Fig 5.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, woodpeckers, and flycatchersFig.5.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, woodpeckers, and flycatchers in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.Red-headed Woodpecker:Melanerpes erythrocephalus(Linnaeus).—This is a common summer resident and uncommon permanent resident in open woodland; in winter it is noted especially around groves of oaks.M. e. erythrocephalus(Linnaeus) occurs in eastern Kansas andM. e. caurinusBrodkorb occurs in central and western Kansas.Breeding schedule.—Fifty-eight records of breeding span the period May 1 to August 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 or 4 eggs.Nests are of wood chips in cavities excavated about 25 feet high in willow, cottonwood, and elm.Hairy Woodpecker:Dendrocopos villosus villosus(Linnaeus).—This resident is common in woodlands throughout the State.Breeding schedule.—Twenty-eight records of breeding span the period March 21 to May 30 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is May 5.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.Nests are of wood chips in cavities excavated about 13 feet high in elm, honey locust, and ash.Downy Woodpecker:Dendrocopos pubescens(Linnaeus).—This resident is common in woodland throughout the State.D. p. pubescens(Linnaeus) occurs in southeastern Kansas, andD. p. medianus(Swainson) in the remainder.Breeding schedule.—Forty-one records of breeding span the period April 11 to June 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is May 5.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.Nests are of wood chips in cavities excavated about 20 feet high in willow, honey locust, ash, apple, and pear.Eastern Kingbird:Tyrannus tyrannus(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common throughout the east; it is local in the west but there maintains conspicuous numbers in favorable places, such as riparian woodland; preferred habitat in eastern sectors is typically in woodland edge. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding season.—Sixty-three dates of egg-laying span the period May 11 to July 20 (Fig. 5); the modal date for completion of clutches is June 15. Nearly 70 per cent of all eggs are laid in June.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.3, 2-3; 10). Clutches are probably larger than the average in May and smaller in June and July.Nests are placed in crotches, terminal forks, and some on tops of limbs, about 16 feet high, in elm, sycamore, honey locust, willow, oak, apple, and red cedar.Western Kingbird:Tyrannus verticalisSay.—This summer resident is common in the west, but is local and less abundant in the east. Preferred habitat is in woodland edge, open country with scatteredtrees, and in towns. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—The 124 dates of egg-laying span the period May 11 to July 31 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is June 15. More than 70 per cent of all clutches are laid in June.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.6, 3-4; 8).Nests are placed in crotches, lateral forks, or on horizontal limbs, about 26 feet high, in cottonwood, elm, osage orange, hackberry, honey locust, mulberry, oak, and on power poles.Scissor-tailed Flycatcher:Muscivora forficata(Gmelin).—This summer resident is common in central and southern Kansas; it is rare to absent in the northwestern sector, and is local in the northeast. Preferred habitat is in open country with scattered trees. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—Twenty-eight records of breeding occur from May 21 to July 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is June 25. The present sample of records is small, and there is otherwise no evidence suggesting that the breeding schedule of this species differs from those of the other two kingbirds in Kansas.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.2, 2-5; 17). Mean clutch-size for the first peak of laying shown in Figure 5 is 4.0 eggs; that for the second peak is 2.7 eggs.Nests are placed in forks or on horizontal limbs of osage orange, red haw, elm, and on crosspieces of power poles, about 15 feet high (ranging from five to 35 feet).Table 13.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident Flycatchers in KansasSpeciesArrivalDepartureRangeMedianRangeMedianEastern KingbirdApr. 22-Apr. 30Apr. 28Sept. 1-Sept. 24Sept. 13Western KingbirdApr. 23-Apr. 30Apr. 28Sept. 1-Sept. 26Sept. 8Scissor-tailed FlycatcherApr. 15-Apr. 28Apr. 18Sept. 21-Oct. 22Oct. 12Great Crested FlycatcherApr. 15-May 4Apr. 29Sept. 1-Sept. 21Sept. 9Eastern PhoebeMar. 3-Mar. 31Mar. 22Oct. 3-Oct. 27Oct. 9Say PhoebeApr. 4-Apr. 22Apr. 12................Acadian FlycatcherApr. 30-May 19May 9Sept. 3-Sept. 17Sept. 4Eastern Wood PeweeApr. 2-May 28May 19Aug. 30-Sept. 18Sept. 6Great Crested Flycatcher:Myiarchus crinitus boreusBangs.—This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas, but is less numerous in the west. Preferred habitat is in woodland and woodland edge. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—The twenty-two records of egg-laying are in the period May 11 to July 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is June 5. The shape of the histogram (Fig. 5) indicates that some breeding for which records are lacking occurs earlier in May.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.8, 4-6; 6).Nests are placed in hollows and crevices in elm, maple, cottonwood, willow, pear, apple, oak, drain spouts, and, occasionally, "bird houses" made by man, about 17 feet high (four to 45 feet high).Eastern Phoebe:Sayornis phoebe(Latham).—This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas, but is local in the west. Preferred habitat is in woodland edge and riparian groves, where most birds are found near bridges, culverts, or isolated outbuildings of man. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—The 136 records of breeding span the period March 21 to July 20 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is April 25 (for first clutches) and June 5 (for second clutches); this species seems to be the only double-brooded flycatcher in Kansas.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 to 5 eggs (4.2, 3-5; 58). The seasonal progression in clutch-size can be summarized as follows:March 21-April 10:4.0 eggs (2 records)April 11-May 10:4.4 eggs (37 records)May 11-June 10:3.9 eggs (10 records)June 11-July 20:3.6 eggs (9 records)Nests are placed on horizontal, vertical, or overhanging surfaces of culverts, bridges, houses of man, earthen cliffs, rocky ledges, and entrances to caves, at an average height of 7.8 feet.Say Phoebe:Sayornis saya saya(Bonaparte).—This is a common summer resident in western Kansas, breeding at least east to Cloud County, in open country. Occurrence in time is listed inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—Ten records of breeding fall in the period May 1 to July 20; the modal date for egg-laying is in late May.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.Nests are placed under bridges, in houses, or on cliffsides and earthen banks.Acadian Flycatcher:Empidonax virescens(Vieillot).—This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas, in woodland and riparian habitats. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—The available records of breeding by this species in Kansas are too few to indicate reliably the span of the breeding season. Information on hand suggests that Acadian Flycatchers lay most eggs in late May or early June, and this places their nesting peak some 10 to 20 days earlier than peaks for Wood Pewees and Traill Flycatchers.Number of eggs.—Five records show 3 eggs each.Nests are placed about six feet high on terminal twigs of oak and alder.Traill Flycatcher:Empidonax traillii traillii(Audubon).—This flycatcher has only recently been found nesting within Kansas; the species is not included in analyses above. Twenty-three nesting records are here reported, for the species in Kansas City, Jackson and Platte counties, Missouri. Most of these records are from within a few hundred yards of the political boundary of Kansas. The Traill Flycatcher is a local summer resident in extreme northeastern Kansas (Doniphan County), in wet woodland and riparian groves.Temporal occurrence is not well-documented; first dates run from May 19 to 25; the last dates of annual occurrence, possibly not all for transients, run from August 14 to September 24.Breeding schedule.—Twenty-three records of breeding are from May 21 to July 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is June 15.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.4, 2-5; 22).Nests are placed in forks, crotches, and occasionally near trunks, chiefly of willow, from 4.5 to 12 feet high (averaging six feet).Eastern Wood Pewee:Contopus virens(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in the east, but is rare in the west. Preferred habitat is in edge of forest and woodland. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—Nineteen dates of egg-laying span the period June 1 to July 20 (Fig. 5); the modal date for completion of clutches is June 15, and more than half of all clutches are laid in the period June 11 to 20.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 3 eggs.Nests are placed on upper surfaces of horizontal limbs of oak, elm, and sycamore, about 22 feet high.Horned Lark:Eremophila alpestris(Linnaeus).—Breeding populations are resident in open country with short or cropped vegetation.E. a. praticola(Henshaw) lives in the east, andE. a. enthymia(Oberholser) in the west.Breeding schedule.—Twenty-one records of breeding span the period March 11 to June 10 (Fig. 6); the modal date for egg-laying is March 25. The histogram (Fig. 6) is constructed on a clearly inadequate sample, and records of breeding both earlier and later are to be expected. The peak of first nesting activity is probably reasonably well-indicated by the available records.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.6, 3-5; 16).Nests are placed on the ground, usually amid short vegetation such as cropped prairie grassland or cultivated fields (notably soybeans and wheat), and occasionally on bare ground.Table 14.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident Swallows in KansasSpeciesArrivalDepartureRangeMedianRangeMedianTree SwallowApr. 5-Apr. 30Apr. 24Sept. 30-Oct. 21Oct. 8Bank SwallowApr. 9-May 19May 7Sept. 3-Sept. 20Sept. 10Rough-winged SwallowMar. 29-May 30Apr. 22Sept. 23-Oct. 21Oct. 10Cliff SwallowApr. 14-May 27May 11Sept. 3-Oct. 25Sept. 11Barn SwallowMar. 31-Apr. 29Apr. 21Sept. 22-Oct. 25Oct. 7Purple MartinMar. 5-Apr. 9Mar. 26Aug. 28-Sept. 23Sept. 3Tree Swallow:Iridoprocne bicolor(Vieillot).—This is a summer resident in extreme northeastern Kansas; nesting birds have been found only along the Missouri River in Doniphan County. Habitat is in open woodland, and in Kansas is always associated with water. Temporal occurrence in the State is indicated inTable 14.Breeding schedule.—Eight records of breeding span the period May 21 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 25. The small sample may not accurately reflect the peak of nesting activity.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 or 6 eggs (5.5, 5-6; 4).Nests are placed chiefly in abandoned woodpecker diggings in willows, four to ten feet high, over water.Bank Swallow:Riparia riparia riparia(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common wherever cut-banks suitable for nesting activities allow relatively undisturbed behavior. The species is almost always found near water. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.Breeding schedule.—Sixty records of breeding span the period May 11 to June 20 (Fig. 6); the modal date for completion of clutches is June 5.Nearly 75 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period May 21 to June 10. Under unusual circumstances time of breeding can be greatly delayed; such circumstances occurred in 1961 in many places along the Kansas River in eastern Kansas, where the soft, sandy-clay banks were repeatedly washed away in May and June by high water undercutting the cliffs. Bank Swallows attempted to work on burrows in late May, but stabilization of the banks occurred only by late June, and the peak of egg-laying for many colonies was around July 12. Records for 1961 are omitted from the sample used here (Fig. 6).Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.8, 3-7; 60). Yearly clutch-size at one colony 3 miles east of Lawrence, Douglas County, is as follows:1959:5.2, 19 records1960:5.0, 12 records1961:3.7, 11 records1962:4.8, 18 recordsThe sample for 1961 is that taken in early July when breeding occurred after a delay of more than a month, as described above.Nesting chambers are excavated in sandy-clay banks, piles of sand, piles of sawdust, or similar sites, at ends of tunnels one to more than three feet in depth from the vertical face of the substrate.Rough-winged Swallow:Stelgidopteryx ruficollis serripennis(Audubon).—This summer resident is common in most places; it is not restricted to a single habitat, but needs some sort of earthen or other substrate with ready-made burrows for nesting. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.Breeding schedule.—The 14 records of breeding are in the period May 11 to June 30; the modal date of egg-laying is June 5. Seventy per cent of all eggs are laid in the period May 21 to June 10.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.0, 4-6; 4).Nesting chambers are in old burrows of Bank Swallows, Kingfishers, rodents, or in crevices remaining subsequent to decomposition of roots of plants; frequently this swallow uses a side chamber off the main tunnel, near the mouth, of a burrow abandoned or still in use by the other species mentioned above.Cliff Swallow:Petrochelidon pyrrhonota pyrrhonota(Vieillot).—This common summer resident occurs wherever suitable sites for nests are found. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.Breeding schedule.—The 610 records of breeding span the period May 21 to June 30 (Fig. 6); the modal date for egg-laying is June 5, and 85 per centof all clutches are laid from May 21 to June 10. Such synchronous breeding activity is probably a function of strong coloniality with attendant "social facilitation" of breeding behavior.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.9, 3-7; 7).Nests are built in mud jugs plastered to vertical rock faces, bridges, culverts, and buildings from a few feet to more than 100 feet above the ground.Fig 6.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Horned Lark and swallowsFig.6.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Horned Lark and swallows in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.Barn Swallow:Hirundo rustica erythrogasterBoddaert.—This summer resident is common in most habitats, occurring chiefly about cultivated fields and pastures. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.Breeding schedule.—Sixty-three records of breeding in northern Kansas span the period May 1 to July 31 (Fig. 6); the modal date for completion of first clutches is May 25, and that for the second is July 5. The schedule of breeding in southern Kansas (chiefly Cowley County), to judge by 41 records, conforms to the one for northern Kansas: the season spans the period May 1 to August 10, and the modal date for first clutches is May 15. The ten-day lag in peak of first clutches of the northern over the southern sample is about what would be expected on the basis of differential inception of the biological growing season from south to north each spring.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size does not vary geographically, to judge only from the present samples, and all are included in the listing to follow. The modal size of clutches is 5 eggs (4.7, 3-7; 43); clutches from the period May 1 to 30 show an average of 5.0 eggs, from June 1 to 20 an average of 4.9 eggs, and from June 21 to August 10, 4.4 eggs.Nests are usually placed on horizontal surfaces in barns, sheds, or other such structures; more rarely they are put on bridges, and less frequently yet on vertical walls of culverts or sheds.Purple Martin:Progne subis subis(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in the east but rare in the west. The only documented colony west of the 99th meridian was in Oberlin, Decatur County (Wolfe, 1961), occupied some 50 years ago. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.Breeding schedule.—The breeding season spans the period May 11 to June 20 (Fig. 6); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5, and 57 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period June 1 to 10.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.2, 3-6; 33). Mean clutch-size is 4.3 eggs in May and 4.2 in June. Adults tend to lay clutches of 5 eggs and first-year birds clutches of 4. Replacement clutches by birds of any age tend to be of 3 eggs.Nests are built of sticks and mud placed in cavities; in Kansas these are almost always in colony houses erected by man. Use of holes and crevices in old buildings is known to have occurred on the campus of The University of Kansas in the nineteen thirties (W. S. Long, 1936, MS), in Oberlin, Decatur County in 1908-1914 (Wolfe,loc. cit.), and presently in Ottawa, Franklin County (Hardy, 1961).Blue Jay:Cyanocitta cristata bromiaOberholser.—This resident is common throughout Kansas in woodland habitats. Most first-year birds move south in winter, but adults tend to be strictly permanent residents. Groups of ten to more than 50 individuals can be seen moving south in October and north in April. All individuals taken from such mobile groups are in first-year feather.Breeding schedule.—Eighty-three records of breeding span the period April 10 to July 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date of egg-laying is May 15, and about 50 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period May 11-31.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.1, 3-6; 15).Nests are placed from eight to 70 feet high (averaging 24 feet) in forks, crotches, and on horizontal limbs of elm, maple, osage orange, cottonwood, and ash.Black-billed Magpie:Pica pica hudsonia(Sabine).—This resident is common in western Kansas, along riparian groves and woodland edge. Records of nesting are from as far east as Clay County. Wolfe (1961) outlines the history of magpies in Decatur County as follows: the species was purported to have appeared in rural districts near Oberlin in 1918, but Wolfe saw the birds only by 1921, at which time he also found the first (used) nests. The first reported occupied nest was one in Hamilton County in 1925 (Linsdale, 1926). Earlier records, chiefly of occurrence in winter, can be found in Goss (1891).Breeding schedule.—Fourteen records of breeding span the period April 11 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 15.Number of eggs.—There are no data on clutch-size in Kansas; elsewhere Black-billed Magpies lay 3 to 9 eggs, and clutches of 7 are found most frequently (Linsdale, 1937:104).Nests are placed from 10 to 18 feet high (averaging 13 feet) in forks or lateral masses of branches in cottonwood, box elder, ash, and willow.White-necked Raven:Corvus cryptoleucusCouch.—This summer resident is common in western Kansas, probably occupying locally favorable sites in prairie grassland and woodland edge west of a line from Smith to Seward counties. The species is known to nest in Cheyenne, Sherman, and Finney counties.Breeding schedule.—There are few data from Kansas; Aldous (1942) states that the birds begin activities leading to building sometime in April in Oklahoma; the peak of egg-laying probably occurs in May, which coincides with the records from Kansas.Number of eggs.—Outside Kansas, this species lays 3 to 7 eggs; these figures seem applicable to Kansas, where brood sizes are known to run from 1 to 7 young.Nests are placed about 20 feet high in cottonwood and other trees.Common Crow:Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchosBrehm.—This resident is common in most of Kansas, but numbers are lower in the west. Distribution in the breeding season is west at least to Cheyenne, Logan, and Meade counties.Breeding schedule.—Sixty-nine records of breeding span the period March 10 to May 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is April 5, and 60 per cent of all eggs are laid between March 21 and April 10.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.2, 3-5; 19).Nests are placed about 20 feet high in crotches near trunks or heavy branches of such trees as red cedar, elm, oak, osage orange, cottonwood, honey locust, box elder, and pine.Black-capped Chickadee:Parus atricapillusLinnaeus.—This resident is common north of the southernmost tier of counties, in forested and wooded areas.P. a. atricapillusLinnaeus occurs chiefly east of the 98th meridian, andP. a. septentrionalisHarris occurs west of this; a broad zone of intergradation exists between these two subspecies.Breeding schedule.—Fifty-one records of breeding span the period March 21 to June 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date for laying is April 15, and 64 per cent of all eggs are laid between April 11 and 30.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.4, 4-7; 10).Nests are placed in cavities about ten feet high (ranging from four to 20 feet) in willow, elm, cottonwood, honey locust, apricot, or nestboxes placed by man.Fig 7.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of crows, chickadees, wrens, thrashers, thrushes, and their alliesFig.7.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of crows, chickadees, wrens, thrashers, thrushes, and their allies in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.Carolina Chickadee:Parus carolinensis atricapilloidesLunk.—This resident is common in the southernmost tier of counties, from Comanche County east, in forest and woodland edge. Actual records of breeding are from Barber and Montgomery counties.Breeding schedule.—There are no data on breeding of this species in Kansas.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.Nests are placed in cavities of trees.Tufted Titmouse:Paras bicolorLinnaeus.—This resident is common in the eastern half of Kansas, in woodlands. Specimens taken in the breeding season and nesting records come from east of a line running through Cloud, Harvey, and Sumner counties, and the species probably breeds in Barber County.Breeding schedule.—Twenty-two records of breeding span the period March 21 to June 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date for laying is April 25, and 54 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period April 11 to 30.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 to 5 eggs (4.5; 6).Nests are placed in cavities about 12 feet high (ranging from three to 30 feet) in elm, oak, cottonwood, hackberry, redbud, osage orange, and nestboxes placed by man.White-breasted Nuthatch:Sitta carolinensisLatham.—This resident in eastern Kansas, in well-developed woodland, is uncommon.S. c. cookeiOberholser occurs east of a line running through Douglas and Cherokee counties, on the basis of specimens taken in the breeding season and actual nesting records, andS. c. carolinensisLatham occurs in Montgomery and Labette counties.S. c. nelsoniMearns has been recorded in Morton County but probably does not breed there.Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid in March and April; young have been recorded being fed by parents throughout May.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is between 5 and 10 eggs.Nests are placed in cavities about 30 feet high in elm and sycamore.House Wren:Troglodytes aedon parkmaniiAudubon.—This summer resident is common in the east and uncommon in the west. Preferred habitat is in woodland, brushland, and urban parkland. House Wrens arrive in eastern Kansas in the period April 3 to 27 (the median is April 19), and are last seen in autumn in the period September 19 to October 13 (the median is September 30).Breeding schedule.—The 116 records of breeding span the period April 11 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date of laying is May 20. About 45 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period May 11 to 31.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 7 eggs (5.8, 3-7; 20). Clutches laid in May average 6.1 eggs (4-7; 14); those laid in June and July average 5.0 eggs (3-7; 6).Nests are placed in cavities about ten feet high (ranging from two to 50 feet) in cottonwood, elm, willow, and a wide variety of structures, mostly nestboxes, built by man.Bewick Wren:Thryomanes bewickiiAudubon.—This wren is an uncommon resident in Kansas, except for the northeastern quarter, in woodland understoryand brushland.T. b. bewickiiAudubon occurs north and east of stations in Riley, Pottawatomie, Douglas, and Linn counties, andT. b. cryptusOberholser is found south of stations in Greeley, Stafford, and Linn counties; a zone of intergradation occurs between the two named populations. The species occupies marginal habitat in most of Kansas and periodically is reduced in numbers by severe winters.Breeding schedule.—Twenty-two records of breeding span the period March 21 to July 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 15 and for second clutches June 15.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.5, 5-7; 12).Nests are placed in crevices about five feet high (ranging from zero to nine feet) in trees (oak, cherry, and pear), boulders, and a wide variety of structures, some of them nestboxes, built by man; appropriation and modification of nests of Barn Swallows is known to occur.Carolina Wren:Thryothorus ludovicianus ludovicianusLatham.—This common resident of southeastern Kansas in woodland understory and brushland is uncommon in the northeastern and south-central sectors. Stations of breeding all fall east of a line running through Doniphan, Riley, and western Reno counties. North and west of southeastern Kansas the Carolina Wren is in marginal habitat and periodically is reduced in numbers by severe winters.Breeding schedule.—Fourteen records of breeding span the period April 11 to August 10; the modal date for laying is April 15, to judge only from the present sample. The species probably breeds also in late March and early April.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.2, 3-8; 9).Nests are placed near the ground in stumps, and a wide variety of structures built by man, or in crevices in earthen banks.Long-billed Marsh Wren:Telmatodytes palustris dissaëptus(Bangs).—This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas in and around marshes. Presumably breeding individuals occur east of stations in Doniphan, Shawnee, and Sedgwick counties, but actual records of breeding come only from Doniphan County (Linsdale, 1928:505). First dates of arrival in spring run from April 19 to 29 (the median is April 22), and dates of last autumnal occurrence are from September 26 to October 31 (the median is October 8).Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid from May to August.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 or 6 eggs; the range is from 3 to 10 (Welter, 1935).Nests are woven of broad-bladed grasses, usually no farther than two feet from water or mud, suspended in vertical plant stalks or branches in marshes.Short-billed Marsh Wren:Cistothorus platensis stellaris(Nauman).—This rare and irregular summer resident in northeastern Kansas occurs in wet meadowland. Breeding records are available from Douglas and Coffey counties. Temporal occurrence in the State is at least from April 29 to October 25; early dates are most likely of transients.Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid in late July and August.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 6 or 7 eggs.Nests are woven of plant fibers and placed in vertically-running stalks and stems of grasses and short, woody vegetation, within two feet of the ground.Rock Wren:Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus(Say).—This species is a common summer resident in western Kansas, in open, rocky country. Specimens taken in the breeding season and actual nests found come from west of stations in Decatur, Trego, and Comanche counties. Dates of occurrence are from April 2 to October 25. Autumnal, postbreeding movement brings the species east at least to Cloud County (October 7, 8, and 12) and Douglas County (October 25).Breeding schedule.—Sixteen records of breeding span the period May 11 to July 20; the modal date for egg-laying is June 15.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.6, 3-7; 5).Nests are placed in holes in rocks, occasionally in rodent burrows, from ground level to 80 feet high on faces of cliffs, but there averaging about 20 feet.Northern Mockingbird:Mimus polyglottos(Linnaeus).—This is a common resident in parkland and brushy savannah throughout Kansas.M. p. polyglottos(Linnaeus) occurs in the east, andM. p. leucopterus(Vigors) in the west; a broad zone of intergradation exists between the two. Most specimens from Kansas are of intermediate morphology.Breeding schedule.—Sixty-nine records of breeding span the period April 21 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is June 5, but is weakly indicated in the histogram (Fig. 7).Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.5, 3-5; 27). Size of clutch does not vary seasonally or geographically in the present sample.Nests are placed about four feet high (two to 10 feet) in osage orange, red cedar, mulberry, scotch pine, catalpa, cottonwood, rose, and arbor vitae.Catbird:Dumetella carolinensis(Linnaeus).—This is a common summer resident in the eastern half of Kansas, but is local in the west, in and near woodland edge and second-growth. First dates of arrival in spring are from April 25 to May 14 (the median is May 6), and last dates of autumnal occurrence are between September 20 and November 16 (the median is September 26).Breeding schedule.—Seventy-seven records of breeding span the period May 11 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is May 25, and 57 per cent of all clutches are laid from May 21 to June 10.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.3, 2-5; 43). Clutches laid between May 11 and June 10 tend to be of 4 eggs (3.5, 2-5; 27), and clutches laid between June 11 and July 31 tend to be of 3 eggs (2.9, 2-4; 16).Nests are placed about four feet high in shrubs (rose, lilac, plum, elderberry) and about seven feet high in trees (red cedar, honey locust, willow, elm, apple, and in vines in such trees).Brown Thrasher:Toxostoma rufum(Linnaeus).—This is a common summer resident in woodland understory, edge, and second-growth.T. r. rufum(Linnaeus) occurs in eastern Kansas, to the western edge of the Flint Hills, andT. r. longicaudaBaird occurs west of stations in Decatur, Lane, and Meade counties; the intervening populations are of intermediate morphologic character. Some individuals overwinter in Kansas, but most are regular migrants and summer residents, arriving in spring from April 1 to April 25 (themedian is April 19), and departing in autumn between September 19 and October 13 (the median is September 28).Breeding schedule.—The 237 records of breeding span the period May 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is May 15, and one-third of all eggs are laid in the period May 11 to 20.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs, ranging from 2 to 5. Seasonal variation and mean values are shown inTable 15.Nests are placed about four feet high (ranging from 12/3to 15 feet) in osage orange, elm, ornamental evergreens, gooseberry, barberry, honey locust, cottonwood, red cedar, rose, plum, honeysuckle, spirea, arbor vitae, willow, oak, apple, dogwood, and maple.Table 15.—Seasonal Variation in Clutch-size of the Brown ThrasherTimeMean clutch-sizeNumber of recordsMay 1-103.315May 10-203.938May 21-314.113June 1-103.513June 11-203.512June 21-303.49July 1-1031July 11-2031All:3.63102Robin:Turdus migratorius migratoriusLinnaeus.—This summer resident is common in the east, and is locally common in the west. Some individuals, usually in small groups, can be seen throughout the winter in eastern Kansas, and their presence makes it difficult to document dates of arrival and departure of the strictly summer resident birds; these can be said to arrive in March and to leave in October, but these indications are the barest approximations.Breeding schedule.—The 334 records of breeding span the period April 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date of laying of first clutches is April 25, but subsequent peaks are indistinct. Nearly half of all eggs are laid in the period April 11 to 30.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.6, 3-6; 57). Clutches laid prior to May 10 average 3.6 eggs (3-6; 47), and those laid subsequent to May 10 average 3.5 eggs (3-4; 10).Nests are placed about 13 feet from the ground (ranging from two to 30 feet) in elm, ornamental conifers, fruit trees, cottonwood, mulberry, walnut, hackberry, oak, ash, maple, osage orange, and coffeeberry. Robins rarely nest in manmade structures, such as on rafters in sheds and barns, on bridge stringers, and, exceptionally, on electrical utility pole installations.Wood Thrush:Hylocichla mustelina(Gmelin).—This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas, presently absent from the State west of stations in Cloud and Barber counties. Preferred habitat is found in understory of forest and woodland. Wood Thrushes appear to have nested in small numbers as far west as Oberlin, Decatur County (Wolfe, 1961), some 50 years ago, but have since disappeared from such places, probably as a resultof progressive modification of watershed and riparian timber by man. First dates of arrival in spring are from April 19 to May 20 (the median is May 9), and departure southward is in the period September 3 to October 1 (the median is September 15).Breeding schedule.—Thirty-eight records of breeding fall in the period May 11 to August 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5 for first clutches. Fifty-five per cent of all eggs are laid between May 21 and June 10.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.4, 3-4; 9).Nests are placed about 11 feet high in elm, dogwood, willow, linden, and oak.Eastern Bluebird:Sialia sialis sialis(Linnaeus).—This locally common resident and summer resident in eastern Kansas, is only casual west of Comanche County, in open parkland and woodland edge.Breeding schedule.—Fifty-four records of breeding span the period April 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 25 and for second clutches is June 5.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.9, 4-6; 15).Nests are placed in cavities about eight feet high in trees (elm, box elder, fruit trees, willow, and ash), and about four feet high in stumps, fence posts, and nestboxes placed by man.Blue-gray Gnatcatcher:Polioptila caerulea caerulea(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas in brushy woodland, edge, and second growth. Specimens taken in the breeding season and nesting records come from east of stations in Riley and Cowley counties, but there is a breeding specimen from Oklahoma just south of Harper County, Kansas. The species is present from March 30 to September 18.Breeding schedule.—Twelve records of breeding span the period April 20 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 10.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.Nests are placed in forks or on limbs about 17 feet high in oak, elm, honey locust, red haw, pecan, and walnut.Cedar Waxwing:Bombycilla cedrorumVieillot.—This waxwing is a rare, local, and highly irregular summer resident in northeastern Kansas, in woodland and forest edge habitats. The known nesting stations are in Wyandotte and Shawnee counties; six nests have been found in the period 1949 to 1960. The species has been recorded in all months.Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid in June and early July.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (Davie, 1898).Nests are placed four to 24 feet high in a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs.Loggerhead Shrike:Lanius ludovicianusLinnaeus.—This common resident and summer resident favors open country with scattered shrubs and thickets.L. l. migransPalmer occurs in eastern Kansas, west to about the 96th meridian, andL. l. excubitoridesGrinnell occurs in western Kansas, east to about the 100th meridian; populations of intermediate character occupy central Kansas. These shrikes tend to be resident in southern counties, but are migratory in the north. Dates of spring arrival in Cloud County are between March 9 and31 (the median is March 21) and the birds leave southward between October 19 and December 19 (the median is November 1).Breeding schedule.—Fifty-seven records of breeding span the period April 1 to June 30 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is April 15.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.3, 4-7; 32). There is no seasonal variation in the sample.Nests are placed about six feet high (ranging from four to 10 feet) in osage orange, small pines, honeysuckle vines, and elm.Starling:Sturnus vulgarisLinnaeus.—This species is a common resident in towns and around farms, foraging in open fields of various kinds. Starlings (introduced into North America from European stocks ofS. v. vulgaris) first appeared in eastern Kansas in the early 1930s and were established as successful residents by 1935 or 1936. Occupancy of Kansas to the west took only a few years. There are no specimens taken in the breeding season or actual nesting records from southwest of Ellis and Stafford counties; Starlings seem to be resident in Cheyenne County, but no nesting record exists from there.Breeding schedule.—Sixty-seven records of breeding span the period March 1 to June 30 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 15, and for second clutches is June 5.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.2, 4-8; 19).Nests are placed about 22 feet high (ranging from eight to 50 feet) in crevices in elm, locust, hackberry, nestboxes placed by man, and in a variety of other structures of man.Black-capped Vireo:Vireo atricapillaWoodhouse.—This was a summer resident, apparently of limited distribution but in good numbers, in Comanche County, in oak woodland and brushland edge. No specimens have been taken in Kansas since 1885.Breeding schedule.—Eggs are probably laid in May and June. Goss (1891:351) found a nest under construction on May 11, 1885, and this is the only nesting record of the species in the State.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (Davie, 1898).Nests are placed low, perhaps around four feet high, in deciduous trees and shrubs (Davie,op. cit.).White-eyed Vireo:Vireo griseus noveboracensis(Gmelin).—This is a local summer resident in eastern Kansas, in woodland and forest edge. Stations of breeding occurrence are in Doniphan, Douglas, Johnson, Anderson, Labette, and Montgomery counties. The species is present within the extreme dates of April 23 to October 5 (Table 16).Breeding schedule.—Ten records of breeding span the period May 10 to June 30; the modal date for egg-laying is June 10. The present sample is not adequate to indicate extreme or modal dates with reasonable accuracy.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.6, 3-4; 5).Nests are placed relatively low in forks in trees and shrubs.Bell Vireo:Vireo bellii belliiAudubon.—This summer resident is common in riparian thickets and second-growth scrub. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 16.Breeding schedule.—Sixty-six records of breeding span the period May 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is May 25, and a little under 40 per cent of all eggs are laid in the period May 21-31. Renesting following disruption of first nests is regular, and the small peak in the histogram in the period June 11-20 is representative of this.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.6, 3-6; 21). Clutches in May have an average of 3.7 eggs, and those in June and July 3.6 eggs.Nests are placed about two feet high (ranging from one to five feet) in terminal or lateral forks of small branches in elm, hackberry, osage orange, coralberry, dogwood, plum, honey locust, mulberry, willow, cottonwood, and box elder.Yellow-throated Vireo:Vireo flavifronsVieillot.—This is a rare and local summer resident in deciduous forest and woodland in eastern Kansas. Stations of breeding occurrence fall east of Shawnee and Woodson counties. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 16.Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid at least in May.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.Nests are placed 16 to 30 feet high in forks of mature deciduous trees.Red-eyed Vireo:Vireo olivaceus olivaceus(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in the east, but is local and less abundant in the west, in woodland and deciduous forest. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 16.Breeding schedule.—Eight records of breeding fall in the period May 21 to July 31; most records of egg-laying are in the first week of June.Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.0, 3-5; 5).Nests are placed in forks of mature deciduous trees, usually fairly high—perhaps 15 to 25 feet (Davie, 1898).
Fig 5.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, woodpeckers, and flycatchersFig.5.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, woodpeckers, and flycatchers in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.
Red-headed Woodpecker:Melanerpes erythrocephalus(Linnaeus).—This is a common summer resident and uncommon permanent resident in open woodland; in winter it is noted especially around groves of oaks.M. e. erythrocephalus(Linnaeus) occurs in eastern Kansas andM. e. caurinusBrodkorb occurs in central and western Kansas.
Breeding schedule.—Fifty-eight records of breeding span the period May 1 to August 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 or 4 eggs.
Nests are of wood chips in cavities excavated about 25 feet high in willow, cottonwood, and elm.
Hairy Woodpecker:Dendrocopos villosus villosus(Linnaeus).—This resident is common in woodlands throughout the State.
Breeding schedule.—Twenty-eight records of breeding span the period March 21 to May 30 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is May 5.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.
Nests are of wood chips in cavities excavated about 13 feet high in elm, honey locust, and ash.
Downy Woodpecker:Dendrocopos pubescens(Linnaeus).—This resident is common in woodland throughout the State.D. p. pubescens(Linnaeus) occurs in southeastern Kansas, andD. p. medianus(Swainson) in the remainder.
Breeding schedule.—Forty-one records of breeding span the period April 11 to June 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is May 5.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.
Nests are of wood chips in cavities excavated about 20 feet high in willow, honey locust, ash, apple, and pear.
Eastern Kingbird:Tyrannus tyrannus(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common throughout the east; it is local in the west but there maintains conspicuous numbers in favorable places, such as riparian woodland; preferred habitat in eastern sectors is typically in woodland edge. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.
Breeding season.—Sixty-three dates of egg-laying span the period May 11 to July 20 (Fig. 5); the modal date for completion of clutches is June 15. Nearly 70 per cent of all eggs are laid in June.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.3, 2-3; 10). Clutches are probably larger than the average in May and smaller in June and July.
Nests are placed in crotches, terminal forks, and some on tops of limbs, about 16 feet high, in elm, sycamore, honey locust, willow, oak, apple, and red cedar.
Western Kingbird:Tyrannus verticalisSay.—This summer resident is common in the west, but is local and less abundant in the east. Preferred habitat is in woodland edge, open country with scatteredtrees, and in towns. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.Breeding schedule.—The 124 dates of egg-laying span the period May 11 to July 31 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is June 15. More than 70 per cent of all clutches are laid in June.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.6, 3-4; 8).
Nests are placed in crotches, lateral forks, or on horizontal limbs, about 26 feet high, in cottonwood, elm, osage orange, hackberry, honey locust, mulberry, oak, and on power poles.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher:Muscivora forficata(Gmelin).—This summer resident is common in central and southern Kansas; it is rare to absent in the northwestern sector, and is local in the northeast. Preferred habitat is in open country with scattered trees. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.
Breeding schedule.—Twenty-eight records of breeding occur from May 21 to July 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date of egg-laying is June 25. The present sample of records is small, and there is otherwise no evidence suggesting that the breeding schedule of this species differs from those of the other two kingbirds in Kansas.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.2, 2-5; 17). Mean clutch-size for the first peak of laying shown in Figure 5 is 4.0 eggs; that for the second peak is 2.7 eggs.
Nests are placed in forks or on horizontal limbs of osage orange, red haw, elm, and on crosspieces of power poles, about 15 feet high (ranging from five to 35 feet).
Table 13.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident Flycatchers in KansasSpeciesArrivalDepartureRangeMedianRangeMedianEastern KingbirdApr. 22-Apr. 30Apr. 28Sept. 1-Sept. 24Sept. 13Western KingbirdApr. 23-Apr. 30Apr. 28Sept. 1-Sept. 26Sept. 8Scissor-tailed FlycatcherApr. 15-Apr. 28Apr. 18Sept. 21-Oct. 22Oct. 12Great Crested FlycatcherApr. 15-May 4Apr. 29Sept. 1-Sept. 21Sept. 9Eastern PhoebeMar. 3-Mar. 31Mar. 22Oct. 3-Oct. 27Oct. 9Say PhoebeApr. 4-Apr. 22Apr. 12................Acadian FlycatcherApr. 30-May 19May 9Sept. 3-Sept. 17Sept. 4Eastern Wood PeweeApr. 2-May 28May 19Aug. 30-Sept. 18Sept. 6
Table 13.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident Flycatchers in Kansas
Great Crested Flycatcher:Myiarchus crinitus boreusBangs.—This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas, but is less numerous in the west. Preferred habitat is in woodland and woodland edge. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.
Breeding schedule.—The twenty-two records of egg-laying are in the period May 11 to July 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is June 5. The shape of the histogram (Fig. 5) indicates that some breeding for which records are lacking occurs earlier in May.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.8, 4-6; 6).
Nests are placed in hollows and crevices in elm, maple, cottonwood, willow, pear, apple, oak, drain spouts, and, occasionally, "bird houses" made by man, about 17 feet high (four to 45 feet high).
Eastern Phoebe:Sayornis phoebe(Latham).—This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas, but is local in the west. Preferred habitat is in woodland edge and riparian groves, where most birds are found near bridges, culverts, or isolated outbuildings of man. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.
Breeding schedule.—The 136 records of breeding span the period March 21 to July 20 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is April 25 (for first clutches) and June 5 (for second clutches); this species seems to be the only double-brooded flycatcher in Kansas.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 to 5 eggs (4.2, 3-5; 58). The seasonal progression in clutch-size can be summarized as follows:
Nests are placed on horizontal, vertical, or overhanging surfaces of culverts, bridges, houses of man, earthen cliffs, rocky ledges, and entrances to caves, at an average height of 7.8 feet.
Say Phoebe:Sayornis saya saya(Bonaparte).—This is a common summer resident in western Kansas, breeding at least east to Cloud County, in open country. Occurrence in time is listed inTable 13.
Breeding schedule.—Ten records of breeding fall in the period May 1 to July 20; the modal date for egg-laying is in late May.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.
Nests are placed under bridges, in houses, or on cliffsides and earthen banks.
Acadian Flycatcher:Empidonax virescens(Vieillot).—This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas, in woodland and riparian habitats. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.
Breeding schedule.—The available records of breeding by this species in Kansas are too few to indicate reliably the span of the breeding season. Information on hand suggests that Acadian Flycatchers lay most eggs in late May or early June, and this places their nesting peak some 10 to 20 days earlier than peaks for Wood Pewees and Traill Flycatchers.
Number of eggs.—Five records show 3 eggs each.
Nests are placed about six feet high on terminal twigs of oak and alder.
Traill Flycatcher:Empidonax traillii traillii(Audubon).—This flycatcher has only recently been found nesting within Kansas; the species is not included in analyses above. Twenty-three nesting records are here reported, for the species in Kansas City, Jackson and Platte counties, Missouri. Most of these records are from within a few hundred yards of the political boundary of Kansas. The Traill Flycatcher is a local summer resident in extreme northeastern Kansas (Doniphan County), in wet woodland and riparian groves.Temporal occurrence is not well-documented; first dates run from May 19 to 25; the last dates of annual occurrence, possibly not all for transients, run from August 14 to September 24.
Breeding schedule.—Twenty-three records of breeding are from May 21 to July 10 (Fig. 5); the modal date for egg-laying is June 15.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.4, 2-5; 22).
Nests are placed in forks, crotches, and occasionally near trunks, chiefly of willow, from 4.5 to 12 feet high (averaging six feet).
Eastern Wood Pewee:Contopus virens(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in the east, but is rare in the west. Preferred habitat is in edge of forest and woodland. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 13.
Breeding schedule.—Nineteen dates of egg-laying span the period June 1 to July 20 (Fig. 5); the modal date for completion of clutches is June 15, and more than half of all clutches are laid in the period June 11 to 20.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 3 eggs.
Nests are placed on upper surfaces of horizontal limbs of oak, elm, and sycamore, about 22 feet high.
Horned Lark:Eremophila alpestris(Linnaeus).—Breeding populations are resident in open country with short or cropped vegetation.E. a. praticola(Henshaw) lives in the east, andE. a. enthymia(Oberholser) in the west.
Breeding schedule.—Twenty-one records of breeding span the period March 11 to June 10 (Fig. 6); the modal date for egg-laying is March 25. The histogram (Fig. 6) is constructed on a clearly inadequate sample, and records of breeding both earlier and later are to be expected. The peak of first nesting activity is probably reasonably well-indicated by the available records.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.6, 3-5; 16).
Nests are placed on the ground, usually amid short vegetation such as cropped prairie grassland or cultivated fields (notably soybeans and wheat), and occasionally on bare ground.
Table 14.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident Swallows in KansasSpeciesArrivalDepartureRangeMedianRangeMedianTree SwallowApr. 5-Apr. 30Apr. 24Sept. 30-Oct. 21Oct. 8Bank SwallowApr. 9-May 19May 7Sept. 3-Sept. 20Sept. 10Rough-winged SwallowMar. 29-May 30Apr. 22Sept. 23-Oct. 21Oct. 10Cliff SwallowApr. 14-May 27May 11Sept. 3-Oct. 25Sept. 11Barn SwallowMar. 31-Apr. 29Apr. 21Sept. 22-Oct. 25Oct. 7Purple MartinMar. 5-Apr. 9Mar. 26Aug. 28-Sept. 23Sept. 3
Table 14.—Occurrence in Time of Summer Resident Swallows in Kansas
Tree Swallow:Iridoprocne bicolor(Vieillot).—This is a summer resident in extreme northeastern Kansas; nesting birds have been found only along the Missouri River in Doniphan County. Habitat is in open woodland, and in Kansas is always associated with water. Temporal occurrence in the State is indicated inTable 14.
Breeding schedule.—Eight records of breeding span the period May 21 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 25. The small sample may not accurately reflect the peak of nesting activity.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 or 6 eggs (5.5, 5-6; 4).
Nests are placed chiefly in abandoned woodpecker diggings in willows, four to ten feet high, over water.
Bank Swallow:Riparia riparia riparia(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common wherever cut-banks suitable for nesting activities allow relatively undisturbed behavior. The species is almost always found near water. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.
Breeding schedule.—Sixty records of breeding span the period May 11 to June 20 (Fig. 6); the modal date for completion of clutches is June 5.
Nearly 75 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period May 21 to June 10. Under unusual circumstances time of breeding can be greatly delayed; such circumstances occurred in 1961 in many places along the Kansas River in eastern Kansas, where the soft, sandy-clay banks were repeatedly washed away in May and June by high water undercutting the cliffs. Bank Swallows attempted to work on burrows in late May, but stabilization of the banks occurred only by late June, and the peak of egg-laying for many colonies was around July 12. Records for 1961 are omitted from the sample used here (Fig. 6).
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.8, 3-7; 60). Yearly clutch-size at one colony 3 miles east of Lawrence, Douglas County, is as follows:
1959:5.2, 19 records1960:5.0, 12 records1961:3.7, 11 records1962:4.8, 18 records
The sample for 1961 is that taken in early July when breeding occurred after a delay of more than a month, as described above.
Nesting chambers are excavated in sandy-clay banks, piles of sand, piles of sawdust, or similar sites, at ends of tunnels one to more than three feet in depth from the vertical face of the substrate.
Rough-winged Swallow:Stelgidopteryx ruficollis serripennis(Audubon).—This summer resident is common in most places; it is not restricted to a single habitat, but needs some sort of earthen or other substrate with ready-made burrows for nesting. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.
Breeding schedule.—The 14 records of breeding are in the period May 11 to June 30; the modal date of egg-laying is June 5. Seventy per cent of all eggs are laid in the period May 21 to June 10.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.0, 4-6; 4).
Nesting chambers are in old burrows of Bank Swallows, Kingfishers, rodents, or in crevices remaining subsequent to decomposition of roots of plants; frequently this swallow uses a side chamber off the main tunnel, near the mouth, of a burrow abandoned or still in use by the other species mentioned above.
Cliff Swallow:Petrochelidon pyrrhonota pyrrhonota(Vieillot).—This common summer resident occurs wherever suitable sites for nests are found. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.
Breeding schedule.—The 610 records of breeding span the period May 21 to June 30 (Fig. 6); the modal date for egg-laying is June 5, and 85 per centof all clutches are laid from May 21 to June 10. Such synchronous breeding activity is probably a function of strong coloniality with attendant "social facilitation" of breeding behavior.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.9, 3-7; 7).
Nests are built in mud jugs plastered to vertical rock faces, bridges, culverts, and buildings from a few feet to more than 100 feet above the ground.
Fig 6.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Horned Lark and swallowsFig.6.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of the Horned Lark and swallows in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.
Barn Swallow:Hirundo rustica erythrogasterBoddaert.—This summer resident is common in most habitats, occurring chiefly about cultivated fields and pastures. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.
Breeding schedule.—Sixty-three records of breeding in northern Kansas span the period May 1 to July 31 (Fig. 6); the modal date for completion of first clutches is May 25, and that for the second is July 5. The schedule of breeding in southern Kansas (chiefly Cowley County), to judge by 41 records, conforms to the one for northern Kansas: the season spans the period May 1 to August 10, and the modal date for first clutches is May 15. The ten-day lag in peak of first clutches of the northern over the southern sample is about what would be expected on the basis of differential inception of the biological growing season from south to north each spring.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size does not vary geographically, to judge only from the present samples, and all are included in the listing to follow. The modal size of clutches is 5 eggs (4.7, 3-7; 43); clutches from the period May 1 to 30 show an average of 5.0 eggs, from June 1 to 20 an average of 4.9 eggs, and from June 21 to August 10, 4.4 eggs.
Nests are usually placed on horizontal surfaces in barns, sheds, or other such structures; more rarely they are put on bridges, and less frequently yet on vertical walls of culverts or sheds.
Purple Martin:Progne subis subis(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in the east but rare in the west. The only documented colony west of the 99th meridian was in Oberlin, Decatur County (Wolfe, 1961), occupied some 50 years ago. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 14.
Breeding schedule.—The breeding season spans the period May 11 to June 20 (Fig. 6); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5, and 57 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period June 1 to 10.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.2, 3-6; 33). Mean clutch-size is 4.3 eggs in May and 4.2 in June. Adults tend to lay clutches of 5 eggs and first-year birds clutches of 4. Replacement clutches by birds of any age tend to be of 3 eggs.
Nests are built of sticks and mud placed in cavities; in Kansas these are almost always in colony houses erected by man. Use of holes and crevices in old buildings is known to have occurred on the campus of The University of Kansas in the nineteen thirties (W. S. Long, 1936, MS), in Oberlin, Decatur County in 1908-1914 (Wolfe,loc. cit.), and presently in Ottawa, Franklin County (Hardy, 1961).
Blue Jay:Cyanocitta cristata bromiaOberholser.—This resident is common throughout Kansas in woodland habitats. Most first-year birds move south in winter, but adults tend to be strictly permanent residents. Groups of ten to more than 50 individuals can be seen moving south in October and north in April. All individuals taken from such mobile groups are in first-year feather.
Breeding schedule.—Eighty-three records of breeding span the period April 10 to July 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date of egg-laying is May 15, and about 50 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period May 11-31.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.1, 3-6; 15).
Nests are placed from eight to 70 feet high (averaging 24 feet) in forks, crotches, and on horizontal limbs of elm, maple, osage orange, cottonwood, and ash.
Black-billed Magpie:Pica pica hudsonia(Sabine).—This resident is common in western Kansas, along riparian groves and woodland edge. Records of nesting are from as far east as Clay County. Wolfe (1961) outlines the history of magpies in Decatur County as follows: the species was purported to have appeared in rural districts near Oberlin in 1918, but Wolfe saw the birds only by 1921, at which time he also found the first (used) nests. The first reported occupied nest was one in Hamilton County in 1925 (Linsdale, 1926). Earlier records, chiefly of occurrence in winter, can be found in Goss (1891).
Breeding schedule.—Fourteen records of breeding span the period April 11 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 15.
Number of eggs.—There are no data on clutch-size in Kansas; elsewhere Black-billed Magpies lay 3 to 9 eggs, and clutches of 7 are found most frequently (Linsdale, 1937:104).
Nests are placed from 10 to 18 feet high (averaging 13 feet) in forks or lateral masses of branches in cottonwood, box elder, ash, and willow.
White-necked Raven:Corvus cryptoleucusCouch.—This summer resident is common in western Kansas, probably occupying locally favorable sites in prairie grassland and woodland edge west of a line from Smith to Seward counties. The species is known to nest in Cheyenne, Sherman, and Finney counties.
Breeding schedule.—There are few data from Kansas; Aldous (1942) states that the birds begin activities leading to building sometime in April in Oklahoma; the peak of egg-laying probably occurs in May, which coincides with the records from Kansas.
Number of eggs.—Outside Kansas, this species lays 3 to 7 eggs; these figures seem applicable to Kansas, where brood sizes are known to run from 1 to 7 young.
Nests are placed about 20 feet high in cottonwood and other trees.
Common Crow:Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchosBrehm.—This resident is common in most of Kansas, but numbers are lower in the west. Distribution in the breeding season is west at least to Cheyenne, Logan, and Meade counties.
Breeding schedule.—Sixty-nine records of breeding span the period March 10 to May 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is April 5, and 60 per cent of all eggs are laid between March 21 and April 10.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.2, 3-5; 19).
Nests are placed about 20 feet high in crotches near trunks or heavy branches of such trees as red cedar, elm, oak, osage orange, cottonwood, honey locust, box elder, and pine.
Black-capped Chickadee:Parus atricapillusLinnaeus.—This resident is common north of the southernmost tier of counties, in forested and wooded areas.P. a. atricapillusLinnaeus occurs chiefly east of the 98th meridian, andP. a. septentrionalisHarris occurs west of this; a broad zone of intergradation exists between these two subspecies.Breeding schedule.—Fifty-one records of breeding span the period March 21 to June 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date for laying is April 15, and 64 per cent of all eggs are laid between April 11 and 30.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.4, 4-7; 10).
Nests are placed in cavities about ten feet high (ranging from four to 20 feet) in willow, elm, cottonwood, honey locust, apricot, or nestboxes placed by man.
Fig 7.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of crows, chickadees, wrens, thrashers, thrushes, and their alliesFig.7.—Histograms representing breeding schedules of crows, chickadees, wrens, thrashers, thrushes, and their allies in Kansas. See legend to Figure 1 for explanation of histograms.
Carolina Chickadee:Parus carolinensis atricapilloidesLunk.—This resident is common in the southernmost tier of counties, from Comanche County east, in forest and woodland edge. Actual records of breeding are from Barber and Montgomery counties.
Breeding schedule.—There are no data on breeding of this species in Kansas.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.
Nests are placed in cavities of trees.
Tufted Titmouse:Paras bicolorLinnaeus.—This resident is common in the eastern half of Kansas, in woodlands. Specimens taken in the breeding season and nesting records come from east of a line running through Cloud, Harvey, and Sumner counties, and the species probably breeds in Barber County.
Breeding schedule.—Twenty-two records of breeding span the period March 21 to June 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date for laying is April 25, and 54 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period April 11 to 30.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 to 5 eggs (4.5; 6).
Nests are placed in cavities about 12 feet high (ranging from three to 30 feet) in elm, oak, cottonwood, hackberry, redbud, osage orange, and nestboxes placed by man.
White-breasted Nuthatch:Sitta carolinensisLatham.—This resident in eastern Kansas, in well-developed woodland, is uncommon.S. c. cookeiOberholser occurs east of a line running through Douglas and Cherokee counties, on the basis of specimens taken in the breeding season and actual nesting records, andS. c. carolinensisLatham occurs in Montgomery and Labette counties.S. c. nelsoniMearns has been recorded in Morton County but probably does not breed there.
Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid in March and April; young have been recorded being fed by parents throughout May.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is between 5 and 10 eggs.
Nests are placed in cavities about 30 feet high in elm and sycamore.
House Wren:Troglodytes aedon parkmaniiAudubon.—This summer resident is common in the east and uncommon in the west. Preferred habitat is in woodland, brushland, and urban parkland. House Wrens arrive in eastern Kansas in the period April 3 to 27 (the median is April 19), and are last seen in autumn in the period September 19 to October 13 (the median is September 30).
Breeding schedule.—The 116 records of breeding span the period April 11 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date of laying is May 20. About 45 per cent of all clutches are laid in the period May 11 to 31.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 7 eggs (5.8, 3-7; 20). Clutches laid in May average 6.1 eggs (4-7; 14); those laid in June and July average 5.0 eggs (3-7; 6).
Nests are placed in cavities about ten feet high (ranging from two to 50 feet) in cottonwood, elm, willow, and a wide variety of structures, mostly nestboxes, built by man.
Bewick Wren:Thryomanes bewickiiAudubon.—This wren is an uncommon resident in Kansas, except for the northeastern quarter, in woodland understoryand brushland.T. b. bewickiiAudubon occurs north and east of stations in Riley, Pottawatomie, Douglas, and Linn counties, andT. b. cryptusOberholser is found south of stations in Greeley, Stafford, and Linn counties; a zone of intergradation occurs between the two named populations. The species occupies marginal habitat in most of Kansas and periodically is reduced in numbers by severe winters.
Breeding schedule.—Twenty-two records of breeding span the period March 21 to July 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 15 and for second clutches June 15.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.5, 5-7; 12).
Nests are placed in crevices about five feet high (ranging from zero to nine feet) in trees (oak, cherry, and pear), boulders, and a wide variety of structures, some of them nestboxes, built by man; appropriation and modification of nests of Barn Swallows is known to occur.
Carolina Wren:Thryothorus ludovicianus ludovicianusLatham.—This common resident of southeastern Kansas in woodland understory and brushland is uncommon in the northeastern and south-central sectors. Stations of breeding all fall east of a line running through Doniphan, Riley, and western Reno counties. North and west of southeastern Kansas the Carolina Wren is in marginal habitat and periodically is reduced in numbers by severe winters.
Breeding schedule.—Fourteen records of breeding span the period April 11 to August 10; the modal date for laying is April 15, to judge only from the present sample. The species probably breeds also in late March and early April.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.2, 3-8; 9).
Nests are placed near the ground in stumps, and a wide variety of structures built by man, or in crevices in earthen banks.
Long-billed Marsh Wren:Telmatodytes palustris dissaëptus(Bangs).—This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas in and around marshes. Presumably breeding individuals occur east of stations in Doniphan, Shawnee, and Sedgwick counties, but actual records of breeding come only from Doniphan County (Linsdale, 1928:505). First dates of arrival in spring run from April 19 to 29 (the median is April 22), and dates of last autumnal occurrence are from September 26 to October 31 (the median is October 8).
Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid from May to August.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 or 6 eggs; the range is from 3 to 10 (Welter, 1935).
Nests are woven of broad-bladed grasses, usually no farther than two feet from water or mud, suspended in vertical plant stalks or branches in marshes.
Short-billed Marsh Wren:Cistothorus platensis stellaris(Nauman).—This rare and irregular summer resident in northeastern Kansas occurs in wet meadowland. Breeding records are available from Douglas and Coffey counties. Temporal occurrence in the State is at least from April 29 to October 25; early dates are most likely of transients.
Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid in late July and August.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 6 or 7 eggs.
Nests are woven of plant fibers and placed in vertically-running stalks and stems of grasses and short, woody vegetation, within two feet of the ground.
Rock Wren:Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus(Say).—This species is a common summer resident in western Kansas, in open, rocky country. Specimens taken in the breeding season and actual nests found come from west of stations in Decatur, Trego, and Comanche counties. Dates of occurrence are from April 2 to October 25. Autumnal, postbreeding movement brings the species east at least to Cloud County (October 7, 8, and 12) and Douglas County (October 25).
Breeding schedule.—Sixteen records of breeding span the period May 11 to July 20; the modal date for egg-laying is June 15.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.6, 3-7; 5).
Nests are placed in holes in rocks, occasionally in rodent burrows, from ground level to 80 feet high on faces of cliffs, but there averaging about 20 feet.
Northern Mockingbird:Mimus polyglottos(Linnaeus).—This is a common resident in parkland and brushy savannah throughout Kansas.M. p. polyglottos(Linnaeus) occurs in the east, andM. p. leucopterus(Vigors) in the west; a broad zone of intergradation exists between the two. Most specimens from Kansas are of intermediate morphology.
Breeding schedule.—Sixty-nine records of breeding span the period April 21 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is June 5, but is weakly indicated in the histogram (Fig. 7).
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.5, 3-5; 27). Size of clutch does not vary seasonally or geographically in the present sample.
Nests are placed about four feet high (two to 10 feet) in osage orange, red cedar, mulberry, scotch pine, catalpa, cottonwood, rose, and arbor vitae.
Catbird:Dumetella carolinensis(Linnaeus).—This is a common summer resident in the eastern half of Kansas, but is local in the west, in and near woodland edge and second-growth. First dates of arrival in spring are from April 25 to May 14 (the median is May 6), and last dates of autumnal occurrence are between September 20 and November 16 (the median is September 26).
Breeding schedule.—Seventy-seven records of breeding span the period May 11 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is May 25, and 57 per cent of all clutches are laid from May 21 to June 10.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.3, 2-5; 43). Clutches laid between May 11 and June 10 tend to be of 4 eggs (3.5, 2-5; 27), and clutches laid between June 11 and July 31 tend to be of 3 eggs (2.9, 2-4; 16).
Nests are placed about four feet high in shrubs (rose, lilac, plum, elderberry) and about seven feet high in trees (red cedar, honey locust, willow, elm, apple, and in vines in such trees).
Brown Thrasher:Toxostoma rufum(Linnaeus).—This is a common summer resident in woodland understory, edge, and second-growth.T. r. rufum(Linnaeus) occurs in eastern Kansas, to the western edge of the Flint Hills, andT. r. longicaudaBaird occurs west of stations in Decatur, Lane, and Meade counties; the intervening populations are of intermediate morphologic character. Some individuals overwinter in Kansas, but most are regular migrants and summer residents, arriving in spring from April 1 to April 25 (themedian is April 19), and departing in autumn between September 19 and October 13 (the median is September 28).
Breeding schedule.—The 237 records of breeding span the period May 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is May 15, and one-third of all eggs are laid in the period May 11 to 20.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs, ranging from 2 to 5. Seasonal variation and mean values are shown inTable 15.
Nests are placed about four feet high (ranging from 12/3to 15 feet) in osage orange, elm, ornamental evergreens, gooseberry, barberry, honey locust, cottonwood, red cedar, rose, plum, honeysuckle, spirea, arbor vitae, willow, oak, apple, dogwood, and maple.
Table 15.—Seasonal Variation in Clutch-size of the Brown Thrasher
TimeMean clutch-sizeNumber of recordsMay 1-103.315May 10-203.938May 21-314.113June 1-103.513June 11-203.512June 21-303.49July 1-1031July 11-2031All:3.63102
Robin:Turdus migratorius migratoriusLinnaeus.—This summer resident is common in the east, and is locally common in the west. Some individuals, usually in small groups, can be seen throughout the winter in eastern Kansas, and their presence makes it difficult to document dates of arrival and departure of the strictly summer resident birds; these can be said to arrive in March and to leave in October, but these indications are the barest approximations.
Breeding schedule.—The 334 records of breeding span the period April 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date of laying of first clutches is April 25, but subsequent peaks are indistinct. Nearly half of all eggs are laid in the period April 11 to 30.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.6, 3-6; 57). Clutches laid prior to May 10 average 3.6 eggs (3-6; 47), and those laid subsequent to May 10 average 3.5 eggs (3-4; 10).
Nests are placed about 13 feet from the ground (ranging from two to 30 feet) in elm, ornamental conifers, fruit trees, cottonwood, mulberry, walnut, hackberry, oak, ash, maple, osage orange, and coffeeberry. Robins rarely nest in manmade structures, such as on rafters in sheds and barns, on bridge stringers, and, exceptionally, on electrical utility pole installations.
Wood Thrush:Hylocichla mustelina(Gmelin).—This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas, presently absent from the State west of stations in Cloud and Barber counties. Preferred habitat is found in understory of forest and woodland. Wood Thrushes appear to have nested in small numbers as far west as Oberlin, Decatur County (Wolfe, 1961), some 50 years ago, but have since disappeared from such places, probably as a resultof progressive modification of watershed and riparian timber by man. First dates of arrival in spring are from April 19 to May 20 (the median is May 9), and departure southward is in the period September 3 to October 1 (the median is September 15).
Breeding schedule.—Thirty-eight records of breeding fall in the period May 11 to August 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5 for first clutches. Fifty-five per cent of all eggs are laid between May 21 and June 10.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.4, 3-4; 9).
Nests are placed about 11 feet high in elm, dogwood, willow, linden, and oak.
Eastern Bluebird:Sialia sialis sialis(Linnaeus).—This locally common resident and summer resident in eastern Kansas, is only casual west of Comanche County, in open parkland and woodland edge.
Breeding schedule.—Fifty-four records of breeding span the period April 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 25 and for second clutches is June 5.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.9, 4-6; 15).
Nests are placed in cavities about eight feet high in trees (elm, box elder, fruit trees, willow, and ash), and about four feet high in stumps, fence posts, and nestboxes placed by man.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher:Polioptila caerulea caerulea(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas in brushy woodland, edge, and second growth. Specimens taken in the breeding season and nesting records come from east of stations in Riley and Cowley counties, but there is a breeding specimen from Oklahoma just south of Harper County, Kansas. The species is present from March 30 to September 18.
Breeding schedule.—Twelve records of breeding span the period April 20 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 10.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.
Nests are placed in forks or on limbs about 17 feet high in oak, elm, honey locust, red haw, pecan, and walnut.
Cedar Waxwing:Bombycilla cedrorumVieillot.—This waxwing is a rare, local, and highly irregular summer resident in northeastern Kansas, in woodland and forest edge habitats. The known nesting stations are in Wyandotte and Shawnee counties; six nests have been found in the period 1949 to 1960. The species has been recorded in all months.
Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid in June and early July.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (Davie, 1898).
Nests are placed four to 24 feet high in a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs.
Loggerhead Shrike:Lanius ludovicianusLinnaeus.—This common resident and summer resident favors open country with scattered shrubs and thickets.L. l. migransPalmer occurs in eastern Kansas, west to about the 96th meridian, andL. l. excubitoridesGrinnell occurs in western Kansas, east to about the 100th meridian; populations of intermediate character occupy central Kansas. These shrikes tend to be resident in southern counties, but are migratory in the north. Dates of spring arrival in Cloud County are between March 9 and31 (the median is March 21) and the birds leave southward between October 19 and December 19 (the median is November 1).
Breeding schedule.—Fifty-seven records of breeding span the period April 1 to June 30 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is April 15.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.3, 4-7; 32). There is no seasonal variation in the sample.
Nests are placed about six feet high (ranging from four to 10 feet) in osage orange, small pines, honeysuckle vines, and elm.
Starling:Sturnus vulgarisLinnaeus.—This species is a common resident in towns and around farms, foraging in open fields of various kinds. Starlings (introduced into North America from European stocks ofS. v. vulgaris) first appeared in eastern Kansas in the early 1930s and were established as successful residents by 1935 or 1936. Occupancy of Kansas to the west took only a few years. There are no specimens taken in the breeding season or actual nesting records from southwest of Ellis and Stafford counties; Starlings seem to be resident in Cheyenne County, but no nesting record exists from there.
Breeding schedule.—Sixty-seven records of breeding span the period March 1 to June 30 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 15, and for second clutches is June 5.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.2, 4-8; 19).
Nests are placed about 22 feet high (ranging from eight to 50 feet) in crevices in elm, locust, hackberry, nestboxes placed by man, and in a variety of other structures of man.
Black-capped Vireo:Vireo atricapillaWoodhouse.—This was a summer resident, apparently of limited distribution but in good numbers, in Comanche County, in oak woodland and brushland edge. No specimens have been taken in Kansas since 1885.
Breeding schedule.—Eggs are probably laid in May and June. Goss (1891:351) found a nest under construction on May 11, 1885, and this is the only nesting record of the species in the State.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (Davie, 1898).
Nests are placed low, perhaps around four feet high, in deciduous trees and shrubs (Davie,op. cit.).
White-eyed Vireo:Vireo griseus noveboracensis(Gmelin).—This is a local summer resident in eastern Kansas, in woodland and forest edge. Stations of breeding occurrence are in Doniphan, Douglas, Johnson, Anderson, Labette, and Montgomery counties. The species is present within the extreme dates of April 23 to October 5 (Table 16).
Breeding schedule.—Ten records of breeding span the period May 10 to June 30; the modal date for egg-laying is June 10. The present sample is not adequate to indicate extreme or modal dates with reasonable accuracy.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.6, 3-4; 5).
Nests are placed relatively low in forks in trees and shrubs.
Bell Vireo:Vireo bellii belliiAudubon.—This summer resident is common in riparian thickets and second-growth scrub. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 16.
Breeding schedule.—Sixty-six records of breeding span the period May 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is May 25, and a little under 40 per cent of all eggs are laid in the period May 21-31. Renesting following disruption of first nests is regular, and the small peak in the histogram in the period June 11-20 is representative of this.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.6, 3-6; 21). Clutches in May have an average of 3.7 eggs, and those in June and July 3.6 eggs.
Nests are placed about two feet high (ranging from one to five feet) in terminal or lateral forks of small branches in elm, hackberry, osage orange, coralberry, dogwood, plum, honey locust, mulberry, willow, cottonwood, and box elder.
Yellow-throated Vireo:Vireo flavifronsVieillot.—This is a rare and local summer resident in deciduous forest and woodland in eastern Kansas. Stations of breeding occurrence fall east of Shawnee and Woodson counties. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 16.
Breeding schedule.—Eggs are laid at least in May.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is about 4 eggs.
Nests are placed 16 to 30 feet high in forks of mature deciduous trees.
Red-eyed Vireo:Vireo olivaceus olivaceus(Linnaeus).—This summer resident is common in the east, but is local and less abundant in the west, in woodland and deciduous forest. Temporal occurrence is indicated inTable 16.
Breeding schedule.—Eight records of breeding fall in the period May 21 to July 31; most records of egg-laying are in the first week of June.
Number of eggs.—Clutch-size is 4 eggs (4.0, 3-5; 5).
Nests are placed in forks of mature deciduous trees, usually fairly high—perhaps 15 to 25 feet (Davie, 1898).