 78. Tail of Solitary
Sandpiper

YELLOW-LEGS 265

Sandpiper, and its flight is generally higher and wilder.
(See Spotted Sandpiper, p. 262.) Like the Yellow-legs, it
constantly nods its head and neck.

Yellow-legs; Summer Yellow-legs. Totanus flavijies
10.75. Bill 1.40
Closely resembles the following species.

The Summer Yellow-legs is a rather common fall migrant
off the coast of New York and New England ; it is very
rare in spring. It resembles its larger relative, the Winter
Yellow-legs, very closely, both in appearance and habits,
but differs slightly in its notes. (See the following species.)

Greater Yellow-legs ; Winter Yellow-legs. Tota-

nus melanoleitcus

14.00. Bill 2.20

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts blackish and pale gray, speckled
with white ; basal half of the tail white. Under parts white,
streaked in the throat with dusky, and on the breast and sides
spotted and barred with gray. Ad. in w inter and Im. — Similar,
but without the blackish on the upper parts; under parts streaked
only on the neck and upper breast ; legs yellow.

The Winter Yellow-legs is a common migrant along the
coast, making the longest stay of any of our non-resident
shore-birds ; it is found from the middle of April through
May, and from the middle of July through October. It fre-
quents grassy marshes, but may be seen or heard on almost
any muddy flat.

Its loud whistled note, kit, kit, kit, ku, is a familiar sound
and calls our attention to its long slender form high over
head. When it lights, it bobs its head frequently, like the
Solitary Sandpiper and the Ring-neck. Its long slender
legs and long bill are conspicuous. When it rises, its white
upper tail-coverts are an excellent field-mark ; the Black-

266 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

bellied Plover has the same mark, but the bird is of a very
different figure, with a bill only half as long. The Summer
Yellow-legs, which is here during July and September,
resembles its relative very closely, and if the two are not
present at the same time, might be mistaken for the larger
bird. The call of the Summer Yellow-legs, however, is al-
most always shorter ; it utters often but a single ku, often
two (the second lower than the first), more rarely three.
The Winter Yellow-legs is always a wary bird, much less
tame than the Summer Yellow-legs.

Sanderling. Calidris arenaria

8.00. Bill 1.00

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts grayish-white, each feather spotted
with black, and edged with chestnut; rump dark brown; tail gray-
ish-brown; sides of head, throat, neck, breast washed with rusty
brown, and spotted with black; rest of under parts white; wings
when spread show a line of white. Ad. in late summer and fall. —
Upper parts pale gray, the centre of each feather black; under
parts pure white. Im. — Upper parts gray, spotted with black
and white ; hind neck dusky white ; throat and breast washed with
buff; rest of under parts white ; wings as in ad.

The Sanderling is a very common migrant along the
coast in spring and fall ; it winters very sparingly on Cape
Cod and on Muskeget Island. It passes north in the latter
part of May, and returns from July to the end of October.
It is strictly a bird of the outer sandy beaches. A flock of
Sanderlings will often form a long line at the edge of the
water and follow the receding surf, probing the ground with
feverish haste, and all running back at the last moment ;
one or two are sometimes caught by the wave and forced
to fly.

The Sanderling's note is a sharp chit. The gunners'
name, " Whitey," well describes the Sanderling, especially
in late summer and fall, when no trace of the rusty brown
remains. The whitish look about the head and the black

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 267

bill, the size, larger than the little Semipalmated Sandpiper,
so often associated with it, serve to identify it when at rest.
When flying, the line of conspicuous white spots in the
wing, like the Spotted Sandpiper's, is an excellent field-
mark.

Semipalmated Saxdpiper. Ereunetes pusillus

6.30. Bill .65 -.80

Ad. in spring. — Under parts brownish-gray, mixed with black;
breast spotted with black; rest of lower parts white; legs black.
Ad. in fall. — Upper parts plain grayish; breast unspotted. Im.
— Upper parts gray, mixed with black and a little reddish-
brown; under parts white, a dusky wash across the breast.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is a common migrant along
the sea-coast in May, July, August, and September. It not
infrequently occurs on the shores of inland lakes, and is an
abundant fall migrant in the Hudson Valley. Gunners call
this species and the Least Sandpiper, with which it often
associates, "Peep."

The Least prefer the sloughs or muddy pools in the
marshes ; the Semipalmated frequent the beaches, but both
species may occur in either place. Both species associate
with Sanderling on the beach, and with White-rumped Sand-
pipers and King-necks both on the beach and in the marsh.
When with Eing-necks, the difference in behavior is amus-
ing : the Eing-necks scatter about and stand in thoughtful
attitudes; the Peep feed with nervous haste, head down,
and bill in the sand.

When startled, the Semipalmated Sandpipers utter a little
rough peep, and fly in compact bands further up the beach ;
they have also a very pretty whinnying note, and in May
occasionally utter the love-song, a series of sweet notes de-
livered in the air. When the Least and Semipalmated
Sandpipers occur side by side, it is evident that the former
has more chestnut-brown in the back, and a darker wash on

268 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

the sides of the neck, but it is almost impossible to distin-
guish the two without shooting them, unless one can get
near enough to see the color of the legs. Dr. C. W. Town-
send has called my attention to the fact that the legs of
the Least Sandpiper are greenish-yellow, while the Semi-
palmated Sandpiper has black legs.

Red-backed Sandpiper ; Dunlin. Pelidna alpina
pacifica

8.00. Bill 1.50

Ad. in spring. — Back and wings tinged with considerable
reddish-brown; head, neck, and breast light gray; belly black;
bill slightly curved. Ad. in fall. — Upper parts ashy-gray; lower
parts white; neck and upper breast tinged with gray; bill slightly
curved. Im. — Back blackish, the feathers bordered with rusty;
head and neck dull buff, streaked with dusky; breast buffy-white,
streaked with black; belly white, spotted with black; bill as in ad.

The Dunlin is a rare spring and not uncommon autumn
migrant along the coast, occurring in May, and from the

'S'm \
V

Fig. 79. Red-backed Sandpiper

middle of September to December. It feeds on the outer
sand-beaches and mud-flats, either alone or in company with
Sanderling and plover. Its note may be written peurr.

LEAST SANDPIPER 269

Specimens showing the red backs and black belly are not
often seen, but the fall birds may be distinguished by the
plain ashy tone of the upper parts, and especially by the
bill, which has a slight hut distinct downward curve.

Least Sandpiper. Actodromas minutilla

6.00. Bill .75

Ad. — Feathers of the head and back black, edged with gray
or chestnut ; sides of head, neck, and breast streaked with
brown ; belly white ; legs greenish-yellow. Im. — Upper parts
much as in adult ; breast dusky, very indistinctly streaked with
darker ; rest of under parts white.

The Least Sandpiper is a common migrant along the
coast in May, and again in July, August, and early
September. Like the other common sandpipers, it occa-
sionally occurs on inland ponds and rivers, and it is toler-
ably common in the Hudson Valley in May. This species
and the Semipalmated Sandpiper are the first to return
from the north, reaching Massachusetts early in July. By
the end of August it has nearly completed its migration,
though the Semipalmated Sandpiper is found throughout
September. For an account of the habits of the two, see
p. 267.

White-rumped Sandpiper. Actodromas fuscicollis

7.50

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers spotted with
black in spring ; base of tail pure white ; under parts white ;
sides of head, neck, and breast streaked, especially in spring,
with dusky. Im. — Similar, but feathers of back tipped with
white, and edged with reddish-brown ; breast grayish.

The White-rumped Sandpiper is a not uncommon migrant
along the coast in May, and from the middle of July to the
middle of October. It frequents the sandy beaches, marshy
pools, and the mud-flats, consorting with the other " Peep,"

270 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

from which its greater size and the pure white base of the
tail readily distinguish it.

t
Pectoral Sandpiper ; Grass Bird. Actodromas
maculata
9.00. Bill 1.15

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts gray tinged with rusty and
speckled with brownish-black ; rump and base of tail brownish-
black, tipped with reddish-buff; central tail-feathers dark, outer
ones lighter; sides of neck, and breast pale buff, streaked with
dusky ; rest of under parts white. Ad. in fall. — Similar, but the
rusty tinge on the upper parts wanting. Im. — Feathers of upper
back tipped with white; breast more buffy.

The Pectoral Sandpiper, the Grass Bird or Krieker of
the sportsmen, is a migrant in spring and fall, generally
not uncommon, and occasionally abundant. It passes north
in April and May, and returns from the end of July to
October. It is strictly a bird of the grassy marshes, rarely
appearing on the mud-flats or sand-bars. After a flock
lights, the birds generally scatter over the marsh, and when
approached crouch on the ground like snipe, till one is
almost on them. When they fly, they utter a sharp kriek-
krick. The male is considerably larger than the female ;
both look like a large edition of the Least Sandpiper.

Purple Sandpiper. Arquatella maritima

9.00. Bill 1.40

Ad. in winter. — Upper parts dark gray, with a bluish gloss in
strong light ; throat and breast dark gray ; belly and under sides
of the wings white ; sides streaked with dark gray.

The Purple Sandpiper, or Winter Snipe of the gunners,
occurs as a winter visitant to the rocky shores of New Eng-
land and of Long Island, arriving in September and leaving
in February or March. It finds its food on rocky ledges
exposed by the falling tide, and occurs most frequently on

KNOT 271

small outlying rocky islets, such as Gull Rocks at Cohasset,
Mass., and Cormorant Eock, south of Ehode Island. It is
generally found in small flocks, which permit a very near
approach. Its note is a whistling twitter. The fact that no
other sandpiper occurs in such localities in winter makes it
very easy to identify, even if its grayish color, short legs,
and squat figure did not distinguish it.

Knot. Tringa canutus

10.50. Bill 1.30

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts gray, spotted with black and
reddish-brown ; rump and base of tail lighter ; sides of head and
under parts bay. Ad. in fall. — Upper parts bluish-gray ; rump
and base of tail white, barred with black ; under parts bay, blotched
with white. 1m. — Upper parts as in fall adult ; under parts
white, without any bay ; throat and breast streaked with dusky.

The Knot is a common migrant along the coast in May,
and again in July, August, and September. It frequents
mud-flats and sand-bars, but is also commonly found on the
outer beaches. It is either stupid or else very unsuspicious,
and allows a near approach. Old birds are easily recognized
by their bay breasts ; they may be readily distinguished
from adult Dowitchers, which also have reddish-brown
breasts, by the light color of their upper parts and by their
much shorter bill. Young birds have light under parts, and
must be recognized by the general light gray tone of the
upper parts and the still whiter tail. Their note has been
described as like the soft whit whit that one uses in
whistling a dog back.

Stilt Sandpiper. Micropalama himantopus

8.25. Bill 1.55

Ad. in fall and winter. — Upper parts brownish-gray; line over
eye and under parts white; neck and breast streaked with gray;
tail white; legs yelloioish-green. Im. — Similar, but upper parts
blackish, the feathers bordered with buff.

272 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Stilt Sandpiper is a migrant along the coast, very-
rare in New England in spring, and generally rare in the
autumn, but commoner on Long Island. It generally occurs
late in July, in August, or early in September. It frequents
both beach and marsh. It is commonly associated with the
Summer Yellow-legs, which it resembles in appearance and
behavior ; it may be distinguished by the greater contrast of
its small size with its length of leg, and at close range by
its yellowish-green legs.

Dowitcher. Macrorhamphus griseus

10.50. Bill 2.25

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts mixed black and buffy; rump
aud tail white, spotted with black; sides of head and under parts
pinkish-brown, finely spotted with black. Ad. in fall. — Head
and back pale slate-gray; wings dark gray, spotted with whitish;
throat and breast brownish-gray ; belly white ; rump and tail white,
barred with black. Im. — Upper parts black, mixed with reddish-
brown; rump and tail as in adult; under parts washed with buff
and indistinctly speckled with dusky.

The Dowitcher is a rather common migrant along the coast
in May, and again in July, August, and early September. It
frequents mud-flats and sand-bars, is very tame, and gener-
ally occurs in close flocks. It may be known by its long bill,
dark back, and silvery gray lower back, rump, and tail.
Old birds in May and July have pale reddish breasts, but the
young birds in August and September have light under parts.

Wilson's Snipe. Gallinago delicata
11.25. Bill 2.50

Ad. — Middle of crown black, divided by a buffy line, and
separated by two narrow buffy stripes from two brown lines run-
ning from the bill to the eyes ; back and wings a mixture of black,
reddish-brown, and white; tail reddish-brown, barred with black •
throat gray ; breast brown, streaked with black ; sides gray,
barred with black; belly white.

WOODCOCK 273

The Snipe is a rather common migrant through New
York and New England in late March, April, September,
and October. It winters sparingly in springy places in south-
ern New England and the lower Hudson Valley, and breeds
in northeastern Maine. The Snipe is found in fresh water
marshes and wet meadows ; it lies concealed in the shelter
of a tuft of grass, trusting to its coloration for protection,
until one is almost upon it, when it rises with a harsh
scaipe, and goes twisting off.

In the spring, and occasionally in the fall, the Snipe rises
at dusk over the marshes and utters a muffled sound, which
has been termed bleating, but has a distinct suggestion of
air winnowed by feathers. The Snipe may occasionally be
seen on cloudy afternoons in spring, flying back and forth,
rising and falling in great curves, uttering this sound, which
appears to come at the end of each descent. Its long bill
and the Hack, ichite, and reddish-brown of its tail serve
to distinguish it readily from any other bird of the open
meadow.

Woodcock. Philohela minor
11.00. Bill 2.90

Ad. — Back of head black, barred with rusty yellow; rest of
upper parts grayish-brown, mixed with black ; dark line from the
eye to the bill; under parts buffy, tinged especially on the flanks
with cinnamon ; tail black, tipped ivith white; eye large.

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, buffy, spotted with reddish-brown
and purplish-gray.

The Woodcock is a summer resident of New York and
New England, formerly common, but now becoming rare.
It arrives early in March, and stays till November. It feeds
in low swampy wToodland, where it bores for worms in the
soft mud. In the fall it is often flushed from rather dry
woodland. When it rises, it almost always makes a whistling
sound, presumably with its wings.

274 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

In March and April the males execute their interesting
flight-song. From the low ground near some rocky pasture,
as dusk approaches, a harsh peent is heard, like a Night-
hawk's cry. This is repeated a number of times, and then
from the sky overhead there issues a series of whistling
sounds, interspersed with liquid notes like the syllables
whit, whit, whit. Then the peents begin again from the
ground. If an observer conceals himself near the open space
where the harsh peent is now heard, he will see the bird
come shooting down at the end of the flight and will see it
on the ground, facing now in one direction, and now in an-
other, as it utters the peents. If near enough, he will also
hear a curious p' tul, sometimes repeated several times in the
intervals between the harsh cries. The bird rises a number
of times, repeating the performance till it grows quite dark ;
then all is silent. If the same spot is visited before dawn,
the performance may be witnessed to still greater advantage,
as it will grow steadily lighter instead of darker.

When a woodcock is flushed in the daytime, the long bill
and the short black tail are excellent field-marks. The snipe
is the only bird likely to be mistaken for it, but the wood-
cock is nearly always found in the cover of tree or bushes,
while the snipe lies in open marshy ground or meadows.

PHALAROPES : FAMILY PHALAROPODID-5!

Two Phalaropes occur off the coast of New York and
New England. Sometimes they are blown inland in large
flocks, but they are generally found many miles from land,
feeding on floating sea-weed or swimming lightly on the
ocean, but rising and flying off like sandpipers, when dis-
turbed by the approach of a vessel. The female Phalarope
is larger and more brightly colored than the male ; she is
said to do the courting, and to leave the task of incubation
to the male.

NORTHERN PHALAROPE 275

Northern Phalarope. Phalaropus lobatus

7.75. Bill .85

Ad. 9 in summer. — Top and sides of head and upper back
bluish-gray ; sides of neck rich rusty brown; wings dark, with a
bar of white; throat white; breast bluish-gray, tinged with rich
rusty brown; belly white. Ad. $ in summer. — Similar, but duller;
upper parts blackish-brown, streaked with buff. Ad. 9 and £ in
winter. — Forehead, stripe over eye, and under parts white; top of
head, back, and wings grayish. Im. — Similar, but upper parts
blacker; breast washed with brownish.

The Northern Phalarope is a regular migrant along the
sea-coast in May, August, and September, but occurs generally
so far out at sea that it is rarely observed from the shore.
It is only when blown out of its course by storms that it is
seen in the outer bays and harbors, or off the beaches. Occa-
sionally it is found some distance inland, particularly on
the lakes of Maine. Large flocks of Phalaropes are often
observed from vessels crossing to the Maritime Provinces or
from trans- Atlantic liners. The birds ride easily or grace-
fully on the water, or when disturbed rise and fly off in a
compact body, their long wings and manner of flight
reminding one at once of their relationship to the sandpipers.
They are called " Sea-geese " by the fishermen, from their
habit of stretching out their long necks when alarmed.

To distinguish the Northern Phalarope from the following
species, when not in the breeding plumage, is difficult, espe-
cially at sea, where absolute size counts for so little. The
Red Phalarope shows more black on the top of the head and in
the wings, and is much less frequently seen near the "shore.

Red Phalarope. Crymophilus fulicarius

8.12. Bill .87.

Ad. 9 w» breeding plumage. — Top of head black; patch about
eye white; back streaked with black and yellowish-brown; wings
black and white; throat bluish-slate; rest of under parts deep
pinkish-cinnamon; rump tinged with same. Ad. $ in breeding

276 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

plumage. — Resembles the 9> but duller; the black on the crown
marked with yellowish-brown. Ad. 9 and $ in whiter. — Fore-
head white ; crown black, streaked with white ; hind neck grayish-
brown; middle of back dark gray; wings black and white; under
parts white, lm. — Similar, but with more black and yellowish-
brown on the back.

The Red Phalarope occurs, like the preceding species, as
a spring and fall migrant, far out at sea, and is only rarely
blown in by severe storms. In breeding plumage it is easily
recognized, but in the fall it is hard to distinguish it from
the preceding species except by its greater size.

RAILS, ETC. : ORDER PALUDICOL^Q

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS: FAMILY
RALLIDiE

Two species of Rail breed throughout New York and
New England, in extensive swamps of grass or cat-tails.
They are largely nocturnal in their habits, and, though very
noisy, they are rarely seen. The Florida Gallinule is a rare
summer resident of southern New York and New England
in the reed-grown margins of shallow ponds ; it is diurnal,
and either walks or swims. The Coot is a migrant, chiefly
in the autumn ; its general appearance is that of a duck.
For a full account of the notes of the two Rails, see Mr.
Brewster's "Voices of a New England Marsh," "Bird-
Lore," vol. iv. p. 43.

American Coot. Fulica americana

15.00

Ad. — Head and neck blackish; body, wings, and tail slate-
gray, paler below; wing when spread shows a little white; bill
whitish, tipped with brown. Im. — Similar, but much whiter
below. Bill dull flesh-color.

The name Coot is applied at the sea-shore to the Scoters,
a genus of sea-ducks, but the bird known as Coot on small

FLORIDA GALLINULE 277

inland waters, though in general resembling a duck, is a
relative of the rails and gallinules, with lobed and not
webbed feet. It is a migrant through New York and New
England, rare in New England in April, but fairly common
from late September to November. In the Hudson Valley
it is said to be common from the end of April to the mid-
dle of May. It frequents the swampy borders of lakes or
sluggish streams, where it seeks the shelter of bushes and
reeds. When several Coot are together, they often play on
the water, and frequently run along the surface, making a
loud splattering noise. A bird often stands up full length
out of the water, shows its ungainly form, and then sinks
forward into the water. In feeding, a Coot dives readily,
and pulls up the aquatic plants from the shallow bottom.
It swims freely but generally with a backward and forward
motion of the head, which distinguishes it from a duck.
Langille, who studied the Coot on its breeding ground,
describes it as " decidedly a noisy bird, its coo-coo-coo-coo
being heard both day and night. It also has a squack simi-
lar to the quack of a duck. As a migrant, however, it is
generally silent. The white bill is the best field-mark, and
is particularly noticeable when the bird faces the observer.

Florida Gallinule. Gallinula galeata,
13.50

Ad. — Head and neck blackish ; rest of body slate-gray, washed
on the back with brown and on the belly with white; under tail-
coverts white; bill and forehead bright red, the former tipped with
greenish-yellow. Im. — Similar, but under parts suffused with
white; bill and forehead brownish.

Nest, of cat-tail flags , floating on the water or on a bed of flags.
Eggs, buff or buffy-brown, sparsely spotted with brown.

The Florida Gallinule is a rare summer resident of south-
ern New England and the Hudson Valley, arriving in May,

278 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

and staying till October. It inhabits the reed-bordered

shores of lakes or ponds, either swimming like a duck or

walking in the shal-
lows like a rail. Its
notes are very hen-
like. It may be
known by its red,
yellow - tilled bill
and a plate of
bright red on the
front of its head.
Its tail is constantly
cocked, and shows

a patch of white beneath it. (See Brewster, " Auk," vol. viii.

pp. 1—7, for a full account of the habits and notes of the

Florida Gallinule.)

Fig. 80. Florida Gallinule

Sora ; Carolina Kail. Porzana Carolina
8.50. Bill .80

Ad. — Top of head brown, a blackish stripe through the centre;
back, wings, and tail brown, streaked with black and a little
white; sides of head, line over eye, and breast ash-gray; fore-
head, region about the base of the bill, middle of throat, and
breast black ; belly white ; bill short, yellow. Im. — Upper parts
dark brown, mixed on the back with black and a little white ;
throat white ; breast washed with buff ; sides dark, barred with
white ; belly white.

Nest, a platform of grass or sedge in a tuft of grass or sedge.
Eggs, brownish-buff, sparsely spotted with brown and purplish-
gray.

The Carolina Rail is a common summer resident of most
of New York and New England, though rather rare in the
vicinity of New York city. It arrives in April, and leaves
in October. Though common in suitable localities, it is
only found where there are extensive marshes, cat-tail
swamps, or meadows which retain much water all through

VIRGINIA KAIL 279

the summer. Here it may be constantly heard and occa-
sionally seen, picking its way along the edge of the marsh
or between the tussocks of sedge, or, when startled, flying a
short distance with weak flight and dangling legs, and then
dropping into the grass. It walks with a constant upright
tilt of its short tail, thus exposing the buffy under tail-
coverts.

The notes of the Carolina Rail, heard most commonly
at the approach of dusk and all through the evening, and
also at intervals through the day,
are a long frog-like cry, resem-
bling the syllable kur-iuee1 ', and
a whinny. The birds utter also,
when startled, a cry like the syl-
lable kuk ; a stone thrown into
the cat-tails in late summer or
fall is almost sure to provoke this

cry. Its short yellow bill shows conspicuously against the
black about its base, and distinguishes it from the Virginia
Rail, which has a long dark bill.

Virginia Rail. Rallus virginianus
9.50. Bill 1.50

Ad. — Top of head and back rich brown, streaked with black;
sides of head ash-gray; line from bill to eye white, above a black-
ish stripe ; part of the wings rich reddish-brown ; under parts a
warm brown ; lower belly black, barred with white ; bill long,
slightly curved. Im. — Upper parts much as in adult; throat and
line down the middle of the lower parts whitish; rest of under
parts blackish.

Nest, a platform of grass or sedge in a tuft of grass or sedge.
Eggs, pale buffy-white, spotted and speckled with reddish-brown.

The Virginia Rail is a summer resident of New York and
New England, common in the southern and central por-
tions of the region. It arrives in April, and stays till Octo-

280 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

ber ; it winters sparingly from Cape Cod southward. It
inhabits fresh water marshes and wet meadows, particu-
larly where cat-tails
abound, and is often
associated with the
Carolina Eail, many
of whose habits it
shares. When seen,
the long bill and the
rich, reddish-brown of
its wings and under
Fig. 82. Virginia Rail parts distinguish it

from its relative. Its notes, too, are quite distinct. They
consist of a low monotonous call, like the syllables cut'-ta,
cut'-ta, and a series of more startling notes, wak, wak, wak,
each note lower than the preceding, like the grunting of lit-
tle pigs. In summer, when the old bird is followed by the
young, she utters, when alarmed, a note like the syllable kip.

HERONS, ETC.: ORDER HERODIONES

HERONS AND BITTERNS : FAMILY ARDEIDiE

Three species of Heron and two of Bittern occur in New
York and New England. The American Bittern and the
Green Heron breed everywhere in suitable localities; the
Least Bittern is not uncommon in parts of southern New
York and New England ; the Night Heron is common along
the sea-coast ; the Great Blue Heron breeds in the wilder
portions of northern New York and New England and oc-
curs farther south as a migrant. The two species of Bit-
tern live in extensive swampy meadows or cat-tail swamps,
and depend on their coloration for protection ; if startled,
they fly to some other part of the grass or flags. The her-
ons stand on the margins of shallow coves and pools, flying

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON 281

often to trees when startled. When flying they extend their
legs behind them, but instead of stretching out their necks
as ducks do, they shorten them by taking in a "tuck."
The Night Heron feeds largely after dusk.

Black-crowned Night Heron. Nycticorax nycticorax

ncevius

24.00

Ad. — Crown and back black ; wings and tail gray ; forehead
and under parts white. Im. — Upper parts, wings, and tail brown,
streaked and dotted with white ; under parts lighter, streaked
with brown and white.

Nest, in trees. Eggs, pale bluish-green.

The Night Heron is a summer resident of New York
and New England, common along the coast, but rare or
absent in the interior ; it occasionally winters in southern
New England. It breeds in communities which occasionally
number many hundred individuals. In feeds chiefly in
shallow, tidal creeks ; even if it breeds at some distance
inland, it often flies at dusk to the salt marshes or to the
beach. Its hoarse quok, almost like the bark of a dog, is
therefore a very familiar sound along the coast. In the day-
time it roosts in trees ; in late summer flocks gather which
sometimes reach into the hundreds. Though it feeds chiefly
after dusk, yet it is occasionally seen in the daytime, either
standing at the edge of small marshy pools or along the
shore, or flapping heavily over the marshes.

Adults are easily identified by their white under parts,
ash-gray wings and tail, and the black crown and upper
back. The immature birds are brown, spotted with white
or buffy. When seen flying at a distance it is difficult to
identify them with certainty, until one becomes familiar
with the characteristics of their flight, which is slow and
heavy; the strokes are alternated with periods of sailing,
during which the wings are curved slightly downward.

282 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Green Heron. Butorides virescens
17.00

Ad. — Top of head glossy greenish-black ; wings, back, and tail
greenish; the longer wing-feathers with a bluish tinge; sides of
throat and neck chestnut ; a narrow strip of black and white
down the middle of the neck ; under parts brownish-gray. Im. —
Similar, but under parts white, streaked with brown.

Nest, of twigs, in trees. Eggs, pale green.

The Green Heron is a common summer resident of New
York and New England, arriving late in April or early in
May, and staying till October. It feeds in the marshy coves
of rivers or ponds, or at the edges of swamps. When
startled it rises with a harsh quak, and after the legs have
been picked up, and a tuck taken in the long neck, the
broad wings take the bird off over the tree-tops or around
a protecting bend of the shore. When in the air, it looks
about the size of a crow, but flies with slower, heavier
strokes and shows a shorter tail. When the bird lights, it
is very apt to raise its head-feathers somewhat, giving its
head a peculiar bushy appearance. Inland and south of
Vermont and New Hampshire it is, in the summer, almost
the only heron to be seen. As the train runs along a shal-
low river, like the Connecticut, individuals may be observed
almost every mile, flying or standing.

The greenish or bluish-green color of the wings and its
smaller size should distinguish it from the Night Heron.
The green shows only as an iridescent color on the wings ;
the quill-feathers, and in old birds the back also, are bluish,
so that many an amateur catching this color has jumped
to the conclusion that he has seen the Little Blue Heron
of the South. There is no danger of confusing the Green
Heron with the Great Blue Heron, a bird that seems to the
excited eye as tall as a man and as broad-winged as an
eagle. The Bittern, the only other heron-like bird to be
kept in mind, stiffens, when standing, into a vertical posi-

GREAT BLUE HERON 283

tion, the bill pointing almost directly upward, and the black
and ochre stripes showing clearly on the neck. The Bit-
tern on the wing looks brown, and is much larger than a
crow. (See, also, under Least Bittern, p. 285.)

Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias
42.00 - 50.00. Bill 4.30 - 6.25

Ad. — Crown black, divided by a broad ivhite stripe ; throat
white; neck brown; back and tail gray; wings gray, broadly edged
with black; breast and belly streaked with black and white.
Im. — Top of head dusky; back browner.

Nest, in trees. Eggs, bluish-green.

The Great Blue Heron used to breed throughout New
England, but it is now doubtful if there are any of its
heronries left in southern New England. It is still a sum-
mer resident of the wilder portions of northern New York
and New England, and a not uncommon migrant in April
and May, and from the end of July till November. It is
found at the edges of lakes and ponds, or on the broader
reaches of rivers, and still more frequently in the salt
marshes and on the sandy or rocky ocean beaches. When
the bird is standing, its long legs and neck are very con-
spicuous, and its body seems ridiculously thin. It is ordina-
rily silent on migration, only occasionally uttering a hoarse
quak ; in summer two birds sometimes quarrel, uttering
loud, harsh squawks.

It is always an extremely watchful bird, and long before
an observer approaches near it rises and flaps slowly off.
After it gets under way, it shortens its long neck so that
there is a perceptible tuck in it, and stretches out its legs
behind. It now settles into a flight which, though ap-
parently heavy, takes the bird along with great ease and
speed ; the strokes are often alternated with periods of
sailing. It frequently settles in the top of some tree at a
safe distance. Its wing-spread is as great as a Fish Hawk's,

284 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

but not so great as an eagle's. The under sides of the
wings have a distinct blue shade, but as a rule the wings
look gray, with black borders and tips.

Least Bittern. Ardetta exilis
13.00

Ad. $. — Top of head, back, and tail glossy black; sides of
neck yellowish-brown, deepening on back of neck into rich rusty-
brown; patch on wing buffy, edged with rich rusty-brown; under
parts white, tinged with buffy, unstreaked, a blackish patch at
either side of breast. Ad. 9- — Similar to male, but with the
black replaced by brown; under parts darker, streaked with
brownish. Im. $ . — Similar to ad. $ , but under parts lightly
streaked with black.

Nest, a platform of reeds, fastened to upright reeds. Eggs,
white, or greenish-white.

The Least Bittern is a rather common summer resident
of southern New England ; it is rare north of Massachusetts,

Fig. 83. Least Bittern

and occurs in northern New England only in the river val-
leys. It arrives in May and leaves in August. It is an
inhabitant of cat-tail swamps, either along the sea-shore or
inland, and of the grassy swamps along sluggish streams.
It is very secretive, often escaping observation by stiffening

AMERICAN BITTERN 285

in an upright position among the reeds, or by slipping off
quietly as one approaches. Occasionally, when driven to it,
it flutters off, with a low note, and drops into the flags near
by. In spring the male utters a low coo coo coo, that sug-
gests the note of the Mourning Dove.

If the bird is seen in the reeds, it may be known for
a bittern by its long, sharp, light-colored bill and its stout
feet, which grasp the stalks of the cat-tails. Its small size
and the buff and chestnut patches on the icings will dis-
tinguish it from any other heron or bittern. Even the
Green Heron will look large in comparison with this dimin-
utive representative of the family ; the whole wing of the
Green Heron, moreover, looks dark, almost black.

American Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus
28.00

Ad. — Top of head rich chestnut-brown; back dark brown,
streaked with buff; wings yellowish-brown, deeply tipped with
black; sides of neck glossy black; under parts buffy, streaked
with brown; bill yellow.

Nest, flat, of reed-stalks, on the ground, in marshes. Eggs, drab.

The Bittern is a summer resident throughout New York
and New England, arriving in April, and leaving in Sep-
tember or October. It is rare in summer in the lower
Hudson Valley and along Long Island Sound, but is not
uncommon as a migrant. It breeds in extensive marshes,
both fresh and salt, and on wet meadows along sluggish
streams, but as a migrant it may occur in almost any small
swamp or along the banks of small streams. It is a slug-
gish bird, and when any one approaches, stands erect with
head pointing upward ; in this position it harmonizes so
well with the brown grass or cat-tails around it that it is
very difficult to discover. When one is almost upon it, it
springs up awkwardly, often with a hoarse cry, and then
flaps off with slow strokes of its broad wings.

286 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

In April and May, in the early morning, late afternoon,
and evening, the Bittern " pumps." Standing in the grass,
it utters at intervals a series of two or three notes, of a
curious guttural character, resembling the syllables plumr
puddn1 or unk'-a-chunk', either wooden or liquid, accord-
ing to the nature of the country between the listener and
the bird. The notes sound either like the blows of a
mallet on a stake, or like the gurgling of a pump. The
Bittern may be cautiously approached when making these
sounds ; one can then see the curious movements with
which he evidently gulps in air, and hear the click of his
bill, which he opens and shuts rapidly before he begins the
final delivery of the notes. (See Torrey, " Auk," vol. vi.

P. i.)

If seen in its erect position, the streaks of buff and
black on the neck, and the long yellow bill distinguish it.
If not startled, it hunches its back, and with bill point-
ing downward steals off with slow, cautious steps. When
flying, the expanse of brown wings, tipped ivith black,
identifies it. Immature Night Herons in the brown plumage
have been mistaken for Bitterns ; but the Bittern, so far as
I know, never lights in trees, whereas the Night Heron
regularly does so.

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS: ORDER ANSERES

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS : FAMILY ANATIDiE
Geese: Subfamily Anserinae

Two species of Goose occur in New York and New Eng-
land : one is the well-known Canada or Wild Goose, often
heard honking overhead, occasionally seen in inland ponds
or along the sea-coast ; the other, the Brant, occurs as a
migrant along the coast.

BRANT 287

Braxt. Branta bemicla

26.00

Ad. — Head, neck, and upper breast black ; streaks of white on
the sides of the neck; back and wings brown; belly whitish; tail
black, base white.

The Brant is a migrant along the coast in March and
April, and in October and November. It keeps well out
along the shore, and is found in numbers only at certain
points, such as Monomoy on Cape Cod, and on Nantucket
and Martha's Vineyard. Here the Brant sometimes occur
in great flocks, which rest in long lines on the sand-bars,
or feed at the edge of the flats, tearing up eel-grass by the
roots. They may be known from the Canada Goose by the
smaller size, by the absence of white on the throat, and by
the black breast.

Caxada Goose. Branta canadensis
35.00-43.00

Ad. — Head and neck black • broad bib of white from sides of
head across throat • back and wings brown ; under parts whitish ;
tail black, base white.

The Wild Goose is more often heard than seen, except-
ing perhaps on the sea-shore. The honking of migrant
flocks was once a common sound in March and April, and
again from the first of October to the end of December. At
favorable points along the coast, and in certain inland ponds,
flocks often alight to rest. They then ride on the water,
or stand on exposed bars, or feed by pulling up vegetation
in the shallow Avater. When seen at close range, they are
easily identified by the black head and neck, and the bib of
white across the throat ; when flying, they usually form a
wedge-shaped flock, two lines converging at a leader. The
wing-strokes are then rather slow, compared with those
of a duck.

288 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Bay and Sea Ducks : Sub-family Fuligulinse

Ducks are divided into three subfamilies : Bay and Sea
Ducks, River and Pond Ducks, and Mergansers. In all,
twelve or thirteen species belonging to the first division
may be found along the coast of New England and New
York, but only six or seven are common. Two species, the
Ruddy Duck and the Lesser Scaup Duck, are as a rule
only migrants, and occur nearly as often on inland waters
as at sea ; the other species are all winter visitants, either
along the whole coast or on certain portions of it.

The American Eider, common off the Maine and Mas-
sachusetts coasts, is rare off Long Island. The Harlequin
is found regularly only on the eastern half of the Maine
coast ; the King Eider and Barrow's Golden-eye are rare
even on the Maine coast and only stragglers farther south.
The Buffle-head is by no means abundant, but the Old-
squaw, the "Whistler, and the three Scoters are common all
along the coast and in places abundant. The Greater Scaup
is locally common in winter. The American Eider also
breeds sparingly along the eastern half of the Maine coast,
and the Whistler breeds on some of the large lakes of
Maine.

All the species named above dive for their food, and may
by this habit be distinguished from the River and Pond
Ducks, p. 300, but not from the Mergansers, p. 306, nor
from the Grebes or the other Diving Birds, p. 329 et seq.

It is at first difficult for an observer on shore to distin-
guish the different species feeding some distance off in the
water, or flying back and forth to their feeding ground. The
Red-breasted Merganser and Black Duck of the following
sections must also be taken into consideration in a winter visit
to the sea-shore, and the presence of the Loons and Grebes
adds to the complication. Much may, however, be learned
by careful study with a powerful field-glass, or a small tele-

BUDDY DUCK 289

scope, especially if the observer conceal himself or approach
the lookout post unobserved. One gradually becomes fa-
miliar with certain marks about the head and on the wings,
the size and actions of certain species, and after long prac-
tice can distinguish them at long range and with consider-
able ease. The beginner, however, should be very careful, and
identify with great hesitation. A morning in a " blind,"
or a cruise in a sailboat with a " gunner " or a more ad-
vanced student, will clear up many difficulties. Ducks, like
other sea-birds, have a habit of standing up now and then
in the water and napping their wings ; at such times they
show any white patches there may be in the wings. When
about to alight they generally scale for some distance with
wings set and body almost perpendicular, and just before
they drop into the water a foot dangles down on each side.
At this time one can note the color of the feet and legs,
which differs with the different species. " Scoters, Old
Squaws, and Eiders ordinarily fly low over the water, . . .
while the Mergansers, Scaups, Whistlers, and most of the
others, are apt to fly high " (Job, " Among the Water-Fowl,"
p. 221.)

Note. — The term speculum, which occurs frequently in the descrip-
tions of the plumages of ducks, is applied to a small patch of feathers
in the wing-, which in many species differs in color from the rest of the
wing-, and often has a beautiful metallic lustre. Many ducks have also
larger or smaller areas of white in the wing which serve as better
field-marks than the speculum, which is only useful in case the duck
is seen at close range.

Ruddy Duck. Erismatuva jamaicensis
15.00

Ad. $ in breeding plumage. — Crown and nape black ; sides
of head and chin white j upper parts, throat, and fore neck brig-lit
reddish brown ; upper part of breast tinged with reddish-brown ;
rest of under parts silvery white ; tail brownish-black, the sepa-
rate feathers stiff and pointed ; no white on wing. Ad. 9 ai>d

290 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Im. $ . — Top of head dark brown, white stripe from below
the eye to back of neck ; back grayish-brown ; under parts dull
whitish.

Nest, of reeds, built up out of the water. Eggs, dull white.

The Kuddy Duck occurs as a migrant both on the
coast and on inland waters in March and April, and in
October and November. It breeds rarely in northeastern
Maine, and has also been found breeding in Rhode Island
and on Cape Cod. It was formerly a common migrant, but
is now rapidly decreasing in numbers. It is as quick at
diving as a grebe, and has the latter's power of sinking till
only the bill is exposed. It may be recognized by its
small size, squat appearance, and by the white or whitish
sides of the head. The tail is often conspicuously cocked
up, the short stiff feathers showing separately. " When
rising from the water, it runs on the surface for some dis-
tance and generally against the wind . . . when on- the
wing, it flies low along the surface of the water, with a rapid
beat of its broad wings, making a short plump figure, quite
uncommon for a duck" (Langille).

Surf Scoter. Oidemia perspicillata

20.00

Ad. . — Patch on forehead and one on hind neck white ; rest
of plumage black; bill showing much red, orange, and yellow;
feet red or reddish-orange. Ad. 9- — Top of head black; spot
behind eye and one in front of eye whitish; rest of plumage sooty-
brown, paler below. Im. — Similar to 9 •

The three Scoters, or Coot, as the gunners call them
(see, however, p. 276), are migrants and winter visitants
along the coast of New York and New England. In winter
the greatest numbers are found south of Cape Cod, where
the birds gather in enormous beds in the shoal waters about
Nantucket and south of Long Island. The first migrants
appear in September, and the last go north in May, but

SUEF SCOTER 291

the birds are most abundant during October and April. All
three species occur as more or less regular migrants on large
inland ponds, — as at Dublin, N". H., — and in the valleys

Fig. 84. Surf Scoter

of the Connecticut and the Hudson, especially in the au-
tumn. In summer a few barren birds linger along the coast,
particularly in Maine.

Scoters feed over the shallows, even when the surf is
breaking, diving till they reach the beds of shellfish, on
which they feed. Early in the morning, or when changes
in the wind or tide make them restless, they fly low over
the water in large or small flocks ; at other times they
gather over the feeding-grounds, and dive and reappear
steadily.

When on the wing, the following species, the White-
winged Scoter, is readily distinguished from the other two,
which show no white in the wing. Even when a flock is
feeding, individuals frequently stand for a moment and
shake themselves, their outspread wings at such a time often
settling their identity. To distinguish the Surf Scoter from
the American Scoter, it is necessary to make out the patch

292 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

of white on the hind neck. With a good glass this can be
seen, both when the ducks are flying and when they are
feeding. The female and young Surf Scoters are brown,
and have only indistinct white patches on the neck, and
are difficult to tell at a distance from the female or young
American Scoters, which are also brown. The latter, how-
ever, are rarer than the former. The White- winged Scoter
shows the white wing-patch in all plumages.

White-winged Scoter. Oidemia deglandi

22.00

Ad. $ . — Spot below eye, and short, broad patch on wing ivhite •
rest of plumage black; bill with much red and orange; legs and
feet scarlet. Ad. 9 • — Spot behind the eye and patch on wing
white ; rest of upper parts sooty-brown ; under parts grayish-
brown; bill orange-black; legs and feet brownish-red.

The White-winged Scoter is, perhaps, the most abundant
sea duck off the coast of southern New England and Long
Island. Its habits and field-marks have been described
under the preceding species. Many of our sea ducks show
a white wing-patch (see Whistler, p. 297, and Red-breasted
Merganser, p. 308), but no others have black breasts as
well.

American Scoter. Oidemia americana

19.00

Ad. $ . — Entire plumage black ; bill black, bright orange at
the base, which is much swollen; legs and feet brownish-black.
Ad. 9- — Top of head dark brown; throat and fore neck grayish;
rest of plumage sooty-brown, lighter below; bill black; legs and
feet brown.

The American Scoter is the least common of the three
Scoters ; it is also the smallest. In its habits it resembles
its relatives ; all three are often associated on the same
feeding-grounds, but generally keep in distinct flocks. The

AMERICAN EIDER 293

adult male American Scoter may be distinguished from any
other duck by its uniform black plumage, and its habit of
diving. The Black Duck, which in winter may be found
with the Scoters, does not dive ; moreover, the Black Duck
may generally be distinguished by the whitish under sur-
face of its wings. An adult male American Scoter has an
orange spot at the base of its black bill. (See under Surf
Scoter, p. 291.)

Note. — The King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) is a rare winter
visitant to the coast of New England, occasionally common off the
coast of Maine. The adult male may be distinguished from the fol-
lowing species by the top of the head, which is a delicate lavender
instead of black, and by the cheeks, which are sea-green instead of
white.

American Eider. Somateria dresseri
23.00

Ad. $ . — Top of head black, divided by a white stripe ; rest of
head white, tinged on the sides and back with green ; neck, upper
breast, and most of back white; middle of lower back, wings, tail,
and belly black; bill, legs, and feet olive-green. Ad. £ and
Im. — Top of head blackish; rest of plumage dark buffy-brown,
lightest on throat and neck, barred everywhere with black.

Nest, on the ground, often under a bush. Eggs, olive-green.

The American Eider is a common winter visitant off the
coast of New England, arriving in October, and returning in
April. It is rare south of Massachusetts. It is a rare sum-
mer resident on some of the rocky islands of the Maine
coast, from Isle au Haut eastward. Great flocks of eiders
collect in the shoal water off Cape Cod, Nantucket, and
Martha's Vineyard, spending the night at sea, and flying in
each morning to some ledge of rocks, where they find the
mussels on which they feed. These they obtain by diving
through the breakers. The Eider is rarely seen in the inner
bays and harbors ; in fact it is known among the fishermen
as the " Sea Duck."

294 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The adult male is a very striking bird, the black crown
and belly contrasting with the white breast and back. The
female may be distinguished from other brown ducks by her
size and the presence in the flock of black and white males.
In April as the flocks fly north, the males and females
alternate irregularly and fly in long lines low over the
water. (See Mackay, " Auk/' vol. vii. pp. 315-319.)

Harlequin Duck. Histrionicus histrionicus
17.00

Ad. $. — General color leaden blue, changing into blue-black
on lower back, and bluish - gray on belly ; triangular crescent-
shaped spot in front of the eye, a round spot near the ears, a nar-
row collar around lower part of neck, a broad bar across breast,
and other markings on wing and breast white ; under side of neck
and bar on side of breast, centre of forehead, crown, and hind neck
black ; sides bright reddish-brown ; bill and feet slate. Ad. 9 • —
Head and 4neck grayish-brown ; a white spot back of the ear ;
sides of head tinged with white ; sides grayish-brown ; bill and
feet slate.

The Harlequin Duck is a rare but regular winter visitant
on the eastern half of the coast of Maine, frequenting
rocky ledges and islets well out at sea. It may be dis-
tinguished from other ducks by u the combination of small
size, dark color, and buoyancy, in air and water " (Norton,
" Auk," vol. xiii. pp. 229-234). The female may be dis-
tinguished from the female Old-squaw by the color of the
belly, which is grayish dusky instead of pure white.

Old-squaw. Harelcla hy emails
$ 21.00. 9 16.00

Ad. $ in winter. — Patch on side of neck blackish-brown
(occasionally nearly absent) ; region in front of eye light gray ;
rest of head, neck, upper breast, and back white ; back, wings, and
tail brown, two white patches extending down the back; breast
and upper belly brown ; lower belly white ; two middle tail-
feathers black, very long and narrow ; outer tail-feathers white ;

OLD-SQUAW 295

base of bill black, tip yellow, band of pink between; legs and
feet pale slate. Ad. $ in late spring. — Patch in front of eye
gray ; small patch back of eye white ; rest of head, neck, back,
breast, and upper belly sooty black, feathers of the back margined
with reddish-brown; lower belly white; tail-feathers and feet as in
winter. Ad. 9 in winter. — Head, neck, and lower parts mostly
white; top of head and sides of neck dusky; upper parts dusky-
brown. Ad. 9 in spring. — Similar to 9 m winter, but sides
of head and neck blackish ; feathers of the back margined with
brown. Im. in winter. — Either similar to ad. 9 m winter, or
with head and neck chiefly grayish; sides of head whitish; breast
streaked with dusky.

The Old-squaw is a very common winter visitant on the
coast of New York and New England from October to May.
It does not come into the inner harbors as freely as the
Whistler and Bufne-head, but feeds in small or large
flocks in the surf close to the outer beaches, or in vast
" rafts " over shoals at sea. It rides easily over the great
rollers, or dives into and through them. Little companies
are constantly moving here and there, flying, after they get
under way, with ease and great rapidity. The Old-squaw
is noted for its garrulousness, particularly in spring ; the
chattering of a flock is musical, resembling the syllables
honk, honk-a-Iinh, honk-a-link (Sanford). In mild days
in spring and fall Old-squaws " tower," — that is, fly to
a great height, and then descend with rushing wings.

The long tail-feathers of the male are very conspicuous,
drooping below him as he lights in the water, or cocked up
at an angle as he swims. His white head with the black
spot behind the eye sufficiently characterizes the male, even
when the long tail-feathers do not show. The females and
young have much darker heads, and lack the long tail-
feathers of the adult male, but are readily identified by the
large amount of whitish about the sides of the head, and
generally by the presence in the flock of long-tailed males.
(See Mackay, "Auk," vol. ix. pp. 330-337.)

29G BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

BUFFLE-HEAD.

Charitonetta albeola
14.75

Ad. $ . — A snow-white patch from back of eye over top of
head ; rest of head and neck apparently black, crested and puffed
out at the side (at close range showing purple, violet, and green
reflections) ; broad ring around neck and under parts pure
white ; back black ; wings black, with large white patches ; bill
dark gray ; legs and feet flesh-color. Ad. 9- — Head, neck, and
upper parts sooty-brown ; large spot back of eye ivhitish ; wings
brown, showing white when spread ; under parts (except throat
and neck) white ; bill, legs, and feet dusky.

Nest, generally in a hole in a tree, usually near the water.
Eggs, grayish-white, tinged witli green.

The Bufne-head is a rather common migrant in October,
March, and April along the coast of New York and New

England, occurring also
on large inland streams
and ponds. It is a rather
uncommon winter visit-
ant from southern
Maine southward, and is
reported as breeding
sparingly in northeast-
ern Maine (Knight). It
is the smallest of the
sea ducks, and among the
river ducks only the
Green-winged Teal is
smaller. It dives with the quickness of a grebe. Its
habits along the sea-coast are similar to those of the
Whistler, and it is often associated with that species, pre-
ferring the mouths of rivers, and the harbors and coves
along the shore to the shoals well out at sea.

A male may be known by the large patch of white in
the head, extending from behind the eye to the top of the
head. The head-feathers are long, and give the head a

Fig. 85. Buffle-head

AMEBIC AN GOLD EX-EYE 297

"bushy" look. The female and young males have a white
patch extending from the eye to the back of the head. (See
the following species, and the Hooded Merganser, p. 307.)

Note. — Barrow's Golden-eye, Clangula islandica, a species which
resembles the following- closely in appearance and habit, is a rare
winter visitant on the Maine coast. The chief differences are in the
purplish-blue of the head, and the shape of the white spot before the
eye, which in this species is twice as large and somewhat crescent-
shaped. It would not ordinarily be safe to attempt to distinguish the
two species, unless the birds were in the hand.

American Golden-eye ; Whistler. Clangula clangula

americana

20.00

Ad. $ . — Head black (greenish in good light), slightly crested ;
spot below and in front of eye white ; middle of back and tail
black; entire under parts (except throat), broad ring around
neck, and sides of upper back white ; wing black, much of it
covered with long white feathers when closed, and showing a
broad patch of white when spread ; bill black ; feet orange.
Ad. 9. — Head dull reddish-brown, no ivhite spot ; back and band
across breast dark grayish-brown ; ring around neck and rest of
under parts white ; wing showing considerable white both when
closed and when open ; bill yellowish-brown ; feet and legs yel-
lowish.

Nest, in a hole in a tree, near the water. Eggs, bright pea-
green, or olivaceous green.

The Whistler is a common winter visitant to the coast
of New York and New England, arriving in October, and
leaving in April. It breeds in northern Maine, notably at
Lake Umbagog (see Brewster, "Auk," vol. xvii. pp. 207-
216). The Whistler in winter is an inshore duck, coming
into the small bays and harbors, and up the mouths of
rivers, where it dives for shellfish and water plants.
Sometimes when the shoals are frozen over, any small
inland pond-hole will afford it food. Though generally
wary, it has quickly taken advantage of the immunity

298 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

offered it on the Boston Back Bay, and may be seen any
day in winter on each side of the Harvard Bridge.

The Whistler's flight is rapid and characteristic, and is
accompanied by a sharp, whistling sound. When in the air,

Fig. 86. American Golden-eye

the white under parts and the white ' patches in the wing are
conspicuous. From the Red-breasted Mergansers, which also
show white below and on the wing, the short thick head and
short neck distinguish it. The black head and the small
white sjyot before the eye distinguish the male. The female
has a dull reddish-brown head and is often mistaken by
beginners for the very rare Bed-head, or confused with
the female Scaup Ducks. She may be separated from the
latter by the lack of any white about the base of the bill.

Lesser Scaup Duck; Little Blue-bill. Aythya

affinis

16.50

Ad. — Similar to the following species but smaller, and head
and neck of male showing at close range purplish instead of
greenish reflections.

SCAUP DUCK 299

The Lesser Scaup Duck is a common migrant off Long
Island and in the lower Hudson Valley, occurring in Sep-
tember and October, and in February and March ; in New
England it is less common, and appears generally in the au-
tumn, often in company with the following species. It oc-
curs both on the coast and in inland ponds. It is doubtful
whether it occurs in winter, though the Greater Scaup is
common at that season. The two species resemble each
other very closely, but may be distinguished in good light
and at close range by the color of the head, which is pur-
plish in the Lesser, greenish in the Greater. (See following
species.)

Scaup Duck ; Blue-bill. Aythya marila

$ 18.50. 9 17.50

Ad. $. — Head, neck, upper back, and breast black, the head
and neck showing greenish reflections in strong light ; middle of
back white, marked with narrow wavy black lines; speculum
white ; a white stripe along wing when spread, lower belly and
sides pure white ; under tail-coverts black ; bill blue-gray ; legs
and feet lead-color. Ad. 9 • — Black of $ replaced by brown ;
region around base of bill white • wings brown ; speculum and
stripe in extended wing white ; under parts not so pure white ;
bill and feet as in $.

The Scaup or Blue-bill is a common migrant along the
coast of Xew York and New England in March and April,
and in October and November ; it is usually an abundant
winter visitant in Long Island Sound, and occurs in winter
at least as far north as Massachusetts Bay. Like the other
sea ducks it occurs on large inland rivers and on fresh-
water ponds near the sea. Blue-bills often occur in very
large flocks, and when alarmed they swim toward a common
centre, forming a compact bunch, which then swims away
from the disturbing factor. They fly in a characteristic wav-
ing line, showing a stripe of white along the outstretched
wing. The male may be known by his black head, neck,

300 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

and breast, and by the white back, crossed by wavy black
lines. The white face of the female is very conspicuous,
and affords an excellent field-mark.

Redhead. Ay thy a americana

19.00

Ad. $. — Head and neck rich reddish-brown • breast and upper
back black ; back gray, with very narrow wavy black lines ;
speculum gray ; belly white ; feathers under tail black ; bill,
broad and flat, rising at base abruptly toward forehead, slate,
crossed by a black bar at tip ; legs and feet gray. Ad. 9 . — Top
of head and neck pale brown ; back brownish-gray ; chin white ;
throat, neck, breast, and sides brown, middle of belly white ;
lower belly brown ; bill and feet slate.

The Redhead is a regular, though rare, migrant in New
England ; on the Long Island coast it is regular, though it
varies in numbers ; in the lower Hudson Valley it is a
common migrant. It occurs in April and October, and oc-
casionally winters off Long Island. It visits both the inland
ponds and the coast. An adult male can be confused only
with the much rarer Canvas-back, from which the broad flat
bill should distinguish it. Care must be taken not to take
the female Whistler for the Red-head ; the former has a
dull reddish-brown head, and shows a considerable patch of
white on the wing. (See p. 297.)

River and Pond Ducks : Subfamily Anatinae

Many of the diving ducks described in the preceding
pages occur as migrants on nearly every large lake or river
in the interior of New England and in eastern New York.
Two of the Mergansers described in the following section also
occur as migrants on inland ponds and streams. All these
species, however, dive for their food, and may be thus dis-
tinguished from the true river or pond ducks, which obtain
their food by tipping in shallow -water, after the manner of

WOOD DUCK 301

the common domestic duck. Seven species belonging to
this division occur regularly in eastern New York and New
England ; all but one, however, are now so rare that the or-
dinary observer will hardly come across them. They must
be sought for in the ponds of Maine or southeastern Mas-
sachusetts, where, however, numerous gunners are generally
lying in wait for them in their favorite haunts. The Black
Duck or Dusky Duck is still common, and may be met
with as a migrant in any pond or stream ; it breeds in many
places, and winters in large numbers off the sea-shore. The
Wood Duck, once found in summer near quiet forest pools
and deserted mill ponds, is now very rare. The Mallard,
the Widgeon, and the Pintail are migrants, occurring in vary-
ing numbers, but nowhere commonly ; the Mallard occa-
sionally winters off the coast. The two species of Teal,
though becoming rare elsewhere, are still rather common
fall migrants in Maine, and the Blue-winged Teal nests in
the extreme northern and eastern counties of that state.
(See Job, " Auk," vol. xiii. pp. 197-204.)

Wood Duck. Aix sponsa
18.50

Ad. $. — Top of head metallic green, ending in a long crest of
purple, interspersed with narrow white feathers ; sides of head black ;
throat pure white, the white running up into side of the head and hind
neck, almost separating the black side of the head into two areas;
upper parts brown; when seen in good light the wings show vel-
vety black, purple, and white; tail dark, long and fan-shaped;
upper breast rich reddish - chestnut, with small white arrowy
markings, white mark edged with black before the bend of the
wing; flanks buffy-brown; rest of under parts white ; under tail-cov-
erts dusky; bill dark; legs and feet brownish-yellow. Ad. 9 . —
Top of head blackish; sides of head grayish-brown; ring round
eye and patch behind it white ; rest of upper parts brown, the
wings at close range as in $ ; throat pure white ; breast brown,
mottled with buff; belly white, with here and there a dusky spot;
bill dark; legs and feet yellowish-brown.

Nest,in holes in trees, near water. Eggs, ivory-white.

302 BIRDS OF NEAV ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Wood Duck was formerly a common summer resi-
dent throughout New York and New England, breeding
about quiet ponds and slow streams ; but it has diminished
rapidly of late, and can hardly be considered common any-
where, unless in the wilder portions of northern New Eng-
land. It is an uncommon winter visitant on Long Island,
but elsewhere in New England occurs chiefly as a migrant
in March and April, and from August to November, or as
a rare summer resident. It may be found on small inland
ponds or wooded streams. The male is unmistakable ; the
long crest-feathers and the black and white sides of the
head give him a characteristic look. The female has a slight
crest, but may be best distinguished by the white eye-ring
and stripe of white behind the eye.

Pintail. Dafila acuta

$ 28.00. 9 22.00

Ad. $ . — Head, throat, and part of fore neck brown; hind neck
black, separated from fore neck by a white stripe; back gray,
with narrow wavy black lines; speculum bronze, with greenish re-
flections, bordered in front with cinnamon; long black feathers,
edged with white, extend down the wing; middle tail-feathers long
and black ; lower fore neck, breast, and belly white ; feathers under
tail black; bill and feet slate. Ad. 9- — Top of head and hind
neck brown; back brown, the feathers edged with whitish; under
parts whitish, spotted with dusky, darkest on neck; bill and feet
slate. Im. $ . — Similar to 9 > but with speculum as in ad. $ .

The Pintail is a migrant through New York and New
England, common off Long Island and in the Hudson Val-
ley, but rare in most of New England. It occurs in Ply-
mouth County, Mass., from the end of September through
October, and again in April ; in the Hudson Valley it is
found till December, and off Long Island it occasionally
winters. The adult male may be easily recognized by his
long black tail-feathers, which are cocked up as he swims,
but these are often not yet grown in the autumn. The male

BLUE-WINGED TEAL

303

may, however, be identified by the long slender neck and
by the pure white under parts.

Blue-winged Teal. Querquedula discors
16.00

Ad. $. — Head apparently dusky, a broad white crescent in
front of the eye; back brown, upper back mottled with buff;
upper parts buffy or reddish-buff, everywhere spotted with black;
wing when closed has a light blue patch, edged with white, and a
concealed greenish patch ; bill black ; legs and feet yellow.
Ad. 9- — Top of head blackish; throat whitish, no white crescent ;
back and wings dusky; under parts gray, streaked on the breast
with black ; wing as in $ , but with less blue ; bill greenish-black ;
legs and feet greenish-yellow.

Nest, on the ground, in weeds and rushes. Eggs, pale buff.

The Blue-winged Teal is a migrant through New York
and New England, breeding rarely in northern and eastern
Maine. It has become
scarcer of late years, and
though still commoner than
the following species, it
can hardly be called com-
mon except in the wilder
portions of Maine. It is
everywhere rarer in spring
than in autumn, occurring
generally from the end of
August to October. Teal,
like the other river ducks,
feed at night, and lie concealed by day. Toward dusk they
approach the pond or marsh where they hope to feed, and
may be known on the wing by their small size and great
speed. When seen by day the male is easily recognized by
the tchite crescent before the eye and by the blue in the
wing ; the latter mark also distinguishes the female. (See
the following species.)

Fig. 87. Blue-winged Teal

304 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Green-winged Teal. Nettion carolinensis
14.50

Ad. $. — Head chiefly chestnut; chin black, abroad stripe
from eye metallic-green, ending in a black tuft on hind neck;
upper back and flanks gray, finely barred with black, like a
guinea hen; a white band in front of bend of wing; lower back
brown ; speculum metallic-green, edged with black, and, forward,
with a bit of light chestnut; upper breast reddish-buff, with round
black spots, rest of lower parts whitish; under tail-coverts black;
bill black ; legs and feet dark brown. Ad. 9- — Top of head and
back dusky-brownish, the feathers of the back edged with buff;
throat butty; speculum metallic-green, a stripe of white tinged
with chestnut forward; breast buff, spotted with blackish; rest of
under parts whitish; bill brown ; legs and feet brown. Im. $ . —
Similar to 9 > but under parts chiefly white.

The Green-winged Teal is a migrant through New York
and New England, and a winter visitant in the vicinity of
New York city. It occurs as a migrant in April, and in
September and October, alighting in inland ponds and
marshes, often associating with the preceding species and with
Black Duck. It has become rare of late years, and, except
in the wilder portions of Maine, would hardly he observed,
except by constant visits to gunners' stands. An adult male
is readily distinguished by the chestnut head with the green
and black stripe behind the eye. A female or immature
bird would be recognized as a teal by its small size, and as
belonging to this species if the green on the wing can be
made out. The adult Blue-winged Teal also has some green
on the wing, but a larger amount of blue.

Baldpate : American Widgeon. Mareca americana

19.00

Ad. $. — Forehead and top of head white ; sides of head blackish ;
rest of head and neck buff, speckled with black; back brown;
wing with a broad white patch; speculum metallic-green, bordered
with velvety black; upper breast and sides chestnut; rest of under
parts white ; bill and feet slate. 9 and Im. $.— Top of head

BLACK DUCK 305

blackish; back dusky, barred with buff; speculum black; throat
and neck buff, streaked with dusky, breast and sides reddish-
brown, with dusky spots on the breast; rest of under parts white;
bill and feet brown.

The Widgeon is a migrant through New York and New
England, common in the lower Hudson Valley, uncom-
mon off Long Island, and in New England. It occurs in
September and October, and in April. The male may be
known by the white forehead; care must, however, be taken
not to confuse the female Scaup, a diving duck, with the
Widgeon. (See p. 299.)

Black Duck. Anas obseura

Ked-legged Black Duck. Anas obseura rubripes

22.00-25.00

Ad. $ . — Top of head blackish; sides of head, neck, and throat
light buffy-brown; rest of plumage dark brown (apparently black,
except in strong light) ; speculum iridescent purple or greenish,
edged with velvety black ; under sides of wings silvery ; bill broad
and fairly long, yellowish-green or olive in the Black Duck (see
note below) ; feet of Black Duck brown.

Nest, on the ground, generally near the water. Eggs, varying
from pale buff to pale greenish-buff.

The Black Duck breeds throughout New England and on
Long Island, commonly in the northern portions of New
Hampshire and Maine, rarely in southern New England and
on Long Island. It is a very common migrant in March
and April, and from August to November. Along the sea-
coast it is a winter visitant, abundant in southern New
England and on Long Island, not so common along the
Maine coast. It feeds at night in ponds and marshes, or up
the tidal creeks and estuaries, retiring by day either to the
shelter of reeds or to the sea, well off shore.

It may be known when it flies by its dusky or blackish
under parts, and by the silvery lining under its wings.
The American Scoter is also entirely black, and the two

306 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

may be confused along the sea-shore, where the Scoter is
found from September to May. The latter, however, dives
for its food, while the Black Duck, when at sea, simply
rides the water, till the approach of dusk sends it back to its
feeding-ground ; it never dives. It often comes out on the
sand-bars and stands or squats there in company with gulls.

Note. — The Red-legged Black Duck is a larger race, with red legs
and a yellow bill ; it breeds north of New England, and is found here
as a migrant or winter visitant. The Black Ducks seen in New York
or New England in summer belong to the smaller race.

Mallard. Anas boschas
23.00
Ad. $. — Head and neck iridescent green, a white ring almost
entirely around neck, broken only on the nape; upper back brown;
lower back black; wings ash-gray; speculum violet, bordered in
front and behind with black and white; breast chestnut; feathers
under tail black ; rest of under parts silver-gray, narrowly barred
with black on the flanks; bill and legs yellow; feet reddish-
orange. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brownish; feathers edged with
buff; throat buff; speculum like that of $ ; breast brownish-buff,
spotted with black; lower parts white, spotted with dusky; bill
greenish-yellow; feet yellowish.

The Mallard is a rare or uncommon migrant through
eastern New York and New England, occurring in Septem-
ber and October, and in March and April. It occasionally
winters off the coast. Its habits are very similar to those
of the Black Duck, and it often associates with a flock of
the latter. The male is readily recognized by his resem-
blance to the domestic drake ; the female resembles the
female Black Duck, but may in good light be recognized
by her lighter, more yellowish under parts.

Mergansers: Subfamily Merginae

Three species of Merganser occur in New York and New
England. One, the American Merganser, is a bird of fresh-

HOODED MERGANSER 307

water streams and lakes, breeding in northern JTew England
and occurring as a migrant or winter visitant on streams
and lakes. The Red-breasted Merganser is a common win-
ter visitant off the sea-coast. Both of these species get their
food by diving and pursuing fish under water ; both when
flying show large areas of white in the wings. A third spe-
cies, the Hooded Merganser, is a rare summer resident in
northern New England and a rather uncommon migrant
in the rest of New England and in New York.

Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus
17.50

Ad. $. — Head, neck, and upper back black, a broad white
patch extending from back of the eye backward, icith a narrow
black border, forming a crest which is either erected or extended
backward ; two black bands before the bend of the wing ; flanks
reddish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; wing-patch and long
feathers on the back white. Ad. £. — Throat light; rest of head,
with bushy crest, dull reddish-brown ; rest of upper parts sooty-
brown ; wing with a white bar ; flanks dark ; rest of under parts
white. Im. $ . — Head and neck light brown ; crest brownish-
white, with brown edge ; otherwise like 9 •

Nest, in holes in trees. Eggs, white.

The Hooded Merganser breeds in some of the lakes in
northern and eastern Maine, and in northeastern New
Hampshire ; elsewhere in New England and New York it
is a rather uncommon migrant in October, March, and
April, and a rare winter visitant. It occurs on inland
streams and ponds, and is noted for the speed of its flight.
The male can be confused only with the Buffle-head, but
should be distinguished by the long slender bill, and by
the fact that the white patch in the crown does not reach
the top of the head, particularly when the crest is not
erected. The Merganser's flanks, moreover, are brown ; the
Buffle-head's snowy white. The female has the character-
istic merganser head, with a long bill and loose crest

308 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

behind, but is much smaller than either of her relatives,
the two following species.

Eed-breasted Merganser ; Sheldrake. Merganser

serrator

22.00

Ad. $. — Head dark green (at a distance apparently black);
long crest on hind head ; a broad white ring around neck ; upper
back black, lower back gray; wing mostly white, crossed by two
black bars; upper breast buff, streaked with black; rest of under
parts white; bill, legs, and feet red. Ad. 9 and Im. — Throat
white; rest of head and upper neck, with a crest on hind head,
reddish-brown ; back and tail slate-gray ; wings darker, when
spread showing a white patch ; under parts white ; bill, legs, and
feet reddish-brown.

Nest, on the ground, either in rushes or under thick spruces.
Eggs, creamy buff.

The Eed-breasted Merganser is an abundant migrant
along the sea-coast in March and April, and in October
and November ; it is occasionally found as a migrant on
inland waters, especially near the sea, but the common
inland merganser is the following species. The Eed-
breasted Merganser is also a common winter visitant on the
New England coast, and on the lower Hudson Eiver, but
is not common in winter off Long Island. According to
Knight (" Birds of Maine "), it is quite a common summer
resident along the eastern half of the Maine coast and also
breeds on some of the interior lakes.

"When feeding it keeps in shallow water, either close to
the shore or over shoals, and dives in pursuit of its food.
The male is unmistakable : the long bill, the black head
set off by the white collar below, identify him as a mer-
ganser. The loose feathers of the crest, and the reddish-
brown breast distinguish him from his relative, the Ameri-
can Merganser. The females and young when seen in good
light show a reddish-brown neck and head. WThen flying,

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 300

the long outstretched neck and head and the gray tone of
the back distinguish them from the other sea ducks with
white wing-patches. In the female American Merganser the

Fig. 88. Red-breasted Merganser

upper throat only is white, and the top of the head and lower
throat are darker brown than in the Red-breasted Mer-
ganser ; moreover, the former is almost never seen in the
sea itself, though it occurs occasionally in estuaries and at
the mouths of rivers.

American Merganser ; Goosander ; Sheldrake.
Merganser americanns

25.00

Ad. $. — Head and neck apparently black (glossy green in
strong light); no crest on hind head ; middle of back black; tail
gray; broad collar about neck, sides of upper back, and entire under
parts (except neck) pure white (tinged below in strong light with
salmon) ; wings white, showing black quill-feathers and a black
bar when spread; bill and feet red. Ad. 9- — Throat white; rest
of head and neck, with a crest on hind head, reddish-brown;
rest of upper parts and tail gray; wings black, with a white

310 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

patch; under parts white; bill reddish-brown; feet reddish-
orange.

Nest, in a hollow tree. Eggs, white, tinged with buff.

The American Merganser is a summer resident of the
streams and lakes in northern New Hampshire, and in
northern and eastern Maine. In the rest of New England
it occurs as a rather common migrant along the larger
streams, and as a winter visitant wherever falls and rapids
keep the streams open during the winter, as on the
Merrimac below Manchester, N. H., and along the Con-
necticut below Enfield ; it is " tolerably common " along
the Hudson from January to March. Like the preceding
species, it is an expert diver, and pursues small fish in
the shallow water. When it rises from the water, it gen-
erally pats the surface for some distance with its feet, show-
ing the broad white patches on the wing. (See preceding
species.)

CORMORANTS, GANNETS, ETC.: ORDER
STEGANOPODES

CORMORANTS: FAMILY PHALACROCORACIDiE

Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax d-ilophus

30.00

Ad. — Apparently entirely black; in breeding plumage a tuft
of feathers rises from each side of the head, but these are want-
ing after mid-summer. Im. — Head and neck and under parts
grayish-brown.

The Double-crested Cormorant is a summer resident from
the Bay of Eundy northward, and occurs as a not uncom-
mon migrant along the coast of New York and New Eng-
land, passing north in April and May, and returning from
August to November. It winters sparingly in southern New
England.

GANNET 311

When seen off our coast, Cormorants are generally flying
at some distance above the water, with necks outstretched,
and look like dark-colored geese or very large ducks. Their
wings look large in proportion to the bird, and their wing-
strokes are much slower than a loon's. Occasionally they
light on a point of rock or a spar-buoy, when they bend
the neck in a characteristic curve. When they perch, they
squat on their tails and feet, and stand nearly upright.
When thus sitting they often spread their wings and hold
them for some time in what Dr. Townsend has called a
" spread-eagle " posture, resembling that bird as pictured
on our coins and coat of arms.

Note. — The Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is ordinarily a very
rare visitant in late fall and winter off the New England coast ; a
small colony of this species winter each year on Cormorant Rocks
in Narragansett Bay. (See Howe and Sturtevant, Birds of Rhode
Island, p. 33.)

GANNETS: FAMILY SULID^l

Gannet. Sula bassana

35.00. Tail 9.50. Bill 4.00

Ad. — Entire bird white, except the ends of the quill-feathers
which are black ; the head and neck are yellowish when seen at
close range. Im. — Upper parts brownish; under parts lighter;
a white band across the tail.

The Gannet breeds on a few rocky cliffs in the Gulf of
St. Lawrence, and occurs as a rather uncommon migrant in
May, and again in October and November, off the coast of
New York and New England. A few Gannets winter off
Long Island Sound. Monomoy Point, eight miles from
Chatham, Mass., is an excellent place to observe them, as
they fish over the shoals known as the Shovels. The adult
birds are as large as a goose, pure white, except the tips of

312 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

the wings, which are black for some distance. Immature
birds look almost black ; only the under parts and a band
across the tail are light-colored. In a large flock there are
birds in intermediate stages of plumage. The old birds are
unmistakable ; in the sunlight their pure white looks al-
most luminous. In any plumage the habit of diving head-
long into the water from a height of from seventy-five
to a hundred feet will distinguish them from any other
large bird that goes in flocks. When flying, the long head
and neck extend in front and the long tail out behind,
giving them a very different appearance from that of a
gull.

PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, ETC. : ORDER
TUBINARES

PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS: FAMILY PRO-
CELLARIIDiE

Two species of Shearwater and two species of Petrel
occur regularly at some distance off the shores of New York
and New England. Leach's Petrel breeds on islands off the
coast of Maine ; Wilson's Petrel and the two Shearwaters
occur as summer visitants. They may often be observed in
numbers from the decks of vessels crossing to the Maritime
Provinces, but still more abundantly and at close range
about the fishing schooners, where they collect to feed on
the refuse thrown overboard.

Wilson's Petrel. Oceanites oceanicus
7.00
Ad. — Sooty-blackish; base of the tail white; tail square.

Wilson's Petrel is a common summer visitant off the
coast of New York and New England from June to Sep-
tember. As soon as a vessel gets a few miles from shore,

leach's petkel 313

petrels appear flying close over the water, in this direction
and that, turning quickly, or stopping to hover a moment
with outstretched feet to pick up some morsel. They often
collect in the wake of a vessel, and follow it for hours j
but though the tvhite rump and their habit of walking
on the water proclaim them petrels, they rarely come near
enough to show the square tail which separates them from
the following species. Wilson's Petrel is also darker and
smaller than Leach's Petrel, but both look almost black
against the water. If one accompanies some fishing vessel
to the fishing-grounds, petrels and shearwaters may be at-
tracted close to the boat by throwing over cod liver, and then
the two petrels may be distinguished. The common spe-
cies in summer anywhere off the coast is Wilson's Petrel ;
Leach's Petrel, though breeding at that season on the coast
of Maine, is not commonly met with except as a migrant
in spring and in autumn. Occasionally petrels come close
in shore, particularly, according to Dr. Townsend, in foggy
weather.

Leach's Petrel. Oeeanodroma leucorhoa
8.00
Ad. — Entire bird sooty-brown (often apparently black) ; base
of tail white ; tail forked.

Nest, in burrows, on rocky islands. Egg, white.

Leach's Petrel is a summer resident of the North At-
lantic coast, breeding on the extreme outer islands along
the coast of Maine, and from there northward. It arrives
in May, and leaves in September. On Seal, Little Duck,
and Green Islands there are interesting colonies of these
birds. Kev. Mr. Job (" Among the Water-Fowl," p. 125)
describes a visit to one of these colonies. The burrows
that he opened ran under the turf just below the roots
of the grass, and ended in a sort of pocket in which a sin-
gle bird was incubating the single egg. Sometimes both

314 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

parents were found in the burrow if the egg was not yet
laid. The presence of the birds on the island would not
be suspected during the daytime, for one bird keeps close
within the burrow and the other is presumably feeding far
out at sea. At night, however, the air is filled with the
twittering of birds, coming and going to and from the
burrows.

Petrels are attracted to vessels that pass across the Bay
of Maine, and also follow trans- Atlantic liners far out over
the ocean ; they may be observed from the stern of the
boat, but it is very difficult to see the tail clearly enough

Fig. 89. Leach's Petrel

to distinguish between the forked tail of this species and
the square tail of Wilson's Petrel. Wilson's Petrel is
darker, almost black, but it is also difficult to see this dif-
ference in color on the water. Both species have the bright
white rump, contrasting with the dark back, wings, and
tail, and both hover over the water, often with legs down,
as if walking upon it. Leach's Petrel is occasionally found
on inland waters, apparently blown in by a storm. (See
preceding species.)

GREATER SHEARWATER 315

Sooty Shearwater. Puffinus fuliginosus

17.00

-4c?. — Upper parts sooty; under parts lighter; bill blackish.

The Sooty Shearwater is a regular summer visitant to
the North Atlantic, though much less common than the
following species, which it resembles closely in flight and
habits. It is readily distinguished by its uniformly dark
appearance. "At a distance it looks as black as a crow "
(Brewster).

Greater Shearwater ; Hagdox ; Haglet. Puffinus

gravis

20.00

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown; under parts white; band
across middle of tail white ; bill blackish.

The Greater Shearwater is a summer visitor to the North
Atlantic from May to September. Shearwaters may be
regularly observed by any one crossing from New York or
New England to the Maritime Provinces, or from trans-
Atlantic liners. In fact, in mid- Atlantic, shearwaters and
petrels are sometimes the only birds in sight for days. The
former do not seem to be attracted to the ship as the latter
are. They do not congregate about the stern or follow in
the wake, but are seen to the right and left, ahead or
behind. With set wings they glide just above the waves,
over the crest and down into the troughs, occasionally
settling upon the water, then rising and continuing their
flight. They also gather in great numbers about the off-
shore fishing-boats, waiting for the " gurry" that is thrown
over after the fish are cleaned.

Note. — Cory's Shearwater {Puffinus borealis) occurs in summer
with the preceding, which it resembles in size and habits and rather
closely in coloration. It may be distinguished at close range by its
yellow bill.

316 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

TERNS, GULLS, AND JAEGERS : ORDER
LONGIPENNES

GULLS AND TERNS : FAMILY LARIDiE

Terns : Subfamily Sterninee

Six species of Tern occur on the sea-coast of New York
and New England ; two, the Common Tern and the Black
Tern, occasionally appear as casual visitants on large in-
land waters. The Common Tern breeds locally off the coast
of New York and southern New England, and commonly
along the coast of Maine. It occurs as a migrant along the
whole coast ; nearly every tern seen by the casual observer
belongs to this species, just as nearly every gull which the
ordinary observer sees is a Herring Gull. The Roseate
Tern breeds locally from Massachusetts southward ; the
Arctic Tern from Massachusetts northward. The Least
Tern, a very small species, breeds sparingly from Cape Cod
southward. The Caspian Tern, a very large species, is a
rare migrant in August and September ; the Black Tern is
an irregular migrant in late summer. (See p. 319, Common
Tern.)

Black Tern. Hydroehelidbn nigra svrinamensis
10.00
Ad. in early summer. — Head, neck, and under parts sooty-
black ; feathers under the tail white ; back, wings, and tail dark
gray; bill black. Ad. in late summer and autumn. — Head, neck,
and under parts white ; top of head and stripe back of eye dusky ;
back, wings, and tail deep pearl-gray ; bill black. Im. — Similar
to fall adult, but upper parts browner ; sides washed with dusky.

The Black Tern is a rather irregular migrant along the
coast of New York and New England in summer and early
autumn. It is rarely seen in its adult black plumage,
though it is occasionally seen with under parts spotted

LEAST TERN 317

with black and white. Even in the autumn plumage it
may be readily distinguished from any other tern, except
the Least, by its small size. Its tail, too, is less deeply
forked than in other adult terns. From the adult Least
Tern it may be distinguished by the dark gray of its upper
parts and by its black bill. An immature Least Tern has
a blackish bill, but is considerably smaller than a Black
Tern, and has a brownish tinge on its upper parts.

Least Tern. Sterna antillarum

9.00

Ad. in summer. — Forehead ivhite, inclosed by black lines from
the eye to the bill ; rest of top of head black ; back, wings, and
tail light pearl-gray ; under parts white ; bill bright yellow, tip
blackish. Ad. in autumn. — Similar, but head grayish-white;
bill dull yellowish. Im. — Like fall adult, but back spotted with
brownish ; bill blackish.

The Least Tern is a summer resident of southern New
England and Long Island from May to September; it is
local, and nowhere common. It breeds sparingly on the
south shore of Martha's Vineyard, and perhaps at Chatham
on Cape Cod. Its cry has been described as a " shrill
staccato yip, yip, yip " (Job). Its size distinguishes it
from the Common Tern. The light pearl-gray of its back
and wings distinguishes it from the occasional Sooty Tern
that might occur on the same coast in August or September.
The ivhite border that separates the black cap from the
bill is an excellent field-mark, but this must not be con-
fused with the whitish forehead of the immature Common
and Roseate Terns.

Roseate Tern. Sterna dongalli

15.50

Ad. in summer. — Top of head black ; wings and back pale
pearl-gray ; tail white, the outer feathers much longer than the

318 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

wings ; under parts apparently white (really tinged with rose-
pink); bill black, tinged at base with reddish. Ad. in autumn. —
Similar, but forehead and forward portion of crown white,
streaked with blackish. Im. — Similar to fall adult.

The Roseate Tern is a rare summer resident of the coast
of southern New England and New York. On the island
of Muskeget, between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket,
there is a large colony of Eoseate Terns ; a smaller colony
is established on Penikese, and a few other colonies are
found along Long Island Sound.

Its times of arrival and departure and its habits are simi-
lar to those of the Common Tern, but an adult may easily
be distinguished, when seen at close range, by the bill,
which is chiefly black, in strong contrast to the pure white
under parts, and by the very long and pure white outer
tail-feathers. Its cry, too, differs from that of the com-
moner tern, resembling the syllable each ; this it utters
on the breeding-ground as it flies at an intruder, its bill
pointing straight at his face, threatening till the last
moment to strike him. The young bird cannot be distin-
guished in life from the young Common Tern ; care must
be taken, too, not to take a young Common Tern, which
has a dark bill, for a Roseate Tern. A combination of a
black bill with an entirely black crown and long white
tail-feathers makes identification certain.

Arctic Tern. Sterna paradiscea

15.50

Ad. in summer. — Top of head black ; back and wings pearl-
gray ; tail white; under parts grayish- white ; bill rich red. Ad.
in autumn. — Similar, but lower parts white ; forehead white ;
crown white, streaked with black ; bill as in summer. Im. —
Similar to fall adult, but terminal half of bill blackish.

The Arctic Tern is a common summer resident on the coast
of Maine. On Matinicus Rock, Machias Seal Island, and

COMMON TERN 319

Metinic Green Island, there are large colonies. Its most
southern colony is on Muskeget Island, Mass. It migrates
southward with the Common Tern, and returns at the same
time. At close range it may be distinguished from the
Common Tern by its bill, which is uniform deep red. Its
tail, too, is a trifle longer. Its notes, according to Mr. Brew-
ster, may be distinguished : " The usual cry corresponds to
the tearr of 8. hirundo [the Common Tern], but is shriller,
ending in a rising inflection, and sounding very like the
squeal of a pig."

Common Tern. Sterna hirundo

15.00

Ad. in summer. — Top of head black; back and wings pearl-
gray; tail white; under parts grayish-white; bill red, blackish at
tip. Ad. in autumn. — Similar, but forehead and forward part of
crown white, mixed with black on the crown; under parts pure
white ; bill less red. Im. — Similar to fall adult, but bill brownish.

The Common Tern is a summer resident on the coast of
New York and New England, but south of the Maine coast

Fig. 90. Common Tern

it breeds in only a few colonies ; Gull Island, off Long
Island, Muskeget Island, and Penikese, near Martha's Vine-
yard, are the largest of these. On the Maine coast there
are many colonies. The Tern arrives in May, and leaves in

320 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

September. Along those parts of the coast where it does
not breed, it is seen as a migrant in May, and more com-
monly in August and September. Many young birds may
be found in late summer congregating on beaches at some
distance from the nearest breeding-ground.

The ordinary cries of the Common Tern are a harsh,
short kip, and a continual tee, tee, tee, which breaks, when
the bird is excited, into a harsh tee'-arr ; no one who has
ever set foot on an island colonized by terns will ever for-
get the ear-splitting din made by thousands of angry birds
uttering this cry. Terns may easily be distinguished from
gulls by the long forked tail ; in adults, moreover, the
whole top of the head is black. When feeding, terns hover
at some distance above the water, with bill pointing down-
ward, and seize their prey by a quick downward plunge,
which carries them often well under water. Their flight is
more buoyant than a gull's ; each stroke of the long, narrow
wings lifts them easily upward. When not feeding, they
gather in large flocks on some exposed sand-spit, but are
restless, and often rise, wheel about, and settle again, for no
apparent reason. They also light on spindle, spars, and any
available perch, and often on the water. When seen near
at hand, the red bill with its black tip is conspicuous, and
distinguishes the Common Tern from the Arctic and Roseate
terns. Young birds and old birds in the fall have whitish
foreheads. (See the two preceding species.)

Caspian Tern. Sterna caspia

21.00

Ad. — Top of head black; back and wings pearl-gray; tail and
under parts white; bill bright red.

When a student has learned readily to distinguish a tern
from a gull he may hope to identify the Caspian Tern,
which is a rare migrant off the coast in August and Sep-

CASPIAN TERN 321

tember. The black cap, the forked tail, and the red bill
mark it as a tern ; its size separates it from the other species
found on our coast.

Gulls : Subfamily Larinae

Six species of Gull occur commonly in New York and
New England. Most of them are found only at the sea-
coast, though the Herring Gull often occurs on large inland
waters, and the smaller Bonaparte's Gull is a rare migrant
inland. One species, the Laughing Gull, breeds from the
southern coast of Maine southward ; the Herring Gull
breeds all along the coast of Maine ; the other four spe-
cies are only migrants or winter visitants. The Kittiwake is
a common winter visitant, generally at some distance off
shore ; the Black-backed Gull is a not uncommon winter
visitant on the outer beaches ; the Bonaparte's Gull is
a common migrant, and the Bing-billed Gull is rare off
the New England coast, but a common winter visitant off
Long Island. All the Gulls are equally at home in the
air or on the water ; they also spend much of their time
standing on the exposed flats and sand-bars, generally in
flocks, sometimes of great size. They are great scaven-
gers, circling continually over the water, and when they
spy some bit of floating refuse, stooping to pick it up in
the bill ; they also subsist on dead fish cast up on the
beach.

A Gull may be distinguished from a Tern, which it resem-
bles in general appearance and in its powers of flight, by its
rounded tail ; Terns, moreover, constantly plunge from a
height into the water, striking it with a splash ; of the Gulls
only the Kittiwake does this regularly. The brown Gulls
seen commonly in winter are immature Herring Gulls, of the
same species as the gray and white Gulls with which they
associate.

322 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Bonaparte's Gull. Larus Philadelphia

14.00

Ad. in spring and summer. — Head black; tail and under parts
white; back and wings pearl-gray; outer icing-feathers white nearly
to the tip, which is black; bill black; feet rich orange-red. Ad. in
autumn. — Head whitish, a dusky spot back of the eye; otherwise
like the adult in summer; bill black; feet pale flesh-color. Im. —
Similar to fall adult, but tail crossed at the tip by a black band.

Bonaparte's Gull is a common migrant along the coast
of New York and New England, a rare migrant on the
Hudson, and a rather rare straggler to other inland waters,
occurring in April and from August to October ; it winters
sparingly along Long Island Sound. It is an unsuspicious
species, allowing a near approach. In grace it almost equals
the terns, sinking gently on the water or feeding daintily
just over the surf. In spring it is easily distinguished from
all other gulls, except the Laughing Gull, by the black
head and throat. In fall, when it has lost this plumage, it
may be distinguished from the Herring Gull by its size,
from the Kittiwake by its black bill and by its preference
for the inshore waters, and from the Laughing Gull at this
season by the wings, which have the general effect of white,
tipped with black. The young birds have the tip of the
tail crossed by a broad black band. Along the coast of
Maine and north of Cape Cod the Laughing Gull is very
rare ; south of Cape Cod in the summer the Bonaparte's
Gull does not occur.

Laughing Gull. Larus atricilla

16.50

Ad. — Head black; back and wings bluish-gray; hind neck,
tail, and under parts white; outer quill-feathers entirely black j
bill and feet dark brownish-red. Ad. in autumn. — Similar, but
head white, streaked on the sides and hind neck with dusky.
Im. — Similar to winter adult, but upper parts brown, tail broadly
tipped with black.

RING-BILLED GULL 323

Nest, on the ground, of grass and seaweed. Eggs, grayish or
greenish, thickly spotted and scrawled with brown and purplish.

The Laughing Gull is a summer resident of New Eng-
land and New York, breeding in a few stations from Meti-
nic Green Island on the coast of Maine southward. The
largest colony is on Muskeget Island, near Nantucket. In
1900 over a hundred pair were nesting here, and when the
terns rose in a vast cloud and filled the air with their harsh
din, the Gulls floating above them uttered a cry like the
laughter of a lunatic. During the summer months the black
hood easily distinguishes the Laughing Gull from any other
gull or tern that breeds on our coast. Bonaparte's Gull,
which is a spring and fall migrant along the coast, has in
spring the same black hood, but in the fall both species
lose it; they may always be distinguished by the outer
wing-feathers which are black in the Laughing Gull, white
with black tips in the Bonaparte's Gull. (See preceding
species.)

Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarensis

18.50

Ad. in summer. — Head, neck, tail, and under parts white; back
and wings pearl-gray ; ends of quill-feathers black, the first two,
for over six inches, spotted with white near the tip, or tipped with
white; bill yellow, crossed near tip by a black band which does
not show except at very close range; feet pale yellow. Ad. in
winter. — Similar, but top of head and hind neck streaked with
brownish. Im. — Brownish-dusky above; tail blackish toward the
tip; bill blackish.

The Bing-billed Gull is a common winter visitant off the
coast of Long Island, and a rare migrant along the coast of
New England. It is very difficult to distinguish this species
from the Herring Gull. If it is seen with Herring Gulls,
its smaller size and greater tameness should distinguish it.
(See under Kittiwake, p. 327.)

324 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Herring Gull. Larus argentatus
24.00

Ad. in summer. — Head, neck, tail, and under parts pure white;
back and wings pearl-gray; ends of quill-feathers black, the two
outer, for over seven inches, spotted near the extremity with white
and tipped with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in
winter. — Similar, but head and hind neck streaked with grayish.
Im. in the first winter. — Upper and under parts brownish; tips of
wings and tail blackish. Later in various stages with whitish
head, and brown upper parts; tail white with a broad black tip;
bill crossed by a dark band at the tip.

Nest, of grass, moss, etc., either on the ground or in trees.
Eggs, grayish-brown, blotched with chocolate.

The Herring Gull breeds commonly along the coast of
Maine and less commonly on some of the inland lakes of

Fig. 91. Herring Gull

that State. On Great Duck Island off Mt. Desert, on Little
Spoon Island, and on No Man's Land very large colonies
now breed. In winter it is very common along the coast of
New York and New England and is the common gull in all

HERRING GULL 325

the harbors. Though none are now known to breed regu-
larly west of Xo Man's Land off Penobscot Bay, flocks of
greater or less size spend the whole summer off the north
shore of Massachusetts, and a few are found at the same
season off Nantucket and the Vineyard. Early in August
these flocks receive accessions from the north, and by the
end of September large flocks have returned to their winter
feeding-grounds in the harbors of cities and settlements,
large or small. At this season, too, and in spring, gulls visit
inland waters, settling on ponds near the sea-coast as long
as there is open water ; along the Hudson and the Con-
necticut they are common migrants, but they are very rare
migrants in Berkshire County, Mass. By the end of April,
migration is practically over. On the breeding-ground they
regularly light on trees, but during the rest of the year, they
spend their time either floating on the water, or circling over
it, in search of refuse, or gather in large companies on the
exposed sand-bars and mud-flats. If disturbed on the breed-
ing-ground the gulls circle about overhead, repeating cease-
lessly a dry Teak, kak-kak, or a loud cry like the scream of
a Red-shouldered Hawk. In winter, when flocks are settling
down on a sand-bar, they are often very noisy, whining and
squealing in a high-pitched voice.

The old birds have the head, tail, and under parts white,
and wings and back gray ; the wings are tipped with black.
The immature birds are at first uniformly brown, but as
they begin to change to the adult plumage, many inter-
mediate stages are to be seen. The Herring Gull is by far
the commonest species in winter ; in summer the much
smaller Tern, or Mackerel Gull, is commoner in certain
waters, as about the islands south of Cape Cod, and along
parts of Long Island Sound. It will be well, before at-
tempting to identify the other, less common species of gull
or tern, to study carefully the appearance of the gulls
which are to be seen in every harbor along our coast, till

326 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

one is thoroughly familiar with their size and their different
plumages.

Great Black-backed Gull. Larus marinus

29.00

Ad. in summer. — Tail and under parts pure white; back and
wings apparently black (really dark brown); wings edged pos-
teriorly with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in
winter. — Similar, but top of head and hind neck streaked with
dusky. Im. — Upper parts dusky, tail dusky, crossed near the tip
by a narrow band of brownish- white ; head, neck, and under parts
white, streaked and washed with brown.

The Black-backed Gull is a winter resident along the sea-
coast of New York and ISTew England. A few individuals
arrive in August, and a few linger till May, but the species
is commonest in the winter months. It is much less com-
mon, however, than the Herring Gull, and as a rule keeps
to the outer shores and beaches. Occasionally, however, one
or two may be observed in a harbor or even in a fresh- water
pond near the sea ; there are generally one or two among
the Herring Gulls that gather off T wharf in Boston. A
common cry of the Black-backed Gull is a harsh kyow,
suggesting the note of the Green Heron.

When a large flock of gulls are standing on a flat or sand-
bar, the mature Black-backed Gulls will be easily distin-
guished from the Herring Gulls, if they stand with their
backs and sides toward the observer ; the black wings and
back will then present a striking contrast to the pure white
head and neck. To identify a bird when flying, one must be
sure to get a view of the upper part of the wings ; even a
Herring Gull will often appear to have dark wings, when
the under surface is seen in shadow. The immature Black-
backed Gulls can often be told from the immature Herring
Gulls only if the two stand side by side, when the difference
in size becomes apparent.

KITTIWAKE 327

Kittiwake. Eissa tridactyla

16.00

Ad. in winter. — Head, tail, and under parts white; a dusky-
spot back of the eye, which however may disappear as early as
February; wings and back pearl-gray ; wings tipped for less than
three inches with unspotted black; bill yellow; feet black. Im. —
Similar, but all except the outer pair of tail-feathers tipped with
a broad black band; first three quill-feathers black; a blackish
patch on the hind neck and another near the bend of the wing; bill
black; feet yellowish.

The Kittiwake is a common winter visitor to the sea-
coast of New England, and a common transient visitor off
the coast of Long Island, where a few birds winter. It is
the most pelagic of our gulls (rarely approaching the beaches
or harbors), seeking its food well out at sea. Flocks of
these gulls circle about the fishermen, expecting the refuse
thrown overboard after the fish are cleaned, and during
the winter and early spring many follow the trans-Atlantic
liners for days, playing with exquisite grace about the stern
of the ship, and often plunging into the water from a consid-
erable height. Their cry resembles the syllables keet, keet,
luack, wdck.

They may be known from Herring Gulls, which they re-
semble closely in coloration, by their much smaller size, and
their more graceful flight. If the adult birds are seen at
close range, the color of the feet and the different pattern of
the tips of the quill-feathers will distinguish the Kittiwake
from either the much larger Herring Gull or the somewhat
larger King-billed Gull. The adult Kittiwake has black
feet ; the other two species have feet of pale flesh-color.
In the Kittiwake, only a couple of inches at the tips of the
wings are black, unspotted with white ; this black tip offers
a marked contrast to the gray wing. In the other two
species the dark tip is over six inches long, is spotted with
white near the tip, and inasmuch as it runs back some dis-

328 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

tance along the outer wing-feather, it does not give the im-
pression of a well-defined tip, as in the Kittiwake. The
immature Kittiwake is readily told by the black-tipped tail,
and by the broad black edging along the forward portion of
the wing.

JAEGERS : FAMILY STERCORARIID-S!

/ longicaudus. 21.00

Jaeger : Stercorarius ) parasiticus. 17.00

( 2>omarinus. 22.00

Upper parts varying froin blackish to brown; lower parts vary-
ing from dark brown to whitish ; central pair of tail-feathers
often longer than the others (over six inches longer than the
others in the adult Long-tailed Jaeger) ; a conspicuous whitish
band across the under sides of the wings near the tip.

The Jaeger, or Jiddy Hawk, as the fishermen call it, is a
spring and autumn migrant off the coast of New York and
New England, occurring most commonly in August, Sep-
tember, and October. It is noted for its habit of pursuing
terns and the smaller gulls till they drop the food which
they have obtained ; the Jaeger then seizes and devours it.
Mr. Job (" Among the Water-Fowl/' p. 117) says that the
victim often disgorges half-digested food ; I have seen only
the freshly-caught fish dropped from the bill. To see Jae-
gers, one should watch the terns as they migrate along the
coast in late summer ; or, better still, sail with some fish-
erman to the fishing-ground off Chatham or Cape Sable.
The chase is an interesting spectacle ; the dark, hawk-like
form of the Jaeger appears suddenly, and in an instant the
two are off, twisting and turning, always close together ;
one can often see the Jaeger's claws struck forward.

Jaegers appear in almost every possible plumage, but
will be at once recognized by their dark upper parts and
hawk-like flight ; they are always darker above than the
bird that they pursue. The commonest species off our const,

DOVEKIE 329

the Pomarine, is also the largest ; it is not very much
smaller than a Herring Gull ; the next commonest is the
Parasitic Jaeger. The two species resemble each other so
closely in their various plumages that it is almost impos-
sible to distinguish them except by their size when they
appear together. The Long-tailed Jaeger is rare ; in adult
plumage its long tail-feathers will distinguish it. The other
species often have the central pair of tail-feathers consider-
ably longer than the rest.

DIVING BIRDS: ORDER PYGOPODES
AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS: FAMILY ALCID-S3

Pour or five members of the family which includes the
Auks, Murres, and Puffins, may be seen chiefly in winter
off the coast of New England, and rarely off Long Island.
Most of the Auks, Murres, and Puffins breed to the north-
ward even of the Maine coast. A few Black Guillemots or
Sea Pigeons breed along the northern coast of Maine, and
are, therefore, regularly met with even in summer along
that shore. A considerable colony of Puffins breed at the
Machias Seal Island and a few pair on Matinicus Roc^:,
but Briinnich's Murre and the Razor-billed Auk are found
off the New England coast only in winter ; and though a
number of them migrate southward at that season to Mas-
sachusetts or Long Island, they frequent even then the
rocky outer shores and are not often seen from the land.
They all spend their time in the water, obtaining their food
by diving. The Dovekie is an irregular winter visitant as
far south as the New Jersey coast.

Dovekie. Alle alle

8.00

Ad. in winter and Im. — Upper parts black; under parts white;
back here and there marked with white ; bill short, black.

330 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

The Dovekie, or Ice-bird of the fisherman, is a rather ir-
regular winter visitant off the coast, generally keeping well
out at sea, but at rare intervals blown inland by severe storms.
It should be recognized at once by its small size. Small
flocks may be seen flying with rapid wing-strokes, close over
the water, or floating on the waves. The birds seem tame, and
at the approach of a boat they often dive instead of flying.

Razor-billed Auk. Alca torda

16.50

Ad. in summer. — Head, throat, and upper parts sooty-black;
line from bill to eye, narrow line across wing, and under parts
white; bill short and deep. Ad. in ivinter. — Similar, but throat,
fore neck, and cheeks white ; no white line from bill to eye. Im. —
Similar to winter adult, but bill smaller.

The Razor-bill is an irregular winter visitant to the
coast of New England and Long Island, occurring off rocky

Fig. 92. Razor-billed Auk, in Winter

shores. It gets its food by diving, and uses its wings under
M^ater to propel itself. Its pattern of black and white re-
sembles very closely that of the Murre, but it may be distin-
guished by its deeper bill, and, when sitting on the water,
by its upturned tail.

brunnich's murre 331

Brunnich's Murre. Uria lomvia

16.50

Ad. in summer. — Head, throat, and upper parts black ; under
parts and narrow line across wing white ; bill long and stout, but
not deep, as in the preceding species. Ad. in winter. — Similar,
but fore neck, sides of head, and neck white. Im. — Similar to
winter adult, but no white on sides of head, and fore neck tinged
with dusky.

Briinnich's Murre is an irregular winter visitant to the
coast of New England and Long Island Sound, generally

Fig. 93. Briinnich's Murre

rare, but at times occurring in considerable numbers. It
occasionally appears on inland waters, apparently blown in
by storms. It is then very tame, and permits a close ap-
proach. It dives for its food, and uses its wings to propel
itself. Its coloration, black above and white below, will
distinguish it from the other birds of its kind, except the
Razor-bill. (See preceding species.)

Black Guillemot ; Sea Pigeon. Cepphus grylle

13.00

Ad. in summer. — Entire plumage black, except a broad white
patch on the wing • bill black; legs bright red. Ad. in winter. —

332 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

General effect when in the water white ; upper parts varied with
black; wing black, with white patch. Im. — Similar to winter ad.,
but wing-patch barred with black ; lower parts washed with dusky.
Nest, in crevices in rocks. Eggs, green, greenish-white, or
white.

The Sea Pigeon breeds on rocky islands along the coast
of Maine, from Knox County eastward ; there is a consid-
erable colony on Little
Duck Island, off Mt. De-
sert. In fall and winter it
is met with along the
whole of the Maine coast,
and less commonly as far
south as Wood's Hole,
Mass. It feeds in the
broad sheltered bays
formed by the numerous
islands along the Maine
coast, riding easily on the
water, and either diving
when alarmed, or rising
and flapping off with a
peculiar paddling effect of
the wings.

It may be recognized in
summer by its general black color, and by the broad patch
of white in the black wing. In winter the general effect
of the bird is white, the black bill showing clearly against
the white head. Its wing, however, is still black with a
patch of white. The Horned Grebe also has a white
patch in the wing, but it does not show till the bird flies,
whereas in the Sea Pigeon it is conspicuous as the bird sits
in the water. The White-winged Coot and the Merganser,
which also show white in the wing, are both much larger
birds.

Fig. 94. Black Guillemot

PUFFIN 333

Puffin ; Sea Parrot. Fratercula arctica
* 13.00

Ad. in summer. — Upper parts, together with a band across the
fore neck, blackish ; sides of head ashy-white; breast and belly
white ; hill very deep, red; feet red. Ad. in winter and Im. —
Sides of head obscured with dusky ; bill much smaller, parts
having been shed.

Nest, either in a fissure of a cliff or in a short burrow. Eggs,
dull white, speckled with pale brown, soon becoming stained.

The Puffin breeds from Matinicus Eock and Machias Seal
Island, on the coast of Maine, northward, and in winter
occurs as a rare visitant off rocky shores as far south as
Cape Ann and Cohasset. It rides the water lightly, dives
easily, and uses its wings to propel itself under water. In
summer it may readily be identified by its triangular-
shaped bill, and by the large whitish patches on the sides
of the head.

LOONS : FAMILY GAVIIDJE

Two species of Loon occur in New York and New Eng-
land : the Red-throated Loon is a common migrant, and an
uncommon winter visitant along the coast; the Loon is a
summer resident of northern lakes, a migrant on other
inland waters, and a migrant and winter visitant along the
coast. When in adult plumage, the latter is easily distin-
guished ; but in winter it can generally be told from its
smaller relative only by its size. It is often difficult, also,
to distinguish between HolboelPs Grebe and the Red-
throated Loon (see p. 338).

Red-throated Loon. Gavia luinme
25.00

Ac[. in summer. — Head and neck lead-gray; back of the neck
streaked with white ; fore neck rich chestnut ; upper parts

334 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

speckled with white ; breast and belly white. Ad. in winter and
Im. — Upper parts, wings, and tail blackish-brown, speckled with
white ; throat, fore neck, and rest of under parts white.

The Eed-throated Loon is a common migrant along the
sea-coast in September and October, and again in April,
and a not uncommon winter visitant. It occasionally occurs
on large inland waters, as at Springfield, Mass., and on the
Hudson. The adult breeding plumage with the red throat
is very rare. Its feeding habits resemble those of the fol-
lowing species. The two species resemble each other so
closely in winter that it is difficult to be sure of the
smaller species unless there is something else to measure
it by, or unless one gets near enough to see the white
speckling on the back.

Loon. Gavia imber
32.00

Ad. in summer. — Head and throat black ; small white streaks
on the throat and on the back of the neck ; back black, spotted
with white ; breast and belly white. Ad. in winter and Im. — Upper
parts brown, not spotted with white ; throat, fore neck, and under
parts white.

Nest, a rude structure of rushes, very near the water. Eggs,
brown or greenish-brown, sparingly spotted with dark brown.

The Loon is a summer resident of northern New York
and New England, occurring sparingly on the more remote
bodies of water from the neighborhood of Mt. Monadnock
northward, and commonly in the wilder portions of Maine
and of the Adirondacks. It is a common winter visitant off
the coast of New York and New England, and may occur
as a migrant in May and September on any inland pond or
lake. It may be found during the summer on the coast of
Maine, though it does not breed there.

Its weird notes are a familiar sound on the northern
lakes or harbors : one, loud and clear, with a rising itiflec-

loon 335

tion in the middle, falling at the end ; the other, quaver-
ing, like unearthly laughter. On the water, the Loon rides
either high, so that its white breast is visible at a great
distance, or so low that only its neck appears above water.
It dives with a forward spring, heels over head. When it
starts to fly, it patters over the surface for a long distance
before it gets under way, and when there is no breeze, it
cannot rise at all ; on land, it is almost helpless. It flies
with neck stretched out in front, feet out behind, the whole
figure forming a slight curve ; the wing strokes are rapid,
suggesting a duck. It enters the water with a splash.

The adult bird, with its contrast of black and white, is
unmistakable. Immature birds and adults in winter re-
semble very closely the preceding species ; their greater size,
however, should distinguish them if the two species are
together, or on a near view the absence of the spotted back
is a good field-mark.

GREBES : FAMILY PODICIPID-ffi

Three species of Grebe occur in New York and New Eng-
land : the Horned Grebe and Holboell's Grebe are common
off the coast as migrants or winter visitants ; the Pied-
billed Grebe is found either as a migrant or as a rare sum-
mer resident on inland waters. Grebes are noted for their
powers of diving quickly, and of swimming long distances
under water. They can also sink in the water, so that only
the bill and a small portion of the head appear ; sometimes
they disappear wholly in this way, but as a rule they leap
forward, showing a clean pair of " heels." It is often
difficult to distinguish between Holboell's Grebe and the
Red-throated Loon. If the two occur together, the Loon's
greater size is apparent ; if the wing is spread, the Grebe
shows a white patch. The longer neck and narrow head
distinguish a Grebe from a diving duck.

336 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps
13.50

Ad. in summer. — Middle of throat black ; sides of head gray ;
top of head, back, wings, and tail dark grayish-brown ; neck
and breast brownish; belly whitish ; bill whitish, crossed in the
middle by a black band. Ad. $ in fall. — Upper parts sooty-
brownish ; throat whitish ; fore neck, breast, and sides brown •
rest of under parts silvery-whitish ; wing often shows a little
white when spread. Ad. 9 and Im. in fall. — Similar, but paler.

Nest, a mass of stalks, sometimes floating, and attached to
surrounding reeds. Eggs, dull-white, generally stained.

The Pied-billed Grebe, Dabchick, or Hell-diver, is a
local summer resident of New York and New England. It
breeds in quiet lagoons in ponds or lakes, where reedy
shores or a growth of water-loving bushes give it shelter.
Such conditions are commonest in Maine, but it breeds also
in a few ponds in southern New Hampshire and in Berk-
shire County, Mass., and undoubtedly in Vermont and
northern Connecticut. In the Hudson Valley and in the
vicinity of New York it is rare in summer. Throughout
New York and New England it is a regular spring and
autumn migrant in April, and in September and October.
It may then occur on any bit of inland water, particularly
where there are sheltered bays, and in the brackish lagoons
along the sea-coast. It is rarely seen in the sea itself.

The ease with which the Pied-billed Grebe dives is
notorious ; sometimes it turns a clean pair of " heels,"
sometimes it sinks gently down till only its bill is exposed.
Its notes are extremely loud and striking ; the commonest
is a loud cuck-cnck-cuck-cuck, koiv, how, kow, that sug-
gests the notes of a cuckoo. A rarer note is a loud wah'-
hoo, wah'-hoo, waV-lioo, suggesting, in the quality of the
tone, the call of the Loon. It has also an alarm-note, a low
toot, toot, toot.

The brownish fore neck and upper breast will distinguish

HOKNED GREBE

337

this grebe in autumn from the following species, which has
pure white under parts. In spring and summer, adults have
a small black patch in the middle of the throat j the black
band across the middle of the whitish bill shows only at
close range.

Horned Grebe. Colymbus auritus
13.50

Ad. in late spring. — Top of head and hind neck black ; two
patches of light reddish-brown back of eye ; sides of head and
throat black ; the feathers on the sides of the head stand out and
form broad tufts ; fore neck below the throat and flanks reddish-
brown ; back and wings blackish ; wing-patch white. Ad. in win-
ter and/m. — Top of head, hind neck, back, and wings blackish ;
throat and sides of head below eye white ; fore neck below throat
lightly washed with dusky ; rest of under parts silvery-white ;
wing-patch white.

Nest, a bed of reeds, often floating. Eggs, dull white.

The Horned Grebe is a common migrant along the sea-
coast in October and November, and in March and April ;
it also occurs as a mi-
grant on inland waters,
especially in the autumn,
but except on large
streams and lakes is not
nearly so common inland
as the preceding species.
Along the sea-coast it is
a common winter visit-
ant; it breeds sparingly
in northeastern Maine
(Knight). It is occasion-
ally seen in spring in the breeding plumage, when its " ruff"
of black and yellowish-brown is a striking sight ; but ordi-
narily it is blackish-brown above and white below. It may
always be distinguished from the preceding species by the

Fig. 95. Horned Grebe, in Winter

338 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK

pure white of its under parts, and when it opens its wings by
the ivhite wing-patch. (See, also, the following species.)

Holboell's Grebe. Colymbus holbcellii

19.00

Ad. in late spring. — Top of head and hind neck black ; back
and wings blackish; throat and sides of head gray ish- white • fore
neck brownish-red, deepening on the sides ; breast white, spotted
with reddish; belly silver- white ; wing-patch white. Ad. in early
fall. — Similar to above, but the red paler, often very pale. Ad.
in winter and Im. — Upper parts blackish ; throat whitish ; neck
brownish • under parts whitish ; wing-patch white.

Holboell's Grebe is a common migrant along the coast in
October, and in April and May, and a rather uncommon
winter visitant. It comes fairly close in-shore, sometimes in
company with others of its species, often with the Horned
Grebe or the loons. When with the Horned Grebe, its
larger size is evident ; when alone, its brownish fore neck
will distinguish it from its smaller relative. The Eed-
throated Loon, however, though evidently larger when
seen with Holboell's Grebe, complicates the problem, and
often makes the identity of a lone diving bird of medium
size a puzzling question. If the bird is a grebe, the white
wing-patch will show when it shakes its wings or flies.
A grebe's flight, too, is not so steady and strong as that
of a loon, nor does its neck seem so thick. If the upper
parts can be seen at close range, the white spots on the
loon will distinguish it.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

A

LISTS OF BIRDS BREEDING IN THE THREE
LIFE-ZONES OF NEW ENGLAND AND EAST-
ERN NEW YORK

The lists given below are intended to show about what
birds may be looked for in the breeding season in the
regions defined in the map on p. 15. They must not, how-
ever, be taken too strictly ; birds will sometimes appear
side by side that belong to wholly different groups. Par-
ticularly is this true of the upland of western and central
New England, which is an ornithological borderland. (See
Distribution, p. 13.) Moreover, the exact distribution of
birds in certain regions is not yet well known ; southern
Vermont is still quite unexplored. But if no local list is
obtainable (see Appendix B), then these lists will enable
a student to make a tentative list of birds to be looked for.
The lists include only such water-birds as breed commonly
inland, and only the commoner hawks and owls.

BIRDS RESTRICTED TO THE UPPER AUSTRAL ZONE.

North to the Palisades, Staten Island, or Central Park.
Tufted Titmouse.
Carolina Wren.
Kentucky Warbler.
Cardinal.

342 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

b. Up the Hudson to Sing Sing.

Green-crested Flycatcher.

c. Locally in southern Connecticut as far east as Saybrook and

north to Hartford.
Hooded Warbler.
Blue-winged Warbler.
Worm-eating Warbler.
Rough-winged Swallow.
Fish Crow (not west or north of Stratford).

d. Salt Marshes to Point Judith, R. I.

Seaside Sparrow.

e. To Rhode Island and to Berkshire County, Mass.

Louisiana Water-thrush (local in the eastern and northern
portions of its range).

f. To Berkshire and Essex counties, Mass.
Yellow-breasted Chat.
White-eyed Vireo (barely reaches

Berkshire County).
Orchard Oriole.

Local north or east of
southern Connecticut.

II

BIRDS OCCURRING IN THE UPPER AUSTRAL, AND FINDING THEIR
NORTHERN BREEDING LIMIT IN THE TRANSITION ZONE.

a. Barely reaching southeastern New Hampshire ; not occurring in

Berkshire County.

Prairie Warbler. > . , XT ,,- ,

~ ,, . -, tttt 11 r Absent near New I ork city.

Golden-winged Warbler. )

b. Found north of Massachusetts only in large river valleys.

Wood Thrush (occasional outside of the valleys).
Yellow-throated Vireo.
Meadowlark.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Ruffed Grouse (this subspecies not found north of Massa-
chusetts).

APPENDIX 343

c. Absent in New Hampshire from the valleys of the White Moun-

tains.1

House Wren (occasional north of the White Mountains).

Pine Warbler (absent near New York city).

Yellow Warbler.

Purple Martin.

Towhee.

Henslow's Sparrow. ) . ,, , , , ,, .

n , rc t Apparently absent from Maine.

Grasshopper Sparrow. > rr J

Crow Blackbird.

Cowbird.

Bobolink.

Sparrow Hawk.

Red-shouldered Hawk.

Marsh Hawk.

Quail.

Upland Plover.

Green Heron.

d. Breeding well up into the valleys of the White Mountains.

Bluebird.

White-bellied Nuthatch.
Brown Thrasher.
Catbird.

Warbling Vireo.
Migrant Shrike.
Scarlet Tanager.
Indigo Bunting.
Field Sparrow.
Chipping Sparrow.
Vesper Sparrow.
Baltimore Oriole.
Red- winged Blackbird.
Prairie Horned Lark.
Least Flycatcher.
Phcebe.

Crested Flycatcher.
Kingbird.

1 The following lists are a little altered from those given in G. M.
Allen's Birds of New Hampshire.

344 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

Flicker.
Nighthawk.
Whip-poor-will.
Screech Owl.

Ill

BIRDS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE UPPER AUSTRAL AND TRANSI-
TION ZONES, AND ALSO IN THE CANADIAN ZONE.

Robin.

Veery.

Chickadee.

Redstart.

Northern Yellow-throat.

Oven-bird.

Black and White Warbler.

Red-eyed Vireo.

Cedar-bird.

Bank Swallow.

Tree Swallow.

Barn Swallow.

Cliff Swallow.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Swamp Sparrow.

Song Sparrow.

American Goldfinch.

American Crow.

Blue Jay.

Wood Pewee.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Chimney Swift.

Belted Kingfisher.

Black-billed Cuckoo.

Spotted Sandpiper.

IV

BIRDS FOUND IN THE TRANSITION AND CANADIAN ZONES, BUT
RARE OR ABSENT FROM SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT AND THE
VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY.

Hermit Thrush (rare in the Transition Zone).
Black-throated Green Warbler.
Northern Parula Warbler.

APPENDIX 345

Nashville Warbler.

Solitary Vireo (rare in the Transition Zone).

Savannah Sparrow.

Purple Finch.

Olive-sided Flycatcher (rare in the Transition Zone).

Hairy AVoodpecker (rather uncommon near New York
city).

Canadian Ruffed Grouse (absent south of Massachu-
setts) .

BIRDS NOT FOUND SOUTH OF THE CANADIAN ZONE.

a. Throughout the Canadian Zone.

Olive-backed Thrush.
Golden-crowned Kinglet.
Red-bellied Nuthatch.
Winter Wren.
Myrtle Warbler.
Junco.
White-throated Sparrow.

b. Only in part of the Canadian Zone. Not found in the White

Mountains above 3000 feet.
Brown Creeper.
Canadian Warbler.
Mourning Warbler.
Water-thrush.
Blackburnian Warbler.
Black and Yellow Warbler.
Black-throated Blue Warbler.
American Crossbill.
Alder Flycatcher.
Northern Pileated Woodpecker.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

c. Only in the upper or northern part of the Canadian Zone. In the

White Mountains above 3000 feet, and in northern and eastern
Maine.

Bicknell's Thrush.

Hudsonian Chickadee

Wilson's Warbler (only in eastern and northern Maine).

346 A GUIDE TO THE BIKDS

Yellow Palm Warbler (only in eastern and northern

Maine).
Black-poll Warbler.
Bay-breasted Warbler (on the White Mountains as low as

1800 feet).
Cape May Warbler.
Tennessee Warbler.
Pine Siskin.

White-winged Crossbill.
Canadian Pine Grosbeak.

Rusty Blackbird (only in northern and eastern Maine).
Canada Jay.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
American Three-toed Woodpecker.
Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker.
Canadian Spruce Grouse.

B

BOOKS OF REFERENCE

The books listed below will, it is believed, furnish the
necessary amount of additional information about the birds
treated in this Guide ; but no attempt has been made to
make the list exhaustive, and many excellent books have
been omitted.

I

MANUALS GIVING A DESCRIPTION AND ACCOUNT OF EACH BIRD.

Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America. F. M. Chapman.
D. Appleton & Co., New York.

The Land-Birds and Game-Birds of New England. H. D. Minot.
3d ed. Edited by William Brewster. Houghton, Mifflin &
Co., Boston.

Birds of Village and Field. Florence A. Merriam. Houghton,

Mifflin & Co., Boston.
Our Birds in Their Haunts. J. Hibbert Langille. (Out of print

and hard to obtain.)

Among the Water-Fowl. H. K. Job. Doubleday, Page & Co.,
New York.

The Water-Fowl Family. Leonard C. Sanford and others. The
Macmillan Co., New York.

II

TREATISES ON BIRD-LIFE IN GENERAL.

Bird-Life. F. M. Chapman. D. Appleton & Co., New York.
The Bird Book. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. D. C. Heath & Co.,
Boston.

The Woodpeckers. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. Houghton, Mifflin
& Co., Boston.

348 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

III

LOCAL LISTS, GIVING THE BIRDS THAT OCCUR IN ANY ONE
REGION OR LOCALITY.

New York.

Visitors' Guide to the Collection of Birds found within Fifty
Miles of New York City. F. M. Chapman. (For sale at the
American Museum of Natural History, New York.)

The Summer Birds of the Catskill Mountains. E. P. Bicknell.
Transactions of the Linnaean Society of New York, vol. i.
pp. 115-168. (Difficult to obtain.)

Birds of the Hudson Highlands. E. A. Mearns. Bulletin Essex
Institute, vol. x. pp. 166-179; vol. xi. pp. 43-52, 154-168, 189-
204 ; vol. xii. pp. 11-25, 109-128; vol. xiii. pp. 75-93.

New Jersey.
Birds of Princeton and vicinity. W. A. Babson, Princeton, N. J.

Connecticut.
Birds of Bridgeport, Conn. C. K. Averill. Bridgeport Scientific

Society.
Birds of Connecticut. C. Hart Merriam. Proc. Conn. Acad.,
July, 1877.

Rhode Island.

Birds of Rhode Island. Howe and Sturtevant. (Apply to Ed-
ward Sturtevant, Newport, R. I.)

Massachusetts.

Birds of Massachusetts. Howe and Allen. (Apply to R. H.
Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass.)

Birds of Cambridge and Vicinity. William Brewster. (In
preparation.)

Birds of Essex County. Dr. C. W. Townsend. (In preparation.)

Birds of Wellesley. A. P. Morse, Wellesley, Mass.

Birds of Springfield and Vicinity. R. W. Morris, Springfield,
Mass.

Birds of Berkshire County. W. Faxon and R. Hoffmann. Berk-
shire Historical and Scientific Society, Pittsfield, Mass. (Hard
to obtain.)

APPENDIX 349

New Hampshire.

Birds of New Hampshire. G. M. Allen. Proc. Manchester Sci.
Inst., Manchester, N. H. (In press.)

Birds of Belknap and Merrimac Counties. Ned Dearborn, Dur-
ham, N. H.

Birds of Durham and Vicinity. Ned Dearborn. New Hampshire
Agric. Coll., Durham, N. H.

Summer Birds of Holderness and Franconia, N. H. Faxon and
Allen. Auk, vol. v. pp. 149-155.

Summer Birds of the Presidential Range, White Mountains. A.
P. Chadbourne. Auk, vol. iv. pp. 100-108.

Vermont.
Birds of Vermont. R. H. Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass.

Maine.
Birds of Maine. O. W. Knight, Bangor, Me. (Hard to obtain.)
Birds of Portland. N. C. Brown. Proc. Port. Soc. Nat. Hist.
(Hard to obtain.)

IV

MAGAZINES.

Bird-Lore. Bi-monthly. Edited by F. M. Chapman. Illustrated.
One dollar a year. The Macmillan Co., Harrisburg, Pa. (Con-
tains each year the name of some one in each state who will
answer questions about birds.)

The Auk. Quarterly. More technical. Three dollars a year.
Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., New York City.

WALL CHARTS.

Audubon Bird Charts, No. I., No. II., contain together fifty-six
birds in colors. Prang Educational Co., Boston.

Bird-Lore Chart. Sixty-two representative birds, not colored.
The Macmillan Co., Harrisburg, Pa.

Wall Chart. A. W. Mumford, Chicago.

Colored pictures from Birds and Nature may be obtained from
the Perry Picture Co.

350 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS

FIELD NOTE-BOOKS.

Bird-Lore's Field Identification Blank. J. Horace McFarland

Co., Harrisburg, Pa.
Field Note-Book. Miss J. A. Clark, 1322 Twelfth Street, N. W.,

Washington, D. C.

INDEX

INDEX

Acaxthis linaria, 178.
Accipiter atricapillus, 242.

cooperii, 243.

velox, 244.
Actitis macularia, 261 .
Actodroinas fuscicollis, 269.

inaculata, 270.

minutilla, 269.
iEgialitis meloda, 254.

semipalmata, 255.
Agelaius phoeniceus, 191.
Aix sponsa, 301.
Alca torda, 330.
Alle alle, 329.
Ammodrainus caudacutus, 167.

henslowii, 168.

maritimus, 165.

nelsoni, 168.

nelsoni subvirgatus, 168.
Ampelis cedroruin, 139.
Anas boschas, 306.

obscura, 305.

obscura rubripes, 305.
Antbus pensilvauicus, 97.
Antrostoinus vociferus, 213.
Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis, 239.
Ardea herodias, 283.
Ardetta exilis, 284.
Arenaria morinella, 252.
Arquatella maritima, 270.
Asio accipitrinus, 233.

wilsonianus, 233.
Astragalinus tristis, 177.
Auk, Razor-billed, 330.
Aythya affinis, 298.

americana, 300.

marila, 299.

Baeolophus bicolor, 85.
Baldpate, 304.
Bartramia longicauda, 262.
Beetle-head, 257.
Bittern, American, 285.

Least, 284.
Blackbird, Crow, 184.

Red- winged, 191.

Rusty, 186.
Blue-bill, 299.

Little, 298.
Bluebird, 71.
Bobolink, 193.
Bob-white, 251.
Bonasa umbellus, 249.

Bonasa umbellus togata, 249.
Botaurus lentiginosus, 285.
Brant, 287.
Branta bernicla, 287.

canadensis, 287.
Bubo virginianus, 230.
Buffle-head, 296.
Bunting, Bay-winged, 172.

Indigo, 149.

Snow, 174.
Butcher-bird (Northern Shrike), 138.
Buteo borealis, 242.

lineatus, 241.

platypterus, 240.
Butorides virescens, 282.

Calcarius lapponicus, 173.

Calidris arenaria, 266.

Canachites canadensis canace, 251.

Cardinal, 151.

Cardinalis cardinalis, 151.

Carduelis carduelis, 175.

Carpodacus purpureus, 181.

Catbird, 95.

Cedar-bird, 139.

Ceophlceus pileatus abieticola, 219.

Cepphus grylle, 331.

Certhia familiaris americana, 88.

Ceryle alcyon, 224.

Chaetura pelagica, 210.

Charadrius dominicus, 257.

Charitonetta albeola, 296.

Chat, Yellow-breasted, 102.

Chebec, 202.

Chewink, 152.

Chickadee, 84.

Hudsonian, 83.
Chordeiles virginianus, 212.
Circus hudsonius, 245.
Cistothorus stellaris, 90.
Clangula claugula americana, 297.

islandica, 297.
Coccyzus americanus, 227.

erythrophthalmus, 226.
Colaptes auratus luteus, 216.
Colinus virginianus, 251.
Colymbus auritus, 337.

holboellii, 338.
Compsothlypis americana usneas, 124.
Contopus virens, 205.
Coot, 290.

American, 276.
Cormorant, Common, 311.

354

INDEX

Cormorant, Double-crested, 310.
Corvus americanus, 196.

corax principalis, 197.

ossifragus, 195.
Coturniculus 6avannarum passerinus,

169.
Cowbird, 192.
Creeper, Black and White, 129.

Brown, 88.
Crossbill. American, 180.

Red, 180.

White-winged, 179.
Crow, American, 196.

Fish, 195.
Crymophilus fulicarius, 275.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 226.

Yellow-billed, 227.
Curlew, Eskimo, 261.

Hudsouian, 261.

Jack, 261.
Cyanocitta cristata, 198.
Cyanospiza cyanea, 149.

Dafila acuta, 302.
Dendroica aestiva, 122.

blackbumiae, 114.

c;erulescens, 121.

castanea, 116.

coronata, 120.

discolor, 109.

maculosa, 118.

pilmarum, 111.

palinarum hypochrysea, 110.

pensylvanica, 117.

striata, 115.

tigrina. 123.

vigorsii, 111.

virens, 113.
Doiichonyx oryzivorus, 193.
Dove, Mourning, 246.
Dovekie, 329.
Dowitcher, 272.
Dryobates pubesceus medianus, 223.

villosus, 224.
Duck, Black, 305.

Harlequin, 294.

Lesser Scaup, 298.

Red-legged Black, 305.

Ruddy, 289.

Scaup, 299.

Wood, 301.
Dunlin, 268.

Eagle, Bald, 238.
Ectopistes migratorius, 247.
Eider, American, 293.

King, 293.
Empidonax flaviventris, 204.

minimus, 202.

traillii alnorum, 202.

virescens, 203.
Ereunetes pusillus, 267.
Erismatura jamaicensis, 289.

Falco columbarius, 237.
peregrinus anatum, 238.
sparverius, 236.

Finch, Pine, 176.

Purple, 181.
Flicker, Northern, 216.
Flycatcher, Alder, 202.

Crested, 207.

Green-crested, 203.

Least, 202.

Olive-sided, 206.

Yellow-bellied, 204.
Fratercula arctica, 333.
Fulica americana, 276.

Galeoscoptes carolineusis, 95.
Gallinago delicata, 272.
Gallinula galeata, 277.
Gallinule, Florida, 277.
Gannet, 311.
Gavia imber, 334.

lumme, 333.
Geothlypis agilis, 105.

formosa, 106.

Philadelphia, 105.

trichas brachydactyla, 103.
Golden-eye, American, 297.

Barrow's, 297.
Goldfinch. American, 177.

European, 175.
Goosander, 309.
Goose. Canada, 287.
Goshawk, American, 242.
Grackle, Bronzed, 184.

Purple, 184.
Grass Bird. 270.
Grebe, Holbcell's, 338.

Horned, 337.

Pied-billed, 336.
Grosbeak, Canadian Pine, 183.

Rose-breasted, 150.
Grouse, Canadian Ruffed, 249.

Canadian Spruce, 251.

Ruffed, 249.
Guillemot, Black. 331.
Gull, Bonaparte's. 322.

Great Black-backed, 326.

Herring. 324.

Laughing, 322.

Ring-billed, 323.

Hagdon, 315.

Haglet, 315.

Haliseetus leucocephalus, 238.

Harelda hyemalis, 294.

Hawk. American Rough-legged, 239.

American Sparrow, 236.

Broad-winged, 240.

Cooper's, 243.

Duck, 238.

Fish, 235.

Marsh, 245.

Pigeon, 237.

Red-shouldered, 241.

Red-tailed, 242.

Rough-legged, 239.

Sharp-shinned, 244.

Sparrow, 236.
Heath Hen, 248.
Helminth ophila chrysoptera, 127.

INDEX

355

Helminthophila peregriua, 125.

pinus, 127.

rubricapilla, 126.
Helmitheros verniivorus, 128.
Helodromas solitarius, 264.
Heron, Black-crowned Night, 281.

Great Blue, 283.

Green, 282.
Hirundo erythrogastra, 144.
Histrionicus histrionicus, 294.
Hummingbird, Ruby-throated, 209.
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis, 31 G.
Hylocichla alicise, 77.

alicia? bicknelli, 77.

fuscescens, 78.

guttata pallasii, 74.

mustelina, 79.

ustulata swainsoni, 76.

Ice-bird, 330.
Icteria virens, 102.
Icterus galbula, 188.

spurius, 189.
Indigo-bird, 149.
Iridoprocne bicolor, 143.

Jaeger, Long-tailed, 328.

Parasitic, 328.

Pomarine, 328.
Jay, Blue, 198.

Canada, 197.
Junco, Slate-colored, 158.
Junco hyemalis, 158.

Killdeer, 256.
Kingbird. 208.
Kingfisher, Belted, 224.
Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 81.

Ruby-crowned, 80.
Kittiwake, 327.
Knot, 271.

Lanius borealis, 138.

ludovicianus, 137.
Lark, Horned, 200.

Prairie Horned, 199.

Shore, 200.
Larus argentatus, 324.

atricilla, 322. .

delawarensis, 323.

marinus, 326.

Philadelphia, 322.
Longspur, Lapland, 173.
Loon, 334.

Red-throated, 333.
Lophodytes cucullatus, 307.
Loxia curvirostra minor, 180.

leucoptera. 179.

Macrorhamphus griseus, 272.
Mallard, 306.
Mareca americana, 304.
Martin, Purple. 146.
Meadowlark, 190.
Megascops asio, 230.
Melanerpes erythrocephalus, 217.
Melospiza cinerea melodia, 157.

Melospiza georgiana, 155.

liucolnii, 156.
Merganser, American, 309.

Hooded, 307.

Red-breasted, 308.
Merganser americanus, 309.

serrator, 308.
Merula migratoria, 73.
Micropalama himantopus, 271.
Mimus polyglottos, 96.
Mniotilta varia, 129.
Mockiugbird, 96.
Molothrus ater, 192.
Murre, Brunniclvs, 331.
Myiarchus crinitus, 207.

Nettion carolinensis, 304.
Nighthawk, 212.
Numenius hudsonicus, 261.
Nuthatch, Red-breasted, 85.

White-breasted, 86.
Nuttallornis borealis, 206.
Nyctala acadica, 231.
Nyctea nyctea, 229.
Nycticorax nycticorax naevius, 281 .

Oceanites oceanicus, 312.
Oceanodroma leucorhoa, 313.
Oidemia americana, 292.

deglandi, 292.

perspicillata, 290.
Olbiorchilus hiemalis, 91.
Old-squaw, 294.
Oriole, Baltimore, 188.

Orchard, 189.
Osprey, American, 235.
Otocoris alpestris, 200.

alpestris praticola, 199.
Oven-bird, 108.
Owl, Acadian, 231.

American Barn, 234.

American Hawk. 229.

American Long-eared, 233.

Barn, 234.

Barred, 232.

Great Horned, 230.

Hawk, 229.

Long-eared, 233.

Saw-whet, 231.

Screech, 230.

Short-eared, 233.

Snowy, 229.
Oxyechus, vociferus, 256.

Pandion haliaetus carolinensis, 235.
Parrot, Sea, 333.
Partridge, 249.
Parus atricapillus, 84.

hudsonicus, 83.
Passer domesticus, 181.
Passerculus princeps, 171 .

sandwichensis savanna, 170.
Passerella iliaca. 154.
Passerina nivalis. 174.
Peep, 267, 269.
Pelidna alpina pacifica, 268.
Perisoreus canadensis, 197.

356

INDEX

Petrel. Leach's, 313.

Wilson's, 312.
Petrochelidon lunifrons, 145.
Pewee, Bridge, 206.

Wood, 205.
Phalacrocorax carbo, 311.

dilophus, 310.
Phalarope, Northern, 275.

Red. 27.-,.
Phalaropus lobatus, 275.
Phasianus colchicus, 248.

torquatus, 248.
Pheasant. English, 248.

Ring-necked. 248.
Philohela minor, 273.
Phoebe, 206.
Picoides americanus, 221.

arcticns, 222.
Pigeon, Sea, 331.

Wild, 247.
Pinicola enucleator leucura, 183.
Pintail, 302.

Pipilo erythrophthahnus, 152.
Pipit, American, 97.
Piranga erythromelas. 147.
Plover, American Golden, 257.

Black-bellied, 257.

Piping, 254.

Semipalmated, 255.

Upland, 262.
Podilymbns podiceps, 336.
Pooecetes graminens. 172.
Porzana Carolina, 278.
Progne subis, 146.
Puffin, 333.
Puffinus borealis, 315.

gravis, 315.

fuliginosus, 314.

Quail, 251 .

Querquedula discors, 303.

Quiscalus quiscula, 184.

quiscula aeneus, 184.

Rail, Carolina, 278.

Virginia, 279.
Rallus virginianus, 279.
Raven, Northern, 197.
Redhead, 300.
Redpoll, 178.

Yellow, 110.
Redstart, American, 99.
Regulus calendula, 80.

satrapa, 81.
Ring-neck, 255.
Riparia riparia, 142.
Rissa tridactyla, 327.
Robin, American, 73.

Sanderling, 266.
Sandpiper, Bartramian, 262.

Least, 269.

Pectoral, 270.

Purple, 270.

Red-backed, 268.

Semipalmated, 267.

Solitary, 264.

Sandpiper, Spotted, 261.

Stilt, 271.

White-rumped, 269.
Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, 220.
Sayornis phcebe, 206.
Scolecophagus carolinus, 186.
Scoter, American, 292.

Surf, 290.

White-winged, 292.
Seiurus aurocapillus, 108.

motacilla, 107.

noveboracensis, 108.
Setophaga ruticilla, 99.
Shearwater. Cory's, 315.

Greater, 315.

Sootv, .".15.
Sheldrake. 308, 309.
Shrike. Loggerhead, 137.

Northern, 138.
Sialia sialis. 71.
Siskin, Pine, 176.
Sitta canadensis, 85.

carolinensis, 86.
Snipe, Wilson's, 272.

Winter. 270.
Snowbird. 158.
Snowflake. 174.
Somateria dresseri, 293.

spectabilis, 293.
Sora, 278.
Sparrow, Acadian Sharp-tailed, 168.

Chipping, 161.

English, 181.

Field, 160.

Fox, 154.

Grasshopper, 169.

Henslow's, 168.

Ipswich. 171.

Lincoln's, 156.

Savanna, 170.

Seaside, 165.

Sharp-tailed, 167.

Song, 157.

Swamp, 155.

Tree. 162.

Vesper, 172.

White-crowned, 164.

White-throated, 163.
Sphyrapicus varius, 220..
Spinus pinus, 176.
Spizella monticola, 162.

pusilla, 160.

socialis, 161.
Squatarola squatarola, 257.
Starling, 195.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis, 141.
Stercorarius longicaudus. 328.

parasiticus, 328.

pomarinus, 328.
Sterna antillarum, 317.

caspia, 320.

dougalli, 317.

hirundo. 319.

paradisaea, 318.
Strix pratincola, 234.
Sturnella magna, 190.
Sturnus vulgaris, 195.

INDEX

357

Sula bassana, 311.

Surnia ulula caparoch, 229.

Swallow. Bank, 142.

Barn, 144.

Cliff, 145.

Eave, 145.

Rough- winged, 141.

Tree, 143.

White-bellied, 143.
Swift, Chimney, 210.
Syinpheinia semipalniata, 203.
Syrnium varium, 232.

Tanager, Scarlet, 147.
Teal, Blue-winged, 303.

Green-winged, 304.
Telmatodytes palustris, 89.
Tern, Arctic, 318.

Black, 316.

Caspian, 320.

Common, 319.

Least, 317.

Roseate, 317.
Thrasher, Brown, 95.
Thrush, Bicknell's, 77.

Brown, 95.

G-ray-cheeked, 77.

Hermit, 74.

Olive-backed, 76.

Swainson's, 76.

Wilson's, 78.

Wood, 79.
Thryothorus ludovicianus, 94.
Titlark, 97.
Titmouse, Tufted, 85.
Totanus rlavipes, 265.

melanoleucus, 265.
Towhee, 152.
Toxostoma rufum, 95.
Triuga canutus, 271.
Trochilus colubris, 209.
Troglodytes aedon, 93.
Turnstone, Ruddy, 252.
Tympanuchus cupido, 248.
Tyrannus tyrannus, 208.

Uria lorn via, 331.

*
Veery, 78.
Vireo, Blue-headed, 132.

Philadelphia, 135.

Red-eyed, 136.

Solitary, 132.

Warbling, 134.

White-eyed, 131.

Yellow-throated, 133.
Vireo flavifrons, 133.

gilvus, 134.

noveboracensis, 131.

olivaceus, 136.

philadelphicus, 135.

solitarius, 132.

Warbler, Bay-breasted, 116.

Warbler, Black and White, 129.

Black and Yellow, 118.

Blackburnian, 114.

Black-poll, 115.

Black-throated Blue, 121.

Black-throated Green, 113

Blue- winged, 127.

Canadian, 100.

Cape May, 123.

Chestnut-sided, 117.

Connecticut, 105.

Golden- winged, 127.

Hooded, 102.

Kentucky, 106.

Magnolia, 118.

Mourning, 105.

Myrtle, 120.

Nashville, 126.

Northern Parula, 124.

Palm, 111.

Pine, 111.

Prairie, 109.

Tennessee, 125.

Wilson's, 101.

Worm-eating, 128.

Yellow, 122.

Yellow Palm, 110.

Yellow-rumped, 120.
Water-thrush, 108.

Louisiana, 107.
Waxwing, Cedar, 139.
Whip-poor-will, 213.
Whistler, 297.
Widgeon, American, 304.
Willet, 263.
Wilsouia canadensis, 100.

mitrata, 102.

pusilla, 101.
Woodcock, 273.
Woodpecker, American Three-toed, 221.

Arctic Three-toed, 222.

Downy. 223.

Golden-winged, 216.

Hairy, 224.

Northern Pileated, 219.

Red-headed, 217.
Wren, Carolina, 94.

House, 93.

Long-billed Marsh, 89.

Short-billed Marsh, 90.

Winter, 91.

Yellowbird, Summer, 122.
Yellow-legs, 265.

Greater, 265.

Summer, 265.

Winter, 265.
Yellow-throat, Maryland, 103.

Northern, 103.

Zamelodia ludoviciana, 150.
Zenaidura macroura, 246.
Zonotrichia albicollis, 163.
leucophrys, 164.

Electrotyped and printed by H. O. Houghton & Co.
Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A.

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