Three species of scoter occur in Pennsylvania. They are diving ducks and
are usually to be found only on the larger bodies of water. As a rule,
they are not common; they are fond of salt water, and are commonly found
in the bays along the Atlantic coast. The adult males all have grotesque
and highly colored bills. All scoters are commonly called “Black Ducks”
in the interior; along the coast they are called also “Sea Coots.”
Scoters will, as a rule, be found in large, raft-like flocks.
AMERICAN SCOTER
_Oidemia americana_ Swainson
Description.—_Male_: Black, with rich purplish reflections; ridges
among feathers of neck, bill black, with knob at base of upper
mandible _peach-yellow_; feet brownish red; eyes dark brown. _Female
and young_: Gray-brown in general appearance, with cheek region
whitish, sharply defined from crown; underparts whitish, irregularly
barred and mottled with dusky. _Length_: 19 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rare migrant and winter visitant from November
until early April, commonest, perhaps, at Lake Erie and Conneaut Lake.
[Illustration: American Scoter, Male]
This is probably the rarest of the scoters in Pennsylvania; further data
are desirable.
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
_Oidemia deglandi_ Bonaparte
Description.—Size large, noticeably larger than a Mallard. _Male_:
Black, with white spot below and at rear of eye, and white speculum;
belly and sides rich deep brown; bill orange, with long knob, black at
base, feathers reaching forward on it far beyond corners of mouth;
feet red; _eyes white_. _Female and immature_: Deep brown, lighter
below; speculum white; spot at base of bill and ear-coverts whitish,
not always clearly defined. _Length_: 22 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—As a rule, rare, save at Lake Erie and Conneaut
Lake where it is sometimes fairly common during late fall; it is rarer
in spring than in fall.
[Illustration: White-winged Scoter, Male]
The white speculum of this large, heavy species will serve to identify
it at some distance.
SURF SCOTER
_Melanitta perspicillata_ (Linnæus)
Description.—Larger than Mallard. _Male_: Black, with square
crown-patch and triangular nape-patch of white; feet red; bill marked
with red, white, and yellow, a black spot near base; eyes white.
_Female and immature_: A whitish spot at base of bill and on
ear-coverts, much as in the White-winged Scoter; upperparts dark
brown; throat, breast, and sides grayer; belly white. _Length_: 20
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Like the White-winged Scoter, rare, save at
Conneaut Lake and Lake Erie where it is a fairly common fall and rare
spring migrant, which sometimes occurs during the winter. Scoters are
occasionally seen along the Susquehanna and the Delaware rivers, but
they are not, as a rule, either common or regular.
[Illustration: Surf Scoter, Male]
The strange shape and color-pattern of the bills of male scoters will
distinguish them at once in hand. They are given to flocking and, as
they feed, most of the flock may disappear for seconds at a time, to bob
up buoyantly as others of the flock slip under.
RUDDY DUCK
_Erismatura jamaicensis_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Butterball; Bullhead; Bullneck; Dipper Duck.
Description.—Both sexes with thick necks, short upper tail-coverts,
and stiff tails; about half as large as a Mallard. _Male_: Crown
black; cheeks and chin white; throat, neck, and back rich rufous;
lower back and tail blackish; breast and belly silvery white, somewhat
mottled along sides; bill pale gray-blue; eyes black. _Female and
immature_: Upperparts dark grayish brown, feathers marked with narrow,
wavy, buffy bars; sides of head and upper throat whitish; lower throat
and neck grayish; underparts silvery white. _Length_: 15 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common and regular as a migrant,
sometimes abundant, from April 1 to May 15 and from October 1 to
November 15. It is seen along smaller as well as larger waterways
where it may dive readily upon being approached.
[Illustration: Ruddy Duck
Male Female]
The Ruddy Duck, with its stiff, upturned tail, is comical in appearance.
The male, while in bright breeding plumage, is given to holding himself
with a jaunty air. They are expert divers but sometimes have difficulty
in rising from the water, for their wings are comparatively small. As
they get under way they patter with their great feet while their wings
beat the water noisily. The neck of the Ruddy Duck is unusually large
for a duck. The head may even be pushed back into the skin of the neck;
in most ducks the circumference of the neck is noticeably less than that
of the head at its greatest diameter.
CANADA GOOSE
_Branta canadensis canadensis_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Wild Goose; Honker.
Description.—Size large, about that of a domestic Goose, with about
the same proportions; sexes similar. Head and neck black, a broad band
under eye, and across throat, white; upperparts brownish gray, the
feathers margined with a lighter shade, giving a somewhat scaled
appearance; breast and sides gray-brown, more or less as in back;
belly white; rump and tail black; upper tail-coverts white. Feet and
bill black; eyes dark brown. _Length_: About 3 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A regular and sometimes common migrant from
mid-February to early April and from October 15 to November 30,
sometimes occurring in winter, even when ice covers the lakes, at
which times the great birds stand about on the frozen surface. As a
rule, Canada Geese do not stop long in Pennsylvania; most flocks do
not linger here at all, merely passing over.
[Illustration: Canada Goose]
For us, since the days of our forefathers, and for the Red Man who
originally inhabited Penn’s Woods, the V-shaped spring flocks of Canada
Geese have heralded the breaking up of the winter, and, in the fall, the
coming of the cold season. Canada Geese migrate both by day and night,
but they are noticed at night more often than by day because in the
comparative stillness of the dark hours their loud, musical bugling
drifts down to us as we lie awake, thrilled at the sound. Could we see
the great birds, could we know the distant clime toward which they are
heading, some of the mystery might be dispelled; but their long journey,
their great bodies speeding along at 60 miles an hour or more, and their
wide, swishing wings are only suggested by the clamor and challenge that
comes to us, holds us spellbound, then gradually dies away as the flock
passes on.
Canada Geese are not so aquatic in habit as are ducks. Large flocks
often descend to the fields where they feed upon grass or sprouting
grain and where they walk about in a dignified fashion.
It is supposed that an old gander always leads the migration flocks.
While this may not be the case, it is reasonable to assume that adult
birds, with their experience and intelligence, should determine the
movements of the flock. Canada Geese sometimes fly in a line, sometimes
abreast, but the V-formation is characteristic.
The Greater Snow Goose (_Chen hyperboreus nivalis_), a white bird with
black wing-tips, sometimes flies across Pennsylvania. It has been
recorded once or twice in huge flocks. The White-fronted Goose (_Aner
albifrons gambelli_), a gray goose with a white area at the base of the
bill, black spots on the belly, and yellow feet, occurs rarely. The
Brant (_Branta bernicla glaucogastra_), smallest of our geese and
similar to the Canada Goose but with only a suggestion of a white band
on the neck, occurs rarely. It is a maritime species, not often noted
inland.
WHISTLING SWAN
_Cygnus columbianus_ (Ord)
Description.—Size very large; neck extremely long, and wing-spread
sometimes as much as 6 to 7 feet; sexes similar. _Adults_: Pure white;
bill and feet black, a small yellow spot at base of upper mandible
just in front of eye; eyes brown. Young birds are pale brownish gray
in color, usually darkest on the head and neck. As the immature
plumage is replaced by the adult plumage, a vague mottling appears.
_Length_: About 4½ feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly regular migrant along the larger
waterways; rare and irregular elsewhere; occasional in winter. It is
usually seen in early spring from March 20 to April 15 and from
October 15 to December 1.
A flock of swans flying in the sunlight is an inspiring spectacle. The
birds are so large and their plumage so immaculate that they attract
attention everywhere.
They sometimes migrate in immense flocks. In storms or on foggy nights
they may become bewildered and descend to smaller streams, but, as a
rule, they are found only along large open stretches of water.
At Harrisburg, swans sometimes spend the winter along the Susquehanna
when the water is open.
The Trumpeter Swan (_Olor buccinator_), always a very rare bird in the
eastern United States, and of late thought to be on the verge of
extermination, is even larger than the Whistling Swan. The bill of this
species is entirely black, lacking the yellow spot which is
characteristic of the adult Whistling Swan and being of a different
shape.
AMERICAN BITTERN
_Botaurus lentiginosus_ (Montagu)
Other Names.—Thunder-pump; Bum Cluck; Stake-Driver; Plum Pudd’n.
Description.—Sexes similar; larger than Crow. Upperparts brown,
considerably mottled, streaked, and barred with black; a glossy black
streak from corners of mouth down sides of neck; throat white; neck
and breast marked with broad buffy brown streaks, which are mottled
with brownish gray, in imitation of dead cat-tail leaves; belly buffy;
feet greenish; bill greenish yellow at base, blackish at tip; eyes
bright yellow. _Length_: 28 inches, with neck stretched out.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common migrant and summer resident,
nesting only in marshy situations. It arrives in early April and
leaves in late September or early October.
Nest.—A platform of cat-tail leaves and stalks, or other dead
vegetation, usually placed in a remote section of some marsh, among
rather high weeds. _Eggs_: 3 to 5, pale buffy brown.
[Illustration: American Bittern]
The Bittern is a terrestrial heron and rarely alights in trees. It may
be confused with the immature Black-crowned Night Heron, which, unlike
the Bittern, often perches on a prominent branch or on a tree top.
To know the Bittern one must penetrate the swamp. From the cat-tails, a
great brown bird arises, green feet awkwardly dangling. Rapidly the
creature makes away, once it has started; perhaps it utters a startled
squawk as it jumps from the grass.
In the spring, male Bitterns have a remarkable courtship ceremony which
is accompanied by the queer sounds which have given the bird most of its
common names. These names, most of which are very good renditions of the
queer sounds the birds give, are: “Bum Cluck” or “Plum Pudd’n.” The
familiar nicknames, “Stake-Driver” and “Thunder-Pump” also suggest the
sounds. While they give these sounds, the male birds inflate their necks
and fluff out their feathers, as they strut and bow, and snap their
bills.
The sitting mother bird depends greatly upon her remarkably protective
coloration. Taken unawares, the hunting Bittern will stand erect with
bill pointing skyward, realizing that its dull colors, its streaked
breast, and its sharp bill _all_ resemble cat-tail leaves. The eyes of a
Bittern are so arranged that the bird can point its bill straight up yet
at the same time look directly at us as we approach. Its golden-yellow
eyes have a serpentine appearance.
Young Bitterns, in their ragged natal down, are odd creatures. They
clamber about their crude cradle, soon developing remarkable strength in
toes and feet.
The Bittern and young Black-crowned Night Heron are our only large,
brown herons; the Bittern has yellow eyes; the young Black-crown has
dark brown eyes.
LEAST BITTERN
_Ixobrychus exilis exilis_ (Gmelin)
Description.—Size very small, body hardly as heavy as that of a Robin;
proportions those of a heron, however, with long bill and feet and
short tail. _Male_: Crown, which has a crest, back, and tail, glossy
black; back of neck chestnut; lesser wing-coverts buffy; greater
wing-coverts and secondaries chestnut, darker than neck; underparts
buffy, somewhat streaked on neck with white and fine lines of
brownish; a black patch at each side of breast; throat, line along
sides of back and of breast, and under tail-coverts, whitish; feet
yellowish green; bill yellowish, tipped with dusky; eyes yellow.
_Female and immature_: Similar, but black of crown and back less
glossy, coloration throughout less striking. _Length_: 13 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rather rare migrant and summer resident, save
locally, when it nests in cat-tail swamps and similar situations. Its
date of arrival is open to question since the birds are so silent and
retiring as to pass for the most part unobserved. They probably come
in mid-April and leave in late September.
Nest.—A platform of cat-tail stalks and similar materials built on the
ground, or a few inches above the ground, _or in weeds above the
water_, and surrounded by high weeds and grasses. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, pale
blue.
The Least Bittern is one of our quietest, most retiring birds, and is
therefore but little known. It may occur regularly in cat-tail swamps
where it has never been seen, simply because no one ventures into its
damp, shadowy home among the high, green blades.
[Illustration: Least Bittern]
It moves slowly, as a rule, and with marvelous control. As it has very
strong feet, it can climb up the cat-tail leaves where it sometimes
perches so as to survey its surroundings the better.
If startled, it flies up rapidly; but, like a Rail, it does not like to
fly far because its long, rather awkward wings appear to tire quickly,
and it drops back into its retreat, where it is usually difficult to
find it again.
The parent bird has the strange habit of destroying, and perhaps eating,
her eggs if they are disturbed. We found a nest containing two fresh
eggs at Sandy Lake, Mercer County. Upon returning, a few hours later, I
found but a few shells in the nest. I feel certain the parent bird,
either the male or female, had destroyed the eggs.
GREAT BLUE HERON
_Ardea herodias herodias_ Linnæus
Other Names.—Crane; Fish Crane; Sandhill Crane (all erroneous).
Description.—Size very large, the largest of our herons; sexes
similar. _Adults in breeding plumage_: Blue-gray, generally speaking;
center of crown and throat white; sides of crown and nape black, where
long, black feathers form a considerable crest; neck grayish brown,
tinged with pinkish; a narrow black, white, and buffy line down middle
of foreneck; feathers of lower neck much lengthened and narrowed, with
whitish and blackish streaks; bend of wing chestnut-brown; a ruff of
black on shoulders; breast and belly streaked with black and white;
feathers on legs reddish brown; legs and feet black; lower mandible
yellow; eyes bright yellow. _Immature_: Similar but entire crown black
and plumage considerably marked, margined, and washed with rusty.
Adults have plume-like feathers on the lower back which the immature
birds lack. _Length_: About 4 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common summer resident along all water-ways;
irregular and local as a nesting species, however; usually found in
colonies. The birds arrive in mid-March and remain until late October.
They have been noted irregularly during winter.
Nest.—In Pennsylvania, the Great Blue Heron usually, if not always,
nests in trees; in some sections of the United States it nests on the
ground. The nest is a huge, sprawling affair, made of long sticks, and
placed high in a tree, which, if alive, becomes dead as a result of
the droppings from the birds. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, pale blue.
[Illustration: Great Blue Heron]
Reports concerning Sandhill Cranes in Pennsylvania usually refer to this
species, as cranes do not occur here. Cranes have an elevated, short
hind toe; the hind toe of a heron is on the same level as the other
toes, and therefore shows in the track. Herons fly with their necks
doubled back, except when they are springing into the air or alighting;
cranes always hold their necks straight out.
The Great Blue Heron is an expert fisherman. Statuesque, he stands in
the water, intently watching for fish, which he captures with his great,
powerful bill, and he can swallow a 14-inch fish without great
difficulty. He has favorite fishing-points, and here, in the mud along
the bank, his great tracks may be seen. If the bird student wishes to
see one of these herons he usually has but to wait at such a point for
the evening hour of fishing, and the wide-winged bird, with neck drawn
back into the body, and feet sticking straight out behind, will fly
deliberately down to the angling-grounds, and there promptly devote
himself to capturing a meal.
AMERICAN EGRET
_Casmerodius albus egretta_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Egret; White Crane (erroneous).
Description.—Size large, standing about 3 feet high. Pure white, with
_black-tipped yellow bill_, yellow eyes, and _black feet_. In its
breeding plumage it has exquisite plumes on the back. Birds seen in
Pennsylvania usually have no trace of these plumes. _Length_: About 3
feet, with neck fully stretched.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A midsummer wanderer, found chiefly in the
southeastern counties where it may occur in some numbers during July
and August.
The Egret, as it stands along a verdant bank, is a creature of great
beauty. Its white plumage makes it conspicuous in any setting. It is
larger than the Little Blue Heron which, in its white phase of plumage,
also occurs in Pennsylvania during midsummer. The delicate nuptial
plumes, stripped from the backs of nesting birds, were once very popular
as decorations for women’s hats.
LITTLE BLUE HERON
_Florida cærulea cærulea_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—White Heron; White Crane (erroneous).
Description.—Smaller than Egret. White, with _dusky wing-tips_; bill
dark, dull gray-green; feet greenish. In its breeding-range some birds
are dark blue, others white. It is supposed that there are two phases
of plumage. In Pennsylvania the white phase is customarily seen.
_Length_: 22 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A midsummer wanderer, usually seen in the
southeastern counties during July and August.
This bird should not be confused with the Snowy Heron, a southern
species which does not wander much during summer, and which _never has
dusky spots_ on the wing-tips. The smaller Green Heron has a somewhat
bluish back, but must not be confused with this species.
GREEN HERON
_Butorides virescens virescens_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Fly-up-the-Creek; Shite-poke; Green Bittern.
Description.—Size small; sexes similar. Crown, crest, and line below
the eye black, glossed with green; throat whitish, extending down neck
as a frontal line which widens at breast; neck reddish brown, glossed
with purplish; back with plume-like feathers, blue-green, appearing
blue in most lights; wing-coverts glossy green, margined with buffy;
tail green; belly gray, some feathers edged with buffy; bill yellowish
with dusky tip; feet and eyes bright yellow. _Immature_: Mottled in
appearance, considerably streaked with black on neck and underparts;
crest small; no plume-like feathers or blue-gray color on the back.
Nestlings are covered with long, irregular down. _Length_: 17 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common summer resident from April 10 to
September 30. It is to be found along all small streams and ponds.
Nest.—Of sticks, placed together as a shallow platform, from 6 to 30
feet from the ground in a bush or tree. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, pale blue.
Green Herons sometimes nest in small colonies, but in Pennsylvania are
more frequently found in solitary pairs.
[Illustration: Green Heron]
The Green Heron has the interesting habit of twitching its tail
nervously when it is excited. These small but adept fishermen are
usually frightened from some favorite haunt along a stream. They fly up
rapidly, uttering loud, harsh squawks which may be written _keeow_, or
_skeeowp_. Their yellow feet and blue backs show plainly as the birds
fly away. The fact that the Green Heron’s back is so noticeably blue
should not lead the bird-student to think he is seeing the Little Blue
Heron; a species which is rare in Pennsylvania and which, when it does
occur, is usually found in its white plumage.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
_Nycticorax nycticorax nævius_ (Boddært)
Other Names.—Quawk; Bull Bittern.
Description.—Larger than Crow; bill heavy and blunt for a heron; neck
usually drawn in, though it is of considerable length, as in other
members of the family; sexes similar. _Adults_: Forehead, lores, neck,
and underparts white, somewhat grayish on neck; crown, upper back, and
scapulars black, glossed with green; two or three long white plumes on
back of crest; wings, tail, and lower back clear gray; legs and feet
yellow; bill dusky with yellowish green base and bare area in front of
eyes; eyes red. _Immature_: Grayish brown above, the feathers streaked
or tipped with buffy or whitish; outer webs of primaries rusty;
underparts whitish, streaked with dark gray-brown; feet and legs
yellow; bill dusky; eyes dark red-brown or red. _Length_: 2 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A summer resident, locally abundant in eastern
and southeastern Pennsylvania, where colonies occur along the
Susquehanna and Delaware rivers; in western Pennsylvania the species
is rare and irregular; at Erie it has been noted a few times. It
arrives at its nesting-grounds in late March or early April and
remains until October.
Nest.—A platform of sticks, usually placed high in a tree. Many nests,
sometimes hundreds of them, are placed together in a favorite grove
which is usually near a lake or on an island in a river. At Harrisburg
the Night Herons nest on McCormick’s Island. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, pale
blue.
The loud, barking _qua_ of the Night Heron as it rises from its
fishing-ground and flies over after nightfall is a startling sound. The
species may be identified easily from this sound alone.
[Illustration: Black-crowned Night Heron]
Immature birds look somewhat like a Bittern, but the Bittern is a bird
of the ground, rarely alighting in trees, whereas the Night Heron, after
being frightened from a retreat along the shore, usually alights on a
high branch.
Night Herons sometimes circle over the water, snatching their food from
the surface, like gulls. As a rule, such activities are noted only
during the nesting season, however, when the young have to be fed. When
there are no family duties, they prefer to hunt at night.
The heavy bill and habit of perching with neck drawn in gives the bird a
characteristic appearance at a distance.
The nesting colony, while interesting to the bird-student, is
offensively filthy and has a disagreeable odor. The young, when newly
hatched, give forth a peculiar, chuckling _peep_ which has a somewhat
ventriloquistic quality. As they develop they clamber about the
branches, using their necks, wings, and bills in crawling from perch to
perch.
KING RAIL
_Rallus elegans elegans_ Audubon
Description.—The largest of our rails, about the size of a crow, but
with slenderer body; sexes similar. Upperparts dark brown, feathers of
the back and scapulars widely margined with olive-gray; wings and tail
olive-brown; throat and areas in front of and above eye, white; neck
and breast rich reddish brown, much like the breast of a robin; sides
and flanks dark brown, or blackish, sharply and widely barred with
white; bill dull reddish yellow, tipped with black; feet dull reddish;
eyes bright red. Immature birds are darker and less handsomely marked.
_Length_: 15 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare, local migrant, probably occasional as a
summer resident. It nests only in marshy sections. Nesting records are
very desirable. It is to be found from April 15 to mid-September.
The King Rail, though a rather large bird, is so rare and retiring that
it is rarely seen, and Pennsylvania records are few. It has been noted
chiefly in the less mountainous counties and is apparently commoner in
the fall, when the gunners sometimes take the bird. King Rails are weak
fliers; sometimes they drop exhausted in the middle of a city and
residents are startled at seeing a queer bird on the streets.
VIRGINIA RAIL
_Rallus virginianus_ Linnæus
Description.—Size of robin; sexes similar. Upperparts dark brown or
black, the feathers edged with olive-brown or gray; wings and tail
dark brown, reddish brown on coverts; forepart of superciliary line
and throat, white; cheeks grayish; underparts reddish brown, save on
flanks and under tail-coverts which are black or dark gray, sharply
barred with white; bill and feet reddish; eyes red. Immature birds are
darker throughout and the red-brown of the underparts is replaced by
blackish, mixed with white. _Length_: 9½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly regular but local summer resident,
sometimes common, from April 15 to September 30. It nests only in
marshy situations, where it lives among cat-tails or other aquatic
vegetation.
Nest.—Of cat-tail leaves or grasses, made in a cup, placed at the base
of water-plants on the ground, or a short distance above the water,
usually well sheltered from above, sometimes by a canopy of cat-tail
leaves which has been arranged by the parents. _Eggs_: 6 to 11, buffy
white, spotted with dark or reddish brown.
[Illustration: Virginia Rail]
The pig-like grunts and squawks of a pair of Virginia Rails may bewilder
the casual wayfarer near a cat-tail marsh. Rails are rarely seen but may
appear along one of the open waterways if the observer remains
motionless and silent.
SORA RAIL
Porzana carolina (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Ortolan; Reed Bird; Carolina Rail.
Description.—Smaller than a robin; bill rather short; sexes similar.
_Adults_: Center of crown, region at base of bill back to eye, and
broad line down chin and throat, black; front of crown, sides of head,
and rest of throat and breast, ashy gray, a tiny white spot back of
eye; upper-parts olive-brown, the feathers with blackish centers,
those of the back and scapulars narrowly but sharply edged with white;
wings dark brown, the coverts somewhat lighter; belly and sides of
under tail-coverts white; bill yellow; feet green; eyes brown.
Immature birds are similar but lack all black on face and throat; the
breast and neck are washed with cinnamon-brown, rather than gray, and
the upperparts are darker. _Length_: 8 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common and regular as a migrant; locally
abundant from April 25 to May 15 and from August 25 to October 15;
occurs as a summer resident wherever marshes furnish it a
nesting-site. It is not common as a breeding species.
Nest.—A crude cup made of dead cat-tail leaves or grass, arched over
and well concealed by surrounding marsh vegetation. _Eggs_: 8 to 16,
buffy, spotted with brown.
[Illustration: Sora Rail]
The Sora is a weak-winged bird and during migration often flies so low
that it strikes itself against wires. These injured birds are often the
only individuals of this retiring species which are seen by Pennsylvania
bird students, unless the cat-tail marshes, where the birds nest, are
visited and penetrated.
In the home of the Sora many strange call-notes are to be heard when the
birds are curious or disturbed. Some of these notes are sweet and
musical; others are strange and hardly bird-like. One call, which is a
series of rapidly descending notes, is characteristic.
The Yellow Rail (_Coturnicops noveboracensis_) is smaller than the Sora
and is rich buffy yellow with dark, streaked upperparts. It is
exceedingly rare, in fact, virtually unknown, save at Erie and in the
marshes about Philadelphia, where it occurs chiefly as a migrant.
Additional records are very desirable.
The tiny Black Rail (_Creciscus jamaicensis jamaicensis_) is about as
large as an English Sparrow, and is dark brown, sprinkled with white
above, with a red-brown mantle from nape down neck, and dark ashy gray
below, with barred flanks and red eyes. The Black Rail has been noted
but a few times in Pennsylvania. Additional records are very desirable.
FLORIDA GALLINULE
_Gallinula chloropus cachinnans_ Bangs
[Illustration: Florida Gallinule]
Other Name.—Mud Hen.
Description.—Smaller than crow; bill of medium length; general
appearance rail-like; sexes similar. _Adults_: Head, neck, upper back
and underparts slaty gray, darker on crown and face; a row of white
streaks along sides and indistinct bars of white on the belly; lower
back and wings olive-brown, richest on scapulars and tail; under
tail-coverts white laterally, black in middle; bill, with frontal
shield, red, and yellow tip; feet greenish yellow, with red area on
tibiæ just above heel; eyes red-brown. _Immature_: Similar but with
underparts whitish, no red on legs, and bill brown, with small frontal
shield. _Length_: 13½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather rare migrant during mid-spring and
early fall; rare and local as a summer resident.
Nest.—A crude cup of dead cat-tail leaves, placed on the ground or
above the water, among water-plants. _Eggs_: 3 to 10, buffy, finely
spotted with brown.
The Florida Gallinule, while not often recorded in Pennsylvania, may be
commoner than we suppose. Look for it in cat-tail marshes, along
channels or little pools of open water. Its call-notes are rather
chicken-like.
COOT
_Fulica americana_ Gmelin
Other Name.—Mud Hen.
Description.—Size of a small duck; feet with wide, flat _lobes_,
unique among American birds; sexes similar. _Adults_: Head and neck
black, rest of plumage dark slaty gray, somewhat paler below, and
sometimes irregularly barred with whitish on breast and belly; edge of
wing, tips of secondaries, and lateral undertail coverts, white; bill
whitish, with frontal shield and two small spots near tip
mahogany-red; legs and feet greenish, somewhat paler on tibiæ and on
lobes on toes. _Young_: Similar but with a brownish wash on back and
lighter below; frontal shield noticeably smaller. _Length_: 15 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly regular and common migrant, especially
on the lakes and larger waterways, from April 15 to May 15 and from
September 15 to November 15; often found in company with ducks. Rare
as a summer resident. It should be looked for along the shore of Lake
Erie in summer.
Nest.—A crude cup made of cat-tail leaves, sometimes placed in a
rather open situation, but arched over with grasses. _Eggs_: 7 to 15,
pale buffy white, heavily and evenly sprinkled with small dark brown
spots.
[Illustration: Coot]
The Coot’s queer feet are distinctive. As the bird rises from the water,
it patters along with these until it has sufficient momentum to rise.
Nesting records for the Coot in Pennsylvania are desirable.
WOODCOCK
_Rubicolor minor_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Wall-eyed Snipe; Bog Snipe.
Description.—Appearance snipe-like, with very long bill and large eyes
in back of the head, but feet very short, more as in gallinaceous
birds; sexes similar, the female larger; three outer primaries narrow
and stiff. _Adults_: Back of crown black, crossed with buffy bars;
upperparts dark brown and black, the feathers barred, margined, and
speckled with buffy brown and gray; wing coverts buffy brown, barred
with darker brown; underparts buffy, tending toward rufous; tips of
tail-feathers gray above, silvery white underneath; eyes dark brown;
bill and feet pinkish flesh color. Downy young buffy brown
considerably marked with blackish. _Length_: 11 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather uncommon and somewhat irregular
migrant and summer resident, coming sometimes as early as the first
week of March and remaining until the middle of October. It is
sometimes common during migration, particularly in the fall.
Nest.—A mere depression in the leaves, usually in more or less open
woodland, sometimes concealed from above by brush or a bush or tree.
_Eggs_: 3 or 4, buffy brown, spotted with darker brown.
[Illustration: Woodcock]
In spring the Woodcock must be sought in some bushy swale, along the
borders of a marsh, or near a small stream where the low banks are
constantly moist and where brush and old logs give this retiring species
a retreat. Here the nocturnal birds bore in the mud with their long
bills, searching for food which they may grasp with the mobile tips of
their mandibles. When disturbed they fly up rapidly, their wings
whistling musically as they make off, somewhat erratically, through the
undergrowth.
The spring courtship flight of the Woodcock is remarkable. On warm
evenings the males _bleat_ in their favorite haunts, then, as darkness
descends, mount on whistling wings higher and higher, until they are far
above the earth. They then hurl themselves back and forth as they start
pitching toward the earth, the while producing a twittering sound with
their throats as they drop at considerable speed, to alight not far from
the point at which they started. Courting Woodcocks will sometimes
alight within a few feet of a quiet observer.
Because the incubating bird is quiet and her back so perfectly resembles
the leaves and twigs near her, she is very difficult to see. She so
implicitly believes that she cannot be seen that she is not often
flushed from her nest; sometimes she will permit her back to be stroked
or her whole body to be lifted from her eggs.
WILSON’S SNIPE
_Capella gallinago delicata_ (Ord)
Other Names.—Jack Snipe; English Snipe (erroneous).
Description.—A little heavier than a Robin, but with short tail, very
long bill, and moderately long feet; sexes similar. Upperparts black,
plumage edged, barred, and variously marked with white, buffy, and
grayish; a light line through middle of crown, another over eye; wings
dark brown, outer edge of outer primary and tips of greater coverts,
white; tail black, tipped with orange-buff and white, the outer
feathers white, barred with black; throat and belly white; neck and
breast buffy, indistinctly barred with dark brown; sides barred with
black; under tail-coverts buffy, barred with black; bill greenish
dusky; feet dull green; eyes, which are placed rather far back in the
head, dark brown. The female is somewhat browner than the male;
immature birds are sometimes quite brownish, especially in the region
of the head and neck. _Length_: 11 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—As a migrant, rather regular and common,
particularly in suitable marshes or along the margins of streams, from
March 15 to May 20 and from September 15 to November 10; as a summer
resident, local, known to nest at Pymatuning Swamp, Crawford County,
and presumably in other northern counties where there are suitable
marshes.
Nest.—A shallow cup made of dead stalks of various plants, placed on a
small island or a water-soaked log, or in a low, moist, field, among
the grass. _Eggs_: 4, olive-brown, spotted with rich dark brown,
chiefly at the larger end.
[Illustration: Wilson’s Snipe]
The average bird student knows the Snipe as a bird which springs from a
marshy spot with startled _scaip, scaip_ as it zigzags its way to a safe
retreat, or mounts in the air to circle and return. At such a time the
reddish brown band at the tip of the tail and the white belly, which
flashes as the bird erratically turns, are good field-marks.
On its nesting-grounds the Snipe is a different creature. High overhead,
in wide circles, the birds fly, giving forth strange windy hoots which
they are said to produce by spreading widely the outermost feathers of
the tail. When the performers come to earth they may perch on a wayside
post, on a fence, or on a tree—an unheard-of feat for a Snipe at any
other season. The male Snipe, and perhaps the female also, performs many
queer antics during the nesting season.
The downy young, which leave their nests shortly after hatching, are
beautiful creatures—dark brown and black with cream-colored and buffy
spots and flecks which are arranged in a pattern which gives them a
protective coloration. They are strong-legged creatures and can run
rapidly and swim with ease as soon as they leave the nest.
The Dowitcher (_Limnodromus griseus griseus_), a shore-bird which
resembles the Wilson’s Snipe, is a rare migrant. It is pale rufous,
speckled with black below, and variously mottled above in summer; in
winter it is brownish gray above, white below, with a few dark barrings;
in all plumages the rump and upper tail-coverts and tail are noticeably
barred with black and white. _Length_: 10½ inches.
The rare Stilt Sandpiper (_Micropalama himantopus_) has long _green_
legs, but otherwise looks rather like a Yellow-legs. In spring it has a
red-brown patch on the face and heavily barred underparts; in the fall
it is gray above, white below, with a few dusky spots on the breast. The
upper tail-coverts in any plumage are white.
The Knot or Robin Snipe (_Calidris canutus rufus_), is a rare migrant
also. It is dull rufous below in spring, and the upperparts are streaked
and barred with black, white, and rufous. In winter it is gray above,
with black and white barring on the upper tail-coverts; below it is
white, with faint dark barring. The upperparts in winter have a scaly
appearance as the result of light margins of the feathers. _Length_: 10½
inches.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER
_Pisobia maculata_ (Vieillot)
Other Name.—Oxeye.
Description.—Smaller than Robin. _Adults in summer_: Upperparts black,
the feathers margined with creamy buff, a distinct superciliary line
of buffy white; rump and upper tail-coverts black, narrowly tipped
with buffy; middle tail-feathers brownish gray, narrowly margined with
white; underparts white, the neck and breast rather heavily but finely
streaked with blackish and buffy brown. _Adults in winter and
immature_: Similar, but the general appearance much more reddish
brown. _Length_: 9 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Recorded chiefly at Erie; a rather rare and
irregular migrant in spring from March 20 to May 15; somewhat more
common and regular in midsummer and fall, occurring from late July to
late October, though it is highly probable that individuals do not
remain in one place during this period. As nesting duties in the north
are completed, the immature birds and adults in fresh plumage come
south in flocks.
The shore-birds are not, as a rule, common in Pennsylvania. There are
not many extensive mud-flats where they may feed, and many of the
streams have been polluted, destroying the animal food. Erie is such an
admirable resting and feeding-ground for such birds that many of them
stop there after their flight across Lake Erie, then strike out to the
southward, _flying over_ most of Pennsylvania.
The White-rumped Sandpiper (_Pisobia fuscicollis_), which resembles the
Pectoral Sandpiper but has a _distinctly white rump_, is a rare migrant,
noted chiefly at Erie and in the Pymatuning Swamp region. The Baird’s
Sandpiper (_Pisobia bairdi_) is rare, save at Erie, where it is a fairly
regular and common fall migrant from late August to the end of
September.
LEAST SANDPIPER
_Pisobia minutilla_ (Vieillot)
Other Names.—Meadow Peep; Oxeye.
Description.—About as large as an English Sparrow. _Adults in spring_:
Upperparts black, margined and tipped with buffy and reddish brown;
rump and upper tail-coverts black; middle tail-feathers black, outer
ones ashy gray; throat, superciliary, and narrow ring about eye,
white; neck and breast buffy, streaked with dark brown; rest of
underparts white, the sides with narrow streaks of dusky; bill
blackish; _feet dull green. Adults and young in winter_: Upperparts
brownish gray; breast pale brownish gray or grayish, indistinctly
streaked. _Length_: 6 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—The Least Sandpiper occurs with some regularity
both in spring and fall throughout the Commonwealth. It may be found
at almost any wayside puddle or along the margins of streams from
early May until about the end of the month and from mid-August to
early October, and is particularly common at Erie.
[Illustration: Least Sandpiper]
The Least Sandpiper is noticeably smaller than the common Spotted
Sandpiper and does not have that species’ habit of “tipping up” its
tail. It is, however, very similar in general appearance to the
Semipalmated Sandpiper, which may occur at the same time, but differs in
having _green feet_, and (if the bird be in the hand) in having no
_partial webs_ between the toes.
RED-BACKED SANDPIPER
_Pelidna alpina pacifica_ Coues
Description.—About the size of a Spotted Sandpiper; bill slightly
curved at tip. _Adults in spring_: Back and scapulars bright reddish
brown, the feathers with dark centers; breast white, finely streaked
with dark brown; _large black patch on middle of belly_; lower belly
white. _Adults and young in winter_: Upperparts gray, wing-coverts
gray, edged with buffy; underparts white, the breast grayish, the
sides sometimes somewhat streaked. _Length_: 8 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant, rare in spring, fairly common in
fall, especially at Erie, where it has been noted from mid-August to
late October.
[Illustration: Red-backed Sandpiper]
The gay spring plumage of this species is easily remembered. In the gray
winter plumage it is not so easy to recognize, but its somewhat curved
bill is diagnostic.
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
_Ereunetes pusillus_ (Linnæus)
Description.—About as large as an English Sparrow; half-webs between
the front toes, which are responsible for the bird’s name. _Adults in
spring_: Upperparts dark brown, plumage margined with brownish gray
and traces of reddish brown; rump grayish brown; upper tail-coverts
blackish; tail gray, central feathers darkest; underparts white, with
faint streaking on breast. Young birds in their first fall plumage
have a somewhat scaly appearance above as a result of the buffy tips
and borders of the feathers; their breasts are buffy, unstreaked; bill
black; feet blackish. _Length_: A little over 6 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant, commoner in the fall than in the
spring, and noted chiefly at Erie. It occurs during May and from late
July or early August to late September.
The legs and feet of this species are black; in the Least Sandpiper they
are greenish. The bill of this species is about straight; that of the
Least Sandpiper is slightly decurved at the tip; in any age or plumage
the Semipalmated Sandpiper may be recognized when in the hand by its
partially webbed front toes.
SANDERLING
_Crocethia alba_ (Pallas)
Description.—_Three toes_; a little smaller than Robin. _Adults in
summer_: Head, back, lower throat, and sides of breast, rusty brown,
the feathers edged with whitish and centered with black; wings with
white area on basal half of inner flight-feathers; belly and narrow
margins of tail-feathers white. _Adults in winter_: Gray above, white
below, with white face and eye-ring. _Young in first winter plumage_:
Whitish, streaked with black above; breast buffy; rest of underparts
white. _Length_: 8 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—An abundant fall migrant at Erie from late July
on; rare elsewhere.
GREATER YELLOW-LEGS
_Totanus melanoleucus_ (Gmelin)
Other Name.—Yellow-legs Snipe.
Description.—Larger than Robin; legs very long and _yellow_; bill
long, slender, and straight. _Adults_: Upperparts black; head and neck
streaked with white; feathers of back spotted and barred with whitish;
upper tail-coverts and tail white, barred with black; underparts
white, breast spotted and sides barred with black. _Adults and young
in winter_: Similar but with less striking markings both above and
below; sides only slightly barred; bill and eyes black. _Length_: 14
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common migrant throughout, to be
observed at small pools and larger bodies of water from mid-April
until May and from early August to latter October; not often seen in
flocks.
[Illustration: Greater Yellow-legs]
The Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs are much alike in appearance, this
species being much the larger. Their loud, clear whistles and their
habit of lifting their wings high above their backs as they alight are
characteristic.
LESSER YELLOW-LEGS
_Totanus flavipes_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Summer Yellow-legs; Yellow-legs.
Description.—Remarkably similar to the Greater Yellow-legs in all
respects, even in habits, but noticeably smaller, even in the field.
_Length_: Almost 11 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant, often
commoner than the Greater Yellow-legs and more apt to be noted in
small flocks. It is to be found from late April to mid-May and from
early August to mid-October.
Look for the Yellow-legs along some mud-flat, preferably on an inland
pool. The clear whistle may be imitated easily, and will sometimes lure
the birds back after they have taken flight. Both the Greater and Lesser
Yellow-legs jerk their bodies stiffly as they become uneasy.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
_Tringa solitaria solitaria_ Wilson
Description.—Smaller than Robin; flight swift and graceful; _wings in
flight look black_. _Adults_: Upperparts dark olive-brown; head and
neck streaked, and back finely spotted with white; middle
tail-feathers dark, the others _white, barred with black_; underparts
white, the breast streaked, the sides sometimes barred with black. In
winter the birds are similar but are less streaked and spotted.
_Length_: 8½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Common and regular migrant from early May until
about the first of June and from mid-July to early October. It
sometimes occurs in midsummer and may nest, though we have no actual
records at present.
[Illustration: Solitary Sandpiper]
The Solitary Sandpiper is confused more easily with the Spotted
Sandpiper than with any other species. It _jerks stiffly_ and does not
bob constantly as does the Spotted when approached; the wings of the
Solitary are dark, unmarked, while the Spotted Sandpiper’s wings have a
band of white which shows plainly in flight; and the Solitary’s tail
appears white in flight, while that of the Spotted is dark. Look for the
Solitary Sandpiper at small pools in woodlands, or along the grassy
margins of slow-moving streams or of ponds.
The Willet and Western Willet (_Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
semipalmatus_ and _s. inornatus_) rarely occur. They are large gray
shore-birds, much barred with blackish above and below in spring, plain
gray above in winter, the wings always with large, noticeable white
patches which show plainly in flight. _Length_: 15 inches.
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER; UPLAND PLOVER
_Bartramia longicauda_ (Bechstein)
Other Names.—Field Plover; Prairie Whistler.
Description.—Larger than Robin; tail rather long and much pointed;
upperparts rich buffy; the head and neck streaked and the back barred
with black; primaries dark brown, the outermost barred with white;
inner tail-feathers dark brown, the outer ones buffy, all tipped and
edged with white, showing plainly in the field, and all more or less
barred with black and marked with noticeable subterminal band of
black; underparts whitish, the breast and sides washed with buffy and
marked with black in the form of delicate bars, arrow-heads, and
spots; legs and feet brownish yellow. Young birds are similar but the
buffy coloration is richer. _Length_: 11½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather local summer resident, found only in
wide, open fields, apparently rare in western Pennsylvania, save in
Mercer and Crawford counties where it nests irregularly, but fairly
common in southeastern Pennsylvania, where it inhabits the wide fields
in the less mountainous districts from early April to mid-September.
Nest.—A depression in the ground, usually in the middle of a large,
flat, upland field, not near water. _Eggs_: 4, buffy brown, spotted
with dark or reddish brown. The eggs are surprisingly large for so
small a bird, as is the case in all shore-birds.
[Illustration: Bartramian Sandpiper]
The Upland Plover is a bird of wide pastures and grassy fields. It is
difficult to approach, save at the nesting season, when it may come near
so as to lead us away from its young; but its presence is announced by
the high and musical whistle which has given the bird one of its popular
names, “Prairie Whistler,” and which it utters from the ground, while in
flight, or while perched on a fencepost, telegraph-pole, or tree.
The flight of this bird is singularly beautiful as, with wide wings
beating through a comparatively short arc, it fairly quivers through the
air. All its movements seem tremulous and graceful, and as it alights it
lifts its wings gracefully, high above its back, and folds them
carefully.
Its call-note, which is heard as the bird is disturbed, is a mellow,
bubbling whistle, very musical, and with a quality of liquidity which
few bird-notes possess.
The young birds run about shortly after hatching and are difficult to
find. They never go to the margins of streams to hunt their food, as do
other members of the family, and when autumn comes they mount to the sky
and make their way to the prairies of Texas where they stop for a time
while _en route_ to their winter home in Argentina.
If this magnificent bird is given careful protection, it may survive;
but unless it is guarded in South America, as well as in its
nesting-grounds, there is little hope for it.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER
_Actitis macularia_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Tilt-up; Tip-up; Peep.
Description.—Larger than an English Sparrow, with long, narrow,
pointed wings; upperparts brownish gray, with a faint greenish gloss,
more or less barred with black; an indistinct superciliary line of
white; face and underparts white, _spotted throughout with black_, the
largest spots on the sides and flanks; wings like back, the bases of
the primaries and secondaries whitish, showing in flight; inner
tail-feathers dark like back, outer ones lighter, about white, but
never appearing, even in flight, as white as in the Solitary
Sandpiper. Immature birds are not spotted below, and the barring of
the upperparts is restricted to the scapulars and wing-coverts; there
is a slight buffy gray wash on the breast. _Length_: 7½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Common summer resident throughout from
mid-April to late September. It is found along all small streams,
sometimes even in the mountains and heavily wooded districts.
Nest.—On the ground, often near a stream, sometimes in a field, and
made of dead weed-stalks, lined with finer materials. _Eggs_: 4,
whitish to brownish buffy, irregularly and sometimes heavily spotted
and blotched with reddish brown, usually about the larger end.
[Illustration: Spotted Sandpiper]
The Spotted Sandpiper is our best-known shore-bird. It is not
particularly wary, and frequents all the small streams which have not
been polluted. As it runs along the muddy margin, it bobs and teeters
constantly, perhaps calling softly. Fluttering out over the water, its
wing-tips almost touching the surface, it whistles _tweet_, _tweet,
tweet, tweet_, clearly, and circles back to the shore or alights on a
stone or fallen tree. The white areas in the wings show rather plainly
in flight.
The young are so small and flimsy that they are comical, with their
wisps of tails and long, slender feet. They can swim readily, however,
and run with amazing rapidity. Even the adult can swim and dive if
necessary.
The Spotted Sandpiper is a much more energetic, nervous bird than its
relative, the Solitary Sandpiper, and it is not so often found wading
about in deep water as is that somewhat larger, darker bird. When the
two species fly up, the Solitary usually utters two or three loud, sharp
whistles as it flies directly away, or up into the air. The Spotted, on
the other hand, usually flutters away, just a little above the water,
and customarily circles back to the shore not far away.
KILLDEER
_Oxyechus vociferus vociferus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Killdee; Killdeer Plover.
Description.—Three toes; size of Robin; forehead, patch over eye,
throat, ring around neck, and underparts white, the breast crossed by
_two prominent black bands_; forepart of crown and line from bill
under eye, blackish; rest of head and upperparts gray-brown, with
greenish reflections; wings with bases of flight-feathers white,
showing plainly in flight; rump and upper tail-coverts bright
orange-brown; middle tail-feathers dark brown, outer feathers white,
all with white tip and irregular subterminal bar of black; bill black;
feet pale flesh-color; eyelids red. _Length_: 10½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A widely distributed migrant and summer
resident from mid-March to mid-November; occasional in winter.
Nest.—A depression in the sod or among gravel, sometimes rather
carefully lined with pebbles or bits of debris. _Eggs_: 4, whitish to
buffy brown, heavily spotted with dark or reddish brown.
[Illustration: Killdeer]
Our Killdeer is a bird of the open pastures. Although it searches for
food along the water’s edge, it often builds its nest some distance
away. The striking coloration and clear whistled cry _kill-deer,
kill-deer_ make this one of our most easily identified birds, even at a
considerable distance.
The large Black-bellied Plover (_Squatarola squatarola cynosuræ_) is
common during the fall migration at Erie from mid-August to
mid-September and later, but is rare elsewhere in Pennsylvania. The
black underparts of the adult in spring and the _black underwing
feathers_ of the young and adult in winter are diagnostic marks. The
call-note may be written _too-ree_.
Somewhat smaller is the Golden Plover (_Pluvialis dominica dominica_),
whose black underparts and golden flecked upperparts make the spring
plumage easily recognizable; it is dull brownish in fall, with golden
flecks on the crown and back. At Erie it is common in fall from early
September throughout the month; elsewhere in Pennsylvania it is rare,
and it is not noted during the spring, for its northward migration route
passes along the Mississippi Valley.
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
_Charadrius semipalmatus_ Bonaparte
Other Name.—Ring Plover.
Description.—Like the Killdeer in general appearance, but much
_smaller, and with only one black band around the neck_; rump and
upper tail-coverts the same gray-brown as the back; eyelids yellow;
bill short, orange, tipped with black. _Length_: A little under 7
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather rare migrant during May and from
August 10 to October 1, save at Erie, where it is regular and common.
[Illustration: Semipalmated Plover]
The clear call-note of this species, _ker-ee, ker-ee_, suggests that of
the Killdeer. Young Semipalmated Plovers coming south for the first time
are often very easy to approach.
The Piping Plover (_Charadrius melodus_), which is about the size of the
Semipalmated Plover and like it in pattern, is pale sandy above, with a
blackish ring about neck, black primaries and central tail-feathers, and
bright yellow eyelids and feet. This species nests at Erie, arriving in
mid-April and remaining until early September; elsewhere in Pennsylvania
it is very rare.
RUDDY TURNSTONE
_Arenaria interpres morinella_ (Linnæus)
Description.—Size of Robin; bill sharply pointed. _Adults in spring_:
Upperparts strikingly marked with black, white, and rusty red; tail
white, with black band near tip; underparts white, marked with black
on throat and breast. _In winter_: Upperparts blackish, the feathers
margined with grayish; lower back white; tail as in summer; legs
orange-red. _Length_: 9½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare but rather regular migrant in May and
September, noted chiefly at Erie.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT
_Phasianus colchichus torquatus_ Gmelin
Other Names.—Ring-neck; Pheasant; English Pheasant.
Description.—Size of a chicken; male with a long, pointed tail; female
with shorter, more rounded tail. _Adult male_: Head and neck, with
tufts on sides of head, glossy green; collar about neck white; back
and scapulars golden yellow, the centers of the feathers glossy green;
rump grayish, glossed with green, and marked with black spots; wings
light gray, the primaries barred with black; tail brown, barred with
black and glossed with pinkish; breast rich copper-red, glossed with
violet, the feathers tipped with black; sides golden yellow, spotted
with glossy purple; belly black; face bare, the skin deep red; bill
and feet light gray; eyes bright yellow. _Female and immature male_:
Pale sandy brown, the head and neck with a pinkish cast, and entire
upperparts streaked and barred with dark brown and black, giving the
bird an entirely different appearance and color pattern from that of
the adult male; eyes dark brown. _Length_: Male, about 30 inches;
female, about 24 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A permanent resident, very common in some
districts, notably in the less mountainous counties. It is becoming
common throughout much of the Commonwealth through the restocking
efforts of the Game Commission.
Nest.—A depression in the ground, lined with grasses or other
vegetation, usually placed in a field not far from a brush-lined
stream, or under a fallen bough at the edge of a woodland. _Eggs_: 8
to 20, olive-brown in color, glossy in appearance.
[Illustration: Ring-necked Pheasant, Male]
The Ring-neck is a native of Asia. It was brought to Great Britain at
the time of the Roman invasion and has become thoroughly acclimated
there. In many parts of the New World, Ring-necks have been introduced
and they seem to make their way very well. They have been present in
Pennsylvania for only a few years, yet during the 1927 hunting season
177,500 of the birds were taken as legal game.
In spite of its magnificent coloration, the Ring-neck is protectively
colored, though birds which wander about through the open field, where
they search for food, can be seen easily. As they fly up, it sometimes
takes a second or two for them to get well under way, but they fly
strongly and make a difficult mark for the sportsman once they learn the
meaning of a gun.
BOB-WHITE
_Colinus virginianus virginianus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Quail; Partridge; Virginia Partridge.
Description.—Size of small bantam chicken. _Male_: Head blackish,
mottled with gray and red-brown; throat, spots on neck, and a
prominent line above eye, white; back and breast mottled with gray,
pinkish brown, buffy, black, and white; scapulars bordered with buffy;
rump and tail gray; belly whitish, barred with black; flanks rusty
red, feathers margined with white. _Female_: Similar, but with buffy
yellow superciliary and throat. _Length_: 10 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Common permanent resident, chiefly in the less
mountainous counties, and usually to be found in cultivated districts.
Nest.—On the ground, in high grass or among brush, made of dry
grasses, arched over with grasses or other vegetation; usually placed
along a road, or at the edge of a field. _Eggs_: 12 to 24, pure white.
[Illustration: Bob-White, Male]
In winter Bob-Whites frequent old weed-patches, briar-thickets, or
cornfields where the stalks have been left standing. They are very
sociable, and wander about in flocks, searching for food, roosting
together on the ground in a compact ring, their heads out and tails
together. Being protectively colored, they usually do not fly until they
are virtually tramped upon. When a flock is disturbed, they rush into
the air on noisy wings and scatter in all directions. After a short time
the birds begin to call to each other, _pur-lee, pur-lee_, and the flock
reassembles.
With the coming of spring the flocks break up. Male birds mount favorite
fence-posts, stones, or low boughs and give the clear whistle which
every farmer boy can imitate. This whistle is one of the clearest and
most powerful of bird-notes.
Male and female birds share the duties of incubating the eggs, which are
turned over carefully so that they get the proper amount of heat.
Sometimes the eggs are so numerous that they are piled upon each other
in the nest, and at such times the lower layer of eggs must receive
special attention. As a rule, all the eggs hatch.
Among the enemies of Bob-Whites are the blacksnake, which eats the eggs
and young; the Cooper’s Hawk and the Goshawk, which capture the adults;
and the skunk and other ground-prowlers which eat the eggs and sometimes
the adults. Half-starved house cats are frequently serious enemies of
this popular game-bird.
The Hungarian or European Gray Partridge (_Perdix perdix_ _perdix_), a
bird a little larger than the Bob-White, gray in color with a dark brown
horse-shoe shaped mark on the breast, a red-brown tail, and reddish
eyelids, has been released in several parts of Pennsylvania as a
game-bird, and it is now on the increase. The bright red-brown tail of
this species is very noticeable in flight.
RUFFED GROUSE
_Bonasa umbellus umbellus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Partridge; Gray Partridge; Birch Partridge; Silver-tail
(gray phase); Pheasant (erroneous).
Description.—Size of chicken, with broad, fan-shaped tail; sexes
similar. Upperparts principally reddish brown, irregularly marked with
black, buffy, gray, and whitish; _sides of neck with ruffs of broad,
black feathers_ glossed with greenish; tail reddish brown or gray, or
of intermediate shade, irregularly barred and mottled with black, with
a broad blackish band near end, and a gray tip; throat and breast
buffy; rest of underparts white, tinged with buffy and barred with
black or dark brown, the bars indistinct on the breast and belly,
stronger on the sides. The female, which is a little smaller, has
smaller ruffs on the neck, and, as a rule, a shorter tall. _Length_:
17 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A permanent resident throughout in the wilder,
wooded sections; variable in abundance as a result of unfavorable
nesting seasons, change of forest conditions, destruction by natural
enemies, disease, and heavy hunting.
Nest.—A hollow lined with leaves at the base of a stump, under a low
hemlock, or under the fallen branch of a tree. _Eggs_: 7 to 14, pale
buffy.
[Illustration: Ruffed Grouse]
The Ruffed Grouse, our best-known game-bird, is a creature of
personality. Protectively colored, he waits until he is almost trodden
upon, then rises with a startling whir of wings, leaving the wayfarer
thunderstruck. The female, as she incubates, is rarely seen, for she
does not stir, and her back perfectly imitates her surroundings.
In the spring, the male Grouse struts and drums at chosen spots in the
woodland. On a log he paces up and down, ruffs lifted, wide tail fully
spread and elevated; or he stands erect, and, beating his chest rapidly
with his wings, produces the drumming sound for which he is so famous.
Grouse may drum at any time of the year, and sometimes at night, but
they do so chiefly during the morning on spring days.
The young run nimbly soon after hatching and leave their nest at once.
They develop rapidly. After a week they can fly readily though they are
very small. The mother Grouse, in luring an enemy from her young,
employs broken-wing tactics, dragging herself over the ground as though
she were badly wounded.
In the winter, Grouse develop long lateral scales on their toes which
function as snow-shoes. Their neat tracks in the snow lead from a roost
under a branch to which dead leaves cling, and wander about the bushes
and trees where the birds have been feeding on buds, twigs, and dried
berries. Grouse are especially fond of aspen, birch, beech, and maple
buds. They like wild-grape vines both for the food and the shelter which
they afford. During summer, Grouse eat much insect food, as well as
berries and leaves. They sometimes eat hemlock needles and leaves of
mountain laurel.
WILD TURKEY
_Meleagris gallopavo silvestris_ Vieillot
Description.—Size and appearance very similar to that of the domestic
bird, but tips of tail-feathers and upper tail-coverts rich deep
chestnut; primaries barred with black and white; feet mahogany-_red_.
A large Wild Turkey gobbler in spring is a magnificent creature with
its rich, iridescent plumage, highly colored and wattled head, and
proud carriage. _Length_: About 4 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Once fairly common throughout the State,
especially in the southern mountainous counties, but brought to the
verge of extermination through forest fires, excessive hunting, and
encroaches of civilization. The Game Commission has brought in some
birds from other States to replenish our stock; some mingling has
occurred between wild birds and domestic individuals which have
wandered from the farms. Wild Turkeys are now to be found chiefly
along the ridges of the South Mountain District, and seem to be
holding their own fairly well. While these are not strictly the
original strain, they are nevertheless wild, and are therefore fairly
representative of the race which once occurred. The Wild Turkey is a
permanent resident.
Nest.—A depression in the leaves, under brush, or in a thicket,
usually well concealed from above. _Eggs_: 6 to 15, cream-buff,
thickly but finely spotted with reddish brown.
The sight of a flock of Wild Turkeys coasting on their strong wings from
the crest of a ridge to the lower levels is one long to be remembered.
The spectacle before us, of weighty, muscular creatures hurling
themselves through the air is difficult to believe, accustomed as we are
to the flightless clumsiness of their cousins of the barnyard.
Having very keen senses, the Wild Turkeys are difficult to approach, for
they are very wary and at the slightest warning make off on a run up the
ridge, or leap into the air.
In summer, they eat many small fruits and insects, including
grasshoppers, but in winter, when it is often necessary for them to
scratch in the snow, they eat chestnuts and acorns, the berries of
Jack-in-the-pulpit, corn if they live near the farms, and other such
food as they can find. In some districts these splendid birds have
difficulty in finding adequate food to carry them through the winter and
in such regions the Game Protector sees that the birds are fed, and Boy
Scouts, sportsmen’s organizations, and others coöperate in saving the
birds.
The Wild Turkey gobbler, notably in the spring, has the same tendencies
toward fighting and vainglorious display as has his domestic relative.
MOURNING DOVE
_Zenaidura macroura carolinensis_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Carolina Dove; Rain Crow (erroneous); Turtle Dove.
Description.—A little larger than a Robin; head small, tail long and
pointed. _Adults_: Crown clear gray; front of head, face, throat, and
lower neck, soft reddish brown, two small black spots back of and
below the eye; sides and back of neck gray, with patches of iridescent
feathers which reflect greenish, golden, and purplish lights; back and
wings grayish brown, some of the coverts and tertials with black
spots; rump and tail gray, the outer tail-feathers noticeably tipped
with white; underparts pinkish brown, lightest on belly and under
tail-coverts; bill black; feet reddish. _Female_: Less brightly
colored than male. Young birds in their first flight plumage are much
scaled in appearance and lack the bright colors of the adult.
_Length_: About 12 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common summer resident throughout, arriving
in late March and remaining until November. It is occasionally found
in winter when the ground is free of snow or when food in the form of
seed or grain is plentiful. In many sections it is becoming commoner.
Nest.—A flimsy, flat structure made of small twigs, weed-stalks, or
other bits of vegetation, placed, usually, on a horizontal branch or
in an ample crotch in an orchard tree or willow, often near a stream,
and usually not at great height from the ground. The nest is sometimes
placed on the ground. _Eggs_: 2, white.
[Illustration: Mourning Dove]
Doves are often to be seen perched on a prominent dead branch, and at
such times their small heads, erect posture, and pointed tails are
noticeable. As they fly up from a field, or alight, the white in their
outer tail-feathers shows plainly, but wherever they occur they may be
recognized by the characteristic whistling sound of their wings in
flight and their gentle cooing. This song may be written _coo-oo-oo,
ooh, ooh, ooh_, the opening syllable using three notes, the middle note
being the highest in the song. At close range this cry is rough and
throaty; at a distance it is mellow and soft, its tender, mournful
quality making adequate description difficult.
Young Doves are fed with partly digested food which the parents pump up
from their stomachs. They are helpless, dowdy creatures while in the
nest, and they sometimes come to an untimely end when a gale blows the
structure from its scant moorings or when, from lack of proper balance,
it topples to one side.
The white eggs, when fresh, are translucent as moonstones, and the
sunlight, in penetrating the thin shells, discloses faintly the color of
the golden yolk.
Doves eat a great deal of weed seed. They have no destructive habits
whatever, and are worthy of all possible protection. They appear to be
on the increase as a result of shortening the shooting season in the
South, where they are popular as game-birds.
TURKEY VULTURE
_Cathartes aura septentrionalis_ Wied
Other Names.—Buzzard; Turkey Buzzard.
Description.—Smaller than a Turkey; head and upper neck virtually
bare; ruff of feathers about lower neck; wings long as in most birds
of prey, but feet without the sharp, curved claws of the hawk tribe;
plumage blackish brown, glossed with purplish when fresh, rusty and
soiled in appearance when old; under surface of flight-feathers
lighter, showing in flight; skin of neck and head reddish, with
whitish tubercles and ridges, and some hairs and small feathers; bill
whitish; feet dull flesh-color; eyes brown. Downy young, white in
color with pale blue-gray feet and head. _Length_: About 30 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A regular and fairly common summer resident in
the southern half of the Commonwealth and locally in western
Pennsylvania, at least as far north as Crawford County, where it nests
in limited numbers at Pymatuning Swamp. It arrives in mid-March and
stays until November, or later. In the southernmost counties, and
occasionally elsewhere in its range, it remains throughout the winter.
Nest.—No nest is built. _Eggs_: 2, whitish, blotched irregularly with
black, brown, and gray, placed on the ground in a cavity among rocks
or in a hollow log.
[Illustration: Turkey Vulture]
At close range the Turkey Vulture is not a beautiful creature—its
carriage is slovenly, its facial expression unpleasant, and its plumage
harsh; but circling in the sky, its wide wings hardly moving for hours
at a time, it becomes a glorified being, among the most graceful and
well-balanced of our soaring birds.
It is equipped by Nature as a carrion-eater, the bare head and neck
permitting it to eat the flesh of dead animals without soiling its
feathers. Its feet are not used in capturing or carrying prey, but a
considerable burden may be carried in the bill. When Vultures find a
dead cow or horse, word seems to travel immediately to all nearby
districts and the great birds swing silently in to the feast. They are
frequently seen along roadsides where they devour rabbits and other
small mammals which have been killed by motor cars.
It is said that the Turkey Vulture carries the germs of hog cholera and
the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease. This is only occasionally, if ever,
true, however, and, as a rule, it is a harmless and highly beneficial
bird. Nevertheless, it is not protected in Pennsylvania at the present
time.
Young Vultures cannot stand when newly hatched.
MARSH HAWK
_Circus cyaneus hudsonius_ (Linnæus)
[Illustration: Marsh Hawk
Male Female]
Other Names.—Swamp Hawk; Marsh Harrier; Pigeon Hawk (erroneous);
Chicken Hawk; Hen Harrier.
Description.—Face with an owl-like ruff of feathers; wings _and tail_
long; feet long and slender. _Adult male_: Upperparts light ashy gray,
somewhat darker on top of head, and slightly streaked on neck; tips of
wings black; tail barred with black; _upper tail-coverts white_; lower
parts white, grayer on throat and upper breast, and flecked with pale
reddish brown on sides and flanks; eyes bright yellow. _Adult female_:
Plumage rich brown, considerably mottled throughout, sometimes heavily
streaked with blackish below, and feathers sometimes considerably
margined with buffy; _upper tail-coverts always white_; eyes yellow.
Immature birds are usually plain brown, unstreaked below, and have
brown eyes. The feet are always yellow. _Length_: About 20 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common though somewhat local migrant and
summer resident from March 15 to November 1. Less often seen in the
mountainous counties and occasionally noted in winter. Its summer
range depends more or less upon swampy country in which the nest is
characteristically built.
Nest.—On the ground in a swamp, composed of dead weed-stalks, cat-tail
leaves, and similar materials, sometimes with neat cup and lining, at
other times loosely constructed with little attempt at neatness.
_Eggs_: 4 to 7, pale blue or chalky white, occasionally _faintly_
spotted with brown.
The Marsh Hawk is usually to be seen flying near the ground over a field
or low meadow. Beating its way along rapidly, it pauses at times to
watch the grass where prey may hide, sometimes wheeling suddenly toward
the ground as it captures a mouse or shrew. It may always be recognized
by the _white upper tail-coverts_ which show plainly in flight, a mark
which our other hawks do not have.
Occasionally the Marsh Hawk circles high in air where the white patch on
the back is not visible. At such times the _long and somewhat pointed
wings_, black wing-tips, long tail, and white appearance of the male and
the dull brown appearance of the female will distinguish the species.
The male has the interesting custom of looping the loop during its
season of courtship. At the nest the birds are very fierce in defending
their young and swoop about the intruder, uttering loud, piercing,
Flicker-like cries.
Its food consists of mice, frogs, snakes, and other creatures which are
captured among the cat-tails or on the ground. Occasionally it takes a
bird or visits the poultry-yard, but, as a rule, it is a beneficial
species. It is not protected in Pennsylvania.
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
_Accipiter velox_ (Wilson)
Other Names.—Bird Hawk; Blue Darter; Chicken Hawk; Pigeon Hawk
(erroneous).
Description.—Small for a Hawk, being but little larger than a Robin;
wings comparatively short and rounded; tail long and _square at tip_:
female considerably larger than male. _Adults_: Top of head and neck
blackish, base of feathers of nape white; cheeks and malar region
whitish streaked with reddish brown; throat white, finely streaked
with black; upperparts blue-gray, the tail marked with three or four
blackish bands; underparts white, heavily barred with reddish brown
save on middle of belly and under tail-coverts. _Immature birds_:
_Brown_, not gray, plumage of the upperparts edged with rusty brown
and underparts _streaked_, not barred, with dark brown. The eyes of
adults are usually red; of immatures, yellow. The feet, which are long
and slender, are always yellow. _Length_: Male, 12 inches; female, 13½
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant and summer resident throughout from
March 1 to November 25; occasionally to be seen in winter.
Nest.—A rather large, flat platform made of slender twigs, built near
the trunk on a hemlock bough, or in other sheltered situation, usually
30 to 40 feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 4 to 6, pale greenish white,
handsomely and irregularly blotched with rich brown.
The Sharp-shin is the enemy of all small birds. It is swift in flight
and skulks along among the bushes, pouncing upon its victims suddenly.
Near the nest of a pair of these birds located at McDonald Water Works,
Washington County, there were no small birds—they had probably all been
killed or driven out by the Sharp-shins.
Another very small member of this family, the Sparrow Hawk, is a bird of
the open fields, with long, _pointed_ wings and red-brown back. The
Sharp-shin sometimes circles rapidly in the open but does not hover over
its prey as does the Sparrow Hawk.
[Illustration: Cooper’s Hawk, Female
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Male]
Young Sharp-shins, which are downy white, are fed upon small birds which
are neatly plucked by the parent.