Chapter X: Part FOUR: Later Spring Birds (3)

Song: A sweet continuous warble, with a rising inflection at the end. It
sounds like a whistled _Whew-whew-whew whew-whew-whew-whee?_

Habitat: Parks and shaded village streets. Its neutral coloring and its
preference for treetops make it difficult to distinguish. Its
cheerful, pleasant song is the surest means of identification.

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds from south-central Canada to
northwestern Texas, southern Louisiana, North Carolina, and
Virginia; winters south of the United States, though exact locality
is unknown. Not nearly so widely distributed as the red-eyed vireo.

This vireo, like other members of its family, is an indefatigable devourer of insects. Mr. Forbush reports that it feeds on flies, mosquitoes, and grasshoppers, but that its chief food consists of caterpillars and other leaf-eating insects, especially the elm-leaf beetle; consequently it is found frequently in elm-shaded streets and yards.

THE WHITE-EYED VIREO
_Vireo Family--Vireonidæ_

The White-Eyed Vireo differs from his red-eyed cousin in being slightly smaller, in having a _small patch of yellow around the eye_, a _white iris_, and _two wing-bars_. His head is greener and his breast and sides are tinged with yellow.

He lives in thickets. He possesses in a marked degree the vireo habit of scolding. He has more power as a songster than his better-known relatives. Mr. Chapman describes him most delightfully as follows: "If birds are ever impertinent, I believe this term might with truth be applied to that most original, independent dweller in thickety under-growths, the white-eyed vireo. Both his voice and manner say that he doesn't in the least care what you think of him; and, if attracted by his peculiar notes or actions, you pause near his haunts, he jerks out an abrupt 'Who are you, eh?' in a way which plainly indicates that your presence can be dispensed with. If this hint is insufficient, he follows it by a harsh scolding, and one can fancy that in his singular white eye there is an unmistakable gleam of disapproval.

"I have always regretted that the manners of this Vireo have been a bar to our better acquaintance, for he is a bird of marked character and with unusual vocal talents. He is a capital mimic, and in the retirement of his home sometimes amuses himself by combining the songs of other birds in an intricate pot-pourri."[134]

THE YELLOW-THROATED VIREO
_Vireo Family--Vireonidæ_

The Yellow-throated Vireo resembles the White-eye in being olive-green above, yellowish underneath, and in having two distinct white wing-bars. He differs in possessing a _bright yellow throat_, _breast_, and _ring_ about a _dark eye_.

Mr. Forbush says of this bird; "The song is a little louder than that of most vireos, and may be easily distinguished from all others. It usually consists of two or three rich and virile notes, uttered interrogatively or tentatively, followed immediately by a few similar tones uttered decisively. The bird appears to ask a question, and then answer it. Its alarm notes are as harsh as those of an oriole, and somewhat similar in quality."[135]

THE WARBLERS
_Warbler Family--Mniotiltidæ_

No family of birds is more difficult for a beginner to identify than the warblers. Reasons for this fact are various. In the first place, warblers are small and agile, and usually inhabit treetops, where it is hard to see their plumage. The number of the species is large,--155 species are known, 74 of which are found in North America, and 55 in the United States alone. Some of the males wear a "Joseph's coat of many colors"; some of the females are so different from their mates as to puzzle an observer, and the young birds frequently differ from both parents. Then, too, most warblers are not gifted songsters, but utter only a weak trill. A number of them are seen only during their migration to northern woods; they linger too short a time to become more than passing bird-acquaintances.

Warblers are insectivorous and do not arrive until the earth teems with insect life. Most of them depart for the South as soon as insects begin to decrease in number or disappear. They are very shy and migrate at night.

Many are the disasters that befall them when they journey near the sea-coast. In Dr. Wells W. Cooke's article entitled "Our Greatest Travelers" are the following statements: "It is not to be supposed that these long flights over the waters can occur without many casualties, and not the smallest of the perils arises from the beacons which man has erected along the coast to insure his own safety. 'Last night I could have filled a mail-sack with the bodies of little warblers which killed themselves striking against my light,' wrote the keeper of Fowey Rocks lighthouse, in southern Florida.

"Nor was this an unusual tragedy. Every spring the lights along the coast lure to destruction myriads of birds who are en route from their winter homes in the South to their summer nesting-places in the North. Every fall a still greater death-toll is exacted when the return journey is made. A red light or a rapidly flashing one repels the birds, but a steady white light piercing the fog proves irresistible."[136]

Few people realize the great good done by warblers. Mr. Forbush says that in migration they seem to possess enormous appetites. A Hooded Warbler was found to catch on the average two insects a minute or one hundred and twenty an hour. At this rate the bird would kill at least nine hundred and sixty insects a day, in an eight hour working day!

Dr. Judd reported a Palm Warbler that ate from forty to sixty insects a minute. In the four hours he was under observation he must have eaten nine thousand, five hundred insects. Mr. Forbush says that he has seen warblers eating from masses of small insects at such a rate that it was impossible for him to count them.[137]

IDENTIFICATION OF WARBLERS

In order to identify warblers, most people need to group them in some way. The following grouping of my own has helped me to recognize and remember the more common species:

I The Ground Warblers
1 The Ovenbird
2 The Water Thrushes
3 The Worm-eating Warbler
4 The Palm Warblers
II Black and White Warblers
1 The Black and White Creeping Warbler
2 The Black-poll Warbler
III Black, White, and Yellow Warblers
1 The Myrtle or Yellow-rumped Warbler
2 The Magnolia Warbler
IV Black and Orange Warblers
1 The Redstart
2 The Blackburnian Warbler
V Warblers With Yellow or Olive-green Predominating
1 The Yellow Warbler
2 The Pine Warbler
3 The Maryland Yellow-throat
4 The Hooded Warbler
5 Wilson's Warbler
6 The Black-throated Green Warbler
7 The Canadian Warbler
8 The Yellow-breasted Chat
9 The Yellow Palm Warbler
VI Warblers With Blue or Blue and Yellow Predominating
1 The Cerulean Warbler
2 The Black-throated Blue Warbler
3 The Blue-winged Warbler
4 The Golden-winged Warbler
5 The Parula Warbler
VII Warblers With Reddish-brown Markings
1 The Bay-breasted Warbler
2 The Chestnut-sided Warbler

GROUP ONE--THE GROUND WARBLERS

1. THE OVEN-BIRD

Length: A little over 6 inches.

Male and Female: Olive-brown above; head with a golden-brown crown,
bordered with two black lines that extend from bill to neck; under
parts white; a brown streak at each side of the throat; breast and
sides heavily streaked with black; no bars on wings, or patches on
tail.

Note: Mr. Forbush interprets the oven-bird's note as "_chick_,'
KERCHICK,' KERCHICK,' repeating the phrase an indefinite number of
times."[138] John Burroughs has rendered it as, "teacher, _teacher_,
teacher, TEACHER, _TEACHER_." The bird is frequently spoken of as
the "Teacher-bird."

Song: A "flight song" which Mr. Forbush describes as follows: "When I
lingered in the woods at evening until the stars came out, I heard a
burst of melody far above the treetops, and saw the little singer
rising against the western sky, simulating the Skylark, and pouring
forth its melody, not to the orb of day but to the slowly rising
moon; then, when the melody came nearer, the exhausted singer fell
from out the sky and shot swiftly downward, alighting at my very
feet."[138]

Habitat: Woodlands, where the oven-bird spends much of its time on the
ground.

Range: North America. Breeds in the forests of Canada and the United
States to Kansas, southern Missouri, Ohio Valley, Virginia, and in
the mountains of Georgia and South Carolina; winters from central
Florida to Colombia.

This shy forest-dweller is little seen except by the tireless haunter of woods. I well remember my first quest for the owner of a voice that seemed to proceed from every part of the small grove I was searching. His ventriloquistic power led me on until I was about to give up in weariness and discouragement, when suddenly I came upon this golden-crowned warbler that had made the woods ring. He seemed very small for so loud a vocalization.

Another day, quite by accident, I discovered his oven-shaped nest:

"Arched and framed with last year's oak-leaves,
Roofed and walled against the raindrops."[139]

Since that time I have had numerous views of oven-birds. One in particular, seemed quite unafraid; and several times approached within a few feet of where I was seated.

2. THE WATER-THRUSHES

Water-Thrushes: The Water-thrushes resemble the oven-bird in size and
general appearance. Their crowns are dark instead of golden; the
NORTHERN WATER-THRUSH has a _light_ line over the eye, and a bright
yellow streaked breast; the LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH a conspicuous
_white_ line over the eye, buff sides, and white under parts.

Both birds, as their name implies, love the vicinity of forest
brooks. Both walk instead of hop, and "_tip-up_" when they alight.
They are wonderful songsters, but are not widely known.

Range: Eastern North America. The Northern Water-thrush breeds in
east-central Canada, northwestern New York, northern New England,
and in mountains south to West Virginia; winters in the West Indies
and from the valley of Mexico to British Guiana.

The Louisiana Water-thrush is found from the northern parts of the
United States south to Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina; winters
from Mexico to Colombia.

3. THE WORM-EATING WARBLER

Length: About 5½ inches.

Male and Female: Back, wings, and tail olive-green, without white
markings; head with two narrow and two broad black stripes,
alternating with three cream-colored stripes; under parts
cream-colored, lighter on throat and belly.

Song: A weak trill.

Habitat: "The Worm-eating warbler seems to prefer dense undergrowth in
swampy thickets and wet places, ... wooded hillsides and ravines,
and dense undergrowths of woodland.... The nesting site is on the
ground."[140]

Range: Eastern North America from southern Iowa, northern Illinois,
western Pennsylvania, and the lower Hudson and Connecticut valleys,
south to Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, and the mountains of South
Carolina.

GROUP TWO--THE BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS

1. THE BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER

Length: About 5¼ inches.

Male: Black, streaked with white--_no yellow_; head with broad black and
white stripes; body with narrow stripes; white stripe over eye,
black patch back of eye; striped throat and sides, white belly; tail
grayish black; outer tail-feathers with white patches on inner web;
wings black, with two distinct white bars.

Female: Similar, but with gray cheeks and whiter under parts, fainter
streaks, and brownish sides.

Song: A thin, unmusical _se-se'-se-se'-se-se'-se-se'_.

This Black-and-White Warbler is as easy to identify as a zebra, because
of its conspicuous black and white stripes. As it is found on
tree-trunks, it is sometimes confused with the brown creeper. Its
bill, however, is not curved like the creeper's, nor is its tail
used as a prop. It resembles the nuthatch in its ability to
_descend_ as well as _ascend_ tree-trunks.

These warblers, though they obtain their food from trees, nest on the
ground in nests not unlike those of the oven-bird.

2. THE BLACK-POLL WARBLER

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: A black crown and white cheeks, giving the effect of a black cap
pulled down over the eyes; throat and belly white; back and sides
gray, streaked with black; two white wing-bars; two outer
tail-feathers with white spot near tip.

Female: Olive-green above, streaked with black; breast and sides with
yellowish wash.

Range: Widely distributed; common in the East during migration. Breeds
in the forests of Alaska and north-central Canada, in Michigan,
northern Maine, and the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont.

Black-poll Warblers are similar in coloring to the black-and-white warblers, but are duller and less striking in appearance. In the breeding season, father, mother, and young differ in plumage, though a practiced eye may see resemblances, but in the fall they don coats so similar that they seem to have adopted a family costume.

The migration of black-poll warblers is interesting. Dr. Wells W. Cooke says: "All black-poll warblers winter in South America. Those that are to nest in Alaska strike straight across the Caribbean Sea to Florida and go northwestward to the Mississippi River. Then the direction changes and a course is laid almost due north to northern Minnesota, in order to avoid the treeless plains of North Dakota. But when the forests of the Saskatchewan are reached, the northwestern course is resumed, and, with a slight verging toward the west, is held until the nesting site in Alaska spruces is attained."[141]

GROUP THREE--THE BLACK, WHITE, AND YELLOW WARBLERS

1. THE MYRTLE WARBLER
OR
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER

Length: A little over 5½ inches, one of the larger warblers.

Male: The grayish upper parts, white under parts, (both streaked with
black), and the black cheeks of the Myrtle Warbler remind one of the
Black and White Creeping Warbler. Its _four patches of yellow_,--on
the _crown_, _rump_, and on _each side_ are distinctive. The wings
and tail are brownish-gray; wings, with _two white bars_; tail with
graduated patches of white _near end_ of outside feathers; white
throat and belly.

Female: Browner above; breast less heavily streaked with black.

Notes: The notes and song of this warbler are described by Mr. Forbush
as follows: "The Myrtle Warbler has a variety of notes, but the one
usually uttered spring and fall is a soft chirp or _chup_, which, at
a little distance, exactly resembles the sound produced by a large
drop of water as it strikes the ground or leaf-mold. These sounds
are so similar that after storms in the woods I have often found it
difficult to distinguish the note of this warbler from the splash of
the large drops that were still falling from the trees. The song is
a rather weak warble, very sweet, and often of long duration.... It
has quite as many variations as the song of any warbler that I now
recall."[142]

Range: Breeds in the forest-belt of Canada and Alaska, south to
Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts,
and the mountains of New York, winters from Kansas, New Jersey,
southern New England to West Indies, Mexico, and Panama, and from
central Oregon to southern California.

The Myrtle or Yellow-rumped Warbler is found in North America except in the western United States. It is so abundant and so distinctly marked as to be better known than many warblers. "Trim of form and graceful of motion, when seeking its food it combines the methods of the wrens, creepers, and flycatchers. This bird is so small and nimble that it successfully attacks insects too minute to be prey for larger birds. Flies are the largest item of food; in fact only a few flycatchers and swallows eat as many flies as this bird."[143]

The Myrtle Warbler is especially fond of bayberries and may be found, even in winter, where these berries are to be obtained. New Jersey and Cape Cod are favorite feeding places.

2. THE MAGNOLIA WARBLER

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: Smaller than the Myrtle Warbler, and at first glance, not unlike
it in appearance, because each bird has a yellow rump, a striped
breast, dark gray upper parts, and back and breast streaked with
black. The head of the Magnolia Warbler, however, has _no yellow
patch_, but a _broad white line over the eye_, black cheeks and
forehead, and _yellow_ under parts, (instead of white), which are
heavily streaked with black. The wings have _large white patches_
instead of _bars_; the tail is black, with a broad white band
extending _across_ the _middle_,--a distinguishing mark.

Female: Similar to male, but duller.

Song: "It is one of our full-voiced warblers, the song resembling the
syllables wee-to, _wee-to, wee-a-tee or witchi, witchi, witchi, tit,
witchi-tit, witchi-tit, witchi-tit_, the first four words deliberate
and even, the last three hurried and higher pitched.... The song is
louder than the yellow warbler's."[144]

Habitat: "Throughout the migration season, the Magnolia warbler is
common throughout our orchards and shade trees, as well as
woodlands.... In its nesting grounds, this warbler prefers
coniferous growth, especially young spruces."[144]

Range: Breeds from southern Mackenzie, Keewatin, northern Quebec, and
Newfoundland to central Alberta, Saskatchewan, Minnesota, northern
Michigan, and northern Massachusetts; in the mountains of West
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York; winters from southern
Mexico to Panama.

Mr. C. F. Stone in "Birds of New York" says: "Every hemlock-clad gully or hemlock woods where the trees are close and limbs intertwined afford suitable haunts for this lively and emphatic singer.... Among the smaller gullies 1 or 2 pairs may be found, and in the larger gullies it is not unusual to locate 12 or 15 pairs during the nesting period. In some of these situations the Magnolia does not seem to occur, perhaps because it is so persecuted by red squirrels and cowbirds. The latter seems to make a specialty of presenting this warbler with one or more of its eggs, generally puncturing the eggs of the Magnolia before leaving the nest."[144]

GROUP FOUR--THE BLACK AND ORANGE WARBLERS

1. THE REDSTART

Length: About 5½ inches.

Male: Body glossy black, with a white belly, orange patches at the sides
of the body and under the wings; an orange band across the wings;
middle tail-feathers black; other tail-feathers broadly tipped with
black but largely orange, conspicuous in flight; bill with bristles.

Female: Gray and olive-green above, white underneath; yellow instead of
orange on sides, wings, tail, and under tail.

Young Male: Like female till end of first breeding season.

Nest: A beautiful structure made of strips of bark, root-fibers, and
plant-down, and placed in the fork of a tree. If built in a birch
sapling and decorated with bits of birch bark, it seems a part of
the tree.

Song: A cheerful trill, rather weak and unmusical.

Range: North America. Breeds from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and North Carolina
northward; winters in the West Indies, central Mexico, and northern
South America.

The Redstart is one of the most beautiful and conspicuous of the warblers. Its fan-shaped, flame-colored tail tipped with black is its most distinctive mark. It is in almost constant motion, fluttering incessantly in pursuit of its insect prey. Mr. Forbush writes, "In all its movements its wings are held in readiness for instant flight, and in its sinuous twistings and turnings, risings and fallings, its colors expand, contract, and glow amid the sylvan shades like a dancing torch."[145]

Like flycatchers, the redstart has bristles at the base of its bill, which makes the capture of a great variety of insects an easy matter. It has been named the "flycatcher of the inner treetops, but it is a flycatcher of the bushtops as well."[146]

2. THE BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER

Length: A little over 5 inches.

Male: Black crown, with bright orange patch in the center; irregular
black patch extending from eye, bordered with orange; throat and
breast orange, becoming yellowish on belly; back black, streaked
with white; sides streaked with black; wings black, with white edges
and a _large white patch_; tail black, _most of the feathers nearly
all white on inner web_. Colors duller in the fall.

Female: Upper parts grayish-olive, streaked with white; orange parts
paler, less white on wings and tail.

Song: A "thin" warbler-like trill.

Habitat: Treetops of coniferous forests preferably.

Range: Breeds from central Canada to northern United States, and in the
Alleghany Mts. from Pennsylvania to Georgia; winters in Colombia and
Peru.

This brilliant warbler flashes flame as do the oriole and the redstart, and like them, always brings a thrill of pleasure. It remains with us so short a time that its appearance is an event.

Mr. Forbush tells of going out at daybreak May 11, 1900, at Amesbury, Mass., to observe the migrant warblers. He says: "As we walked through the streets of the village, many male Blackburnian Warblers were seen among the street trees. A little later we saw them in the orchards, their brilliant orange breasts flashing in the sunlight. As we approached the woods it was everywhere the same. The night had been very cold, and other insect-eating birds were seeking benumbed insects on or near the ground. There were four bright Redstarts flitting about on the upturned sod of a newly plowed garden. These and other species of Warblers were to be seen in every orchard, wood, and thicket. The Blackburnian Warblers had come in during the night, and were busy hunting for their breakfasts until 7 o'clock, when we went to ours. At 8 o'clock not a single Blackburnian was to be seen. I scoured the country till nearly noon, finding all the other Warblers as at daybreak, but not a Blackburnian could be found. They had done their share of the good work and passed on. A later riser would have missed them."[147]

Eaton says: "The Blackburnian warbler during the migration season associates with the Magnolia, Bay-breasted, and Chestnut-sided warblers among the blossoming fruit trees and the leaving shrubbery and shade trees of our lawns and parks. During the nesting season, however, it is almost entirely confined to mixed and evergreen forests, being especially fond of hemlocks and spruces.... The old name of Hemlock warbler is perfectly appropriate. The Blackburnian flutters about while feeding almost as conspicuously as the Redstart and Magnolia, displaying its brilliant colors and pied pattern very effectively."[148]

GROUP FIVE--THE YELLOW AND OLIVE-GREEN WARBLERS

1. THE YELLOW WARBLER, OR SUMMER YELLOW-BIRD

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: Olive-green above, bright yellow below; _breast streaked with
brown_; wings edged with yellow; tail dark brown, with yellow on
inner web; _no black on head, throat, wings_, or _tail_; bill
slender.

Female: Similar; with fainter streaks on breast, or an unstreaked
breast.

Song: A sweet _chee-chee-chee-chee-chee'-a-wee?_

Habitat: Orchards, gardens, and shade trees, rather than woods.

Nest: A beautiful cup lined with felt. This bird's nest has been
recorded as a favorite depository for cowbirds' eggs.

Range: North America. Breeds from northern Canadian and Alaskan
tree-regions to southern Missouri and northern South Carolina;
winters from Yucatan to Brazil and Peru.

The Yellow Warbler is one of the best known of its tribe. It is an attractive, lovable little bird, a useful destroyer of small insects that feed upon the leaves of trees, and a charming addition to any orchard or garden, as it flits among the trees like a ray of sunshine.

It is frequently confused with the goldfinch; but careful observation of markings, of flight, and of song will show decided differences. The goldfinch has a black crown, wings, and tail, an unstreaked breast, undulating flight, and a sustained song. This little olive and yellow bird has no black in its plumage; it makes short flights, and sings a simple strain. It is not a seed-eater, like the finches, but is insectivorous.

2. THE PINE WARBLER

Length: About 5½ inches.

Male: Upper parts olive-green with a grayish tinge; throat and breast
yellow; sides streaked with gray; belly white; wings and tail
brownish-gray; wings with two whitish bars; _outer tail-feathers
tipped with white on inner web_.

Female: Similar to male, but browner above and duller underneath.

Notes: "Its alarm note is a sharp chirp, its other notes are few and
weak."

Song: "The song is one of the most soothing sounds of the pine-woods. It
has in it the same dreamy drowsiness that characterizes the note of
the Black-throated Green Warbler, but is otherwise entirely
different in tone and quality, being composed of a series of short,
soft, whistling notes, run together in a continuous trill. It
resembles, in a way, the song of the Chipping Sparrow, except that
it is softer and more musical."[149]

Habitat: "Pine woods and groves; it seems to prefer the pitch pines, and
is one of the few birds that habitually live and breed in woods of
this character, like those of Cape Cod. It has been called the
Pine-creeping Warbler, from its habit of creeping along the
branches, and occasionally up and around the trunks of pines."[149]

Range: Eastern North America. It is abundant in the South where pine
forests are common. It is found in southern Canada, northern and
eastern United States, in such pine-regions as Michigan and New
Jersey.

3. THE MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT

Length: About 5¼ inches.

Male: Olive-green above, brightest on rump and tail; yellow underneath,
with gray sides; _a broad band of black bordered at the back with
gray extends across the face in the form of a mask_. The young males
lack the conspicuous mask.

Female: Similar to male, but without a mask.

Note: A sharp call-note chick, frequently repeated.

Song: _Witch'-e-tee'-o, witch'-e-tee'-o._ Writers interpret the song in
various ways. Mr. Forbush's _sich'-a-wiggle, sich'-a-wiggle,
sich'-a-wiggle_, is an excellent rendering. The song varies with
individuals, but is phrased and accented similarly.

Habitat: Roadside thickets, especially near water.

Range: Eastern North America. It breeds from North Dakota eastward to
southeastern Canada, and south to central Texas, the northern part
of the Gulf States and Virginia; winters from North Carolina and
Louisiana to Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.

The Maryland Yellow-throat is a delightful summer visitor. Trim, dainty, exquisitely colored, lithe, and full of song, he is a charming part of the thickets of roadsides and streams.

The Maryland Yellow-Throat

A host of warblers northward come in May,
And linger with us only one brief day;
You, yellow-throated songster, love to stay.

We glimpse your dainty coat of olive-green,
Your breast and throat of shimmering yellow sheen
And mask of black, where ferns and bushes lean

O'er sparkling streamlets, rimmed with many a reed,
And hung with brilliant golden jewel-weed.
Midst feathery spikes of meadow-sweet you speed.

Your brooding mate you watch, as to and fro
You flit; and while the summer breezes blow
You sing your _Witch-i-tee'-o, witch-i-tee'-o_.

4. THE HOODED WARBLER

Length: About 5½ inches.

Male: Forehead, cheeks, breast, and belly yellow; _back_ of _crown_ and
_throat black_, the two dark areas _united by a black line_; _mask
yellow_; back and rump olive; wings and tail a dark grayish-olive;
the _outer tail-feathers largely white_ on their _inner webs_.

Female: Similar to male, but without the black hood; dark edge to crown;
breast faintly washed with black.

Song: E. H. Eaton in his "_Birds of New York_" writes: "The song of this
warbler is one of the few which the author can hear with perfect
distinctness and enjoy." He adds that it is described by Langille as
follows: "_che-reek, che-reek, che-reek, chi-de-ee_, the first three
with a loud, bell-like ring, the rest much accelerated with a
falling inflection."

Habitat: Trees of deep woods.

Range: Eastern United States, west to the Plains, north and east to
southern Michigan and Ontario, western and southeastern New York,
and southern New England; in winter, West Indies, eastern Mexico,
Central America, and Panama.

This warbler looks as though it had nearly divided a large hood,--had slipped one half of it back on its head like a calash, and allowed the other half to remain under its chin. It is easy to identify by its appearance and its song, and its habit of living in the lower parts of trees.

Eaton says: "The nest of the Hooded Warbler is usually placed in a low sapling or bush from 1 to 3 feet from the ground. In my experience it is the easiest of all the warbler nests to find. Wherever I have noticed a Hooded warbler singing in a patch of woodland, I have been very successful in locating the nest by placing my eye close to the ground and looking through the shrubbery from below the cover of the undergrowth. Then the nest will almost surely be seen if one is within a few rods, appearing like a bunch of leaves a short distance above the ground."

5. WILSON'S WARBLER

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: Olive-green above, except for a _black crown, outlined with yellow
in front and at the sides of crown_; under parts yellow, except for
a grayish tinge at the sides; wings and tail _without white bars_
and _patches_.

Female: Similar to male, but without a clearly defined black cap.

Song: A loud, sweet trill, containing variations.

Habitat: Low thickets, usually at the edges of woods, rather than in
treetops.

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds in the tree-regions of northern
Canada south to southern Saskatchewan, northern Minnesota, central
Ontario, New Hampshire, Maine, and Nova Scotia; winters in eastern
Central America; migrates through the Alleghanies; practically
unknown from Virginia to Louisiana.

This attractive little warbler with its black cap might easily be confused with the goldfinch by a beginner in bird-study. The olive-green back, wings, and tail differentiate it. Unlike the goldfinch, it is not a resident, but a traveler to northern forests where it breeds. It journeys enormous distances.

"It appears very irregularly, some years in great abundance and some seasons not at all."[150]

6. THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: Olive-green above; dull black patch below eye, _encircled with a
broad rim of yellow_; _throat and breast black_, becoming
yellowish-white on the belly; sides streaked with black; wings with
two whitish bars; _tail with outer feathers largely white_.

Female: Similar to male; black of throat and breast mottled with yellow,
streaks on sides less conspicuous.

Song: An insect-like trill, _zee-zee? ze-ze-zee?_

Habitat: Coniferous woods preferably.

Range: North America, from central Canada to northern Ohio and Long
Island and in the Alleghany Mts., to Georgia and South Carolina;
winters from Mexico to Panama.

For three summers I heard the persistent buzzing of this little Black-throat in the Maine woods before I was able to catch more than a fleeting glimpse of him. He is very shy and elusive. An opportunity to see this beautiful little jeweled bird at close range is an event to bird-lovers. He is an industrious gleaner of small insects from dark pine and spruce forests.

7. THE CANADIAN WARBLER

Length: About 5½ inches.

Male: Gray above without white wing-bars or spots on tail; crown with
fine black spots; _eye-ring_, and _line from bill to eye-ring bright
yellow_; under parts bright yellow; _short black streaks extending
across the entire breast_; white under tail.

Female: Similar to male, with fainter streaks on breast.

Song: A rapid and clear warble, more easily recognized than that of some
warblers.

Habitat: "The Canadian Warbler during the migration season is found
about our door-yard shrubbery, and the thickets on the edges of
streams and woodland.... In the nesting season we must seek for it
in cooler gullies or in damp, cool woodlands of deciduous or mixed
growth."[151]

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds from south-central Canada to
central Minnesota, Michigan, New York, and Massachusetts, and along
the Alleghanies to North Carolina and Tennessee; winters in Ecuador
and Peru.

8. THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT

Length: About 7½ inches; the largest of the warblers.

Male and Female: Olive-green above; bright yellow throat and breast;
belly white; _broad white streak extending from bill above eye;
white crescent beneath eye; white streak at each side of throat_,
separating the olive-green and yellow areas.

Song: A medley impossible to describe, full of chucks and gurgles--a
strange mixture of sounds. As a singer, the chat is in a class by
himself; he is very different from the other warblers.

Habitat: Thickets and bushy pastures.

Range: Eastern United States; winters from Vera Cruz to Panama.

The following statements regarding the Chat are taken from Eaton's "Birds of New York":

"The Chat is not a bird of the dense woodland or of open situations, but is confined to thick coverts of shrubs, vines, and young saplings, preferring a denser covert than even the Chestnut-sided warbler and the Catbird. It is rarely seen far from such situations....

"Though the Chat is so averse to being seen, he will sometimes be found even within the limits of our villages and cities where suitable thickets of considerable extent are found and his loud song is frequently heard from village streets and sidewalks."

9. THE YELLOW PALM WARBLER

Length: About 5½ inches.

Male and Female: _Crown chestnut; line over the eye and ring around the
eye yellow_; upper parts olive-green, browner on the back; _under
parts bright yellow, with streaks of brown on throat, breast, and
sides_; wings sometimes edged with brown; tail edged with
olive-green; outer tail-feathers with white spots on inner webs near
tips.

Song: Two songs, one "thinner" and more rapid than the other.

Habitat: Fields and roadsides; feeds chiefly on the ground and among low
bushes.

Range: Atlantic Slope of North America. Breeds in southeastern Canada
and Maine; winters from Louisiana to northern Florida; casually to
North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The PALM WARBLER is the western
species, an inhabitant of the Mississippi Valley and the region
eastward. It is very common in Florida, where it may be discovered
in company with yellow Palm Warblers.

This lively little warbler, with its nervous habit of tipping up its tail incessantly like a spotted sandpiper, resembles its near relative the yellow warbler in a few respects. The olive-green upper parts and yellow breast streaked with brown are points of resemblances, but the chestnut crown and yellow line over the eye are differences. Neither yellow warblers nor yellow palm warblers are dwellers in the woods, but prefer to live near the haunts of man. Yellow warblers are seen in trees and bushes, while the palm warblers are found by roadsides, often on the ground in the stubble of pastures, out in the open. While subdued in color and therefore inconspicuous, they are readily identified by the habit of moving their tails.

GROUP SIX--BLUE OR BLUE AND YELLOW WARBLERS

1. THE CERULEAN WARBLER

Length: About 4½ inches; one of the smaller warblers.

Male: Upper parts bright blue; head and back streaked with black; light
streak above eye; white throat, breast, and belly, with a
bluish-black line that extends across the breast and down each side;
wings with two broad white bars; inner webs of all except the middle
tail-feathers with small white patches near tips.

Female: Bluish-olive above, under parts pale yellow; light streak over
eye; wings with white bars; tail-feathers with white tips.

Song: Mr. Stone describes the song of the Cerulean warbler as "an almost
continuous '_zwee-zwee, zwee, wee-ee_' during the nesting
season."[152]

Habitat: "They are numerous in the maple woods on the hillsides
overlooking the swamp, as well as in the swamp itself," writes Mr.
Stone.[152]

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds mainly from southeastern Nebraska,
Minnesota, southern Michigan and Ontario, western New York,
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, south to Texas, Louisiana, and
Alabama.

2. THE BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER

Length: About 5¼ inches.

Male: Upper parts a _dull grayish-blue_, darker on the back, black
bordering crown above the eye; _cheeks, throat_, and _upper breast
black_; _belly white_; _sides black and white_; wings black, edged
with blue, and with white next to body; _a white patch_ on wing;
tail bluish-black, _outer feathers largely white_.

Female: Very different from male; olive-green above, yellowish-white
underneath; light streak over eyes; _white patch_ near the base of
the primary quills; tail bluish, with much less white than on males.

Song: "His song, though very versatile, is among the thinnest and most
non-melodious of the family."[152]

Habitat: "Black-throated blue warblers prefer clearings amidst hemlock
woods or along hemlock-clad gully banks where there are dense
underbrush, bushes, and stump sprouts bearing multitudes of large
leaves."[152]

Range: Eastern North America from Hudson Bay and Newfoundland south to
the Northern States, and in the highlands and mountains to
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

The Black-throated Blue Warbler, though not so brilliantly colored as many members of the family, is one of the neatest and best-groomed of all the warblers. As he flies from bough to bough or bush to bush he displays to fine advantage the clear black and white coloration, the white spots on the wings and tail flashing like the wings of a butterfly. He carries his wings and tail partially spread somewhat in the manner of the Redstart.... The male is not so nervously active as many other warblers....

"This warbler's nest often contains an egg of the Cowbird. The nests are variously attached to slender scrubby bushes, 8 to 30 inches up, usually very close to old trails or old wood roads.... A constant characteristic of this warbler's nest is the decoration of decayed, spongy pieces of light colored wood fastened to the outside."[152]

3. THE BLUE-WINGED WARBLER

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: Crown and under parts bright yellow; a black line through the eye;
back olive-green, yellower at the rump; _wings bluish-gray_, edged
with olive and white; _two broad yellowish-white wing-bars_; tail
bluish-gray, with white patches of different sizes on outer
feathers.

Female: Similar to male, but with less yellow on head,--on forehead and
not on crown.

Song: "The song is insignificant, a wheezy performance of notes
resembling the syllables '_swee-e-e-e-e, chee-chee-chee-chee_,' the
first inhaled, the second exhaled."[152]

Habitat: "The Blue-winged warbler frequents swampy thickets but is
sometimes found among the scrubby second growth of the hillsides and
the undergrowth of dense woods."[152]

Range: Breeds in eastern North America from southeastern Minnesota,
southern Michigan, western New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts,
southward to Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware; winters
from southern Mexico to Colombia.

"The Blue-winged Warbler is deliberate in its movements as compared with other warblers, acting more like a vireo than a member of its family.

· · · · · · ·

The nesting site of this warbler is on the ground in a bunch of herbs or at the foot of a small bush. The nest is surrounded by grass, weeds, ferns, or vines, which screen it effectively from view."[152]

4. THE GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER

Length: A little over 5 inches.

Male: _Crown bright yellow_; white line over eye, _broad black line
extending through eye_; _black throat bordered with white_; wings
bluish-gray, with a _large, bright yellow patch_; upper parts,
bluish-gray; under parts, except throat, grayish-white; tail
bluish-gray, with outer feathers nearly all white on their inner
webs.

Female: Similar to male, but duller; cheeks and throat _dark gray_
instead of black.

Song: "Its song is a 'lazy _zee-zee-zee_.' It has also an insect-like
call-note, and a sharp _chip_ alarm-note like that of the chipping
sparrow.... The song when near at hand sounds like the syllables
_zee-u-ee', zee-u-ee', zee-u-ee'_."[153]

Habitat: The beautiful little Golden-winged Warbler may be found in
deciduous forests, especially among elm and birch trees, and has a
habit of seeking the ends of branches for its food.

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds from central Minnesota, southern
Ontario, and Massachusetts, to southern Iowa, northern Illinois,
Indiana, and New Jersey, and northern Georgia; winters from
Guatemala to Colombia; very rare in Florida and southern Georgia,
and west of the Mississippi.

5. THE NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER

Length: A little less than 5 inches.

Male: Grayish-blue above, with a _bright olive-yellow patch in the
middle of the back_; _yellow throat and breast, with a dark bluish
or reddish-brown band across the breast_; belly white; sides
sometimes reddish-brown; two white wing-bars; tail gray, edged with
blue, with white spots near tips of inner webs.

Female: Similar to male, except that the reddish-brown markings and band
across the breast are less distinct or wanting.

Song: A "buzzing" song rather evenly accented.

Habitat: "During the migration season, the Parula Warbler may be found
among the foliage of our shade trees and orchards, being most common
about the time of the apple-blossoms. As soon as he reaches his
summer home, however, he is practically confined to swamps ...
preferring, during the nesting season evergreen trees, although
occasionally found in mixed groves where deciduous trees
predominate."[154] He lives in localities where he can find the
_Usnea_ moss, in which he loves to build his nest. Look for him
along streams or near swamps where this moss hangs from the trees.

Range: From eastern Nebraska and Minnesota, central Ontario, Anticosti
and Cape Breton Islands, south to Texas, Louisiana, Alabama,
Virginia, and Maryland; winters probably in the Bahamas and from
Vera Cruz to Nicaragua.

The southern species or PARULA WARBLER, differs slightly from his
northern relative; his throat is yellower and his breast-band is
less distinct. He lives in the southeastern United States, and is
common where there are cypresses hung with moss. He is very active;
he reminds one of the kinglet and the chickadee as he hangs head
downward from a spray, seeking the tiny insects that he likes to
eat.

GROUP SEVEN--WARBLERS WITH REDDISH-BROWN MARKINGS

1. THE BAY-BREASTED WARBLER

Length: A little over 5½ inches.

Male: _Forehead_ and _cheeks black_, giving the effect of a _black
mask_; _crown, nape, throat, upper breast_, and _sides_ a beautiful
chestnut-red; a patch of buff at each side of the neck; lower breast
and belly buff; back brownish-gray, with black streaks; wings and
tail brownish-gray; two broad white wing-bars; tail with white spots
near tip of outer feathers.

Female: Upper parts grayish-brown, streaked with black; under parts
buff, breast and sides washed with reddish-brown; crown brownish;
two white wing-bars.

Song: "A monotonous, lisping song, with perhaps a few more musical,
ringing notes."[155]

Habitat: "The Bay-breasted warbler usually frequents the tops of trees
during migration, being especially fond of chestnuts, oaks, and
hickories just as the leaves are bursting. It is also found in
orchards and about the shade trees of streets and parks as well as
in the midst of woodlands.... It prefers the upper portions of trees
except in cold or stormy weather when it descends and feeds among
the underbrush."[156] William Brewster says that they live in dense
woods, especially among the pines and other cone-bearing trees.

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds in north-central and southern
Canada, northern Maine, and mountains of New Hampshire; winters in
Panama and Colombia; irregular on the Atlantic slope and south of
Virginia. One of our less common warblers.

2. THE CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER

Length: About 5 inches.

Male: Crown _yellow_, bordered with black; back gray, streaked with
black and yellow; _ear-patch and under parts white_; black line
extending from bill meets _broad chestnut streak_ which runs down
the side of the body; wings with two broad yellowish-white
wing-bars; tail black, outer feathers with large white spots varying
in size.

Female: Somewhat like male, but duller; the colors are less sharply
contrasted.

Song: In the spring a loud warble, not unlike that of the yellow
warbler; in the summer, a weaker trill.[157]

Habitat: Thickets, bushy roadsides, edges of woods, open woodlands.

Range: Eastern North America from central Canada to eastern Nebraska,
northern Ohio, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and in
the Alleghany Mts. to Tennessee and North Carolina.

The male Chestnut-sided Warbler is very easily identified; its sharp contrasts in coloring make it conspicuous. While the bay-breasted warbler also has chestnut sides, it differs in having the color extend to the breast and throat, instead of bordering the white under parts.

The dainty little chestnut-sided warbler is rather commoner than some species. Dr. F. H. Herrick in his book, "The Home Life of Wild Birds," tells of taming a female. She ate from his hand and allowed him to stroke her as she sat on her nest.

THE THRUSHES
_Thrush Family--Turdidæ_

Six members of the Thrush Family are more or less common in the eastern United States: the Robin, the Bluebird, the Wood Thrush, the Hermit Thrush, the Olive-backed Thrush, and the Veery. The Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's thrushes are not so widely known. The Russet-backed Thrush is the western representative of the Olive-back.

The Oven-bird, or Golden-crowned Thrush, and the Water-thrushes are not thrushes at all, but warblers, though they resemble thrushes in having brown backs and light spotted breasts, and in being dwellers of the woods. The Brown Thrasher, sometimes wrongly called the Brown Thrush, also has points of resemblance--a speckled breast and bright brown back--but he is one of the Mimidæ or Mockingbird Family.

The breasts of young robins and the backs of baby bluebirds are spotted, showing their family relationship. Both robins and bluebirds have voices that possess a quality for which our thrushes are noted. I have heard the English thrush, famed in poetry. I consider its song inferior in quality of tone to those of our wood and hermit-thrushes, and veery; it strongly resembles that of our thrasher.

The true thrushes of our woods have backs of leaf-brown, varying in hue from bright russet to dull olive. Their breasts are white or buff, streaked or spotted; their tails are short; their eyes, large and lustrous. Their movements are quick, yet graceful. Their demeanor is gentle, though I have seen them strongly aroused when nest or young was disturbed.

THE WOOD THRUSH

The Wood Thrush is the best known of these thrushes. It may be identified by _its large size_ (a little over 8 inches); by its _bright brown head_, dull brown back, wings, and tail; white under parts that are _heavily spotted, especially on the breast and sides_; and by distinct streaks below the eyes.

Note: Its call-note is a sharp _pit_; its song a series of sweet
cadences beginning with the liquid syllables _ah-oh-ee_?

Song: Four phrases often constitute the song, between which a soft
purring sound is frequently heard, if one is near the singer.

Habitat: Wood thrushes may be found in open groves, parks, and wooded
pastures, on large estates, and along secluded roads. They are
rarely found near farm-buildings, but occasionally live in gardens
and orchards.

A pair of thrushes once nested in a tree on a slope just back of a house where I chanced to be a guest. The mother-bird had begun her brooding, when carpenters arrived to build some steps near her chosen home. Frightened, she fled, and remained away for a time. Finally mother-love overcame her fears and she returned. The workmen were asked to do her no harm; they became interested in her, and she trustful of them. She let them approach within a few feet of her nest. We saw the shy wood-bird, serene and unafraid, raise her brood in the midst of noisy hammering, with friendly companionship close at hand.

THE OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH

The Olive-backed Thrush is about an inch smaller than the wood thrush (7 inches), and is uniformly _olive-brown above_. Its _breast, throat, cheeks_, and _eye-ring_ are _buff_; its _sides gray_. The breast, sides of the throat, and cheeks are spotted with black.

Note: Its call-note is _puck_;

Song: its song pleasing, with a phrasing that reminds one of the hermit
thrush, but it is louder and less deliberate, and lacks, also, the
hermit's liquid sweetness. The olive-back has a habit of singing
from the pointed top of a tall spruce; near by, on a neighboring
treetop, an olive-sided flycatcher may utter its _Peep here_, or a
hermit may sing in the grove below.

Habitat: The olive-back lives in woods, rather than close to the haunts
of man; it prefers to be near streams and swampy places, as does the
western RUSSET-BACK THRUSH, a bird very similar in appearance and
habits.

Range: The olive-back breeds in Canada and northern United States, and
winters from Mexico to South America.

THE GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH AND BICKNELL'S THRUSHES

Gray-Cheeked Thrush: "The Gray-cheeked Thrush is found in migration over
all the Eastern States, but breeds farther north, beyond our limits.

Bicknell's Thrush: "Bicknell's Thrush, a closely related form, while
having somewhat the same general range, breeds farther south and
nests in the mountains of northern New York and New England. The
species does not seem to be very abundant anywhere."[158]

Their resemblance to each other and to the olive-back makes them
difficult to identify. The absence of buff from the head
differentiates them from the latter species, which is a difference
not readily observed except by experienced ornithologists.
Bicknell's thrush is smaller than the gray-cheeked thrush.

THE VEERY

The Veery or Wilson's Thrush is slightly smaller than the wood thrush (7½ inches), and is a _lighter and more uniform brown above_. It has a whitish throat and belly, and _grayish sides_. The breast and sides of the throat are a soft buff, with faint spots of brown. Its light brown upper parts and its less conspicuous markings distinguish the veery from other thrushes.

Note: Its call-note is a whistled _whee'-u_,--loud, clear, and uttered
frequently.

Song: The song is inexpressibly beautiful,--like organ-chords, or those
that fill the Baptistery of Pisa when the Italian guide blends tones
for the delight of listeners. A veery's song cannot be described;
the _whee'-u_ may reveal the singer's whereabouts, and aid in
identification. This bird has brought me pleasure many times, for it
forms one of the chorus that sing their matin- and even-songs in a
spruce grove across the road from our cottage in Maine. Still other
veeries chant with hermit thrushes in more distant woods.

It recalls, also, memories of deep Adirondack woods near Seventh
Lake, where we heard veeries and wood thrushes sing antiphonally at
sunset.

Range: This thrush is abundant in the eastern United States during its
migration, while on the way to its nesting place in our Northern
States, to New England, and Canada. It winters in South America.

It seems to bear a charmed life. It does no harm and receives none;
it is a favorite wherever its voice is heard.

THE HERMIT THRUSH

The Hermit Thrush may be described in superlatives. Of the four commoner thrushes, it comes earliest (in March or early April) on its way to its haunts in northern woods, remains longest (till October or November), and is considered by many to be the finest singer of a highly gifted family.

It is so very shy that it is rarely seen and yet, during migration time, I once discovered a solitary hermit in a tree on a vacant lot only a few blocks from the business center of Cleveland. Because we sit quietly for hours at a time in the Maine woods, we have been vouchsafed many glimpses of its olive-brown back, _its reddish-brown tail_ (the mark of identification), and its rather thickly spotted white and brown breast. We have noticed its habit of raising its tail as it alighted; we have heard its call-note _chuck_.

Moore's Rock, Castine, Maine, commands an enchanting view of Penobscot Bay, of distant hills, and of spruce woods that are tenanted by veeries, olive-backed, and hermit thrushes. There we make frequent pilgrimages, to hear them sing at sunset.

Beneath glowing skies and in the silence, the hermit raises his exquisitely modulated voice in a strain of ethereal beauty; pauses, then in a higher key, repeats it; a third time, with still loftier elevation of tone, he sings,--and sings again.

More than once at twilight, a white fog has moved in from the bay and enveloped us as we listened. The voices of these thrushes, proceeding from the sea of mist, have seemed more like those of spirits from another world than of birds--unspeakably uplifting and full of significance.