503.Icterus melanocephalus audubonii.9½ inches
Within the United States, these large Orioles are found only in southern Texas. They are not uncommon there and are resident. Their notes are loud, mellow whistles like those of the other Orioles. Their nests are semi-pensile and usually placed in mesquite trees not more than ten or fifteen feet from the ground.
504. Icterus parisorum. 8 inches
These beautiful birds are found in southwestern United States, from California to western Texas.
They are said to sing more freely than other members of the family, but the song, while loud and clear, is of short duration. Their nests, which are semi-pensile, are often placed in giant yucca trees, or in vines that are suspended from cacti. The three or four eggs are pale blue, scrawled and spotted with black and lavender (.95 × .65).
505.Icterus cucullatus sennetti.8 inches
This very brilliantly plumaged Oriole is, perhaps, the most abundant of the family in southern Texas. It is not as shy a bird as the two preceding species and is more often found in the neighborhood of houses.
With the exception of a few kinds of fruits, their food consists almost entirely of insects; all the Orioles are regarded as among our most beneficial birds.
Notes.—A harsher and more grating whistle than that of most of the Orioles.
Nest.—Usually in bunches of hanging moss, being made by hollowing out and matting the moss together and lining it with finer wiry moss. Others are placed in yucca trees, such nests being made of the fiber of the tree. Eggs dull white, scrawled about the large end with black and lavender (.85 × .60).
Range.—Found only in southern Texas. A sub-species (nelsoni) is found in New Mexico, Arizona and southern California.
506.Icterus spurius.7¼ inches
Male chestnut and black; female dull yellowish and gray; young male, second year, like female, but with black face and throat. These Orioles are usually found in open country and, as their name suggests, have a preference for orchards. They are also found abundantly in shrubbery along streams and roadsides. They feed chiefly upon worms, caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, etc., and are one of the most beneficial birds that we have.
Song.—A rich, loud and rapid warble, cheery and pleasing but impossible to describe; a chattering note of alarm.
Nest.—A beautiful basket of grasses woven into a deeply cupped ball and situated in forks of trees or bushes; often they are made of green grasses. Four to six white eggs, specked, scrawled and spotted with black and brown (.80 × .55).
Range.—U. S. east of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf to Massachusetts and Michigan; winters in Central America.
507.Icterus galbula.7½ inches
Male orange and black; female dull yellowish and gray.
They are sociable birds and seem to like the company of mankind, for their nests are, from choice, built as near as possible to houses, often being where they can be reached from windows. As they use a great deal of string in the construction of their nests, children often get amusement by placing bright-colored pieces of yarn where the birds will get them, and watch them weave them into their homes.
Song.—A clear, querulous, varied whistle or warble; call, a plaintive whistle.
Nest.—A pensile structure, often hanging eight or ten inches below the supporting rim, and swaying to and fro with every breeze. They lay five or six white eggs, curiously scrawled with blackish brown (.90 × .60).
Range.—N. A. east of the Rockies and breeding north to New Brunswick and Manitoba. Winters in Central America.
510.Euphagus carolinus.9½ inches
Male glossy black, female grayish; both sexes in winter with most of the head and breast feathers tipped with rusty. In the United States we know these birds chiefly as emigrants; but a few of them remain to breed in the Northern parts. Their songs are rather squeaky efforts, but still not unmusical. These birds are found east of the Rockies.
510.Euphagus cyaneocephalus.10 inches
Male with a glossy purplish head and greenish black body; female grayish brown. This is the Western representative of the preceding; it is most abundant west of the Rockies, but is also found on the Plains. Its distribution is not so northerly and it nests commonly in its United States range. Their eggs are whitish, very profusely spotted and blotched with various shades of brown (1. × .75).
511.Quiscalus quiscula.12 inches
Male with purple head and greenish back; female brownish gray. All the Grackles are very similar in appearance, the colors varying with different individuals of the same species. Their habits are alike, too, and I consider them one of the most destructive of our birds.
Note.—A harsh “tchack,” and a squeaky song.
Nest.—Of sticks and twigs, usually in pines in the North and bushes in the South. Four eggs, pale bluish gray with black scrawls (1.10 × .80).
Range.—Eastern U. S., breeding north to Mass.
Sub-Species.—511a. Florida Grackle (aglæus), slightly smaller. 511b. Bronzed Grackle (æneus), with a purple head and usually a brassy back. Eastern U. S., breeding north to Labrador and Manitoba.
513.Megaquiscalus major.15 inches
Similar in color to the last but much larger, and having the same habits. Eggs also larger (1.25 × .95). Southeastern U. S. The Great-tailed Grackle (macrourus), found in Texas, is still larger.
514.Hesperiphona vespertina.8 inches
Female paler and with white on upper tail coverts. As would be judged from the large bills that these birds have, their food consists almost entirely of seeds, with occasionally a few berries and perhaps insects. In certain localities they are not uncommon, but, except in winter, they are rare anywhere in the U. S., and east of the Mississippi they can only be regarded as accidental even in winter. They have been taken several times in Massachusetts. In winter they usually travel about in small bands, visiting localities where the food supply is the most abundant.
Song.—A clear,Robin-like whistle; call, a short whistle.
Nest.—A flat structure of twigs and rootlets placed at low elevations in trees or bushes. Four eggs, greenish white, spotted with brown (.90 × .65).
Range.—Breeds in mountains of western British America and northwestern U. S. South and east in winter to the Mississippi and rarely farther.
515.Pinicola enucleator leucura.8½ inches
Male rosy red; female gray and yellowish.
These pretty birds visit us every winter, coming from Canada and northern New England, where they are found in summer. They are very fearless birds and might almost be regarded as stupid; when they are feeding you can easily approach within a few feet of them, and they have often been caught in butterfly nets. They may, at times, be found in any kind of trees or woods, but they show a preference for small growth pines, where they feed upon the seeds and upon seeds of weeds that project above the snow.
Song.—A low sweet warble; call, a clear, repeated whistle.
Nest.—In coniferous trees, of twigs, rootlets and strips of bark; eggs three to four in number, greenish blue spotted with brown and lilac (1.00 × .70).
Range.—Breeds in eastern British America and northern New England; winters south to New York and Ohio. Several sub-species are found west of the Rockies.
517.Carpodacus purpureus.6¼ inches
Male dull rosy red; female streaked brownish gray.
These beautiful songsters are common in the northern tier of states and in Canada. In spring the males are usually seen on, or heard from, tree tops in orchards or parks, giving forth their glad carols. They are especially musical in spring when the snow is just leaving the ground and the air is bracing. After family cares come upon them, they are quite silent, the male only occasionally indulging in a burst of song.
Song.—A loud, long-continued and very sweet warble; call, a querulous whistle.
Nest.—Of strips of bark, twigs, rootlets and grasses, placed at any height in evergreens or orchard trees. The eggs resemble, somewhat, large specimens of those of theChipping Sparrow. They are three or four in number and are greenish blue with strong blackish specks (.85 × .65).
Range.—N. A. east of the Rockies, breeding from Pennsylvania and Illinois northward; winters throughout the United States.
521.Loxia curvirostra minor.6 inches
These curious creatures appear in flocks on the outskirts of our cities every winter, where they will be found almost exclusively in coniferous trees. They cling to the cones, upon which they are feeding, in every conceivable attitude, and a shower of seeds and broken cones rattling through the branches below shows that they are busily working. They are very eccentric birds and the whole flock often takes flight, without apparent cause, only to circle about again to the same trees. The flute-like whistle that they utter when in flight sounds quite pleasing when coming from all the individuals in the flock.
Song.—A low twittering; call, a short, flute-like whistle.
Nest.—In coniferous trees, of spruce twigs, shreds of bark and some moss or grass. The three or four eggs are greenish white spotted with brown (.75 × .55).
Range.—Breeds from northern New England northward and westward, and south in mountains to Georgia; winters in the northern half of the U. S.
522.Loxia leucoptera.6 inches
Male, rosy; female, with yellowish.
This species seems to be of a more roving disposition, and even more eccentric than the last. They are not nearly as common and are usually seen in smaller flocks; occasionally one or two individuals of this species will be found with a flock of theAmerican Crossbills, but they usually keep by themselves. While they may be seen in a certain locality one season, they may be absent for several seasons after, for some reason or other. They feed upon the seeds of pine cones, prying the cones open with their peculiar bills.
Notes.—Do not differ appreciably from those of the last.
Nest.—The nesting habits of this species are like those of the last, but the eggs differ in being slightly larger and in having the markings of a more blotchy character (.80 × .55).
Range.—Breeds from the northern parts of the northern tier of states northward. Winters in the northern half of the U. S.
524.Leucosticte tephrocotis.6½ inches
Female similar to, but duller colored than, the male.
All the members of this genus are western and northern, this one only being found east of the Rockies and then only in winter, when it occasionally is found east of the Mississippi. They wander about in rocky mountainous regions, feeding upon seeds and berries. They are very restless and stop in a place but a short time before flying swiftly away, in a compact flock, to another feeding ground.
Note.—An alarm note of a short, quick whistle.
Nest.—Built on the ground, usually beside a rock or in a crevice; composed of weeds and grass, lined with finer grass. They lay three or four unmarked white eggs in June.
Range.—Western U. S., breeding in the higher mountain ranges; in winter sometimes wandering east to the Mississippi.
528.Acanthis linaria.5¼ inches
Male with a rosy breast; female without.
In winter these northern birds may be found in flocks gathering seeds from weeds by the roadside and stone walls. Their actions greatly resemble those of ourGoldfinch, but their flight is more rapid.
Song.—Strong, sweet and canary-like.
Nest.—At low elevations in bushes or trees; eggs three to five, pale greenish blue with brown specks.
Range.—Breeds in the extreme north; winters south to northern U. S.
Sub-Species.—528a. Holboell Redpoll (holboelli), slightly larger. 528b. Greater Redpoll (rostrata), larger and darker.
527.Acanthis hornemannii.6 inches
A larger and much whiter species found in Greenland and migrating to Labrador in winter. 527b. Hoary Redpoll (exilipes), smaller and darker, but still lighter than the Redpoll; winters south to Massachusetts.
529.Astragalinus tristis.5¼ inches
These beautiful little creatures are often known as Thistle-birds and Wild Canaries, the former name because they are often seen on thistles, from the down of which their nests are largely made, and the latter name because of the sweet canary-like song. Their flight is a peculiar series of undulations accompanied by an intermittent twitter. They are very sociable and breed usually in communities as well as travel in flocks in the winter. Their food is chiefly of seeds and they often come to gardens in fall and winter to partake of sunflower seeds, these flowers often being raised for the sole purpose of furnishing food for the finches in the winter.
Song.—Sweet, prolonged and canary-like; call, a musical “tcheer,” and a twittering in flight.
Nest.—Of thistledown, plant fibres and grasses, in forks of bushes, most often willows or alders near water. Four or five unmarked, pale bluish eggs.
Range.—N. A. east of the Rockies; breeds from Virginia and Missouri north to Labrador; winters in U. S.
530.Astragalinus psaltria.4¼ inches
Cap, wings and tail black; sides of head and back greenish. Female much duller and with no black in the crown. These little Goldfinches are very abundant throughout the West. Their flight is undulatory like that of the preceding, and all their habits are very similar. They spend the winter in bands, roving about the country, feeding on weed seeds; in summer they repair, either in small bands or by single pairs, to the edges of swamps or woodland near water, where they construct their compact homes in the forks of bushes. Their eggs are pale blue like those of theAmerican Goldfinch, but of course are much smaller (.62 × .45). They are laid in May or June, or even earlier in the western portions of their range.
Song.—Sweet and musical, almost like that of the last species.
Range.—Western United States from the Plains to the Pacific, being abundant west of the Rocky Mountains.
533.Spinus pinus.5 inches
These are also northern birds, being found in the U. S., with the exception of the extreme northern parts, only in winter and early spring. Their habits are just like those of theGoldfinches, for which species they are often mistaken, as the latter are dull-colored in winter. Their song and call-notes are like those of the Goldfinch, but have a slight nasal twang that will identify them at a distance, after becoming accustomed to it. They are often seen hanging head downward from the ends of branches as they feed upon the seeds or buds and when thus engaged they are very tame.
Song.—Quite similar to that of theGoldfinch.
Nest.—In coniferous trees at any elevation from the ground. They are made of rootlets and grasses, lined with pine needles and hair; the three to five eggs are greenish white, specked with reddish brown (.65 × .45).
Range.—North America, breeding northward from the northern boundary of the U. S. and farther south in mountain ranges; winters throughout the U. S.
534.Plectrophenax nivalis.7 inches
Adults in summer black and white; in winter, washed with brownish.
When winter storms sweep across our land, these birds blow in like true snowflakes, settling down upon hillsides and feeding upon seeds from the weed stalks that are sure to be found above the snow somewhere. They are usually found in large flocks, and are very restless, starting up, as one bird, at the slightest noise, or continually wheeling about from one hill to another, of their own accord.
Song.—A low twittering while feeding and a short whistle when in flight.
Nest.—Of grass and moss lined with feathers and sunk in the sphagnum moss with which much of Arctic America is covered. Three to five eggs, pale greenish white, specked with brown. Size .90 × .65.
Range.—Breeds from Labrador and Hudson Bay northward; winters in northern United States.
536.Calcarius lapponicus.6¼ inches
Male in summer with black crown and throat and chestnut nape; female similar but duller; winter plumage, with feathers of head and neck tipped with grayish so as to conceal the bright markings.
As indicated by its name, this is a Northern species, which spends the cold months in northern U. S., traveling in flocks and resting and feeding on side hills, often withSnowflakes, or on lower ground withHorned Larks.
Song.—A sweet trill or warble, frequently given while in flight; call, a sharp chip.
Nest.—Of mosses, grasses and feathers placed on the ground in tussocks or on grassy hummocks. In June and July they lay from four to six eggs having a grayish ground color, which is nearly obscured by the numerous blotches of brown and lavender (.80 × .60).
Range.—Breeds from Labrador northward and winters south to South Carolina and Texas. A sub-species is found in the West.
537.Calcarius pictus.6½ inches
Male in summer with the underparts buffy and sides of head marked with black; female, and male in winter, much duller with all bright markings covered with a brownish-gray wash.
Like the last species, these are Arctic birds found in winter, on the plains and prairies of middle U. S. They are rarely found within our limits when in their beautiful spring plumage. They are most always found in company with the following species feeding upon seeds, buds and small berries.
Song.—A sweet warble rarely heard in the United States; a clear “cheer-up” constantly uttered while on the wing.
Nest.—Of grasses, weeds and moss, lined with feathers; located on the ground in similar locations to those of the last species. The four or five eggs are similar to those of the last but lighter (.80 × .60).
Range.—Breeds about Hudson Bay and northward; winters in middle United States.
538.Calcarius ornatus.6¼ inches
Male in summer with a black breast and crown, and chestnut nape; female, and male in winter, much duller and with all bright markings covered with grayish.
Unlike the preceding Longspurs, these are constant residents in the greater part of the Western Plains, in some localities being classed as one of the most abundant birds. They have a short, sweet song that, in springtime, is frequently given as the bird mounts into the air after the fashion of theHorned Larks. They commonly feed about ploughed fields, along the edges of which they build their nests.
Song.—A short, sweet trill; alarm note a sharp chip, and call note a more musical chirp.
Nest.—Of fine grasses, placed on the ground in open prairies or along the edges of cultivated fields, often being concealed beside a tussock; their four or five eggs are clay color marked with reddish brown and lavender (.75 × .55).
Range.—Breeds in the Great Plains from Kansas and Colorado north to Manitoba; winters south to Mexico.
539.Rhynchophanes mccownii.6 inches
Male with a black crown and patch on breast, and chestnut shoulders; female, and male in winter, dull colored with all bright markings obscured by brownish gray.
These are also common birds on the plains of middle U. S., but perhaps not so much so as the last species, with which species they are often found breeding. These finches show their close relationship to the famous Skylark of Europe by frequently indulging in the same practice of soaring aloft and descending on set wings, rapturously uttering their sweet song.
Song.—A shrill, twittering warble; call, a musical chirp.
Nest.—A neat cup of grasses in a hollow in the ground on prairies or in fields. Their four to six eggs are dull whitish clouded with brownish, the marking not being as distinct as in those of the last species (.75 × .55).
Range.—Breeds on the Great Plains from Kansas north to Saskatchewan; winters south to Mexico.
***Passer domesticus.6¼ inches
These street urchins were introduced into our country from Europe about 1850, and have since multiplied and spread out so that they now are found in all parts of our land from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Heretofore they have confined themselves chiefly in the immediate vicinity of the larger cities and towns, but it is now noted with alarm that they are apparently spreading out into the surrounding country. They are very hardy creatures, able to stand our most rigorous winters. They are fighters and bullies from the time they leave the egg, and few of our native birds will attempt to live in the neighborhood with them.
Notes.—A harsh, discordant sound, which they commence early in the morning and continue until night.
Nest.—Of straw and rubbish piled behind blinds, in the tops of electric lights or crevices of buildings, and sometimes large, unsightly heaps of straw in trees. They raise three or four broods a year and in all seasons; five to seven whitish eggs scratched with black.
Range.—Whole of U. S. and southern Canada.
540.Poœcetes gramineus.6 inches
The chestnut shoulders and white outer tail feathers distinguish this from any other of our Sparrows.
The name Vesper Sparrow is given this bird because of its habit of tuning up along toward evening; it is perhaps more often known as the “Bay-winged Sparrow” or “Grass Finch.”
They are found chiefly in dry pastures or along dusty roadsides, where they start from the ground in front of us, their white tail feathers showing prominently as they fly, so that there will be no mistake as to their identity.
Song.—A clear, ascending series of whistles, given from a fence post or bush top; call, a sharp chirp.
Nest.—Of grasses in weedy fields or pastures; four or five whitish eggs marked and blotched with brownish (.80 × .60).
Range.—Eastern N. A. from Virginia to southern Canada; winters in southern U. S. The similar Western Vesper Sparrow (confinis) is found from the Plains to the Pacific coast ranges.
541.Passerculus princeps.6¼ inches
This species is larger and paler colored, but very similar to the more common and better knownSavannah Sparrow. Its habits are the same. It breeds on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, and winters along the Atlantic coast to Virginia.
542a.Passerculus sandwichensis savanna.5½ inches
Breast and sides streaked with brownish, and yellow before the eye and also on bend of wing.
These finches are very abundant in eastern U. S. during migrations and a few remain in the northern parts through the summer.
Song.—A weak trill or twitter; a short chip.
Nest.—Of grasses in hollows in the ground and concealed by grass or weeds. The four grayish eggs are spotted with brown (.75 × .55).
Range.—Winters in southern U. S.; breeds from northern U. S. northward. 542b. Western Savannah Sparrow (alaudinus) is found from the Plains west to the coast ranges. It is slightly paler.
545.Ammodramus bairdi.5¾ inches
Crown and nape brownish yellow streaked with black; underparts white, streaked on the throat, breast and sides with blackish; tail slightly forked and the feathers pointed.
In summer the western plains and prairie ring with the tinkling songs of these little Sparrows; they are especially abundant in Dakota and Montana.
546.Ammodramus savannarum australis.5½ inches
Crown blackish with a central buffy stripe; nape brown and gray; sides of head, breast and flanks, buffy without streaks.
Song.—A weak, insect-like “zee-e-e-e-e.”
Nest.—A grass-lined hollow in a field, with the top arched over so as to keep off the sun and conceal the eggs. In June four or five white, brown-specked eggs are laid (.75 × .55).
Range.—U. S. east of the Rockies; winters in southern U. S.
546b. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (floridanus), a darker race found on the plains of interior Florida.
547.Passerherbulus henslowii.5 inches
Crown and nape greenish, streaked with black; breast and sides buffy, streaked with black; tail feathers narrow and pointed.
This species is of a more southern distribution than the last, being rarely found in New England, but quite common in favorable localities south of Virginia.
548.Passerherbulus lecontei.5 inches
Hind head chestnut and gray; sides of head, throat, breast and flanks a rich buff color.
Song.—A grasshopper-like squeaking.
Nest.—Of grasses in hollows of the ground on prairies; eggs greenish white thickly specked with brownish (.65 × .50).
Range.—Breeds in the Great Plains from Dakota to Manitoba, and winters southeastward to the South Atlantic and Gulf States.
549.Passerherbulus caudacutus.5¾ inches
Back of head greenish; sides of head, breast, and flanks buff with black streaks; tail feathers sharp.
Salt marshes along the seacoast or along streams emptying into the ocean are the dwelling-places of these finches. They creep about like mice in the salt grass, now running across an open space, now threading their way through the upright stalks.
Song.—A rather weak, squeaky trill.
Nest.—Of seaweed and marsh grass, attached to the grass stalks several inches above ground and often covered by a mass of dry seaweed. Eggs greenish white specked with brown (.78 × .56).
Range.—Atlantic coast of the U. S.
549a.Passerherbulus nelsoni.5½ inches
Similar to the last but brighter colored and not streaked below. In the Mississippi Valley north to Manitoba. 549a. Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow (sub-virgatus), Atlantic coast, breeding from Maine to New Brunswick.
550.Passerherbulus maritimus.6 inches
Yellow spot before the eye. General plumage above grayish green with no black markings. All the habits of the Seaside Sparrows are precisely like those of theSharp-tailed Sparrows. The nests and eggs are indistinguishable and are often found in the same marshes.
Sub-Species.—550a. Scott Seaside Sparrow (peninsulæ), slightly smaller and with the back marked with black and brownish green; South Atlantic coast. 550b. Texas Seaside Sparrow (sennetti), greener above than No. 550; coast of Texas. 550c. Fisher Seaside Sparrow (fisheri), darker above than scotti and with the breast and sides heavily washed with rusty and streaked with black; coast of Louisiana. 550d. Macgillivray Seaside Sparrow (macgillivrayii), coast of South Carolina.
551.Passerherbulus nigrescens.6 inches
Darkest of the Seaside Sparrows. Found only in marshes at head of Indian River, Florida.
552.Chondestes grammacus.6¼ inches
These handsome Sparrows are very abundant in the Mississippi Valley; their favorite resorts are fields, pastures, and prairie lands, or along dusty roadsides. Their song is one of the sweetest of any of the Sparrows, and is freely given throughout the summer.
Song.—A hurried gush of silvery tremulous notes.
Nest.—Sometimes in bushes but usually on the ground; of grasses arranged in a hollow to form a little cup, and usually concealed under a tuft of grass or bunch of clover. The birds usually run some distance from the nest before flying, so that they are quite hard to find. They lay three to five eggs, white, specked and scrawled sparingly with blackish (.80 × .60), wholly different from those of any other Sparrow.
Range.—Mississippi Valley, breeding from Texas to Manitoba; winters in southern U. S. and Mexico.
Sub-Species.—552a. Western Lark Sparrow (strigatus) is slightly paler and less heavily marked; found from the Plains to the Pacific.
553.Zonotrichia querula.7½ inches
Adults in summer with the crown face, and throat black; in winter with the black areas mottled with gray.
This species is one of the largest of the Sparrows. It is found abundantly on the prairies during migrations, but about nesting time they all seem to disappear and no one has, as yet, been able to locate their exact breeding range. It is supposed to be among some of the foothills of North Dakota and northward through Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as they have been found during the summer in all these localities. Nests supposed to belong to this species have been found, but they lack positive identification.
Song.—A series of musical, piping whistles.
Nest.—Supposed to be of grass and bark, a few inches above the ground in weed stalks or small shrubs; eggs whitish, thickly spotted with brown (.95 × .65).
Range.—Interior U. S. from Texas (in winter) north through the Plains and Mississippi to Manitoba.