carelessly built and are very flimsy affairs, much like poorly built
nests of the chipping sparrow; and they are usually insecurely attached
to their supports. Brewster (1877) gives the following good description
of a typical nest: "The framework is wrought somewhat loosely of fine
twigs, those of the hemlock being apparently preferred. Next comes a
layer of coarse grass or dry weed-stalks; while the interior is lined
invariably with fine black roots, which closely resemble horse-hairs. In
an examination of more than thirty examples I have found not one in
which these black roots were not used. One specimen has, indeed, a few
_real_ horse-hairs in the lining, but the roots predominate. This
uniform coal-black lining shows in strong contrast with the lighter
aspect of the outer surface of the nest."
Miss Cordelia J. Stanwood, of Ellsworth, Maine, who has sent me some
elaborate notes on the magnolia warbler, gives me this description of
one of her best nests: "In this some hay and the fine tips of cinquefoil
served as a foundation, but the greater part of the nest consisted of a
fine black, vegetable fibre, resembling horsehair. So much of this
hair-like material was used that, when the rim was frescoed with down
from the willow pod, a person looking at the dainty abode in its setting
of fir twigs could see nothing but the jet-black lining and the fluffy,
silvery plant-down around the throat of the nest. The structure was
partly pensile, being bound with spiders' silk to the two branches at
right angles to the main stem.
"The front part of the base rested on the branches beneath. It was
placed in a small fir, 2 feet from the ground, surrounded by a growth
of fir and gray birches. * * * The nests were about 2 inches wide at the
top on the inside and 1-1/4 deep. The wall at the top was 3/4 inch
thick."
A series of eight nests now before me vary considerably in size,
compactness, manner of construction, and in the materials used. The
largest two measure 4 inches and 3-3/4 inches, respectively, in outside
diameter, and the smallest ones measure from 2-3/4 to 3 inches. The
inner diameter seems to be more constant, varying from 1-3/4 to 2
inches. All of my nests are shallow, hardly more than an inch deep
internally in most cases. Some of them are fairly well made, but most of
them are very flimsy and more or less transparent. The neatest nests
have the sides and rims well built up with dry grass or weed stems of
varying degrees of fineness and density. In some there is no grass, but
the sides are well made of the very finest hemlock or larch twigs
interwoven with fine, red, fruiting stems of mosses and many fine, black
rootlets; they are often slightly decorated or camouflaged with a few
weed blossoms or bits of wool or plant down. The lining of black
rootlets is present in these and in all other nests of the magnolia
warbler that I have seen; it seems to be characteristic of the species
and will distinguish the nests from those of other warblers. This
jet-black lining forms a fine background against which the handsome eggs
are shown in striking contrast.
Miss Stanwood gives in her notes the following account of nest building:
"The birds fly with much jolly chattering through the trees and examine
any nesting sites that appear desirable. The dainty female, after
fitting her little body into many spaces among the twigs, finds one that
is entirely adapted to her prospective domicile, and the birds proceed
to fashion a basketlike frame of long, fine potentilla or cinquefoil
runners, or culms of fine hay. These they fasten to the twigs and
needles around the selected space with spiders' web, or tent caterpillar
silk, leaving the long ends free. Around the top of the basketlike frame
on the interior is laid a culm of hay in the form of an imperfect
circle, which is secured to the frame with spiders' silk; many of the
long ends are then turned down within, or crumpled into the space for
the foundation of the superstructure. In the frame is fashioned the
cradle, which is symmetrical and cup-shaped on the inside, but may be
formed like the bowl of a spoon on the outside, according to the space
which it is designed to fill. The preferred lining materials appear to
be a jet-black, hair-like vegetable fibre, and horsehair, but on
occasion, the dull orange setae of the birdwheat moss, or the brown
fruit stems of maples are used for this purpose.
"Both twittering birds bring the materials while it is damp, if
possible, and place it, but being very timid, they work little while an
observer is near. At such times the birds come silently, one at a time,
deposit the bit of cinquefoil or hair-like fibre hurriedly, the female
who is oftentimes less timid than the male, doing most of the modelling,
turning around and around in the tiny dwelling and shaping it with her
breast. Two birds that I timed carefully spent 4 days building their
habitation, and another pair 6 days in doing the same work. The amount
of time occupied by the task is determined by the abundance or scarcity
of materials and the weather; continuous, heavy, cold and retard the
work greatly."
_Eggs._--Four eggs almost always form a full set for the magnolia
warbler, but sometimes there are only three and occasionally five. They
vary in shape from ovate to short ovate, or rarely to elongate ovate,
and are only slightly glossy. The ground color is white or creamy white
and in some instances greenish white. Their markings vary considerably,
some being very lightly speckled, while others are boldly spotted,
blotched or clouded with "buffy brown," "cinnamon-brown," "Mars brown,"
"Prout's brown," "mummy brown," "Brussels brown," "chestnut," "auburn,"
or "tawny-olive," with occasional scrawls of "bay" or black, and with
undertones of "vinaceous-drab," "deep brownish drab," or "Quaker drab."
There is a tendency for the markings to be concentrated at the large
end, where they often form a wreath, or sometimes a solid cap. Many
interesting effects are found on the boldly marked eggs, where the large
brown blotches are superimposed on the drab undertones. The measurements
of 50 eggs average 16.3 by 12.3 millimeters; the eggs showing the four
extremes measure =17.9= by =13.2=, =15.0= by 12.0, and 15.8 by =11.6=
millimeters (Harris).
_Young._--The period of incubation for the magnolia warbler is said, by
different observers, to be 11, 12, or 13 days, and it is evidently
performed by the female only. Miss Stanwood tells me that incubation
sometimes begins after the second egg is laid. One egg is laid each day
until the set is complete. The young remain in the nest from 8 to 10
days, usually the latter. The eyes of the young are opening on the third
or fourth day. On the sixth day, the feathers are breaking the sheaths,
and by the eighth or ninth day the young are well feathered. The female
does all the brooding of the young, of which Miss Stanwood writes in her
notes:
"At first the mother bird covered the young much of the time, as the
infant birds were fragile and the weather was cold and damp. Every few
minutes the brooding bird moved back on the nest far enough to feed the
nestlings regurgitated or digested food, and to cleanse the nest of
biting pests such as ants, which might endanger the lives of the baby
birds. The father bird sang gaily, far away and near at hand, throughout
the long summer day. When he came to the nest with food, he flirted his
tail, fluttered his wings, quivered all over and twittered very prettily
to his mate, who responded in like manner.
"He presented his first tender moths and juicy caterpillars to the
mother bird, who ate part of them, but the remainder she crushed and
mixed with digestive juices in her mouth and placed well down the
throats of the baby birds.
"The little ones were not many hours old before the male insisted on
presenting to them a few tidbits himself; and in a few days the parents
fed the young almost exclusively on fresh insect food, which grew larger
and tougher as the days went by."
She mentions two attempts of the parent birds to draw her away from
their young: "Once I accidentally flushed a brooding magnolia. The bird
disappeared into the underbrush, but soon attracted my attention to
herself by calling from the top of a second-growth fir, a few yards from
where her precious secret was concealed. Then she fell from branch to
branch, striking the boughs with a thud, like a dead weight, and dragged
an apparently helpless leg or wing over the ground, but always away from
where her treasures were hidden. On another occasion, when I visited a
family of magnolias that were quite ready to fly, the little ones
spilled over the side of the cradle into the surrounding grasses and
ferns. Both parent birds, with spread wings and tail, tumbled from all
the seedlings in the vicinity and trailed around in widening circles,
calling piteously. At last the male bird poised himself in air on
fluttering wings between me and a callow youngster, but the moment I
lessened the distance between us he vanished."
Henry Mousley (1924) recorded his observations on two nests of magnolia
warblers, and found that during a period of 15 hours, at one nest
containing very young birds, the male fed the young 34 times and the
female 58 times; the average rate of feeding was once in 9.8 minutes;
the female did all the brooding for a total of 6 hours and 19 minutes;
the faeces were eaten 9 times and carried away 17 times, about equally
by each sex.
Margaret Morse Nice (1926) made a very elaborate study of the happenings
at another nest; her account, containing many interesting observations,
to which the reader is referred, is too detailed to be quoted here. Her
table shows that she watched the nest for a total of 26-1/2 hours,
spread over a period of 9 days; during this time, the young were fed by
the male 118 times and by the female 91 times; the average rate of
feeding was once in 7.8 minutes; the female brooded 33 times for a total
of 352 minutes; the faeces were eaten 8 times and carried away 38 times.
Aretas A. Saunders (1938) writes: "After the young have left the nest,
they are much in evidence in the forests. As soon as this happens,
whatever territory there was is abandoned. The young wander away,
keeping together, and the parents care for them, feeding them
frequently for the first few days. Both sexes feed the young, but after
a day or two only the male is likely to be in attendance. Young in this
stage are easily located by the incessant hunger calls. These calls
consist of three or four high-pitched notes, _tsee tsee tu_--_tsee tsee
tsee tu_--_tsee tsee_, etc. I cannot distinguish the call made by young
of this species from those made under similar circumstances by the young
of the black-throated green and blackburnian warblers."
I have also received from Mrs. Doris Huestis Speirs and from Mrs. Louise
de Kiriline Lawrence very full reports on their observations at two
nests of magnolia warblers in Ontario. Many of their observations were
similar to those mentioned; however, the following should be noted here:
Mrs. Lawrence found the incubation period to be about 11 days,
incubation and brooding being by the female only. The young were fed by
both parents by regurgitation for the first 3 days, and after that on
solid food, mostly caterpillars; in 49 minutes, the male fed them 7
times and the female 5 times. During 5-1/2 hours, the male ate or
carried away the fecal sacks 15 times. The young left the nest on the
ninth day after hatching, and were fed by their parents up to the
twenty-fifth day after leaving the nest; after that they were seen
feeding themselves. Mrs. Speirs kept an accurate record of the brooding
periods, which were from 8 to 45 minutes in length, but seldom less than
20 minutes, the female leaving the nest for periods of from 3 to 15
minutes. At times she closed her eyes and seemed to doze; occasionally
she rose and turned the eggs with her feet or bill. The presence of
birds of other species approaching or flying over did not seem to
disturb her but the movements of a red squirrel in the vicinity kept her
alert. The story of this nest ended in tragedy; some predator destroyed
all but one of the young, the female finally disappeared and eventually
there was nothing in the nest but an unhatched egg. A sharp-shinned hawk
had been seen flying over.
_Plumages._--Dr. Dwight (1900) calls the natal down "sepia-brown," and
describes the juvenal plumage as "above, dark sepia-brown, soon fading,
usually paler on the crown and obscurely streaked with clove-brown.
Wings and tail dull black, chiefly edged with ashy or plumbeous gray,
the secondaries, tertiaries and wing coverts with drab, two wing bands
pale buff; the rectrices white on inner web of basal half. Below, pale
sulphur-yellow, dusky or grayish on the throat, and streaked or mottled
except on the abdomen and crissum with deep olive-brown. Lores and
orbital region ashy brown."
The amount of yellow on the under parts is quite variable, the youngest
nestlings showing very little or none at all. The sexes are practically
alike in the juvenal plumage, but become recognizable during the first
fall.
The postjuvenal molt begins early in July and involves all the contour
plumage and the wing coverts, but not the rest of the wings or the tail.
This produces the first winter plumages, in which the young of each sex
closely resemble their respective adult counterparts at that season but
the colors are all duller, the crown and back are browner, there is a
dusky band on the upper breast, and the black streaking is paler or
obscure.
Dr. Dwight (1900) says: "First nuptial plumage acquired by a partial
prenuptial moult which involves most of the body plumage, the wing
coverts and sometimes a few tertiaries, but not the rest of the wings
nor the tail. Young and old become practically indistinguishable except
by the wings and tail, especially the primary coverts, all of which are
usually browner and more worn than in adults." According to Dickey and
van Rossem (1938) this takes place in El Salvador early in April and is
completed very rapidly.
Subsequent molts of adults consist of a complete postnuptial molt in
July and August and an extensive prenuptial molt in April, as described
above. Dr. Chapman (1907) says that the adult male in the fall is quite
unlike the spring male; "crown and nape brownish gray; eye-ring whitish
[instead of white spot below and a white line behind the eye]; * * *
rump yellow; tail as in Spring; wing-coverts _tipped_ [instead of
broadly marked and forming a conspicuous white patch] with white forming
two white bars; below yellow, sides with partly concealed black streaks,
upper breast with a faint dusky band." The fall female differs in a
similar way from the spring female, having a browner crown and the dusky
band on the upper breast well developed, much as in the young male in
the fall. The female is always much duller than the male in all
plumages.
_Food._--Ora W. Knight (1908) writes: "The food consists largely of
beetles, grubs, flies, worms and similar insects. I have seen the birds
prying frequently into the deformities on spruce and fir produced by a
species of licelike insects (_Adelges_), and feel very sure that they do
good work in destroying these pests, which are becoming very numerous in
some sections of the State [Maine] and injuring the spruce and fir
trees."
W. L. McAtee (1926) praises its good looks as well as its usefulness by
saying: "The beautiful Black and Yellow Warbler is a common summer
resident of the higher parts of the Catskill and Adirondack regions, and
breeds sparingly in local cool spots elsewhere in the State [New York].
* * * So far as known its food in our region consists entirely of
insects and associated creatures, as spiders and daddy-long-legs. Almost
all of its known items of insect food are sorts injurious to woodlands.
It takes weevils, leaf beetles, and click beetles, leaf hoppers, plant
lice, and scale insects, sawfly larvae and ants, and caterpillars and
moths. Surely a record of good deeds to match the excellence of
appearance of this feathered gem."
F. H. King (1883) reports from Wisconsin: "Of seventeen specimens
examined, three had eaten four hymenoptera, among which were two ants;
one, one moth; six, seventeen caterpillars; six, fifteen diptera; six,
twelve beetles; and one, two larvae. Two tipulids were represented among
the diptera." Professor Aughey (1878) counted as many as 23 locusts,
probably in nymphal stages, in the stomach of a magnolia warbler
collected in Nebraska. And F. L. Burns (1915a) included this species
with the Cape May warbler as feeding on cultivated grapes.
_Behavior._--The magnolia warbler is not only one of the most
beautiful--to my mind, the most beautiful--of wood warblers, it is one
of the most attractive to watch. It frequents, especially on its
breeding grounds, the lower levels in its forest haunts, where it can
easily be seen. It is most active and sprightly in its movements as it
flits about in the small trees or bushes, with its wings drooping and
its tail spread almost constantly, showing the conspicuous black and
white markings in pleasing contrast with the brilliant yellow breast,
the gray crown, and the black back; it seems to be conscious of its
beauty and anxious to display it. Its rich and vivacious song, almost
incessantly uttered during the early part of the nesting season,
attracts attention and shows the nervous energy of the active little
bird. It is not particularly shy and is quite apt to show itself at
frequent intervals, as if from curiosity. The female sits closely on her
nest until almost touched, and then slips quickly off to the ground and
disappears. But both of the parents are devoted to their young and quite
bold in their defense, as mentioned above by Miss Stanwood. At the nest
that Mrs. Nice (1926) was watching the warblers paid no attention to a
red squirrel that several times came within 15 feet of the nest. "In
general the relations of these warblers with other birds was not
unfriendly; no attention was paid to passing Chickadees nor to Chewinks
and Maryland Yellow-throats that nested near. The only birds towards
whom the male showed animosity were a male Myrtle Warbler that he drove
away both during incubation and while the young were in the nest, and
the male of his own species who came to call July 2. On July 8 the
female warbler gave short shrift to an inquisitive female Black-throated
Green Warbler that seemed to wish to inspect the household."
The intimate studies made by Mrs. Nice and Henry Mousley indicate that
these warblers will tolerate a reasonable amount of human intimacy
without showing too much timidity.
_Voice._--My earliest impression of the song of the magnolia warbler was
written in 1891 as _wee-chew, wee-chew_ in full, rich notes. Later I
attempted to syllabilize it quite differently; once I wrote it _switter,
switter, swirr_, or _swicher, swich, a-swirr_. On another occasion it
sounded like _wheet, tit, chéw_, or _wheet, wheet, tit, chéw_.
Mrs. Nice (1926) noted only two songs, "the day song and perch song
_weechy weech_ and the feeding and vesper song _sing sweet_ with its
variation _sing sing sweet_. He used three different notes: _tit_ the
alarm note, _kree_ the love note, and _eep_, the significance of which I
never fathomed."
Gerald Thayer wrote to Dr. Chapman (1907):
The Magnolia belongs among the full-voiced Warblers, and is a versatile
singer, having at least two main songs, both subject to much and notable
variation. The typical form of the commoner song is peculiar and easily
remembered: _Weeto wecto weétee-eet_,--or _Witchi, witchi, witchi
tit_,--the first four notes deliberate and even and comparatively low in
tone, the last three hurried and higher pitched, with decided emphasis
on the antepenult _weet_ or _witch_. The other song has the same general
character, and begins with nearly the same notes, but instead of ending
with the sprightly, high-pitched _wéetee-eet'_, it falls off in a single
perfunctory-sounding though emphatic note, of _lower_ tone than the
rest. In syllables it is like _Witti witti wét'_,--_weetee weetee
wúr_.
He proceeds to mention some variations:
One such variant I have fixed in my own recollection by the syllables
_Ter-whiz wee-it_; and another, almost unrecognizable, by the syllables
_Weé-yer weé-yer wee-yer_. Still another beginning like _Weechi wéech_,
ended with a hurried confusion of small notes, some low, some high. But
throughout these and all the many other surprising variations I have
heard about Monadnock, the characteristic tone-quality was preserved
unchanged, and so were certain minor tricks, scarcely describable, of
emphasis and phrasing. The tone is much like the Yellow Warbler's and
also the Chestnut-side's, though distinctly different from either. In
loudness it averages lower than the Yellow's and about equal to the
Chestnut-side's.
Then he mentions a peculiar call note, _tlep, tlep_, a lisping note with
a slight metallic ring, that reminded him of the siskin or of Henslow's
sparrow.
The following remarkable list of seven distinct songs recognized by
Stewart Edward White (1893) is included because it represents either
some very unusual variations or very keen observation:
1. Three notes followed by one lower: _che-weech che-weech che-ó_. 2.
Three sharp clear whistles with a strong _r_ sound, then a warble of
three notes, the middle the highest, the latter clear and decisive: _pra
pra pra r-é-oo_. 3. Two quick sharp notes followed by a warble of three
notes, the middle the highest: the warble is soft and slurred: _prút pút
purreao_. 4. A soft falsetto warble, different in tone from any other
bird song: _purra-[)e]-whuy-a_. 5. Of the same falsetto tone uttered
rapidly: _prut-ut-ut-ut-ut_. 5. A harsh note like, in miniature, the cry
of a Jay: _d kay kay kay_. 7. A harsh _k-e-e-e-dl_, the last syllable
higher by a shade, quick, and subordinated to the first part. The alarm
note is a sharp _zeek_.
Mr. Brewster (1877) has written his impression of the song in words as,
"_she knew she was right; yes, she knew she was right_." Elsewhere, he
writes it: "_Pretty, pretty Rachel_." The latter version seems to
suggest the rhythmic swing of the song very well.
Francis H. Allen (MS.) gives me several somewhat similar renderings, and
mentions a migrating bird that sang for a long time early one morning in
the spruces and hemlock near his house: "It was such steady and
unintermittent singing as I have seldom if ever heard from any other
warbler, and the bird alternated very regularly between the first and
second songs--_weetle weetle weetle weet_, then _will´ you wée sip_, or
_will´ you will´ you wée sip_, the latter song not so emphatic as usual
and weaker than the other." This alternation is not uncommon with some
species of warblers, as the redstart, but I have no records of it for
the magnolia. He also mentions a common call note, "a dry 2-syllabled
note, _tizic_, a little suggestive, perhaps, of the song of the
yellow-bellied flycatcher", which he thinks has no counterpart among our
warbler notes.
Aretas A. Saunders has lately sent me a full account of the song of this
warbler, saying, in part: "The song of the magnolia warbler is a short
one, commonly of six or seven notes, of a weak, rather colorless, but
musical quality. My 49 records of this song show that the number of
notes varies from 4 to 9, all but 8 of them being of either 6 or 7
notes. The 6-note songs usually consist of three, 2-note phrases. The
first two are just alike, the 2 notes of each phrase on different
pitches. The third phrase is either higher or lower in pitch, and
frequently with the order of pitch from low to high or from high to low
reversed.
"The majority of the songs have a range, in pitch, of two or two and a
half tones, nearly always between A´´´ and D´´´´. A few songs range as
much as three and a half tones, and may be as low as F´´´ or up to
E flat´´´´, but the range for the species is only five tones.
"The songs are quite short, ranging from 3/5 second to 1-2/5 seconds.
Individual birds often sing two or three different songs, or vary songs
by dropping or adding notes.
"The song period extends from the arrival of the bird in migration to
late July or early August. The average date of the last song in 14 years
in Allegany Park is August 1. The earliest is July 26, 1933, and the
latest August 15, 1937."