FLYCATCHERS. FAMILY TYRANNIDÆ
KINGBIRD
Tyrannus tyrannus. [Case 7], Fig. 6
Note the white-tipped tail; young birds lack the orange crest. L. 8½.
Range. North America; nests from northern Florida to Canada; winters in South America, reaching Florida in March.
Washington, common S.R., Apl. 18-Sept. 23. Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 29-Sept. 10. Cambridge, common S.R. May 5-Sept. 1. N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 20-Sept. 15. Glen Ellyn, fairly common S.R., Apl. 16-Sept. 6. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 26-Aug. 31.
A valiant defender of his home who, at the approach of Crow or Hawk, utters his steely, chattering, battle-cry and sallies forth to attack. Fearlessly he plunges down on an enemy many times his size who dodging this way and that beats a hasty retreat before his active, aggressive assailant. In the fall migration Kingbirds gather in loose flocks.
The nest is placed near the end of a branch about 20 feet up; the 3-5 white eggs spotted with dark brown, are laid in May.
GRAY KINGBIRD
Tyrannus dominicensis dominicensis. [Case 7], Fig. 7
Resembles the Kingbird but is lighter gray, and the tail lacks the conspicuous white tip.
Range. West Indies, nesting north through Florida to southeastern South Carolina; winters to South America; reaches Florida early in May.
A not uncommon summer resident in parts of Florida and the coastal region of Georgia and South Carolina, with the general habits and appearance of our Kingbird, but with a quite different call which suggests the words pitírri-pitírri. It nests in May, laying four salmon-colored eggs, marked with dark brown and lilac.
CRESTED FLYCATCHER
Myiarchus crinitus. [Case 7], Fig. 5
The reddish brown tail-feathers may sometimes be seen and the crest is usually evident. L. 9.
Range. Eastern North America; nests from Florida to Canada; winters in the tropics, reaching Florida on its northward journey in March.
Washington, very common S.R., Apl. 20-Sept. 29. Ossining, common S.R., May 7-Sept. 12. Cambridge, rare S.R., May 15-Sept. 11. N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 25-Sept. 15. Glen Ellyn, not common S.R., May 1-Sept. 18. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 25.
A character of the woods distinguished alike by appearance, voice and habits. His crested head seems too big for his body; his exclamatory whistle, which sounds like a shout above a monotone of conversation, his habit of always lining his nest with a cast-off snake skin, all mark him as an odd genius. Even his wife's eggs, with their long chocolate streaks, are quite unlike any other birds' eggs. They are laid in a hole in a tree in May or June.
PHŒBE
Soyornis phœbe. [Case 4], Fig. 52; [Case 5], Fig. 15
Head slightly crested, somewhat darker than body. In the fall the underparts are tinged with yellow. L. 7.
Range. Eastern North America; nests from northern Mississippi and northwestern Georgia to Canada; winters from South Carolina to Mexico. The only Flycatcher to winter in the eastern United States and hence the first to reach us in the spring.
Washington, common S.R., Feb. 25-Oct.; occasionally winters. Ossining, common S.R., Mch. 14-Oct. 29. Cambridge, common T.V., and not uncommon S.R., Mch. 25-Oct. 10. N. Ohio, common S.R., Mch. 14-Oct. 15. Glen Ellyn, S.R., Mch. 13-Oct. 6. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 22-Oct. 11.
The Phœbe is the best known member of a group of small Flycatchers which the beginner, and not infrequently the advanced student, names with more or less uncertainty. Fortunately for the field student, and as if to compensate for their close resemblance in plumage, they all possess distinctive, quite unlike, and easily recognizable calls, and consequently can readily be identified by their voices if not by their colors.
The Phœbe shows so marked a fondness for our society, nesting under our piazzas, in barns or outbuildings, and calls his pewit-phœbe so plainly, wagging his tail the while in a friendly, sociable kind of a way, that there is never any doubt about his identity; but we will not make the acquaintance of his less common, less confiding relatives so readily.
The Phœbe's 4-6 white eggs (rarely with a few brown spots) are laid the latter half of April.
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
Nuttalornis borealis. [Case 8], Fig. 59
With the general appearance of a large Phœbe, but with the breast and sides the color of the back, and a tuft of white feathers on each flank. L. 7½.
Range. North America; nests from northern New England northward (southward in the Alleghanies to North Carolina); winters in the tropics.
Washington, casual T.V. Ossining, tolerably common T.V., May 20; Aug. 15-Sept. 16. Cambridge, rare T.V., May 20-June 6; formerly not uncommon S.R., one Sept. record. Glen Ellyn, not common T.V., May 13-June 11; Aug. 11-Sept. 15. SE. Minn., common T.V., May 10-Sept. 9.
To most of us the Olive-sided is known as a rare migrant passing northward in May, among the later transients, and southward in September. When traveling the bird retains the fondness of its kind for perching on tall tree-tops, but its loud, unmistakable, whistled "come right here, come right here" is usually heard only on the nesting ground.
The nest is placed in coniferous trees about 25 feet up, and 3-5 white, brown-spotted eggs are laid in June.
WOOD PEWEE
Myiochanes virens. [Case 8], Fig. 63
Resembles the Phœbe but is smaller with relatively longer wings and more evident wing-bars. L. 6½.
Range. Eastern North America; nesting from Florida to Canada; winters in the tropics.
Washington, common S.R., Apl. 20-Oct. 12. Ossining, common S.R., May 10-Oct. 2. Cambridge, common T.V., not uncommon S.R., May 18-Sept. 15. N. Ohio, abundant S.R., May 2-Sept. 27. Glen Ellyn, fairly common S.R., May 9-Sept. 29. SE. Minn., common S.R., May 10-Sept. 23.
In color Phœbe and Pewee are much alike and both are Flycatchers, but the resemblance ends there. Pewee loves the solitude of the forest rather than the sociability of the barnyard, and his pensive pee-a-wee does not even suggest the business-like pewit-phœbe of his better-known cousin. Nor does his dainty lichen-covered nest saddled so skillfully on the limb of a forest tree, recall the Phœbe's bulky moss and mud dwelling. Finally, the Pewee's eggs, laid in May, are wreathed with brown.
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER
Empidonax flaviventris. [Case 8]. Fig. 61
The entire underparts, including the throat, are unquestionably sulphur-yellow. L. 5½
Range. Eastern North America; nests from northern New York and northern New England northward into Canada; winters in the tropics.
Washington, rather common T.V., May; July 28-Oct. 6. Ossining, common T.V., May 17-June 4; Aug. 8-Sept. 20. Cambridge, T.V., sometimes rather common, May 25-June 3; Aug. 28-Sept. 8. N. Ohio, rare T.V., May 10. Glen Ellyn, rather rare T.V., May 20-June 5; Sept. 3. SE. Minn., common T.V., May 19.
Known chiefly as a not common migrant who visits our woods on his journey to and from his northern home. He is a silent traveler and gives no clue to his identity by calling or singing, but his underparts are so much yellower than those of any other of our small Flycatchers that they make a definite field character. Nests in coniferous forests on the ground, laying 4 white, lightly spotted eggs in June.
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
Empidonax virescens. [Case 8], Fig. 60
Throat white, upperparts bright, light olive-green, without tinge of brown as in the Alder Flycatcher.
Range. Eastern North America; rather southern, nesting from Florida north to Connecticut and Michigan; winters in the tropics.
Washington, common S.R., May 1-Sept. 15. Ossining, common S.R., May 10-Aug. 27. N. Ohio, common S.R., May 4-Sept. 15. Glen Ellyn, not common S.R., May 6-Aug. 27, and probably later.
On the low-sweeping limb of a beech over a stream is an ideal site for the frail nest of the Acadian. The bird is never found far from it and its low-ranging habits permit us to see its characteristic markings and hear its peculiar sudden, explosive little pee-e-yúk and more commonly uttered spee or peet.
The creamy white, brown-spotted eggs are laid the latter part of May.
ALDER FLYCATCHER
Empidonax trailli alnorum. [Case 8], Fig. 62
Larger than the Least Flycatcher, but resembling it in having the back olive-brown instead of olive-green as in the Acadian and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. L. 6.
Range. Eastern North America; nests from northern New Jersey (locally) and mountains of West Virginia to Canada; winters in the tropics.
Washington, irregularly common T.V., May 8-May 28; Aug. 16-Sept. 17. Ossining, rare T.V., May 19-May 31; Aug. 29. Cambridge, rare T.V., May 28-June 6; Aug.; occasional in summer.
Traill's Flycatcher (E. t. trailli), a slightly browner bird is the Mississippi Valley form. N. Ohio, common S.R., May 7-Sept. 10. Glen Ellyn, quite common S.R., May 14-Sept. 19. S.E. Minn., common S.R., May 6-Aug. 10.
A rare recluse of the alders who, traveling silently between his summer and his winter homes, makes few friends among men. Dwight describes its call note as "a single pep," and its song as ee-zee-e-up, resembling that of the Acadian. The bird places the nest low down in the crotch of one of the bushes among which it lives and lays 3-4 white, brown-spotted eggs in June.
LEAST FLYCATCHER
Empidonax minimus. [Case 6], Fig. 44
Smallest of the Flycatchers; like the Alder Flycatcher its back is olive-brown rather than olive-green; no evident yellow on the underparts. L. 5½.
Range. Eastern North America; nests from Iowa, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Canada; winters in the tropics.
Washington, common T.V., Apl. 20-May 20; Aug. 13-Sept. 15. Ossining, tolerably common S.R., Apl. 25-Aug. 26. Cambridge, very common S.R., May 1-Aug. 25. N. Ohio, common T.V. Apl. 15-May 25; Aug. 25-Oct. 1; rare in summer. Glen Ellyn, not common S.R., chiefly T.V., May 4-Sept. 24. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 30-Sept. 13.
A Flycatcher of lawns and orchard, seldom going far from the tree in which its nest with its white eggs is placed. A dry-voiced little bird whose unmusical, but distinctly uttered chebéc, chebéc makes up in character what it lacks in sweetness. Between whiles he swings out for a passing insect only to call chebéc, chebéc, chebéc when he returns to his perch.