Part 1
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Wild Birds in City Parks
Being hints on identifying 145 birds, prepared primarily for the spring migration in Lincoln Park, Chicago
BY Herbert Eugene Walter AND Alice Hall Walter
_REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION WITH CHART AND KEY_
Chicago A. W. Mumford & Company, Publishers 378 Wabash Avenue 1906
Copyright 1901, 1902 and 1904 by Alice Hall Walter
Note to Third Edition.
With the continued success of this little booklet the authors have been led to revise and enlarge the present issue in the hope that it will prove more helpful and complete to those beginning the outdoor study of birds.
The new features of this edition are the addition of forty-five birds--the majority of which are shore and water birds--and a simple field key. The number of each bird as given in the check-list of the American Ornithologist's Union has also been inserted after its scientific name as an aid in referring to larger bird-books. The subject matter has been carefully rewritten and the order of the birds rearranged in accordance with data covering observations during the last seven years, as well as the charts which show the relative abundance of the birds and the height of the migration in Lincoln Park.
We wish to thank our friends for their kind support in furthering our efforts to enlarge the circle of admirers which the wild birds so richly deserve.
"All nature is so full that that district produces the greatest variety which is most examined."
--_Gilbert White, 1768._
Preface.
The object of this little book is to furnish those who may be interested in making the acquaintance of wild birds with a simple letter of introduction to 145 birds, the majority of which are commonly seen during the spring migration.
Complete descriptions have been avoided, in the belief that the student should rely upon his own observation for the discovery of minor details. _The living bird_ is the one important fact which will make the brief hints offered of value.
Anyone caring to make use of these hints may be assured that during the migrations of the birds city dwellers have one of the keenest delights of country life brought to their very doors, because many birds, migrating largely at night, are attracted by the lights of the city and stop off in their long journey to feed, so that a city park often contains a greater variety of feathered visitors than an equal area in the country.
We wish to remind those of our friends who have asked for pictures in a future edition that this book actually is _copiously illustrated_ by hundreds of living birds every springtime in our parks and around our homes, illustrations that are all life size, absolutely accurate in detail and colored true to nature.
"As for the birds * * * they add immeasurably to the wholesome beauty of life."
--_Theodore Roosevelt, in Bird Lore, Vol. II, p. 98._
General Hints.
"A good observer is quick to take a hint and follow it up."--_John Burroughs._
The identification of birds depends quite as much upon accurate observation of their size, motions, flight, characteristic attitudes, manner of feeding, company, song, call-notes and haunts, as upon details of form and color. Especial care is necessary to insure correct estimates of size for the reason that living birds often appear smaller to the unpracticed eye than they actually are. The familiar _English Sparrow_ is a convenient standard of size because it is usually at hand in our city parks for instant reference. Remembering that it is _6 inches long_ a practical though rough division of wild birds may be made as follows:--
1. Birds smaller than the _English Sparrow_. 2. Birds about the size of the _English Sparrow_. 3. Birds decidedly larger than the _English Sparrow_.
If a few general characteristics of the principal bird-families be kept in mind, and these are quickly and almost unconsciously learned, the identity of a strange bird may usually be narrowed down to a few possibilities. For example:
*Woodpeckers climb up and down the trunks of trees bracing with their tails and tapping the bark vigorously;
*Nuthatches are smaller than woodpeckers and have much the same habit of climbing up and down tree-trunks but with a freer wig-wagging motion, often descending head downward;
*Flycatchers sit erect with drooping tails, watching alertly for insect prey upon which they pounce in mid-air, afterwards returning to their perch;
*Swallows skim through the air in graceful and long sustained flights;
*Sparrows have stout seed-cracking bills, feed upon the ground, seldom fly high or far at a time and are for the most part fine songsters;
*Warblers are tiny, tireless, gaily-colored explorers of the twigs of trees and bushes;
*Kinglets are smaller than warblers and quite as restless in their motions, but arrive earlier in the migration;
*Wrens, with tails erect, slip mouse-like about brush heaps, crevices and bushes, though often perching in sight while singing;
*Thrushes, who with the exception of the _Robin_ and _Bluebird_ are very plainly dressed, run about on the ground stopping suddenly in a listening attitude. When singing they fly up to some perch, although many of the unrivaled singers of this family are silent during their brief sojourn in city parks;
*Vireos are most at home on the boughs of trees and sing freely as they glide in and out among the leaves to feed.
Female birds can usually be identified after the adult males have been seen, although the females and young of many species are obscurely marked or quite different from the adult males, a fact especially true of the warblers. Immature birds are not considered in the present scheme of study since they are a source of confusion to the beginner and occur in any considerable number only during the fall migration.
The time of arrival, that is, when a bird may be expected during the migration, is a point worthy of particular attention. Many wild guesses may be avoided by simply noticing the dates when a bird has been known to arrive in any given locality from year to year.
As a rule birds are identified by the method of elimination. Suppose, for example, a small bird of lively motions is seen feeding among the twigs of a tree late in March. It is, of course, neither a warbler nor a vireo for these birds, although active and frequenting trees, arrive much later in the spring. Provided it does not brace its tail and climb up and around the trunk of the tree it is not likely to be a woodpecker, because the motions of woodpeckers are too characteristic to be mistaken. In similar manner, although sparrows and juncos may have arrived, it is probably neither of these since it does not feed upon the ground, while its size precludes the possibility of its being any bird larger than the _English Sparrow_. There are only a few birds therefore, which it might be and close observation together with the aid of a few leading hints, will usually settle the question. In any case _watch the bird_ for it is better to look at the bird than at a printed description of it.
The safest way, however, is to make careful notes about a stranger on the spot. Memory is never more treacherous than in the case of the description of a doubtful bird when one appeals to some book of reference, a museum collection or the judgment of others. It is not advisable to attempt extensive "field-notes" at first but it is essential to keep a daily, dated list of all identified birds. A blank chart for this purpose is inserted in the back part of the book.
Never _chase_ birds. Have patience, stand still a great deal and use your common sense all the time.
Do not make yourself believe that you see a certain bird because it has been reported by others. Do your own looking and listening and do it well.
If you cannot go birding alone take along as few friends as possible because birds are suspicious of human beings in flocks, especially when they talk much.
A pair of field or opera-glasses is an invaluable aid, although practice is necessary in learning to adjust them rapidly and to fix them instantly upon the bird. Do not feel obliged to use the glasses when you are near enough to see well without them.
Keep the sun at your back, otherwise colors will deceive you.
Remember that birds do not stay "indoors" on account of rain, clouds or unfavorable weather. Warm spring rains literally fill the parks with feathered travelers who often tarry but a day.
Particular Hints.
Note:--The following one hundred and fourteen birds are arranged in the order of their _average first appearance in Lincoln Park_, based upon observations made during the last seven years.
For the convenience of those desiring access to reliable sources of information, the scientific name of each bird is placed in parenthesis below its common name, followed by its number in the official list of the American Ornithologist's Union.
Following the hints given about each bird are the names (in *black faced type) of any bird or birds for which it might easily be mistaken.
1. BLUE JAY. 11-1/2 in. (Cyanocitta cristata. 477.)
Black collar; _crested_; wings and tail deep blue, white-tipped and black-barred; bold; harsh, noisy call-note; stays the year around in Lincoln Park. *Loggerhead Shrike. *Kingfisher. *Bluebird.
2. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 9 in. (Lanius ludovicianus. 622.)
Slaty-gray; commonly white beneath, _not marked with dark transverse lines_; wings and tail black, marked with white; _hooked_ bill; bar through the eye and _over forehead_, black; imitates notes of other birds. *Blue Jay.
3. ROBIN. 10 in. (Merula migratoria. 761.)
Dark slate color; black head; yellow bill; throat white streaked with black; underparts bright chestnut red; sings "cheer-i-ly, cheer-i-ly, cheer-up;" nests in Lincoln Park. *Towhee.
4. JUNCO. 6-1/4 in. (Junco hiemalis. 567.)
Slate color; blackish bib (female brownish) over a white belly; _ivory bill_, _two white tail-feathers_; feeds in flocks on ground, often in company with other birds; "sucks its teeth" for a call-note; song, a melodious trill.
5. MEADOWLARK. 10-1/2 in. (Sturnella magna. 501.)
Streaked; black crescent on a _bright yellow_ breast; _outer tail-feathers white_; flies straight, _hovering_ as it reaches the ground; noteworthy song. *Flicker. *Dickcissel.
6. CROW. 19 in. (Corvus americanus. 488.)
Entirely black, including bill and feet; often seen in flocks; wings appear frayed and ragged in flight; note, a lusty "caw." *Bronzed Grackle.
7. BLUEBIRD. 6-1/2 in. (Sialia sialis. 766.)
Sky-blue; brownish-red below; usually in pairs; sometimes nests in Lincoln Park; call, "pu-ri-ty, pu-ri-ty;" often heard before seen. *Blue Jay.
8. SAVANNA SPARROW. 5-1/4 in. (Passerculus sandwichensis savanna. 542a.)
Much streaked above and below; line over eye and edge of wing, yellowish; cheek sometimes suffused with yellow tinge; _tail short_, feathers pointed; movements stealthy; song, a weak trill. *Henslow Sparrow.
9. BRONZED GRACKLE. 13 in. (Quiscalus quiscula aeneus. 511b.)
Iridescent black; _body_ distinctly bronzy; often carries its tail rudderwise in flight; pompous walk; rusty, grating call; nests in Lincoln Park. *Crow.
10. SONG SPARROW. 6-1/2 in. (Melospiza cinerea melodia. 581.)
Reddish-brown, showing black streaks; _ashy_ line over eye; whitish below with dark-brown streaks which form a _spot in the middle of the breast_; noteworthy song. *Swamp Sparrow. *Lincoln Sparrow.
11. COWBIRD. 8 in. (Molothrus ater. 495.)
Male black with glossy brown head and neck; sparrow-like bill; female brownish; fly in large flocks, uttering a greasy, squeaking note. *Bronzed Grackle. *Rusty Blackbird.
12. TREE SPARROW. 6-1/4 in. (Spizella monticola. 559.)
Streaked; shows much grayish; two _showy white wing-bars_; chestnut-brown cap; breast whitish, _shading to a dark spot in the middle_; in flocks, often with _Juncos_; returns north early in the season; noteworthy song. *Chipping Sparrow. *Field Sparrow.
13. FOX SPARROW. 7-1/2 in. (Passarella iliaca. 585.)
Fox-red back and tail; ashy about neck and head; white breast _thickly_ streaked with dark spots; scratches like a hen; alert; noteworthy song. *Brown Thrasher. *Hermit Thrush.
14. PHOEBE. 7 in. (Sayornis phoebe. 456.)
Dull olive-brown; darker on head and tail; whitish below; _bill_ and feet black; tail drooping but jerking constantly; note, "phoe'be." *Wood Pewee. *Least Flycatcher.
15. TOWHEE. 8-3/4 in. (Pipilo erythrophthalmus. 587.)
Black above and black bib (female rich brown); reddish-brown sides; white underneath; _outer tail-feathers white_; scratches about under bushes; brilliant notes, "tow-hee'" and "che-wink'." *Robin.
16. DOWNY WOODPECKER. 6-1/4 in. (Dryobates pubescens medianus. 394c.)
Bill small; closely resembles the _Hairy Woodpecker_ but is _scarcely larger_ than the _English Sparrow_ and has the outer tail-feathers _barred with black_. *Hairy Woodpecker. *Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
17. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. 4 in. (Regulus satrapa. 748.)
Olivaceous; two whitish wing-bars; _orange-yellow stripe edged with black on crown_; restless and fearless; often seen feeding in evergreens; note, rapid "tzee, tzee, tzee." *Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.
18. FLICKER. 12-1/2 in. (Colaptes auratus luteus. 412a.)
Brown, barred with black; head grayish; back of neck marked with bright red; black crescent on cinnamon-brown spotted breast; in flight shows _white rump_ and yellow lining of wings and tail; feeds much on ground, unlike other woodpeckers; call-note, "flee'-ker." *Meadowlark.
19. BROWN CREEPER. 5-1/2 in. (Certhia familiaris americana. 726.)
Brown finely streaked with white; silky white below; long curved bill; _flies to the base of tree-trunks and works up in spirals_ bracing with its long pointed tail-feathers; calls softly, "screep, screep." *Nuthatches.
20. CHICKADEE. 5-1/4 in. (Parus atricapillus. 735.)
Ashy-gray; black throat and _cap_; white cheeks; frowsy; lively; often swings head downward from the tips of twigs; song, "chick-a-dee-dee"; call-note musical, "pewee," sometimes confused with note of _Phoebe_.
21. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 5-3/4 in. (Sitta carolinensis. 727.)
Ashy-blue; cap and back of the neck, black; white below; constantly exploring the bark of trees but does not brace, woodpecker fashion, with its tail-feathers; note, nasal "yank, yank, yank." *Red-breasted Nuthatch. *Brown Creeper.
22. BELTED KINGFISHER. 14 in. (Ceryle alcyon. 390.)
Blue-gray; white collar; _big, crested head_; sits erect watching for fish and flies near the surface of the water, uttering a _rattling_ call; summers in Lincoln Park.
23. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 8-1/4 in. (Sphyrapicus varius. 402.)
Mixed black and white; _yellowish-white underneath_; streaked on sides; white bar _lengthwise_ the wing; scarlet patch, bordered with black on crown _and throat_ (female with throat white); harsh, squealing note. *Downy Woodpecker. *Hairy Woodpecker.
24. RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 9-1/2 in. (Scolecophagus carolinus. 509.)
Black, uniformly iridescent and more or less rusty; tail almost even; female smaller and rustier with pale line over eye. *Bronzed Grackle. *Red-winged Blackbird.
25. FIELD SPARROW. 5-3/4 in. (Spizella pusilla. 563.)
Streaked; crown and _bill_ reddish-brown; neck ashy; brownish-white _unspotted_ breast; two indistinct white wing bars; song, "fe-u, fe-u, fu, fee, fee, fee," beginning slowly and ending almost in a trill. *Chipping Sparrow. *Tree Sparrow.
26. HERMIT THRUSH. 7-1/4 in. (Hylocichla guttata pallasii. 759b.)
Olive-brown; _tail reddish-brown_; below dull white tinged with buff and thickly spotted across the breast; shy, hiding in bushes; famous for its song but silent during migration. *Other Thrushes.
27. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 9-1/4 in. (Agelaius phoeniceus. 498.)
Black; scarlet shoulder-straps edged with yellow; female much streaked, marked with rusty; likes marshy places; note, "quonk-a-ree'." *Cowbird. *Rusty Blackbird.
28. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 4-1/4 in. (Regulus calendula. 749.)
Dark greenish-olive; light underneath; ring about eye and wing-bars white; male shows at will a brilliant ruby crown-patch; remarkable song. *Golden-crowned Kinglet. *Warblers.
29. HAIRY WOODPECKER. 9 in. (Dryobates villosus. 393.)
White band down the middle of black back; wings black spotted with white; beneath white; outer tail-feathers white _not barred_; red band on neck of male; large bill; note, sharp resonant "plick." *Downy Woodpecker. *Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
30. TREE SWALLOW. 6-1/4 in. (Iridoprocne bicolor. 614.)
Metallic blue-green; _shining white below_; tail appears nearly square at end in flight; often seen skimming near the surface of still water. *Barn Swallow. *Purple Martin.
31. CARDINAL. 8-1/2 in. (Cardinalis cardinalis. 593.)
Bright red, including large blunt bill; _crested_; black markings on face and throat; female olive-gray, tinged lightly with red and obscurely marked; fine songster. *Tanagers.
32. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 7 in. (Zonotrichia albicollis. 558.)
_White throat_; unmarked ashy breast; whitish on belly; crown striped with black and white; broad white stripe over the eye shading to yellow in front; in flocks about shrubbery; clear, sweet whistle, "pee-bod-dee-dee-dee." *White-crowned Sparrow.
33. MARSH HAWK. 22 in. (Circus hudsonius. 331.)
Bluish gray, showing light streaks; gray below, belly white marked with brown; tail barred; _white rump patch_; female brown, barred and streaked more heavily; note shrill.
34. CHIPPING SPARROW. 5-3/4 in. (Spizella socialis. 560.)
Streaked; _plain ashy breast_; two faint white wing-bars; _chestnut-brown cap_; whitish line over eye; song, a strong clear trill. *Field Sparrow. *Tree Sparrow.
35. MOURNING DOVE. 12 in. (Zenaidura macroura. 316.)
Gray-blue, tinged with brownish; tail broadly tipped with white, _tapering to a narrow point_; sides of neck iridescent; marked with black on wings and sides of head; rapid whistling flight; note, "coo-oo." *Pigeon. *Cuckoos.
36. WINTER WREN. 4-1/4 in. (Olbiorchiles hiemalis. 722.)
Dark tawny-brown, barred on wings and tail; lighter below, barred posteriorly; pale line over eye; _stub tail, carried erect_; very fine song. *Other Wrens.
37. VESPER SPARROW. 6-1/4 in. (Poaecetes gramineus. 540.)
Streaked above and below; underparts whitish, tinged with buff across breast and on sides; shows _two conspicuous white tail feathers in flight_; noteworthy song. *Female Purple Finch.
38. MYRTLE WARBLER. 5-1/2 in. (Dendroica coronata. 655.)
Blue-gray, streaked; crown, _rump_ and spot on each side of breast, _yellow_; white below, marked on breast and sides with black; usually in small flocks. *Magnolia Warbler.
39. SWAMP SPARROW. 5-3/4 in. (Melospiza georgiana. 584.)
Very darkly colored and heavily streaked; chestnut cap, sometimes indistinctly streaked; _black forehead_; plain ashy breast; shy; frequents bushes along the water's edge. *Song Sparrow. *Lincoln Sparrow.
40. PURPLE FINCH. 6-1/4 in. (Carpodacus purpureus. 517.)
Not "purple," but faded crimson-red, somewhat streaky; belly whitish; _large, heavy bill_; female mottled olive-brown, resembling sparrows; noteworthy song.
41. CEDAR WAXWING. 7 in. (Ampelis cedrorum. 619.)
Smooth snuff-brown; _crested_; chin and line from bill to crest, black; end of tail banded with yellow; in flocks; "monotonous lisping note."
42. WILSON THRUSH. 7-1/4 in. (Hylocichla fuscescens. 756.)
_Uniform tawny brown_; no ring about the eye; below white, faintly tinged and lightly spotted; shy, about bushes; sometimes sings in Lincoln Park. *Other Thrushes.
43. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 10-1/2 in. (Falco sparverius. 360.)
Reddish-brown, usually barred or spotted with black; head bluish, _marked on sides with black_; tail white-tipped with one broad black bar; below white, more or less spotted; narrow pointed wings; female, much more barred, darker and _streaked_ below. _The smallest hawk._
44. BARN SWALLOW. 7 in. (Hirundo erythrogastra. 613.)
Blue-back; chestnut shading to white below; _deeply forked tail_. *Tree Swallow.
45. BROWN THRASHER. 11-1/4 in. (Toxostoma rufum. 705.)
Bright rusty red; white below, much streaked; long bill and _long, sweeping tail_; song, loud, bold and varied; about bushes. *Fox Sparrow.
46. HOUSE WREN. 5 in. (Troglodytes aedon. 721.)
Brown, barred with darker; below grayish, tinged with brown, also barred; rusty-colored tail, _two inches long_; remarkable song. *Other Wrens.
47. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 5 in. (Polioptila caerulea. 751.)
Blue-gray; white beneath; _long tail_ edged with white; male has a black line over eye; fidgety, never long in a place; wheezy song. *Black-throated Blue Warbler. *Cerulean Warbler.
48. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 7 in. (Zonotrichia leucophrys. 554.)
Ashy-gray; rump, tail and wings, brown, streaked with black; _crown conspicuously striped_ with black and white; no yellow; two white wing-bars; in flocks, often with _White-throated Sparrows_; scratches with both feet; notice the song. *White-throated Sparrow.
49. PALM WARBLER. 5 in. (Dendroica palmarum. 672.)
Streaky olive-gray; _chestnut cap_; yellow line over eye; beneath yellowish (brightest on throat and under tail) streaked with brown; feeds on ground in flocks; constantly _tilts its tail_ up and down. *Water-Thrushes.
50. HENSLOW SPARROW. 5 in. (Coterniculus henslowii. 547.)
Back conspicuously marked and streaked, showing much chestnut; head and neck a peculiar greenish tinge, _finely_ lined with black; below tinged with buff and finely streaked; dark stripes and spots on sides of head; _sharp tail_; hides in the grass and can be carefully observed only with patience.
51. GRINNELL WATER-THRUSH. 5-3/4 in. (Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis. 675a.)
Very dark olive-brown; below yellowish white, thickly streaked; _pale stripe_ over the eye; skulks along the very edge of the water; _tilts its tail_; brilliant song. *Louisiana Water-Thrush. *Ovenbird. *Palm Warbler.
52. CATBIRD. 8-3/4 in. (Galeoscoptes carolinensis. 704.)
Slate-gray; bill, crown and tail, black; chestnut patch under tail; about shrubbery; willing to be looked at; calls like a cat; song, greatly varied.
53. PINE WARBLER. 5-3/4 in. (Dendroica vigorsii. 671.)