What Bird is That? Part 16

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

_Agelaius phniceus phniceus. Case 5, Figs. 5, 6_

The male in spring and early summer is unmistakable; in winter his feathers are tipped with brownish, more p.r.o.nounced in the young. The streaked females require closer scrutiny. L. 9.

_Range._ Eastern North America, nests from Florida to Canada; winters from Maryland southward, sometimes farther north. The Florida Red-wing (_A.

p. florida.n.u.s_, Case 4, Figs. 28, 29) is smaller and with a slenderer bill. It inhabits Florida (except the southeast coast and Keys) and ranges west along the Gulf coast to Texas. The Bahama Red-wing (_A. p. bahamensis_) is still smaller. It is resident in southeastern Florida, the Keys and Bahamas.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common P.R., abundant in migration.

Ossining, common S.R., Feb. 25-Nov. 11. Cambridge, abundant S.R., Mch. 10-Aug. 30; a few winter. N.

Ohio, abundant S.R., Mch. 1-Nov. 15. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Mch. 5-Nov. 19. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 8-Nov. 14.

The Red-wing's mellow _kong-quer-reee_ is as certain an indication of the presence of water as is the piping of frogs in the spring. It may be only a bit of boggy marshland, it may be a reedy lakeside, but water there will surely be. On a frequented perch he half spreads his wings, fluffs out his scarlet epaulets, bursting into bloom, as it were, when he utters his notes--a singing flower! The nest is in the alders, b.u.t.ton-bushes, or reeds, or even on the ground, and although the birds come in March, their pale blue, spotted, blotched, and scrawled eggs are not laid until May. Except when nesting, Red-wings live in flocks.

MEADOWLARK

_Sturnella magna magna. Case 2, Fig. 23_

A large, quail-like bird which shows white outer tail-feathers when it flies; if one can obtain a front view, the yellow underparts and black breast-crescent are conspicuous. L. 10.

_Range._ Eastern North America, rare west of the Mississippi; nesting from North Carolina and Missouri to Canada; winters from southern New England and northern Ohio southward. The Southern Meadowlark (_S. m. argutula_, Case, 4, Fig. 79) is smaller and darker. It is resident in the south Atlantic and Gulf States.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common P.R., less common in winter.

Ossining, tolerably common S.R., Feb. 20-Nov. 27; a few winter. Cambridge, common S.R., not common W.V. N. Ohio, abundant S.R., Mch. 5-Nov. 15; a few winter. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Jan. 24-Nov.

15; irregular W.V. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch.

25-Oct. 15; rare W.V.

The Meadowlark is a fifer of the fields, whose high, clear whistle is one of the most welcome bird songs of early spring. In May, when nesting, it often sings an ecstatic twittering warble on the wing. The alarm calls are an unmusical _dzit_ or _yert_ and a string of beady, metallic notes.

The nest is placed on the ground. The 4-6 eggs are white, speckled with brown.

WESTERN MEADOWLARK

_Sturnella neglecta_

Grayer than the Eastern Meadowlark, with disconnected tail-bars and yellow spreading to the sides of the throat.

_Range._ Western United States, rare east of the Mississippi. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 25-Oct.

15.

With the general appearance and habits of the Eastern Meadowlark, but differing in its call-notes and song. Instead of the sharp _dzit_ or _yert_ and metallic twitter of the eastern bird, the western species calls _chuck_, _chuck_, followed by a rolling _b-r-r-r-_. The eastern bird plays the fife but the western uses the flute, and its bubbling grace-notes are easily distinguishable from the _straight_ whistling of its eastern cousin.

ORCHARD ORIOLE

_Icterus spurius. Case 7, Figs. 10-12_

Adult males are unmistakable, but females and young males in their first fall wear a non-committal costume and must be looked at sharply. In their first nesting season, young males resemble the female but have a black throat.

This is a smaller, more slender bird than the Baltimore Oriole, and the female is less orange.

L. 7.

_Range._ Eastern United States, nesting from the Gulf States to Ma.s.sachusetts and Minnesota; winters in the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common S.R., Apl. 20-Aug. 22.

Ossining, common S.R., May 2-Aug. 6. Cambridge, S.R., sometimes rather common, May 15-July. N.

Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 28-Sept. 5. Glen Ellyn, not common S.R., Apl. 38. SE. Minn., uncommon S.R., May 10-Aug. 26.

In the northern part of its range, the Orchard Oriole is somewhat less common, and more local than the Baltimore Oriole, while its duller colors and more retiring habits make it more difficult to see. The voice is richer, more cultured--if one may use the term--than that of its brilliant orange-plumed cousin; indeed, in my opinion, this species deserves a place in the first rank of our songsters. The nest of finely woven gra.s.ses is not so deep as that of the Baltimore. Three to five bluish white eggs, spotted and scrawled with black, are laid the latter part of May.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

_Icterus galbula. Case 7, Figs. 8, 9_

The orange and black male needs no introduction; the female is tinted with orange strongly enough to show her relations.h.i.+p. L. 7.

_Range._ Eastern North America; nests from northern Georgia to Canada; winters in the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, rather common S.R., Apl. 29-Aug. 26.

Ossining, common S.R., May 2-Sept. 1. Cambridge, very common S.R., May 8 through Aug. N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 15-Sept. 10. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Apl. 26-Sept. 4. SE. Minn., common S.R., May 1-Sept. 1.

This is the orange-and-black whistler of our fruit and shade trees, whose wife skillfully weaves a pendant cradle at the end of some drooping branch, therein to lay her white eggs curiously marked with fine lines and blotches of black. The young, after leaving the nest in June, have a loud, babyish food-call, _dee-dee-dee-dee_, repeated time after time until their wants are satisfied.

RUSTY BLACKBIRD

_Euphagus carolinus. Case 5, Figs. 3, 4_

The bird's common name is based on the fall plumage of the male, which is broadly margined with rusty. By spring these tips wear off and the bird is glossy black. Size of the Red-wing but with a whitish eye and no red; the female unstreaked.

_Range._ Eastern North America; nests from the northern part of the northern states to Canada; winters from New Jersey and Ohio to the Gulf States.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common W.V., Oct. 13-Apl. 30.

Ossining, common T.V., Mch. 26-May 8; Sept.

28-Nov. 27. Cambridge, very common T.V., Mch.

10-May 8; Sept. 15-Oct. 31. N. Ohio, common T.V., Mch. 5-May 10; Sept. 10-Nov. 15. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., Mch. 3-May 8; Sept. 12-Nov. 15; uncommon W.V. SE. Minn., common T.V., Mch. 26-Nov.

24.

This is the least conspicuous of our Blackbirds. It nests chiefly north of the United States, migrates in small flocks, and is less noisy than the Red-wing or Grackle and not so much in evidence as the Cowbird.

Dwight describes its notes as "a confused medley of whistles, sweeter and higher-pitched than those of the Red-wing." It nests in May, building in coniferous trees or near the ground, and laying 4-7 greenish eggs, heavily marked with brown and purple.

PURPLE GRACKLE

_Quiscalus quiscula quiscula. Case 5, Fig. 1_