|In the habit of capturing insects upon the wing, the sylvicoline
subfamily of birds to which the Redstart belongs, resembles very closely
the smaller Flycatchers, but it differs in being less sedentary. When
in pursuit of food, it is constantly on the move, in and out among
the branches and foliage, seldom, if ever, waiting for some apparently
witless insect to manifest itself as our Pewees do. The strictly oscine
character of the tarsal scutellæ or plates, and the existence of nine
primary wing-feathers, are sufficient to distinguish them from the
latter, notwithstanding the orange or yellow crown of some of its
members. These birds--the _Setophagmae_ of naturalists--have their
greatest development in tropical America, where no less than nine genera
and sub-genera are known to exist. Only two of them extend into the
United States, and of the genus of Redstarts, we have but one of the
many that have been described. This species, to which allusion has just
been made, has an extended distribution, but chiefly in Eastern North
America. It has been found from the Atlantic westward to Utah, and from
Florida to Fort Simpson in British America. Throughout the river bottoms
of the Missouri, according to various observers, it is one of the most
abundant of summer occupants, and is also to be found quite frequently
as a breeder in the foot-hills west of Denver. Mr. Allen, who is our
authority for this statement, believes it to be sparingly represented
in this region wherever woodlands exist. In the mountains it was not
observed beyond the limit of 8000 feet.
The time of its arrival is usually about the first of May, never later
in the latitude of Philadelphia than the 8th, and occasionally as early
as the 20th of April in certain seasons; in New England from the
first to the 10th of May, but not before the last of this month in the
moss-clad willows of the marshes that skirt the far Saskatchewan. The
red lining of its wings as it flits through the sombre foliage of the
trees in pursuit of insects renders it an object of attraction, and one
to be easily recognized. Were this mark of identification wanting, its
crisp, lovely notes would tell the tale of its presence, and lead the
pursuer at once to its whereabouts.
The song of the Redstart resembles very closely that of the Black and
White Creeper, but differs in being less prolonged, and in its quicker,
sharper intonation. It may be very appropriately represented by the
syllables _tsi-tsi-tsiwe_, the last ending rather abruptly. Its
ordinary call is a simple _tsich_, which is heard at long and irregular
intervals. Singular to say, these sounds are most frequent when the bird
is most active, and not while in the enjoyment of the quietude which
follows such a life. At such times our hitherto energetic friend
maintains the utmost silence. Being an extremely early riser, it is in
the cool, calm hours of the morning, ere all Nature is astir, that he
regales the listening spirits of the groves with his sweetest music.
About four o'clock he awakes from his slumber, arranges his toilet with
care, and with a happy heart starts out to breakfast. But few of his
neighbors are up, and for a while he has everything his own way. For
nearly five hours he is a busy gleaner. Fastidious in appetite, he does
not accept whatever he meets with, but prefers his viands to be of the
very best that the great market of the world possesses. While beetles
are devoured when other articles are not convenient, there is manifestly
a strong predilection for the juicier fly and moth, or the honey-bearing
aphis.
A remarkable peculiarity of this species whilst feeding deserves a
passing notice in this connection. We allude to its habit of opening and
closing the wings, and of expanding the feathers of the tail. Whether
these movements are done for show or not, we are unable to say. They
cannot be considered as designed solely for attracting the sexes to each
other, which would doubtless be the correct interpretation if they
were practised only during the season of mating. But as they are to
be noticed throughout the entire stay of these birds, and always while
engaged in feeding, it seems to us that they are expressive of delight
and satisfaction. The capture of an insect evokes them, and from being
habitual, it is no more than natural to suppose that the sight of
a loved one--the partner of former joys and sorrows--would produce
feelings akin, but stronger, and lead to similar manifestations. Unlike
what is customary among birds, the female Redstart rivals the male in
powers of song.
Never gregarious, for three weeks and more from the time of arrival the
sexes lead solitary lives, and spend the time in feeding. At first their
foraging is confined to high, open woods, but as the days flit by, they
become more friendly and visit orchards and lawns, or glean among the
trees that line our roads and lanes. They now become quite tame, and may
be approached with comparative ease. In the procurement of food they are
as often found upon the upper branches of trees as upon the lower,
and do not deem themselves too proud to come down to lower growths,
or betake themselves to the ground. As the males are the first to show
themselves, it is to be presumed that they are the earliest to migrate.
They seem to be several days in advance of the females. But perhaps the
latter are more modest and retired, and do not emerge from their sylvan
quarters as soon as their lords, which would account for their apparent
delay. But whether or not they arrive together, it is evident that
they pay little regard to each other for a fortnight, and only care for
selfish gratification.
This condition of things continues until the last of May or the
beginning of June, when the males seek out their partners, and prepare
for the work which has called them through many a weary league of
country. From the time of mutual recognition until the construction of
the nest, affairs progress with wonderful rapidity. The selection of
a building-spot, as also does the labor of building, depends upon the
female. She is rather whimsical, and, above all, hard to please. The
male occasionally assists, but things often go wrong, and rather than
provoke a tempest, he takes a position where he can inspect the work as
it progresses under the critical eye, and by the skilful manipulations
of his steady, industrious and persevering housewife. While for these
long, weary days she is thus occupied with the structure, her partner
sweetens the _ennui_ of her life by an agreeable ditty and words of
endearment. As if to show his appreciation of her exertions, he now and
then rewards her with one of his choicest captures.
Dense woods with plenty of underbrush are generally chosen when nesting.
Occasionally, through some freak of the builders, the domicile is placed
contiguous to human habitations. Almost any small tree or bush answers
for its support. A crotch receives the fabric and renders it secure
from violent storms of wind. Upon first examination it seems to be the
counterpart of the home of the Summer Yellow-Bird, but this impression
is soon abandoned when a comparison is instituted. A typical structure
before us, which was built upon a forked branch of the wild plum, at
a height of ten feet from the ground, is composed of the fibres of the
wild flax, with a few spiders' webs, on the outside, and is lined with a
profusion of horse-hairs. In diameter it measures two and three-fourths
inches, and three in height. The width of the cavity is two inches,
and the depth one and five-eighths. The whole affair is beautifully
hemispherical, and neatly and compactly woven.
In the construction of the nest there is visible a marked uniformity in
character, although the materials vary with the localities. Shreds of
savin-bark, bits of wool, strips of bark, thistle-down, bits of paper,
and other fragments are sometimes utilized in the periphery, while
vegetable fibres, pine leaves, dry grasses and wool of plants are made
to do good service in adding a warm and comfortable lining. From what
we read it seems that the Redstart does not always build directly upon a
branch, but is occasionally prone to make use of the nest of some
other species as a foundation. A case is cited by Dr. Breaver where the
Redstarts had placed their nest upon a Blue-eyed Warbler's, which
had either been deserted, or from which the rightful owners had been
expelled. The base of this fabric was composed of brownish wool plucked
from fern leaves, with a commingling of herbaceous stems and leaves.
Within this wonderfully unique structure was placed an entirely distinct
nest, firmly and elaborately interwoven of pine needles, stems of
grasses and long, slender ribands of bark.
Oviposition is closely attendant upon nest-completion, and proceeds
at the rate of one egg daily, until the entire set is laid. Incubation
immediately follows, and is the exclusive duty of the female for eleven
days. While this is going on, the male bird busies himself with the
food-matters? and is a very thoughtful and attentive provider. When
not employed in this business, he shows his regard and solicitude
by remaining at home. In times of danger he never shirks his
responsibility, but comes boldly to the front, and by his clamors and
menacing gestures endeavors to frighten the intruder away. Bold and
courageous he will often dart with wide-open jaws into the face of the
person who dares to disturb his nest or mate. So strongly attached to
her nest, on the other hand, is the ladybird, that she will permit a
near approach thereto before abandoning it. In times of assault she
is less demonstrative, and when her nest is despoiled before her eyes,
expresses but a moderate show of distress. But while the paternal head
of the household can be so deeply concerned for the welfare of his
family, and the preservation of his home, it is a noteworthy fact
that even while bewailing her misfortunes in the most agonizing manner
possible, the mother-bird is often known to stop in the midst of her
lamentations to seize a passing insect.
The young are objects of the ten derest solicitude, both parents
laboring with unremitting zeal in providing them with plenty of suitable
nourishment. Young caterpillars and the larvæ of various other insects
which the parents often procure at great distances, are fed to them
when quite young, but later on they are subsisted upon plant lice, small
spiders and mature diptera and ants. Late in the season both young
and old devour great quantities of cedar berries, and the seeds of the
commoner grasses. When twelve days old the young leave the nest for the
first time, but are not prepared to quit entirely until a week older.
They now in company with their parents repair to moist rather than dry
thickets, because of the greater abundance of insects to be found in
such places, and here they remain until the last of September, when they
retire south to winter in Guatemala, and other parts of Central America,
as well as in the West Indies and Peru.
About the time of departure, the young male resembles in plumage the
mother, but differs in having the upper tail-coverts and tail a deep
black color, instead of having the former olive and the latter dusky. In
addition the dorsal region is more greenish-olive, and the abdomen and
crissum of a purer white. He is slow in acquiring the perfect adult
plumage, and does not attain to it until his third year. At or about
this time his predominant color is black. This is variegated by the
white abdomen and under tail-coverts, and by a central band on the
breast of the same color, and still further by the bases of all the
quills (excepting the inner and outer proximal halves of all the
tail-feathers but the middle,) a patch on each side of the breast,
and the axillary region, being of an orange-red hue, which shades to
a vermilion on the breast. The female has the black replaced by
olive-green above, and brownish-white below. Yellow takes the place
of orange, and ash that of black upon the head. There is also a
grayish-white line and ring around the eye. Their length is five and a
quarter inches, wing two and a half, and tail two and nine-twentieths.
The eggs of the Redstart are four in number, and bear some resemblance
to those of the common Blue-eyed Yellow Warbler. Their groundcolor is
a grayish-white, and this is quite thickly sprinkled all over, but more
especially about the larger extremity, with shades of brown and black.
They vary in length from .54 to .67 of an inch, and in breadth from .44
to .53. Specimens from widely separated localities, when compared
with others from the Middle Atlantic States, show the same amount of
variation in size and general appearance. In Eastern Pennsylvania the
species is single-brooded, and the same may be said of other sections of
the country which the birds frequent.
[Illustration: 284]