Part 4

He’s never happy when alone But with the flock is prone to roam. You often hear his questioning “tzeee” In flight he says, “per-chic-o-ree.”

Slate-colored Junco _Junco hyemalis_

The sparrow-size Slate-colored Junco or the “snowbird,” as he frequently is called, is only a winter visitor in most areas. But what a welcome guest he is! The white belly and outer tail feathers add distinctive marks to his slate-gray plumage. The bill is pinkish white. Females and immature birds are duller and sometimes show a pinkish-brown tinge on their backs and sides.

Juncos can be found around weed patches, hedges or sheltered corners of fields, where they spend much time in feeding on weed or grass seeds which provide their winter diet. Even fallen seeds are not overlooked for these birds do much of their feeding on the ground. They sleep in evergreens, sheds or other protected areas which shelter them from the cold and snow. They often visit feeders for small seeds provided by bird lovers.

Their notes are hard to describe but have a musical smacking or clinking note or series of notes which once learned, are easily remembered. Their song is a series of chipping notes much like those of a Chipping Sparrow, but with more variation and more of a musical quality. This song is heard when the first warm days of spring arrive. They nest in either mountainous or northern regions for they enjoy cool climates.

Slate-gray above and white below, Reminds us of a winter’s snow. The leaden clouds we see o’erhead Bring flaky snow, thru which we tread.

INDEX PAGE WHEN THE BIRDS MAY BE SEEN Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Blackbird, 22 ..oo XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ooo. .. Red-winged Bluebird, Eastern 18 .... ..oo XXXX oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo ooXX XXXX oooo .... Cardinal 24 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Catbird 17 .. oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo. Chickadee, 14 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Black-capped Coot, American 5 .... .. oXXX XXXX XXoo oooo .. .. ooxx XXXX oooo .... Cowbird, 23 .... ...o XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX oooo .... Brown-headed Creeper, Brown 15 oooo oooo oooo o.. ..oo oooo oooo Crow, Common 14 XXXX XXXX XXoo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo ooXX XXXX XXXX Cuckoo, 7 . oooo oooo oooo oooo oo.. . Yellow-billed Dickcissel 24 .. ooXX XXXX XXXX Xooo oo.. . Dove, Mourning 7 .... .... ooXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXoo oooo oo.. .... Goldfinch, 25 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo American Goose, Snow 2 .o XXXX oo.. . XXX oo. Grebe, Pied-billed 1 .. oooo .. ..o oooo oooo oooo oo.. .... Hawk, Red-tailed 3 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Hawk, Sparrow 4 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Heron, Great Blue 1 ... oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo .... . Hummingbird, 9 .. oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo . Ruby-throated Jay, Blue 13 oooo oooo oooo ooXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXoo oooo oooo oooo Junco, 25 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXoo oooX XXXX XXXX Slate-colored Killdeer 5 . ...o oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oXXo oooo oo.. .... Kingbird, Eastern 11 .oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Kingfisher, Belted 10 .... .... oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo .... Kinglet, 18 oooo oooo oo.. ... ... oooo oooo Golden-crowned Lark, Horned 12 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Mallard, Common 2 XXXX XXXX XXXX oooo ... ...o oooo XXXX XXXX Martin, Purple 13 oo oooo oooo ooXX XXXX XXoo .. Meadowlark, 22 .... .... oooo XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXoo oooo oooo oooo .... Eastern Mockingbird 16 .... .... ..oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo .... .... Nighthawk 8 o XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXo o Owl, Screech 8 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Phoebe, Eastern 11 oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo o.. Prairie Chicken 4 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Robin 17 oooo oooo ooXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXoo oooo oooo Sandpiper, Spotted 6 .. oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo o. Shrike, Loggerhead 19 oooo oooo oooo oooo XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX oooo oooo oooo Sparrow, House 21 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Starling 19 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Swallow, Barn 12 ooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo .. Swift, Chimney 9 ooX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX oo Tanager, Summer 23 oooo oooo oooo .... .... Tern, Black 6 oXXX XXoo ooX XXXX oo Titmouse, Tufted 15 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Vireo, Red-eyed 20 .o oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo Vulture, Turkey 3 . oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo .... Warbler, Myrtle 20 .ooo Xoo oooo . Woodpecker, Downy 10 oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo Wren, House 16 .ooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo .. Yellowthroat 21 oo oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo

. The dot or period indicates the bird is occasionally seen. o The small o shows the bird is more frequently seen. X The capital X shows the bird is commonly seen.

For example, during the first 2 weeks of February, the Red-winged Blackbird is rarely seen. During the last 2 weeks of February, it is seen frequently, after which it is commonly seen until the end of October. The table is based on bird census figures collected within a radius of 50 miles of Topeka, Kansas. Your area may show different results.

Kansas Farmer Missouri Ruralist The Topeka Daily Capital WIBW WIBW-TV The Kansas City Kansan THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL CAPPER’S WEEKLY Michigan Farmer _The Ohio Farmer_ PENNSYLVANIA FARMER HOUSEHOLD Capper’s _Farmer_

Capper Publications, Inc. EIGHTH AND JACKSON STREET, TOPEKA, KANSAS

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.