BLACK DUCK Group, Hall No. 208 [13] gI
MONTALY BIRD LIFE 93 each month. Thus, in February, it is composed of the ever-present Permanent Residents together with the migrants which have come from the north to spend the winter. In March, the March migrants from the south are added, and a month later those which may be expected to arrive in April are included. In due time the winter birds are withdrawn and the transient migrants removed, until in June, the collection consists of the Permanent Residents and birds which have come from the south to spend the summer. A similar treatment is continued throughout the year and the collection always, therefore, represents the bird-life of the month in which it is seen.
The following outline of the bird-life of the year explains more fully the manner in which this Seasonal Collection is arranged, and at the same time, it may be used as a reference check-list in the study of local migration. It should be understood that the dates given represent those of a climatically normal year and that only the commoner water birds are included.
January Bird-Life—Probably during no other month is there less movement among our birds than in January. The regular winter visitants have come; the fall migrants which may have lingered until December have gone, and the earliest spring migrants will not arrive before the latter part of February or in early March. In fact, January is the only month in the year in which, as a rule, some birds do not arrive or depart. This rule, however, may be broken by such irregular birds as the Pine Grosbeak and the Redpoll, and, south of New York, the Snowflake and the Crossbill, birds which may be wholly absent some winters and abundant others. The only birds usually to be found in January, therefore, are the permanent residents and the regular. winter visitants. Singing, mating, nesting, molting, migrating, events which in their season play so important a part in a bird’s life, do not concern the birds of January. With them food is the one important question, and their movements at this season are governed solely by the food supply. Snow may fall and winds blow, but as long as the birds find enough to eat they give small heed to the weather. Food, therefore, rather than temperature, is the most important factor in a bird’s life at this season.
BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85.
Winter Residents, see page 87.
February Bird-Life——The conditions prevailing in the bird [15]
94 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL world during January will be practically unchanged until the latter part of February. Then, should there be a period of mild weather, we may expect to hear the Song Sparrows and Bluebirds inaugurate the season of song. An unusually warm day earlier in the month may have tempted either or both of these birds prematurely to welcome spring, but as a rule we do not hear them until late in February, and then only under favorable conditions.
The songs of these birds bid us keep watch for the earlier migrants, the Robin, the Purple Grackle and the Red-winged Blackbird, birds which pass the winter such a short distance south of us that they appear at the first sign of returning spring. Further confidence in the growth of the new year is shown by the Great Horned Owl, one of our less common species, which begins nesting late in February or early in March.
In spite of these movements among the birds, February is, generally speaking, a winter month, and it is only in exceptional years that we find much change in our bird-life. BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85, Winter Residents, see page 8&7.
Migrants arriving from the South.
February 15 to 28, in favorable seasons.
Purple Grackle. Red-winged Blackbird.
Rusty Blackbird. Robin.
March Bird-Life.—Although March is sure to witness a general northward movement among the birds, the date of their arrival is as uncertain as the weather of the month itself. Continued severe weather prevents an advance, which a higher temperature occasions. It is well, therefore, to watch the weather predictions, since birds will quickly follow in the wake of a warm wave. When the ice leaves our bays, ponds and rivers, Ducks and Geese will appear. Even before this event, the Grackles, Redwinged Blackbirds and Robins will come in flocks and in song, and singing will become general with the Song Sparrows and Bluebirds, whose numbers will be greatly increased. When successive thaws have rendered the earth soft enough for the Woodcock’s probe, we may expect to find him in favorable localities searching for his fare of earthworms. With the advent of insects, we may look for their enemy the Phcebe, and Meadowlarks, Cowbirds and other March Migrants may be found. The weather which hastens the arrival of birds from the [16]
MONTHLY BIRD LIFE 95 South, also prompts certain of our Winter Visitants to begin their northward journey, and after March we do not often see Redpolls, Snowflakes or Northern Shrikes. BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85, Winter Residents, see page 87. Winter Residents leaving for the North. Horned Lark. Snowflake, Redpoll. Pine Grosbeak.
Northern Shrike.
Migrants arriving from the South. Appearing when the ice leaves the bays and rivers. Loon. Green-winged Teal. Pintail. Blue-winged Teal. Mallard. Canada Goose.
March 1 to to.
Purple Grackle. Rusty Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Robin. March 10 to 20.
Woodcock. Meadowlark.
Pheebe. Cowbird.
Fox Sparrow.
March 20 to 31.
Wilson’s Snipe. Mourning Dove. Kingfisher. Swamp Sparrow. White-throated Sparrow.
April Bird-Life.—In early April the developments in the vegetable world, which the most casual observer cannot fail to see, are accompanied by corresponding but less noticed activities in the world of birds. The appearance of the skunk-cabbage, the blossoming ofthe pussy-willow and the early wild flowers soon become common knowledge; but the arrival of the Vesper, Field and Chipping Sparrows, of Tree Swallows, Myrtle Warblers and Hermit Thrushes, is known to comparatively few. Still, to the bird-lover, the return of these feathered friends is of even greater interest than the blossoming of trees and plants. The migratory movement grows rapidly in strength, and during the latter part of the month one may expect to see newcomers almost daily. It will be noted that the earlier migrants of the month are all seed-eaters, while the later are certain insectivorous birds which catch their prey in the air, for example, Swallows, Swifts.and Nighthawks.
BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85, Winter Residents, see page 87. [17]
96 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL Winter Residents leaving for the North. Junco. Brown Creeper.
Tree Sparrow. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Winter Wren. Golden-crowned Kinglet. Migrants arriving from the South. April 1 to Io.
Pied-billed Grebe. Field Sparrow. Great Blue Heron. Chipping Sparrow. Black-crowned Night Heron. Tree Swallow. Osprey. Myrtle Warbler.
Vesper Sparrow. American Pipit. Savanna Sparrow. Hermit Thrush. April 10 to 20.
American Bittern. Barn Swallow. Green Heron. Yellow Palm Warbler. Clapper Rail. Pine Warbler. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Louisiana Water-Thrush. Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
April 20 to 30.
Spotted Sandpiper. Purple Martin. Semipalmated Sandpiper. Cliff Swallow. Whip-poor-will. Bank Swallow. Chimney Swift. Rough-winged Swallow. Least Flycatcher. Black and White Warbler. Towhee. Black-throated Green Warbler. Blue-headed Vireo. Brown Thrasher. May Bird-Life.—As the season advances, marked changes in temperature are less likely to occur, and the migration becomes regular and continuous. In February and March there may be two weeks or more variation in the times of arrival of the same species in different years; in May we expect to find a given species within a day or two of a certain date. We shall, nevertheless, find the force of the migratory current still closely dependent on the weather, and under the encouragement of a high temperature we may be visited by “bird waves,” flooding the woods with migrants. Birds are then doubtless more abundant than at any other season. As many as ten species may be noted as arriving on the same day, and sixty or seventy species may be observed within a few hours. After May 15, birds begin to decrease in number, the Transient Visitants passing farther north, and by June 5 we have only Permanent Residents and Summer Residents. BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85, Summer Residents, see page 86. [18]
MONTHLY BIRD LIFE 97 Migrants arriving from the South. May 1 to Io.
Common Tern. White-eyed Vireo. Solitary Sandpiper. Nashville Warbler. Semipalmated Plover. Blue-winged Warbler. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Parula Warbler. Black-billed Cuckoo. Black-throated Blue Warbler. Nighthawk. Magnolia Warbler.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Yellow-breasted Chat. Crested Flycatcher. Chestnut-sided Warbler. Kingbird. Prairie Warbler.
Baltimore Oriole. Small-billed Water-Thrush. Orchard Oriole. Hooded Warbler. Bobolink. Yellow Warbler.
Grasshopper Sparrow. Maryland Yellowthroat. Indigo Bunting. Oven-bird.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Redstart. Scarlet Tanager. House Wren.
Red-eyed Vireo. Catbird.
Warbling Vireo. Wood Thrush.
Yellow-throated Vireo. Veery.
May 10 to 20.
Wood Pewee. Black-poll Warbler. Acadian Flycatcher. Wilson’s Warbler. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Canadian Warbler. White-crowned Sparrow. Long-billed Marsh Wren. Golden-winged Warbler. Short-billed Marsh Wren. Tennessee Warbler. Olive-backed Thrush. Worm-eating Warbler. Gray-cheeked Thrush. Cape May Warbler. Alder Flycatcher. Blackburnian Warbler. Mourning Warbler. Bay-breasted Warbler. Bicknell’s Thrush. June Bird-Life.—After June 5 we may be reasonably sure that, with a few exceptions, every bird seen has or has had a nest in this vicinity. Several of the birds which began nesting in April will rear second broods in June, while the young of other April-nesting birds may not leave the nest until June. All the birds that began nesting in May will still be occupied with household affairs in June, and when we add to these the late-breeding species that wait for June before settling their domestic arrangements, it will be seen that among birds June is the home month of the year. Nest-building, egg-laying, incubating and the care of the young now make constant and exceptional demands on birds which, in response, exhibit traits which at other times of the year they give no evidence of possessing. Singing now reaches its highest [19]
98 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL development, and certain call-notes are heard only atthisseason. The numberless actions incident to courtship, the intelligence displayed in nest-building, the choice of special food for the young, the devotion which prompts the parents recklessly to expose themselves in protecting their offspring,—all these manifestations of the birdmind may be observed in June.
BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85, Summer Residents, see page 86.
July Bird-Life——The full development of the bird year is attained in June, and as early as the first week in July the season begins to wane, when, among some migratory birds, there are evidences of preparation for the journey southward. The young of certain species which rear but one brood a year have now left the nest, and, accompanied by the parents, wander about the country. In localities which we had thoroughly’ explored in June, we may now find species not met with then. In some cases these families join others of their kind, forming small flocks, the nuclei of the great gathering seen later. Examples are Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows. ‘The last named increase rapidly in number, and by July 10 we may see them flying over late each afternoon en route to their roosts in the Hackensack marshes.
During the first week in the month we shall also find that certain birds have concluded their season of song. Bobolinks and Red-winged Blackbirds are rarely heard after the toth of the month; their young are reared, the cares of nesting-time are passed, and with other one-brooded birds they begin to renew their worn breeding plumages by molting. After the 15th we miss the voices of the Veery, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Chat, Brown Thrasher and other birds.
BIRDS OF THE MONTH.
Permanent Residents, see page 85, Summer Residents, see page 86.
August Bird-Life-——With the majority of our nesting birds, family cares are ended in August, and at this season they completely renew their worn plumages by molting. When molting, birds are less in evidence than at any other time. What becomes of many of our birds in August it is difficult to say. Baltimore Orioles, for example, are rarely seen from August I to 20, but after the latter date they reappear clad in full plumage, and they are then in nearly full [20]