The Bird Book Part 69

Page 321

506. ORCHARD ORIOLE. _Icterus spurius._

Range.--United States, east of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf to southern New England, and Canada in the interior. Winters beyond our borders.

The adult male of this species is a rich chocolate brown and black, it requiring three years to attain this plumage. They nest commonly about habitations in their range, usually preferring orchard trees for sites.

Their nests are skillfully woven baskets of fresh gra.s.ses, about as high as wide; they are generally placed in upright forks and well concealed by drooping leaves. They lay from four to six bluish white eggs, spotted and blotched with brown and lavender. Size .80 .55. Data.--Avery's Island, La., May 10, 1896. Nest of gra.s.s, lined with thistledown; semi-pensile in drooping twigs of a willow. Collector, F. A. McIlhenny.

507. BALTIMORE ORIOLE. _Icterus galbula._

Range.--North America, east of the Rockies, breeding from southern United States north to New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

This beautiful and well known eastern Oriole can readily be identified by its orange flame color and entirely black head. Even better known than the birds, are the pensile nests which retain their positions on the swaying drooping branches all through the winter. Although they build in many other trees, elms seem to be their favorites. Their nests are made of plant fibres and frequently string, and often reach a length of about 10 inches and about half that in diameter; they are usually attached to drooping branches by the rim so that they rock to and fro, but are sometimes held more firmly in position by having their side bound to a branch. Their eggs, which are laid in May and June, are white, streaked and lined with blackish brown and grayish. Size .90 .60.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Arizona Hooded Oriole. Orchard Oriole.]

[Ill.u.s.tration 323: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Baltimore Oriole.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 322

508. BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. _Icterus bullocki._

Range.--North America, west of the Plains and from British Columbia southward, wintering in Mexico.

This handsome species is as abundant in the west as the Baltimore Oriole is in the east, and breeds throughout its United States range. Their nests are similarly made and in similar locations, and the eggs are hardly distinguishable from those of the preceding, but the ground color is generally of a pale bluish white tint and the markings are usually finer, the lines running around the eggs and often making a very handsome wreath about the large end. Size of eggs, .94 .62.

509. RUSTY BLACKBIRD. _Euphagus carolinus._

Range.--North America east of the Plains, breeding from northern New England and the Adirondacks northward; winters in southern United States.

But few of these birds breed within our borders, the majority of them pa.s.sing on to the interior of Canada. They generally nest in pairs, or at the most three or four pairs in a locality, building their large substantial nests of moss, twigs and gra.s.s, lined with fine green gra.s.s; this structure is situated in bushes or low trees in swampy places and at from 3 to 20 feet from the ground. The eggs are laid in May or June; they vary from three to five in number, of a pale bluish green color, spotted, blotched and clouded with shades of brown and gray. Size .96 .71.

510. BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. _Euphagus cyanocephalus._

Range.--North America west of the Plains, and from British Columbia and Saskatchewan southward.

This western representative of the preceding is of about the same size (10 inches long), but differs in having a purplish head and greenish black body. They nest abundantly throughout their range either in bushes or trees at low elevations or upon the ground; the nests are made of sticks, rootlets and gra.s.ses, lined with finer gra.s.s and moss, and the eggs, which are very variable, are dull whitish, clouded and blotched with brownish and streaked with blackish. Size 1.00 .75.

[Ill.u.s.tration 324: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Rusty Blackbird. Brewster's Blackbird.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish green.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dull white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 323

511. PURPLE GRACKLE. _Quiscalus quiscula quiscula._

Range.--Eastern United States from the Gulf to Ma.s.sachusetts; winters along the Gulf.

This species, which is commonly known as Crow Blackbird, nests in trees or bushes anywhere in its range, and on the coast frequently constructs its nests among the large sticks of Ospery nests. Large pines appear to be favorite sites for them to locate their large nests of twigs, weeds, gra.s.s and trash. They are placed at any elevation from nearly on the ground to 50 feet above it. The eggs range from three to five and are greenish white, splashed, spotted and scrawled with various shades of brown and gray, and with streaks of black. Size 1.10 .80. The nesting habits and eggs of the sub-species of this Grackle do not differ in any particular. Like those of this variety the eggs show an endless number of patterns of markings.

511a. FLORIDA GRACKLE. _Quiscalus quiscula aglaeus._

Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf States.

A smaller variety of the preceding; length about 11 inches. Eggs indistinguishable.

511b. BRONZED GRACKLE. _Quiscalus quiscula aeneus._

Range.--North America east of the Rockies, breeding from the Gulf to Hudson Bay and Labrador. Winters in the southern parts of the United States. This is the most common and widely distributed of the Crow Blackbirds and is distinguished by the bra.s.sy color of the upper parts.

513. BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. _Megaquiscalus major major._

Range.--South Atlantic and Gulf States; north to Virginia.

This handsome bird measures about 16 inches in length, is iridescent with purplish and greenish, and has a very long, graduated and hollowed tail. These Grackles are very abundant residents along the Gulf, breeding in large colonies in swamps, placing their nests of weeds, moss, gra.s.ses, etc., in bushes, trees, canes or rushes, but a few inches above the water, while those in trees are sometimes 50 feet above the ground. The eggs are laid in March, April or May, are from three to five in number, and are a dull bluish or grayish white, streaked, lined, clouded and blotched with brown, black and gray; size 1.25 .95.

[Ill.u.s.tration 325: Dull greenish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Purple Grackle. Bronzed Grackle.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Grayish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Grayish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration right hand margin.]

Page 324

513a. GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE. _Megaquiscalus major macrourus._

Range.--Mexico to southern and eastern Texas.

This variety is larger than the last (length 18 inches) and the tail is very broad and flat. Like the former, they nest in bushes, rushes or trees at any elevation from the ground. The nests are built of the same materials and the eggs are similar to those of the Boat-tailed Grackle, but larger; size 1.28 .88.

FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. Family FRINGILLDae

514. EVENING GROSBEAK. _Hesperiphona vespertina vespertina._

Range.--Western United States in the Rocky Mountain region; north to Saskatchewan; south in winter to Mississippi Valley and casually east to New England and the intermediate states.

These are dull and yellowish birds, shading to brownish on the head; with a bright yellow forehead and susperciliary line, black wings and tail, and white inner secondaries and greater coverts. They breed in the mountainous portions of their range, placing their flat nests of sticks and rootlets in low trees or bushes. The eggs are laid in May or June and are greenish white spotted and blotched with brown; size .90 .65.