_Fringilla albicollis_, GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 926.—WILSON, Am.
Orn. III, 1811, 51, pl. xxii, f. 2.—LICHT. Verz. Doubl. No. 247
(1823). _Zonotrichia albicollis_, BP. Consp. 1850, 478.—CAB. Mus.
Hein. 1851, 132.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 463.—SAMUELS, 311.
_Passer pennsylvanicus_, BRISSON, 1760, Appendix, 77. _Fringilla
pennsylvanica_, LATH. Index, I, 1790, 445.—AUD. Orn. Biog. I,
1831, 42; V, 497, pl. viii.—IB. Syn. 1839, 121.—IB. Birds Am. III,
1841, 153, pl. cxci.—MAX. Cab. Jour. VI, 1858, 276. _Fringilla
(Zonotrichia) pennsylvanica_, SW. F. B. Am. II, 1831, 256.
_Zonotrichia pennsylvanica_, BON. List, 1838.
SP. CHAR. Two black stripes on the crown, separated by a median one of
white. A broad superciliary stripe from the base of the mandible to
the occiput, yellow as far as the middle of the eye and white behind
this. A broad black streak on the side of the head from behind the
eye. Chin white, abruptly defined against the dark ash of the sides of
the head and upper part of the breast, fading into white on the belly,
and margined by a narrow black maxillary line. Edge of wing and
axillaries yellow. Back and edges of secondaries rufous-brown, the
former streaked with dark brown. Two narrow white bands across the
wing-coverts. Length, 7 inches; wing, 3.10; tail, 3.20. Young of the
year not in the collection.
HAB. Eastern Province of North America to the Missouri. Breeding in
most of the northern United States and British Provinces, and
wintering in the United States almost to their southern limit.
Aberdineshire, England, August 17, 1867 (Zoölogist, Feb., 1869, 1547;
P. Z. S. 1857, 52). Scotland (Newton, Pr. Zoöl. Soc. 1870, 52).
Female smaller, and the colors rather duller. Immature and winter
specimens have the white chin-patch less abruptly defined, the white
markings on the top and sides of the head tinged with brown. Some
specimens, apparently mature, show quite distinct streaks on the
breast and sides of throat and body.
HABITS. The White-throated Sparrow is, at certain seasons, an abundant
bird in all parts of North America, from the Great Plains to the
Atlantic, and from Georgia to the extreme Arctic regions. A few breed
in favorable situations in Massachusetts, especially in the extreme
northwestern part of the State. It breeds abundantly in Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Maine, and in all the British Provinces.
Sir John Richardson states that they reach the Saskatchewan in the
middle of May, and spread throughout the fur countries, as far, at
least, as the 66th parallel, to breed. He states that he saw a female
sitting on seven eggs near the Cumberland House, as early as June 4.
The nest was placed under a fallen tree, was made of grass, lined with
deer’s hair and a few feathers. Another, found at Great Bear’s Lake,
was lined with the _setæ_ of the _Bryum uliginosum_. He describes the
eggs as of a pale mountain-green, thickly marbled with reddish-brown.
When the female was disturbed, she ran silently off in a crouching
manner, like a Lark. He describes the note of this bird as a clear
song of two or three notes, uttered very distinctly, but without
variety,—a very incomplete description.
Mr. Kennicott states that this species does not extend its migrations
as far to the north as _Z. gambeli_, and is even much less numerous on
the south shores of the Slave Lake, where he did not observe half so
many of this as of the other. It also nests later, as he found the
first nest observed on the 22d of June, with the eggs quite fresh,
incubation not having commenced, and found others after that date. On
English River he found two nests with eggs on the 9th and 17th of
July, and one near the Cumberland House on the 30th of June. Two of
these were in low swampy ground among large trees, the other on high
ground among small bushes. They were constructed on large bases of
moss, and lined with soft grasses. When startled from her nest, the
female always crept silently away through the grass.
He met with this species in considerable flocks, accompanied by small
numbers of _Z. leucophrys_, on the north shore of Lake Superior, on
the 11th of May. He saw individuals on the 29th of May, near the Lake
of the Woods, and it doubtless breeds as far south as that region. In
the fall it was not seen at Fort Simpson later than the last of
September. As it is a much more eastern bird than _Z. gambeli_, it is
probably in greater abundance on the eastern end of Slave Lake. Its
song he regards as by no means so attractive as that of _Z. gambeli_
or of _Z. leucophrys_. Its general habits are very much like those of
the former, and though by no means a strictly terrestrial bird, it
rarely perches high on trees, and generally flies near the ground,
except in its long migratory flights.
Notwithstanding the slighting manner in which the song of this bird is
spoken of by some writers, in certain parts of the country its clear,
prolonged, and peculiar whistle has given to it quite a local fame and
popularity. Among the White Mountains, where it breeds abundantly, it
is known as the Peabody Bird, and its remarkably clear whistle
resounds in all their glens and secluded recesses. Its song consists
of twelve distinct notes, which are not unfrequently interpreted into
various ludicrous travesties. As this song is repeated with no
variations, and quite frequently from early morning until late in the
evening, it soon becomes quite monotonous.
Among the White Mountains I have repeatedly found its nests. They were
always on the ground, usually sheltered by surrounding grass, and at
the foot of bushes or a tree, or in the woods under a fallen log. In
that region it retained all its wild, shy habits, rarely being found
in the neighborhood of dwellings or in cultivated grounds. But at
Halifax this was not so. There I found them breeding in gardens, on
the edge of the city, and in close proximity to houses, apparently not
more shy than the common Song Sparrow.
Wilson states that these birds winter in most of the States south of
New England, and he found them particularly numerous near the Roanoke
River, collecting in flocks on the borders of swampy thickets, among
long rank weeds, the seeds of which formed their principal food. He
gives the 20th of April as the date of their disappearance, but I have
observed them lingering in the Capitol grounds in Washington several
weeks after that date. They pass through Eastern Massachusetts from
the 10th to the 20th of May, and repass early in October. A few
stragglers sometimes appear at earlier dates, but irregularly. In
Western Maine, where it is quite common, Professor Verrill states that
it sometimes arrives by the middle of April. Near Springfield, Mass.,
Mr. Allen noted their appearance between the last of April and the
20th of May; in fall, from the last of September through October.
Their favorite haunts are moist thickets. The young males do not
acquire their full plumage until the second spring, but sing and breed
in the plumage of the females, as Mr. Allen ascertained by dissection.
Mr. Hildreth observed a pair near Springfield during three successive
summers, and although he could not find the nest, he saw them feeding
their scarcely fledged young birds.
At Columbia, S. C., Dr. Coues found these Sparrows very abundant, from
October through April. They sing, more or less, all winter, and during
the last few weeks of their stay are quite musical. Many hundreds pass
the months of March and April in the gardens of that city, though
during the winter they were mostly to be found in thickets and fields,
in company with many other species.
A single specimen of this bird was killed in Aberdeenshire, August 17,
1867, and a second was lately captured alive near Brighton (P. Z. S.,
June 4, 1872).
Mr. Audubon says that this bird visits Louisiana and all the Southern
districts in winter, remaining from November to March, in great
numbers. They form groups of from thirty to fifty, and live together
in great harmony, feeding upon small seeds. At this time they are
plump to excess, and are regarded as a great delicacy.
When kept in confinement these birds become quite tame, and in the
spring will sing at all hours of the day or night.
The nest of this bird is usually, if not always, on the ground, but in
various situations, as I have found them on a hillside, in the midst
of low underbrush, in a swampy thicket, at the foot of some large tree
in a garden, as at Halifax, by the edge of a small pond, or in a
hollow and decaying stump. Their nest is large, deep, and capacious,
with a base of moss or coarse grasses, woven with finer stems above
and lined with hair, a few feathers, fine rootlets of plants or soft
grasses. The eggs vary from four to seven in number. Their
ground-color is of a pale green or a greenish-white, marked over the
entire egg with a fox-colored or rusty brown. Occasionally these
markings are sparsely scattered, permitting the ground to be plainly
visible, but generally they are so very abundant as to cover the
entire egg so closely as to conceal all other shade, and give to the
whole a deep uniform rufous-brown hue, through which the under color
of light green is hardly distinguishable. They measure .90 by .68 of
an inch.
Zonotrichia querula, GAMBEL.