_Accipiter cooperi_ (Bonaparte)
Other Names.—Chicken Hawk; Blue Darter; Pigeon Hawk (erroneous); Hen
Hawk.
Description.—Almost precisely like the Sharp-shin in proportions and
coloration, but larger, the smaller male bird usually being a few
ounces heavier than the largest female Sharp-shin, but not always to
be distinguished easily from that species in the field. In the hand
the Cooper’s Hawk may always be recognized by the shape of the tip of
the tail which is _rounded_, not square, as it is in the Sharp-shin.
_Length_: Male, 16 inches; female, 19 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common summer resident in wooded
sections from March 1 to December 10; occasional in winter.
Nest.—A bulky mass of twigs, lined with flakes of bark, usually placed
from 40 to 60 feet from the ground in a beech tree. _Eggs_: 3 to 6,
chalky blue-white.
The Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, both bird-killers, are fairly
common and are to be rated as our most objectionable birds of prey. They
are not protected in Pennsylvania.
GOSHAWK
_Astur atricapillus atricapillus_ (Wilson)
Other Names.—Hen Hawk; Gray Hawk; Partridge Hawk; Squirrel Hawk;
Chicken Hawk.
Description.—A large, heavy-bodied Hawk, with comparatively short
wings and long tail; female considerably larger than male. _Adults_:
Crown black; area above and back of eye white, marked irregularly with
black; rest of head whitish, streaked with black; upperparts
blue-gray, the tail marked with three or four broad blackish bands;
underparts heavily and finely barred with clear gray _throughout_,
also somewhat streaked, particularly on the breast; eyes red or
red-brown; cere and feet yellowish green. _Immature birds_: Brown, not
gray; plumage of upperparts dark brown, margined and edged with buffy
and whitish, and on wing-coverts with rusty brown; underparts buffy
white, heavily streaked with blackish. _Length_: Male, 21 inches;
female, 24 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rare as a permanent resident in the northern,
more mountainous counties; known to have nested at seven localities.
As a winter visitant, irregular, though in some sections, notably
among the eastern counties, to be found with some regularity from
about October 20 to March 1.
Nest.—A large mass of sticks, with a shallow cup, lined with bark and
occasional sprigs of green hemlock, placed from 40 to 60 feet up in a
beech or hemlock tree. _Eggs_: 3 to 5, chalky white, with a faint
bluish cast.
The Goshawk is our most savage destroyer of small game. In occasional
winter invasions it is abundant, and at such times takes a terrific toll
of Ruffed Grouse, Ring-necked Pheasants, poultry, and cotton-tail
rabbits.
[Illustration: Goshawk]
In the field, it has a very gray appearance, more so than any other
species; even its heavily marked underparts, at a distance, are gray. It
does not often circle in the sky, preferring to fly at about the level
of tree tops, or, indeed, a few feet from the ground, so as to drop upon
unsuspecting prey.
The parent birds are formidable warriors when their nest is disturbed.
While I was making notes at a nest in Potter County, the heavy female
bird struck me on the head, shoulders, and back a dozen times with her
large feet. The male was wary, though he joined in the battle
occasionally.
Rarely does the Goshawk capture mice or other destructive small mammals,
eating virtually nothing but Grouse so long as these birds can be found.
It is not protected in Pennsylvania.
RED-TAILED HAWK
_Buteo borealis borealis_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Chicken Hawk; Hen Hawk.
Description.—Large, with broad wings and comparatively short tail;
often seen circling in the sky or perched on a prominent dead stub;
female larger than male. _Adults_: Upperparts dark brown, glossed with
violet on back; scapulars and wing-coverts somewhat barred with buffy
brown; throat white; breast usually crossed by a brownish band or by a
row of streaks; rest of underparts whitish, barred and streaked with
blackish, particularly on flanks and sides; tibial feathers buffy;
tail bright red-brown with white tip and subterminal band of black;
eyes dark brown; feet and cere greenish yellow. Immature birds are
similar but the plumage of their upperparts is considerably mottled
and edged with buffy, and the tail is gray, crossed with many narrow
black bands. The underparts are often more heavily marked than in the
adults, and the eyes are grayish yellow, not dark brown. _Length_:
Male, 20 inches; female, 23 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common permanent resident, save at high
altitudes, where it is to be found only irregularly during winter.
Some Red-tails migrate into or through Pennsylvania during fall and
early winter, but it is now believed that most nesting birds actually
remain in one region during the entire year. In many sections of the
State it is becoming rarer each year.
Nest.—A bulky affair of twigs and branches, lined with leaves and
finer materials, placed usually in a large, high, deciduous tree, at
from 50 to 80 feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 2 or 3, whitish,
irregularly blotched and spotted with reddish brown.
[Illustration: Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk]
The Red-tail may easily be confused with the Red-shoulder, which, while
smaller, has the same proportions. The Red-shoulder is more often found
in swampy country or in the lowlands; the Red-tail is a bird of the
fields and open wood-lots. The Red-shoulder’s scream is clear and loud;
that of the Red-tail is wheezy and often whistle-like in quality. The
Red-shoulder’s flight is more rapid, at times more owl-like than that of
the Red-tail, and, of course, the Red-shoulder’s tail is never
red-brown, but is black, crossed with narrow white bands. Immature
Red-shoulders are to be distinguished from immature Red-tails with
difficulty, partly because the birds do not call much and partly because
there is variation in the size of the sexes—a small male Red-tail being
not much larger than a female Red-shoulder; in the hand, however, the
young Red-shoulder is more conspicuously _streaked_ below than is the
young Red-tail, and the feet are _always_ slenderer and more delicate
than in the larger species.
The Red-tail’s food habits are, for the most part, innocent;
nevertheless, it is not protected in Pennsylvania at the present time.
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
_Buteo lineatus lineatus_ (Gmelin)
Other Name.—Chicken Hawk.
Description.—Smaller than the Red-tail, with broad wings and
comparatively short tail. _Adults_: Head and neck dark brown, streaked
with reddish brown; back dark brown, with irregular barring and edging
of gray and whitish; wings black, barred and spotted with white,
lesser coverts rich reddish brown; tail black, crossed with three
distinct but narrow white bands; underparts reddish brown, barred on
belly, sides, and flanks with white; throat whitish, streaked, not
barred, with dusky; a black spot on malar region; under tail-coverts
white; feet and cere greenish yellow; eyes dark brown. _Immature
birds_: Dark brown above, neck and back streaked and spotted with
whitish and buffy; lesser wing-coverts reddish brown; primaries edged
with buffy brown; tail gray-brown crossed with several light bars;
underparts buffy white, streaked with black, principally on breast,
sides, and belly; eyes pale grayish, with a yellow cast. _Length_:
Male, 18½ inches; female, 21 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A somewhat local summer resident from March 1
to December 1, often found along river valleys or in swampy country;
winters occasionally, chiefly in the southern half of the
Commonwealth. Usually not so common as the Red-tail.
Nest.—Of twigs, lined with leaves and other fine materials, _and
usually with a sprig or two of fresh hemlock_, built in a hemlock,
beech, or other forest tree, usually from 30 to 60 feet from the
ground. Sometimes the Red-shoulder adds materials to the last year’s
nest of a Crow and uses this structure as a nest. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, pale
greenish white, irregularly blotched with dark reddish brown.
Even at a distance the bright reddish coloration of the underparts of
the adult Red-shoulder should serve to distinguish it. The bird student
will do well to remember that the Red-shoulder and Red-tail customarily
choose prominent perches from which to watch for prey, whereas the
Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shin, and Goshawk almost never choose such lookout
posts. A large Hawk seen on a dead stub in the open is almost certainly
either a Red-shoulder or a Red-tail. The flying Red-shoulder circles
more rapidly than does the Red-tail, and with a glass the dark,
white-barred tail should be seen easily.
It is fond of snakes, frogs, and mice, which it captures usually in the
lowlands. Occasionally it catches a bird or young poultry, but it visits
the farms only when food is scarce in its wilder habitat. Young
Red-shoulders whose stomachs I examined at Pymatuning Swamp had eaten
only grasshoppers, field-mice, snakes, frogs, and beetles.
The Red-shoulder’s loud, clear scream, when familiar to the bird
student, is diagnostic. The Blue Jay can imitate this scream almost
perfectly, however, so the bird student must use care in recording the
species from call-note alone. This species, while for the most part
innocent in food habits, is not protected in Pennsylvania.
BROAD-WINGED HAWK
_Buteo platypterus platypterus_ (Vieillot)
Other Names.—Chicken Hawk; Pigeon Hawk (erroneous).
Description.—The Broad-wing, because of its name, is often thought to
be one of our largest hawks, but in reality it is one of the smaller
species, being about the size of a Crow. _Adults_: Gray-brown above;
throat white; malar region blackish; tail crossed with three distinct
and rather broad white bands; underparts warm brown, the belly and
sides heavily barred with white, the under tail-coverts largely
whitish; cere and feet yellowish green; eyes dark brown. _Immature_:
Dark brown, with head and neck considerably streaked; wing-coverts
edged with buffy white; underparts buffy white, heavily streaked with
black; tail grayish, marked with five or six black bands. _Length_:
Male, 16 inches; female, 17 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—An uncommon and local summer resident from
about April 20 to October 1. This hawk is _not found_ in winter in
Pennsylvania, for it migrates to Central America during the cold
months.
Nest.—A platform of sticks, usually placed in a large crotch of a
deciduous tree, and not often at great height from the ground. An old
Crow nest is sometimes used. _Eggs_: 2 to 4, whitish, spotted and
blotched, sometimes very handsomely, with rich brown.
A _small_ hawk with wide wings, short tail, and the general appearance
of a Red-tail is likely to be a Broad-wing. Look for it about deciduous
woodlands. Its scream is feeble. It nests in woodlands not far from
Pittsburgh.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
_Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis_ (Gmelin)
Other Name.—Chicken Hawk.
Description.—Larger than a Red-tail; two distinct types of plumage,
one light, one dark; feet, _down to the very toes_, fully feathered.
_Light phase of plumage_: Head and neck black, boldly streaked with
white; back dark brown; tail white at base, black on terminal third;
breast and throat buffy, broadly streaked with black; feathers of leg
buffy, spotted with blackish; belly and under tail-coverts _black_;
wing-linings white, with black spots at wrist and black tips on all
primaries and secondaries; cere and feet yellowish; eyes dark brown.
_Dark phase_: Brownish black, spotted irregularly with white on belly,
the tail marked with three or four narrow whitish bands. _Length_:
About 22 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare and irregular winter visitor from the
far North, usually seen in the more northerly counties and in fairly
open country.
The great Rough-leg will perch on a hay-stack or a low stump in an open
field in preference to a high stub. In searching for prey, it beats over
the ground in the manner of the Marsh Hawk. It is distinctly beneficial
in food habits. In any plumage the bird in the hand may be recognized by
the feathered feet; in the field the distinctly black underparts are
diagnostic. Unfortunately, this species is not protected at the present
time in Pennsylvania.
GOLDEN EAGLE
_Aquila chrysaëtos chrysaëtos_ (Linnæus)
Description.—Size very large; wing-spread from 6 to 8 feet; female
noticeably the larger. _Adults_: Plumage rich deep brown, save on
crown, nape, and hind neck where the pointed feathers are golden
brown, and on the basal half of the tail, which is barred with whitish
or gray; cere and toes yellow; bill blue-black; eyes dark brown;
tarsus, which is fully feathered down to the toes, white or pale
buffy. _Immature_: Similar, but the basal half or two-thirds of the
tail is _white_ and the under tail-coverts are margined with buffy.
_Length_: About 3 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A winter visitant, usually rare, though
sometimes recorded several times during a single season. It is most
often to be seen in the mountainous counties.
The Golden Eagle is occasionally caught in steel traps which have been
set for foxes or other fur-bearers. Each winter one or two of these
great birds are thus made captive or shot by farmers who are protecting
their poultry.
It is a magnificent creature, with its regal bearing, its deep set,
brilliant eyes, and its sleek, lustrous plumage. In captivity it is not
given to beating itself about, but bears itself with simple dignity, as
though it understood the futility of trying to make an escape.
In the field, it is to be distinguished with difficulty from the
immature Bald Eagle, the latter bird having white areas on the under
wing which the Golden Eagle lacks. Close at hand, it will be noted that
both birds have long feathers on the tibial region, the tips of these
feathers sometimes reaching well toward the toes, but in the Golden
Eagle the whole foot, down to the toes, is covered with short, thick
plumage.
The Golden Eagle has been known to kill foxes and lambs. There is an
authentic record of the killing of a sturdy, though small, fawn by one
of these great birds. Pursuing the fawn through the woods, it frightened
it over a sharp declivity, and its leg was broken in the fall. The
Eagle’s long, vise-like talons and great bill finished the unfortunate
creature.
BALD EAGLE
_Haliæëtus leucocephalus leucocephalus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—American Eagle; White-headed Eagle.
Description.—Size very large, a wing-spread of over 6 feet. _Fully
adult birds_: Brownish black with head and neck, tail, and upper and
under tail-coverts, white; bill clear bright yellow; feet dull yellow;
eyes bright pale yellow. _Young birds in their first plumage_: Almost
black, with irregular mottling of white on underparts; bill and cere
dusky; eyes dark brown. In somewhat older young the plumage is much
mottled with white, buffy, and grayish on the upperparts as well as
below, and the under wings are blotched with white. As the bird grows
older the light areas become more extensive. In the fourth year the
head and tail become pure white and the mottling of the rest of the
plumage does not reappear. Immature Bald Eagles sometimes have the
general appearance of a Golden Eagle, but the feathers of the feet
_never_ extend down to the toes, as they do in the Golden Eagle.
_Length_: A little under 3 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rare and irregular migrant and summer resident
(occasionally noted in winter), save at Erie, where it is fairly
common. Here it searches for fish and refuse along the shore and nests
in the vicinity. In October and November, Bald Eagles from the North
Country migrate through Pennsylvania, following some of the ridges of
the eastern counties. They are sometimes noted along the Susquehanna
and Delaware rivers, where formerly, and perhaps in limited numbers
today, they nest on the larger wooded islands.
Nest.—A huge mass of sticks and débris, sometimes a wagon-load or
more, built into the principal crotch or top of a sycamore or other
large tree, often at great height from the ground. _Eggs_: 2 or 3,
chalky white.
[Illustration: Bald Eagle, Adult]
The Bald Eagle is usually seen along waterways or in the mountains. It
ranges widely and flies with great majesty, its wide, heavy wings giving
it, even at great distance, the appearance of weight and strength.
It is fond of carrion and pursues the smaller Osprey or Fish Hawk until
that bird is forced to give up the prey which it has captured. Bald
Eagles rarely take poultry. They sometimes pursue water-fowl, but in
Pennsylvania do not destroy much game or valuable wild-life and are
therefore protected.
The cry of the Bald Eagle is a barking squeal, sometimes very high and
thin, often scarcely to be heard.
A dark-colored Eagle with white patches showing on the under-wing is
likely to be an immature Bald Eagle. The Golden Eagle almost always
appears dark from below, save for the basal half of the tail, which is
grayish or white.
DUCK HAWK
_Rhynchodon peregrinus anatum_ (Bonaparte)
Other Names.—Peregrine Falcon; Rock Hawk; Bullet Hawk; Blue Hawk;
American Peregrine; Ledge Hawk.
Description.—Size medium; female much larger than male; wings long and
pointed; plumage very firm and stiff. _Adults_: Top of head and patch
below eyes and on rear part of cheeks, black; back, wings, and tail
bluish slate, heavily barred with darker gray; tail tipped with white;
underparts buffy, barred and spotted with black, chiefly on sides and
flanks. _Immature_: Upperparts dark brown, the plumage considerably
margined with buffy or pale brownish; area below eye black; cheeks
brownish; underparts dark brown, all the feathers widely margined with
buffy, giving a mottled and streaked appearance; cere and feet yellow;
eyes very dark brown. _Length_: Male, 16 inches; female, 19 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare summer resident from March to November
along cliff-lined rivers. It occasionally occurs in migration and has
been known to winter in the Philadelphia region, where the solitary
birds live upon pigeons, and roost on the ledges of tall buildings.
Nest.—None is made. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, whitish, heavily spotted with
rusty or chocolate-brown, or solid brown, laid either on the bare rock
in a sheltered niche on a high cliff, or in a slight depression in the
earth on such a ledge, if there be any soil.
[Illustration: Duck Hawk, Adult]
This is one of Pennsylvania’s rarest hawks. Along the Juniata River, and
where there are cliffs along the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, they
are sometimes seen beating their way buoyantly, high in the air, or
plunging down from the heights either in pursuit of prey or in play.
Their call-note, a sharp and rapidly repeated _kee, kee, kee, kee_
echoes among the rocks. Near their nest the birds are vicious toward
intruders.
For speed and daring, the Duck Hawk is famous. It pursues and captures
the most rapid ducks, even Teal. I have seen it kill Pileated
Woodpeckers and Crows, but, as a rule, it captures Meadowlarks, Blue
Jays, Robins, and shorebirds which happen to pass by its eyrie, or for
which it watches from its high vantage-point. It is particularly fond of
domestic pigeons if there be any in the vicinity, and will live almost
exclusively upon them as long as the supply lasts. Striking its prey
with closed fists, it slashes the skin open with the long claws of the
hind toe.
Sometimes a Duck Hawk may be seen from the train window in the vicinity
of Huntingdon, Spruce Creek, Palmerton, or Dauphin. The Duck Hawk is not
protected in Pennsylvania.
PIGEON HAWK
_Tinnuculus columbarius columbarius_ (Linnæus)
Description.—Size small, a little larger than a Sparrow Hawk, but
heavily built, and with plumage firm like that of the Duck Hawk.
_Adults_: Blue-gray, narrowly streaked with black above, an
inconspicuous band of buffy or pale reddish brown at neck, primaries
barred with white; tail blackish with three or four distinct, though
narrow, white or grayish bars, and a white tip; underparts buffy or
rich ochraceous, streaked with black, save on throat. _Immature_: Dark
brown above, the primaries and tail barred with buffy; underparts much
as in adult birds; cere and feet yellow; eyes black. _Length_: About
10 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare migrant, additional records for which
are very desirable. It usually occurs in late April and early May and
in late September and early October. It is said to have nested in Pike
County.
So many hawks are called Pigeon Hawk that it is difficult to make
Pennsylvania farmers and gunners realize that this little hawk is really
a comparatively rare bird. It flies rapidly, directly, and is, in
general appearance, much like a Sparrow Hawk with a blue-gray back.
I have noted Pigeon Hawks in Pennsylvania only a few times. Each time
the hawk was surrounded and besieged by a flock of swallows, one of
which it may have been holding in its talons.
[Illustration: Sparrow Hawk, Male
Pigeon Hawk]
SPARROW HAWK
_Cerchneis sparveria sparveria_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Mouse Hawk; Killy Hawk; Pigeon Hawk (erroneous).
Description.—Size small, not much larger than a Robin; adults and
young alike; wings pointed. _Male_: Top of head blue-gray, with rusty
brown crown-patch; sides of head buffy or whitish, with black marks
below eye, on ear-coverts, and on side of nape; back rich reddish
brown, barred on scapulars, and sometimes on back, with black;
wing-coverts blue-gray, spotted with black; primaries black, barred
with white; tail rich rufous, tipped with white, and with a broad
subterminal bar of black; underparts whitish or buffy, sometimes quite
reddish, with spots or bars of black on sides and flanks; cere and
feet yellow; eyes dark brown. Female quite different, having the back
and tail heavily barred with black, the wing-coverts reddish brown
barred with black, and the underparts _streaked_ with pale reddish
brown. _Length_: About 10 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common and widely distributed summer resident
from March 10 to November 15. Occasional in winter.
Nest.—In a cavity in a tree or in a bird-box from 20 to 40 feet from
the ground. _Eggs_: 4 to 8, buffy or whitish, heavily spotted with
reddish brown.
The trim form of this elegant creature is a familiar roadside
acquaintance, and the piercing _killee, killee, killee_ of the bird, as
it hovers looking for prey, is characteristic. The Sparrow Hawk is
distinctly beneficial, feeding upon grasshoppers, field mice, and other
small mammals. It is protected by law at all times in Pennsylvania.
OSPREY; FISH HAWK
_Pandion haliaëtus carolinensis_ (Gmelin)
Description.—Size large, wings long, giving the bird in flight
somewhat the appearance of a gull; feet large, the outer toe
reversible, the under side of the toes with spiny scales for holding
slippery prey; upperparts blackish brown, the feathers margined with
brownish; nape and superciliary white or whitish spotted with black;
tail with from six to nine grayish bands, noticeable particularly on
the inner web; underparts shining white, with spots of brown on
breast, particularly in the female. The under wings are white save the
greater coverts and flight feathers which are prominently barred; a
black area at the bend of the wing; bill black; feet pale blue-gray;
eyes orange-yellow. _Length_: 23 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Common and regular, principally along the
waterways, as a migrant in April and May and in September and October.
Rare and local as a summer resident. Additional nesting records are
desirable.
Nest.—A bulky mass of sticks and débris, usually placed in a dead
tree, sometimes at the very top, from 20 to 50 feet from the ground.
_Eggs_: 2 to 4, whitish, spotted with reddish brown, or solid rich
brown. There is much variation in the color of the eggs.
[Illustration: Osprey]
The Osprey is usually seen near a lake or waterway. Its easy flight
gives it somewhat the bearing of a gull, but its broad, barred tail and
dark upperparts distinguish it even at a great distance.
The Osprey’s food is almost altogether fish. Its firm, glossy plumage,
its great claws, its slender, long wings, are all adapted to the capture
of fish, upon which it pounces from the air, plunging into the water,
sometimes to be lost to view for a second or more. Occasionally it grips
a fish so large that it cannot extricate its talons, and is dragged to
an unfortunate death. When the Osprey rises from a plunge in the water
it often halts in mid-air to shake itself free of water, a somewhat
amusing performance.
Although the Osprey eats fish almost exclusively, it is protected in
Pennsylvania. It sometimes captures the destructive carp which is such a
pest in some localities. It does not often take trout or other valuable
food or game-fish and never captures birds or game. Smaller birds, such
as grackles, fear the Osprey so little that they have been known to
build their own cradles among the foundation material of the Osprey’s
bulky eyrie. Along the Atlantic Coast Ospreys sometimes nest on the
ground.
BARN OWL
_Tyto alba pratincola_ (Bonaparte)
Other Names.—Monkey-faced Owl; Golden Owl.
Description.—Larger than a Crow; face with round ruff of feathers
about eyes; legs very long and lanky, with sparse feathering down to
tips of toes. Face white, with reddish brown area about eye and narrow
ring of reddish brown at outer edge of facial disc; upperparts golden
brown, much variegated with fine gray barring and black and white
speckling; underparts white, buffy, or ochraceous, finely spotted with
black. The under surface of the wings is principally white, but the
flight-feathers, as well as the tail, are narrowly barred with dark
gray; bill pale flesh-color; eyes black. _Length_: 18 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common though somewhat local summer
resident, chiefly in the southern and southeastern counties, and only
rarely in the northern and mountainous counties and at high altitudes,
from late March to November; occasional in winter. In the western
counties it has been known to nest as far north as Crawford County.
Nest.—In a large cavity in a tree, often a sycamore, or in a barn or
loft wherever the eggs may be laid with safety. _Eggs_: 5 to 9, white.
[Illustration: Barn Owl]
When a country newspaper announces the capture of a creature, half
monkey and half bird, the bird student may be fairly certain that
someone has found a Barn Owl. The strange, melancholy expression of the
bird’s face, its peculiarly awkward, long legs, and its odd habit of
bowing, hissing, and swaying back and forth, all make it an object of
great curiosity.
The Barn Owl can see perfectly by day, though it is chiefly nocturnal.
It preys upon rats, mice, and shrews principally, and is almost
altogether beneficial in its food-habits. All Owls have the habit of
throwing up wads of indigestible matter, such as the bones and fur of
the mice they have eaten. An examination of the pellets of the Barn Owl
has shown that these creatures eat but very few birds and virtually no
game.
Half-grown young in their nest, clamoring for food, make a considerable
outcry. They have insatiable appetites and during early summer the
parents are kept busy bringing in rats and mice for their hungry
offspring.
The Barn Owl’s golden brown and gray back, its white appearance beneath,
and its _lack of any ear-tufts_ are good field-marks. This species is
protected in Pennsylvania.
LONG-EARED OWL
_Asio otus wilsonianus_ (Lesson)
Other Names.—Cat Owl; Cedar Owl; Hoot Owl.
Description.—Size medium, about that of a Crow; head with two
prominent tufts of feathers which are nearly always held erect in
life; feet fully feathered. Upperparts gray, mottled with buffy brown
and speckled with black and white; tail with six or eight dark gray
bars; face whitish to rich buff, bordered by black; ear-tufts black
margined with whitish or buffy; underparts whitish, washed irregularly
with buffy—the breast broadly and irregularly streaked and the sides
and belly _barred_ with dark brown and gray; feet buffy; eyes bright
yellow. _Length_: 15 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common, though somewhat local
resident, which may migrate to an extent when food is scarce during
winter. It is usually to be found near hemlocks.
Nest.—A flat platform of twigs, sometimes built upon the old nest of a
squirrel or Crow, lined with finer materials and a few belly feathers
from the owls. Sometimes an old Crow nest is used without any
renovation or addition. _Eggs_: 4 to 6, white.
[Illustration: Long-eared and Short-eared Owls]
Long-eared Owls are neither noisy nor bold, and may therefore live in a
region without being known unless the bird student assiduously searches
for them in dense hemlock clumps, in cedars, or thick grape-vine
tangles, where they are usually to be found. They are principally
nocturnal, and it is sometimes difficult to make the birds fly from
their perches during the day. Any medium-sized owl which flies from a
dense hemlock is likely to be of this species. Its general appearance,
at such a time, is grayish.
It is a highly beneficial bird, living almost altogether on mice which
it captures both in the woodlands and at the edges of fields. These it
swallows wherever it may be, but the pellets are usually cast up during
the daytime at the favorite resting-place, so after a few months’
sojourn at one point the pellets become numerous. Pellets of this
nature, strewn over the ground, are always a fairly sure sign of the
presence of owls.
The young, which resemble their parents in color, are remarkably adept
at clambering about their nesting-tree before they can fly. They are odd
in appearance when newly hatched, with their queer eyes and large
mouths. Since the eggs are laid and hatch at intervals of two or three
days each, the young are of different sizes.
The call-note of this Owl, which I have not frequently heard, resembles
a Screech Owl’s quavering whistle somewhat, but is shorter, more
whining, and less musical, and is varied with angry, coughing sounds.
This species is protected in Pennsylvania.
SHORT-EARED OWL
_Asio flammeus_ (Pontoppidan)
Other Names.—Meadow Owl; Marsh Owl; Swamp Owl; Bog Owl.
Description.—Size medium, like the Long-eared Owl; head with very
small tufts, _not apparent in field_. Dark brown above, the feathers
margined with buffy brown, the wings spotted and barred with buffy,
the tail with rich buffy and brown bands of about equal width;
underparts buffy or whitish, streaked, broadly on breast, narrowly on
belly, with dark brown; feet buffy; eyes yellow. _Length_: 15 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant from March
1 to April 15 and sometimes later and from October 1 to November 15.
It has been known to nest once or twice within the Commonwealth; it is
sometimes found in winter, particularly in the lowlands of the less
mountainous counties.
The Short-eared Owl sometimes hunts during the day. It courses over the
meadows and marshes, its wide, soft wings carrying it easily but rather
unsteadily, a few feet from the ground. As a rule, it prefers to hunt at
eventide.
It nearly always perches on the ground. Its coloration is protective as
it sits among the dead grasses or cat-tail leaves, motionless until it
springs awkwardly into the air and makes off. It does not often alight
in trees, though it may occasionally roost in low, dense bushes or
conifers.
As the Short-ear flies away, the light spots on the upper surfaces of
the wing and the dark spots at the bend of the wing on the under surface
are usually noticeable. Any medium-sized owl which flies up from the
ground in the open is almost certain to be of this species.
Its food habits are strictly beneficial. It captures mice, preferring to
hunt in the open, almost never capturing its prey in the woodlands. It
is often found in large flocks during the period of migration. In fact,
where one occurs others are likely to be found. Flocks sometimes number
a hundred or more individuals. When these owls visit a farm in such
numbers for a week or two, they may effectively destroy the mice and
other destructive small mammals.
The Short-eared Owl is curious; squeaking cries, given in imitation of a
mouse or small bird, will sometimes cause it to come very close, where
it may hover for several seconds, if the observer remains perfectly
motionless. The Short-eared Owl is protected in Pennsylvania.
BARRED OWL
_Strix varia varia_ Barton
Other Names.—Hoot Owl; Black-eyed Owl (rare).
Description.—Much larger than a Crow; no tufts on the head; feet
feathered almost to claws. Upperparts dull chocolate-brown, each
feather with two or three grayish white or buffy bars, especially
noticeable on scapulars; tail and wings distinctly barred; face
grayish, finely barred with dark gray; underparts whitish or grayish
white, tinged with buff, the breast distinctly _barred, the belly and
sides streaked_ with dark brown; bill greenish yellow; eyes very
large, dark brown with blue-black pupils. _Length_: 20 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common but rather local permanent
resident, found chiefly in deep woodlands and usually along streams or
in lowlands, not on the ridges as is the Great Horned Owl.
Nest.—Almost always a cavity in a tree, though sometimes the deserted
nest of a Crow or hawk. _Eggs_: 2 to 4, white, and quite round.
[Illustration: Barred Owl]
I shall never forget my first glimpse of a Barred Owl. In a deep
woodland, where all was quiet and where shadows lent an air of mystery,
I suddenly realized that a shapeless ball of brown on a nearby branch
was _three_ young Barred Owls, sitting very close together, eyes nearly
shut. As I approached they refused to budge, preferring, it appeared, to
keep their eyes closed so as not to be bothered with any unpleasant
consideration of an encounter with an enemy. When I rapped the branch
upon which they sat, they opened their eyes, popped their beaks, and
flew off grunting. Their mother swooped down upon me with an angry cry.
The Barred Owl’s song is weird. It is a series of eight or nine hoots
which are given with much vigor, and which, at a distance, sound like
the barking of a dog. When two or three Barred Owls join in a chorus,
the effect is unbelievably comical. The usual cry is often varied with
single hoots, barks, or grunts.
It is not blameless in food habits. The usual fare of mice and chipmunks
is occasionally varied with squirrels, rabbits, and birds, usually of
smaller varieties.
A good imitation of the cries of a Barred Owl may draw the creatures
close, sometimes many of them at once. This cry will sometimes attract
Crows also, who sense the possibility of a good hour’s attack upon an
ancient foe.
The Barred Owl is not protected in Pennsylvania.
SAW-WHET OWL
_Cryptoglaux acadica acadica_ (Gmelin)
Description.—Considerably smaller than a Screech Owl; no tufts on
head. _Adults_: Facial disc white, with radial streaks of brown;
upperparts dull chocolate-brown, finely streaked on head and spotted
on back and wings with white; tail with three or four whitish bars;
underparts white, broadly streaked with dark reddish brown; legs and
feet white, feathered down to claws; eyes yellow. _Immature_: Like
adult, but head and back unspotted, and breast brown, unstreaked;
belly deep buffy; eyes brownish. _Length_: 8 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Nests rarely in the northern and mountainous
counties. Chiefly to be found as an irregular visitor in winter, in
northern and central Pennsylvania.
Nest.—In a cavity, frequently a woodpecker’s deserted nest. _Eggs_: 3
to 5, white.
This tiny owl is rarely seen, even though it lives in the vicinity. It
hunts its food at night and sleeps so soundly by day that it may be
captured in the hand. Its food habits are strictly beneficial and it is
protected by law.
Look for the Saw-whet Owl in dense growths of alder, hemlock, or in
vines. A very small owl of erratic, rapid flight is likely to be of this
species. All records of it are very desirable.
[Illustration: Screech Owl, Red Phase
Saw-whet Owl]
SCREECH OWL
_Otus asio nævius_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Squinch Owl; Little Owl; Red Owl; Gray Owl; Hoot Owl;
Squeak Owl; Mottled Owl.
Description.—Size small, but little longer than a Robin, though
heavier; head with prominent ear-tufts, almost always visible in the
field; feet feathered down to claws. _Red phase of plumage_:
Upperparts bright reddish brown, finely streaked with black, the
scapulars streaked with buffy white; underparts white, streaked finely
with black, and barred with reddish brown, chiefly on sides. _Gray
phase of plumage_: Upperparts gray, mixed with brownish, streaked with
blackish and mottled with white and buffy, especially on scapulars;
underparts white, streaked and barred with black, grayish, and white,
some of the patterns of the feathers being beautiful and unusual; eyes
yellow. _Length_: 9½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common permanent resident throughout the
Commonwealth.
Nest.—In a cavity in a tree, often in an orchard. _Eggs_: 4 to 6,
white.
The Screech Owl is usually a familiar village bird whose quavering song
is thought by some to be sad and ominous, by others to be among the most
beautiful songs given by our birds. It lives principally upon mice but
it also captures small birds, particularly in the spring when it feeds
upon nestlings which it finds in the vicinity. The coloration of the
Screech Owl is interesting. That there should be two distinct types of
color pattern, wholly independent of age, sex, or season, seems rather
useless. Some purpose at present unknown may be served by this
phenomenon. The Screech Owl is protected in Pennsylvania.
GREAT HORNED OWL
_Bubo virginianus virginianus_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Hoot Owl; Big Owl; Cat Owl.
Description.—Size large; head with prominent tufts of feathers; feet
fully feathered down to claws; female noticeably larger than male.
Facial disc rich orange-brown; ear-tufts black, edged with rich buffy;
upperparts mottled and speckled with gray, black, white, and buffy;
throat pure white; underparts buffy and white, finely and thickly
barred with black; feet buffy; tail and wings inconspicuously barred;
eyes large, bright yellow. _Length_: About 2 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common permanent resident throughout,
particularly in higher woodlands along the ridges.
Nest.—An old Crow’s or hawk’s nest, somewhat relined, or a large
cavity in a tree or cliff. _Eggs_: 2 or 3, white, and nearly round.
The eggs of this great bird of prey are laid early. More than once I
have seen the mother incubating eggs, her back covered with snow. In
Pennsylvania, nesting usually begins in mid-February, though a set of
eggs has been taken in late January.
[Illustration: Great Horned Owl]
The Great Horned Owl is so muscular and so well armed with heavy beak
and iron talons that it does not hesitate to capture large prey, such as
large chickens, geese, and even turkeys. It is very fond of cotton-tail
rabbits, whose skulls it crushes with a nip of its beak, and often kills
skunks, though it may carry a reminder of the encounter for months. It
is one of our most destructive birds of prey, though it varies its diet
with mice and other harmful creatures.
The deep-voiced hoot of this owl is usually heard on early spring
nights. A mellow, bass _who, who-who-who, who, who_, with remarkable
carrying power, is the love-song. It is sometimes given all night long
during late January, when the moonlight gives the woodlands a chilly and
mysterious brilliance. A loud and startling scream is sometimes given,
which is often wrongly attributed to a wild cat. The probability is that
a wild cat in its wildest fit of anger or alarm could not produce a
sound half so loud and terrifying.
In captivity the Great Horned Owl rarely becomes tame, though it may
stand on its perch quietly enough during the day. One which I had at one
time was somewhat tractable, yet not to be trusted. It caught the
fingers of my left hand one day with its great claws. Being unable to
extricate myself, and being threatened at any minute with a nip from the
vicious beak, I summoned aid. I learned a little that day about the
terrific grip that closes upon the unfortunate rabbit or skunk this
creature captures.
SNOWY OWL
_Nyctea nyctea_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—White Owl; Arctic Owl; Snow Owl.
Description.—Size large, head without ear-tufts; feet so heavily
feathered that the claws are sometimes hidden. Plumage white, barred
with dark grayish brown, particularly on the back and wings and sides
of breast. Individuals vary greatly in appearance, some being pure
white, others being heavily barred. Younger birds are usually darker.
Eyes bright yellow. _Length_: About 2 feet.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare and irregular winter visitor,
particularly in the northern counties, and occasionally common as
during the hiemal invasion which occurred in 1926-27.
The Snowy Owl is a bird of the open fields, not of the woodlands, and,
like the Rough-legged Hawk, is likely to be seen perched on a
fence-post, a hay-stack, or on the ground, rather than in a tree. Its
white plumage makes it a prominent feature of the landscape save when
there is snow on the ground.
In Pennsylvania, its food includes small game animals and birds, mice,
and other small mammals, and, occasionally, poultry. It is not
particularly harmful, since it usually confines its hunting to the open
fields. In the North Country it preys upon water-fowl. Its flight is
very strong and rapid. It is not protected in Pennsylvania, though it
should be because of its great rarity.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
_Coccyzus americanus americanus_ (Linnæus)
Other Name.—Rain-Crow.
Description.—A long, slender bird about the size of a Robin, with very
long tail and curved bill; feet with two toes pointing forward, two
backward. Upperparts olive-gray, glossed with green, the primaries
rich reddish brown, apparent in flight; tail with outer feathers
black, _broadly_ tipped with white, the outer vane of outer feathers
also white; underparts white; bill blackish, the lower mandible rich
yellow; eyes dark brown; eyelids yellowish. _Length_: 12 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A summer resident from early May to late
September, found chiefly about orchards and shade trees, principally
in the southern and less mountainous counties. Additional nesting
records of this species are desirable.
Nest.—A loose platform of twigs placed on a horizontal branch, usually
not more than 15 feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, pale greenish
blue.
The cuckoos are slim, retiring birds, which often are not seen unless
they fly from the thick leaves where they have been searching for
caterpillars—their favorite food. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo’s very
reddish wings serve to identify it at considerable distance. Its song is
an unmusical series of _kuks_. No song is given which resembles the word
“cuckoo,” our birds receiving their name merely from their relationship
to the famed English bird.
[Illustration: Yellow-bulled Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo]
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO
_Coccyzus erythophthalmus_ (Wilson)
Other Name.—Rain-Crow.
Description.—Upperparts grayish brown, faintly glossed with greenish
and bronze; outer tail-feathers narrowly and _inconspicuously_ tipped
with white; underparts white, somewhat grayish on throat and breast;
bill black; eyes dark brown; _eyelids red_. _Length_: A little under
12 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A summer resident from early May to latter
September. I have found this species common in some of the northern
counties where the Yellow-billed species was rare.
Nest.—A rather well-built platform of twigs, lined with leaves and a
few grasses, usually but a few feet from the ground on a horizontal
branch in a rather thick clump of saplings or in alders. _Eggs_: 2 to
5, glaucous green, somewhat like those of the Yellow-bill, but darker
and smaller.
The Black-billed Cuckoo is fond of lowlands which are upgrown with young
saplings, or of alders along streams. It is sometimes seen in orchards.
The song of the Black-bill differs from that of the Yellow-bill in that
the syllables are grouped, usually in threes. The song might be written
_kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk, cl-uck, cl-uck, cl-uck, kuk-kuk-kuk, kuk-kuk-kuk,
kuk-kuk-kuk, kuk-kuk-kuk_, the last syllables dying off gently. The
Yellow-bill’s song is louder.
Like its slightly larger relative, the Black-bill is fond of
caterpillars, and both are very valuable birds. They eat so many
“woolly” caterpillars that their stomachs become lined with the spines
from the bodies of their prey.
BELTED KINGFISHER
_Streptoceryle alcyon alcyon_ (Linnæus)
Description.—Head large, with long bill and prominent crest; feet
small and short; plumage firm and compact. _Male_: Head and crest
blue-gray, the feathers with dark centers; two spots, one in front of,
and one under eye, and collar about neck, white; back and band across
breast blue-gray, the wings and tail considerably spotted with white;
bill blackish; eyes dark brown. _Female and young_: Similar, but with
sides and a broken band across lower breast bright reddish brown,
noticeable in the field. _Length_: 13 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common and widely distributed summer resident
from late March until the end of October; occasional in winter, when
the streams are open. It does not occur along streams which have been
polluted by mining refuse and other poisonous waste products.
Nest.—At the end of a 6-foot burrow in a bank, made of a few
fish-bones and scales crudely scraped together. _Eggs_: Usually 7,
glossy white. The burrow, while usually dug rather high on a bank,
directly along the stream, is sometimes located at some distance from
water. It is dug with the bill and feet.
[Illustration: Belted Kingfisher, Male]
The flashing white collar and underparts of the Kingfisher gleam as he
flies rapidly along his chosen stream, giving his loud, rattling call.
As he perches on a favorite overhanging stub, he elevates his crest,
rattles once or twice, then becomes quiet as he watches the pool below
him. Suddenly he dives from his perch, there is a splash, and he
disappears beneath the surface. In a few seconds he arises, a slim,
glistening fish in his mandibles. He makes off up stream, rattling again
and again as the fish ceases its struggles, then swallows his prey, head
first, entire. In addition to fish, he eats crayfish and other small
aquatic creatures, and sometimes mice.
When the young hatch they are naked and ugly. They soon are covered with
pin-feathers, however, and when the tips of these break, the young begin
to look like their parents at once. Several days before they leave the
burrow to learn angling for themselves, they scuttle about on their
short feet, sometimes coming to the entrance for a moment to glimpse the
world that is soon to be such an unfolding of adventure for them. They
rattle like their parents, and if a hand is thrust in among them, they
pick savagely at the fingers—either in anger or with the belief that a
larger, finer fish than parents ever caught has come to be swallowed.
Kingfishers capture some trout and other valuable food or game-fish and
are therefore not protected in Pennsylvania.
HAIRY WOODPECKER
_Dryobates villosus villosus_ (Linnæus)
Other Name.—Sapsucker (erroneous).
Description.—Smaller than Robin; like other Woodpeckers, usually seen
perched on the trunk of a tree or flying, in a strongly undulating
fashion, through the air. _Adult male_: Top of head, line through eye
and line from lower mandible to rear part of head, black, _nape bright
red_, rest of head, white; back, black with white median stripe; wings
black, spotted profusely with white; tail black, the outer feathers
_white, unspotted_; underparts white. The adult female is precisely
the same but lacks the red nape. Young birds have the _crown_ red, the
tips of the feathers lightly speckled with white. _Length_: 9½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common permanent resident, usually to be
found in the higher woodlands but often also in the towns.
Nest.—A cavity in a tree trunk, usually from 25 to 60 feet from the
ground, the entrance about 2 inches in diameter. _Eggs_: 3 to 5,
glossy white.
[Illustration: Hairy Woodpecker]
The Hairy Woodpecker’s loud, sharp _peek, peek_ is a welcome sound in
winter woods of northern Pennsylvania where so few birds are found
during the cold season. This species is the enemy of all wood-boring
larvæ, its sharp, chisel-like bill, long, barb-tipped tongue, strong
feet, and stiff tail all being peculiarly adapted to existence on the
tree-trunks. It is sometimes found in orchards, but about towns and
human dwellings is not nearly so often seen as its smaller, more
confiding relative, the Downy Woodpecker.
DOWNY WOODPECKER
_Dryobates pubescens medianus_ (Swainson)
Other Name.—Sapsucker (erroneous).
Description.—About the size of an English Sparrow. Precisely like the
Hairy Woodpecker, but noticeably smaller, with shorter, weaker bill,
and the _outer tail-feathers distinctly barred with black_. The Downy
is quieter, less energetic bird than its larger cousin; its call-note
is softer in quality and its song, which is composed of a series of
call-notes rapidly repeated, is more musical than that of the Hairy
Woodpecker. _Length_: A little under 7 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—An abundant permanent resident, often seen in
the towns.
Nest.—A cavity in a dead stub, usually from 15 to 30 feet from the
ground, the entrance about 1½ inches in diameter. _Eggs_: 4 to 6, laid
on a heap of small chips at the bottom of the cavity, glossy white.
The careful bird student can distinguish the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers
from call-notes, general appearance, flight, or even from the sound of
their pounding on wood, which in the Hairy is so loud and positive in
nature as to suggest, at times, a much larger bird. The amateur,
however, may have some difficulty in distinguishing the two species.
The Downy and Hairy both like to be fed suet during the winter. They
will come regularly to the feeding-counter and often become quite tame.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
_Sphyrapicus varius varius_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Yellow-bellied Woodpecker; Sapsucker.
Description.—Smaller than a Robin, with all the characteristics of the
woodpecker tribe to which it belongs. _Adult male_: Top of head and
throat rich, deep red; lines below crown-patch, back of eye, and
enclosing throat to form prominent breast-patch, _black_; lines above
and below eye white; back black, spotted with white; wings black, with
prominent white patch on greater coverts, and primaries spotted; tail
black, the central and outer feathers marked with white; underparts
whitish and pale yellow, barred on sides and flanks with blackish
gray. _Adult female_: Similar, but throat white. Immature birds are
similar to the adult female, save on the head and back, which are
brownish throughout, spotted irregularly with black and on top of head
with flecks of red, yellow, and glossy black. _Length_: 8½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant, sometimes abundant, from
March 30 to May 15 and from September 1 to November 15; rare and local
as a summer resident in the northern and mountainous counties; casual
in winter.
Nest.—A cavity in dead or living wood, often in a yellow birch, from
30 to 60 feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, glossy white.
[Illustration: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker]
The Sapsucker is, for the most part, a quiet and rather dignified
woodpecker. Rarely does it pound noisily at a dead stub, searching for
grubs. As a rule, it is to be seen drilling its sap-wells on the lower
trunk of a maple, apple, or hemlock, where it clings sometimes for hours
at a time if unmolested. These wells, which penetrate only to the
sap-bearing layer of bark, are made in regular rows. Here gathers the
sap which the bird regularly swallows, together with all the small
insects which have come to drink. This sap-drilling is a destructive
trait, for many valuable trees are girdled annually through the attacks,
chiefly, of the migrant birds. During the summer the parents capture
only insect food for their young.
The mewing note of the Sapsucker will startle the beginner in
bird-study. It is almost as convincing an imitation of the cry of a cat
as is the scolding, querulous call of a Catbird, and is a familiar sound
of the spring woods.
When courtship starts, Sapsuckers quite forget their dignity and go
flashing through the tree-tops, sometimes three or four in a flock,
bowing and dancing, displaying their spotted wings and tails and giving
forth loud and incessant Flicker-like cries of _plee-kah, plee-kah_.
A Sapsucker sometimes actually becomes intoxicated with the juice it has
drunk and wanders through the woods bumping into trees and branches,
grasping the bark as best it can with toes which are marvelously adapted
to holding to rough surfaces, even while the bird sleeps.
PILEATED WOODPECKER
_Phlœotomus pileatus abieticola_ (Bangs)
Other Names.—Red-headed Woodpecker (erroneous); Cock o’ the Woods;
Log-cock; Woodcock (erroneous); Indian Hen; Black Woodpecker.
Description.—Size large, about that of a Crow; both sexes with
prominent triangular crests. _Adult male_: High crest and line from
lower mandible to middle of head, bright glossy red; narrow line back
of eye and prominent line from bill under eye to neck and down to edge
of breast, white; throat whitish; patch at base of folded primaries
and irregular barring, on sides and flanks, white; _the under-wing
lining and most of the inner web of primaries white_, showing plainly
in flight. Rest of plumage brownish black; eyes bright orange-yellow.
_Female_: Similar, but front of head brownish, only the rear part of
the crest red. Immature birds are similar to the female. _Length_: 17
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare permanent resident, found chiefly in the
northern mountainous counties, but a few still persist in the
southwestern counties and locally elsewhere. It is becoming somewhat
commoner as a result of rigid protection.
Nest.—A large cavity in a tree, drilled by the birds, usually in a
dead stub, though sometimes in a living yellow birch, at from 20 to 60
feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 3 to 5, glossy white.
[Illustration: Pileated Woodpecker]
The magnificent Log-cock is all too rare in Pennsylvania, but wherever
the striking creature swings noisily across a valley or pounds with its
great bill into soft wood, the bird student receives a thrill few of our
birds can afford. Its flight is rather slow and laborious, and
noticeably less undulating than in other woodpeckers.
It is given to searching for food in deep, shadowy woods, where it is
sometimes the only bird to be found, and where the sound of its
hammering gives the only hint of life in the vast stillness.
The call of the Pileated is a high, irregular cackle, something like the
spring song of the Flicker, but more noisy and irregular. An imitation
of this cry, a clapping of the hands, or the beating of a dead stub with
a stick, will sometimes bring the curious, bright-eyed creatures very
close—too close, if the gunner be of the law-breaking kind. The fact
that this bird is sometimes called Woodcock, and therefore regarded as a
game-bird, has led to the destruction of many of them. They are
naturally creatures of the wilderness, and have never been really
common. Careful protection will be necessary if we are to keep them from
extinction in this Commonwealth.
The food of the Pileated Woodpecker is chiefly grubs, bored sometimes
from the very center of great trees. Its long, barb-tipped tongue aids
it in securing its food.
In looking for the bird, seek the wild, wooded mountains. Listen for the
cackling cry; watch for a big, black bird with flashing wing-linings;
and attempt an imitation of its hammering by beating two sticks
together.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
_Melanerpes erythrocephalus erythrocephalus_ (Linnæus)
Other Name.—Red-head.
Description.—A little smaller than a Robin. _Adults_: Head, neck, and
upper breast, rich, deep red; upperparts glossy blue-black; the
terminal half of the secondaries, rump, and upper tail-coverts, white;
tail black, the outer feathers tipped and somewhat edged with white;
lower breast and belly white, a reddish or buffy cast in the middle.
_Immature birds_: Head and neck grayish brown, somewhat mottled; upper
back glossy black, barred with gray; wings black, the terminal half of
secondaries _barred with black and white_; tail usually as in adults;
underparts white; the sides more or less streaked and spotted with
dark brown or gray. _Length_: 9½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A local but usually common summer resident from
April 15 to October 1; casual in winter.
Nest.—A cavity drilled in a dead tree or telegraph-pole, usually from
15 to 30 feet from the ground, often in an oak. _Eggs_: 3 to 5, glossy
white.
[Illustration: Red-headed Woodpecker]
The white wing-patches of this bird are conspicuous, particularly in
flight, and its loud cry, _kree-er, kree-er_, is a familiar roadside
sound. It is given to capturing insects flycatcher-fashion and is an
accomplished acrobat in the air. The food of the Red-head is varied, and
while it often eats grubs, it also takes other insects and much small
fruit. Occasionally an individual develops the habit of eating the eggs
of other birds.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
_Centurus carolinus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Ladder-back; Zebra Woodpecker; Chiv; Sapsucker
(erroneous).
Description.—A little smaller than a Robin. _Adult male_: Top of head
and back of neck bright, glossy scarlet; rest of head, neck, and
underparts, ashy gray, the region about the bill and the belly usually
tinged with red; upperparts, including wings, strikingly barred with
glossy black and white; upper tail-coverts white, with median streaks
or sagittate markings of black; tail black, the feathers considerably
marked with white. _Adult female_: Similar, the forepart of the head
gray. Immature birds are similar to the female, but the belly is often
tinged with brownish rather than red. _Length_: 9½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common in the extreme southwestern
counties; local, sometimes common, in other western counties as far
north as Crawford County, and through the southern tier of counties; a
permanent resident wherever found.
Nest.—A cavity drilled from 20 to 60 feet from the ground, usually in
a forest tree. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, glossy white.
The squirrel-like cry of this woodpecker, which may be written _chiv,
chiv_, is a familiar sound in some of the woodlands of Greene County.
Its call-notes resemble those of the Red-head and Flicker, and are
considerably varied. The principal range of this species is the southern
United States. It is gradually moving northward, however, like the
Cardinal, and should be looked for in all central counties. The bright
red top of the head and prominently barred back are good field-marks.
NORTHERN FLICKER
_Colaptes auratus luteus_ Bangs
Other Names.—Golden-winged Woodpecker; Yellow Hammer; Wake Robin;
Ground Woodpecker; Wickup; Clape; Yarrup; High-hole; Plickah;
Ant-bird, and many other names, most of them colloquial.
Description.—A little larger than a Robin. _Male_: Top of head gray,
scarlet patch on nape, black patch extending backward from each lower
mandible, rest of head cinnamon-brown; back and wings olive-brown,
barred with black, the wing-linings and shafts of feathers bright
yellow, noticeable in flight; rump and upper tail-coverts white;
tail-feathers black above, edged with whitish, bright yellow below;
breast with prominent black patch; underparts light cinnamon-brown,
each feather with round black spot at tip; under tail-coverts barred
with black. _Female_: Similar but lacking the black marks which extend
backward from the lower mandibles. _Immature birds_: Similar to the
female, but with red sprinkled over _top of head_. _Length_: 12
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—An abundant and widely distributed summer
resident and migrant from March 15 to November 15; casual in winter.
Nest.—A cavity drilled in a living or dead tree, often an apple or
maple, from 4 to 40 feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 5 to 11, usually 7
or 8, glossy white.
The Flicker is one of our best-known birds. Living in the towns, and
conspicuous as it is with its golden wing and tail-linings, its white
rump-patch, and easily imitated cries, it is familiar to all, and has
won for itself many a nickname.
It is often seen hopping about on the lawn. Its ability in perching or
in standing on the ground marks it as a creature of wide adaptation, yet
on the tree-trunk it is a normal woodpecker, using its still
tail-feathers as a prop.
[Illustration: Northern Flicker
Red-bellied Woodpecker]
The Flicker is very fond of ants. Patiently it will sit on an ant-hill,
probing its long, saliva-covered tongue down into the burrow, drawing
the insects out and eating them by the dozen. It may remain thus at an
ant-hill half an hour at a time, filling its gizzard and crop with the
insects, whose bites and acid flavor seem not to be objectionable.
Flickers sometimes become annoying when they choose a tin roof or
favorite spot on a gable as a drumming-point. At such a place they will
roll out their challenge at sunrise on the spring mornings, wakening all
the household. Occasionally they drill their nests in houses, under the
eaves, and thereby may do considerable damage.
The courtship dance is animated and beautiful. With handsome wings
flashing and tail widely spread, the birds bow to each other, calling
rapidly _wickah, wickah, wickah_. Flickers are considerably persecuted
by Starlings which oust them from their nests and use the cavities as
their own.
WHIP-POOR-WILL
_Setochalcis vocifera vocifera_ (Wilson)
Description.—Head and eyes large; bill very small; mouth lined with
long, hair-like feathers which protrude in front of bill; feet small
and weak; plumage soft and lax; color pattern highly protective. Head
and upperparts rich deep brown and gray, streaked, mottled, and barred
with black, buffy, and whitish; a noticeable white band across throat;
tail with terminal half of three outer feathers white; _no white spot
in wings_; underparts buffy, irregularly and finely barred and marked
with blackish; eyes deep brown. The female differs only in having the
throat-patch and tips of the outer tail-feathers buffy instead of
white. _Length_: 10 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A somewhat local summer resident from April 20
to September 30; found only in deep woodlands.
Nest.—None. _Eggs_: 2, white, spotted sparingly with grayish, lilac,
and brownish, and laid on the leaves or ground, without even a
depression.
[Illustration: Whip-poor-will]
The Whip-poor-will is never seen flying high in the sky, and the absence
of white spots in the wings always distinguishes it from the Nighthawk.
To find the Whip-poor-will one must go to the deep woods where, in a
quiet tangle of ferns and bushes, a dark brown, silent-winged creature
may fly from the leaves, to flutter a few rods farther on, and drop
again to the ground. The well-known song which is given with such
constancy and fervor on spring and summer nights may be written _chuck,
whip-poor-wee-ah, chuck, whip-poor-wee-ah_. Sometimes the song is
repeated two hundred times or more without cessation.
NIGHTHAWK
_Chordeiles minor minor_ (J. R. Forster)
[Illustration: Nighthawk]
Other Names.—Bull-Bat; Whip-poor-will (erroneous); Goatsucker; Night
Jar; Mosquito Hawk.
Description.—Mouth without prominent bristles protruding in front of
short bill; wings long and pointed; tail forked. _Male_: Upperparts
black, barred and variously marked with whitish, gray, buffy, and
cream-color, the flight-feathers blackish, the _middle of the
primaries marked with a prominent bar of white_ which is especially
noticeable from below, in flight; tail with a white bar across all but
the middle feathers; throat marked with a prominent white patch; chin
and upper throat black, the feathers tipped with buffy; underparts
whitish, regularly and heavily barred with blackish. _Female_:
Similar, but lacks the white on tail, the throat-patch is buffy, and
the underparts are buffy barred with blackish. _Length_: 10 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant, but very local summer
resident from the first week of May to mid-September; during the fall
migration it is likely to occur in large flocks.
Nest.—None. _Eggs_: 2, white, heavily spotted with gray, placed on the
ground, _in the open_, not, as a rule, in woods.
The Nighthawk is a familiar bird of summer evenings, when even over the
cities it circles back and forth, calling as it hunts its insect food,
_pee-ah, pee-ah_, in a rough, grating voice. In spring it courts its
mate by plunging rapidly downward on set wings, producing with the
vibrating primaries a booming sound which has given the bird the
nickname “Bull-Bat.” It is one of our most beneficial birds. During the
day it sleeps or rests on the ground, or sits lengthwise on a horizontal
branch. It has recently taken to laying its eggs on gravel-roofed
buildings in the city. Young Nighthawks, equipped as they are with
strong feet, can run nimbly. The parents, though able to fly well, have
lost much of the power of their foot-muscles and can scarcely walk.
CHIMNEY SWIFT
_Chætura pelagica_ (Linnæus)
Other Name.—Chimney Swallow (erroneous).
Description.—Wings very long; bill and feet very small; tail of stiff
feathers, all with noticeable spines at tip; sexes alike. Plumage
brownish black, grayer on the throat, a deep black spot in front of
eye; a ridge of feathers over the eye, forming a sort of brow.
_Length_: 5½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant and summer resident from about
the middle of April to October. It is widely distributed and _occurs
in all towns_.
Nest.—A shallow, basket-like structure of small twigs glued together
_with saliva from the bird’s mouth_ and fastened to the bricks on the
inside of a chimney, or rarely on boards on the inside of a barn, or
in a hollow tree. The nest has no lining. Nests built in a chimney are
usually placed well down from the top. _Eggs_: 4 to 6, white.
The familiar Chimney Swift, with its cheerful chittering cries and its
rapid “bow and arrow” flight, is a common bird in all Pennsylvania
towns. In the wilder sections—in the mountains, for instance—it is rare.
It has come to depend upon chimneys almost exclusively as nesting-sites.
This is a valuable bird, eating only flying insects, which it captures
from the air.
[Illustration: Chimney Swift]
It alights nowhere save inside the chimney, where it clings to the rough
bricks with its exceedingly strong and sharply clawed feet, using its
spiny tail as a prop. In securing nesting material it breaks dead twigs
off with its feet _while flying_, lifting these to its mouth while in
the air, there to cover them with saliva.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
_Archilochus colubris_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Hummer; Ruby-throat.
Description.—Our smallest bird; bill about twice as long as head; feet
small, with downy plumage at base; wings with comparatively short
bones, but with powerful muscles; tail-feathers pointed in male,
rounded in female. _Adult male_: Upperparts glossy, bright green;
wings and tail with steel-blue or violet reflections; throat gorgeous
orange-red in proper lights, velvety black from some angles; breast
with noticeable white patch; rest of underparts grayish, glossed with
green on sides; tail forked. _Female_: Similar, but with almost pure
white underparts and no ruby throat-patch; tail somewhat rounded, with
three outer tail-feathers tipped with white. _Immature_: Similar to
female, the male having its throat streaked with dusky and sprinkled
with occasional ruby feathers. _Length_: 3¾ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant and summer resident from May 1
to October 1 and sometimes later.
Nest.—A small, dainty structure made of plant-down, lichens, and
cobwebs, saddled to a horizontal, and often dead, branch, from 10 to
60 feet from the ground, in an orchard, yard, or woodland. _Eggs_: 2,
plain white.
[Illustration: Hummingbird]
The rapid, buzzing flight of these birds as they wander about the
cannas, honeysuckles, or nasturtiums, fanning the leaves and petals with
their shining wings as they search for nectar and tiny insects, is known
to all who have a flower-garden. The Hummingbird should not be confused
with the hawk-moth or sphinx-moth which come out at about the same time
in the evening and which have much the appearance of tiny birds as they
buzz among the flowers.
KINGBIRD
_Tyrannus tyrannus tyrannus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Bee Bird; Bee Martin; Tyrant Flycatcher.
Description.—Smaller than a Robin, with upright attitude in perching;
sexes alike. Upperparts dark gray, darkest on head, wings, and tail;
crown with concealed patch of orange-red; wing-coverts edged with
lighter gray; _tip of tail white_; underparts pure white, washed with
grayish on throat and breast; eyes dark brown. Young birds are
similar, but lack the crown-patch, are duller in appearance, and the
plumage is often more or less tinged with buff. _Length_: 8½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant and summer resident, common in the
agricultural districts, rather rare in forested districts, from
mid-April to mid-September.
Nest.—Well constructed, of dead weed-stalks, string, and plant-fibers,
lined with softer materials, placed from 4 to 30 feet from the ground,
in alders, orchard, or other trees, usually in a crotch of several
branches, and well toward the end of the branch. _Eggs_: 4, sometimes
3 or 5, white, spotted with dark brown.
The Kingbird is often to be seen on a barbed-wire fence, telegraph-wire,
or prominent dead stub where he watches for passing insects or for hawks
or Crows, which he chases with energy and effect. As he flies, his wings
beat rapidly with a fluttering motion, and the white tip of his widely
spread tail shows plainly at considerable distance. His challenge note,
which may be written _pi-tink, pi-tink_, irregularly repeated, is the
only outcry usually heard, though he occasionally indulges in a softer
effort which may be called a song. If a small pebble is tossed at him in
play, he watches it carefully in a curiously puzzled fashion, as though
he were at the point of capturing and swallowing it. He has some
difficulty in tiring and capturing insects as large as a dragon-fly, but
he is very fond of these strong-winged insects, and pursues them
assiduously. Rarely he captures bees, and these are usually drones.
[Illustration: Kingbird]
He is at his best when he chases a hawk, owl, or Crow. At such times his
anger mounts and he gives battle with all the fury of his small body
thrown into the noisy and vicious attack. So determined a combatant is
he that he sometimes actually alights on his larger, more awkward enemy,
picking at the plumage, and perhaps at the skull and eyes.
CRESTED FLYCATCHER
_Myiarchus crinitus boreus_ Bangs
Description.—A little smaller than a Robin, with upright perching
attitude and dignified, masterful bearing; sexes similar. Upperparts
grayish olive-brown, outer primaries edged with dull reddish brown, and
_inner-vane of all tail-feathers pale reddish brown_, which often shows
plainly in flight; throat and breast light gray; belly pale yellow.
_Length_: 9 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common migrant and summer resident in
the orchards and woodlands, from mid-April to mid-September.
Nest.—Of vegetable fiber, roots, downy material, and a cast-off
snake-skin or two, in a cavity in a tree or a nesting-box, at from 10 to
40 feet from the ground. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, creamy white, heavily streaked,
longitudinally, with rich brown.
[Illustration: Crested Flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher]
The Crested Flycatcher’s loud, incisive _creep, creep_ rings through the
spring woodlands as the handsome bird seeks mate and nesting-place. His
large, crested head and yellow underparts are usually obvious in the
field. He is given to perching on high dead branches, usually beneath
the canopy of outer leaves, and he turns his head from side to side
thoughtfully as he watches for passing insects which he captures with
great agility.
This is our only bird which regularly uses cast-off snake-skins in its
nest. These may serve to frighten off intruders.
PHŒBE
_Sayornis phœbe_ (Latham)
Other Names.—Bridge Bird; Phœbe-bird; Pewee (erroneous).
Description.—Larger than English Sparrow, with upright position and
comparatively long tail _which is occasionally quickly lifted_ as the
bird watches for insects. Upperparts grayish olive-brown, darkest on
top of head; bar on wings noticeable in field; tail with outer edge of
outer tail-feathers white, not noticeable in field; underparts white,
suffused with yellowish, and tinged with brownish gray on breast and
sides; bill and eyes black. _Length_: 7 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Abundant migrant and summer resident from
mid-March to November.
Nest.—Of moss and vegetable substances, lined with finer, softer
materials, placed on any projection which will hold it, under a
bridge, on a stone ledge, in a well or spring-house, or under the roof
of a porch. _Eggs_: 3 to 6, white, rarely with a few small brown
spots.
The simple call-notes, _fit-i-bee_ and _zee-bee_, and the habit of
wagging or jerking the tail now and then, serve to identify this bird,
even though no colors be noted. Look for it along small streams or near
rock-ledges, where the nests are built in April. The Phœbe is a
confirmed eater of insects and is one of our most valuable birds. It
comes with the pussy-willows and the first cries of the tiny tree-frogs,
and stays until the host of migrating warblers has all but passed
through.
[Illustration: Wood Peewee
Phœbe]
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
_Nuttallornis borealis borealis_ (Swainson)
Description.—Smaller than a Robin, with upright carriage and dull,
unmarked appearance. Upperparts, sides of breast, and sides dark
olive-gray; wings and tail darker; throat and middle of breast and
belly very pale yellow, or yellowish white; under tail-coverts marked
with dusky; a loose tuft of fluffy, silver-white feathers on either
flank, sometimes _protruding through wings, on back_; bill dark, save
base of lower mandible which is yellow. _Length_: 7½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather regular but rare migrant from mid-May
to about the end of the month and from late August to the middle of
September. As a summer resident, found only in coniferous woodlands at
high altitudes or in the northernmost counties.
Nest.—Rather well made of twigs and mosses, placed on a branch of
hemlock or other conifer at from 25 to 40 feet from the ground.
_Eggs_: 3 or 4, creamy white, spotted, chiefly at larger end, with
reddish brown.
The Olive-side will usually be seen on the _topmost twig_ of a tree,
sitting quietly in a dignified, upright manner. His call-note, _pit,
per-wheer_, is very distinctive—not to be confused with any other
bird-song of this latitude. The white tufts of feathers on the flanks I
have found not to be a good field-mark, for they do not, apparently,
often show; but the call-note and the dark sides are unmistakable. At
Pymatuning Swamp I have seen fair-sized flocks of Olive-sided
Flycatchers late in spring. The bird is usually so rare that the sight
of several of them sitting about on the tips of the hemlocks is long to
be remembered. Additional records of this species are desirable. (See
illustration page 87.)
WOOD PEWEE
_Myiochanes virens_ (Linnæus)
Description.—About the size of an English Sparrow, with _upright
perching attitude_. _Adults_: Dark grayish olive above, the wings with
two rather indistinct whitish wing-bars; underparts white or pale
yellowish, washed with grayish on sides of throat and on breast; upper
mandible dark; lower mandible yellowish; eyes black. _Immature birds_:
Similar, but the wing-coverts tipped with buffy and underparts more
yellowish. _Length_: 6½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant and summer resident from May 1
to October 1.
Nest.—A shallow cup made of vegetable fibers, small twigs, cocoons,
lichens, and moss, saddled on a horizontal branch from 25 to 40 feet
from the ground, usually in a shady woodland. _Eggs_: 3 or 4, creamy
white, with a wreath of dark brown spots about larger end.
The Wood Pewee’s plaintive, musical _pee-a-wee, pee-wee_, the first half
ending with an upward inflection, the latter with a distinct falling, is
a characteristic bird-note of the summer woodlands. The singer is
usually seen high in a tree, not near the ground, as is the Phœbe. It
does not have the habit of flicking its tail. A bird of the shadowy
woodland, not of the open stream-sides, it will not be confused with any
other bird if its song may be heard. In appearance it is much like the
other small flycatchers. The song is often almost perfectly imitated by
the Starling, so that Pewee songs heard in winter or in unlikely places
should be investigated.