Particular Hints.
Note:—Owing to a lack of sufficient data the following Shore and Water Birds are arranged according to the American Ornithologist’s Union order instead of their average first appearance. They have all been seen, however, in Lincoln Park by the authors.
115. HORNED GREBE. 14 in.
(Colymbus auritus. 3.)
Brownish, sooty black, extending in narrow line up back of neck; rest of neck, sides and upper breast rich chestnut-brown; silky white below; head and chin deep black, set off by buffy “horns” or crests, which slant abruptly backwards from the eyes; black bill, tipped with yellow; eye, red. Winter Plumage: Black parts sooty; brown replaced by white; grayer below; crests and ruff less conspicuous. [Pied-billed Grebe.]
116. PIED-BILLED GREBE. 13-1/2 in.
(Podilymbus podiceps. 6.)
Brownish-black, showing gray on head and neck; belly, dusky white, otherwise brownish below; black throat-patch and a conspicuous black band across bill. Winter Plumage: Throat whitish; browner below; no band on bill. [Horned Grebe.]
117. LOON. 33 in.
(Gavia imber. 7.)
Black, showing greenish on head and neck, spotted with square or oval patches of white on back and wings and striped with white in front of wings; white below; two conspicuous white-striped bars across the black neck give the effect of a broad black collar; tail, very short; eye, red; large black bill, long and pointed; dives and sinks like the [Grebes]; note, an eerie, prolonged cry.
118. AMERICAN HERRING GULL. 24 in.
(Larus argentatus smithsonianus. 51a.)
White; wings and back, pearly blue-gray; bill yellow, showing a small vermillion spot on either side; the longest wing feathers are partly black, marked and tipped with white; the closed wing therefore shows black towards the end, marked with a regular line of white spots and tipped with white at the extreme point; eyelids, bright yellow; looks large and heavy in flight. Winter Plumage: Streaked on head and neck with gray. Immature Plumage: Dark and much streaked with brownish; bill darker. [Ring-billed Gull.]
119. RING-BILLED GULL. 19 in.
(Larus delawarensis. 54.)
Similar to the American Herring Gull, but smaller; bill, greenish-yellow, bright at tip, banded with black around the middle; wing tipped at extreme point with black; feet greenish-yellow; eyelids vermillion-red. [American Herring Gull.]
120. BONAPARTE GULL. 13 in.
(Larus philadelphia. 60.)
Back and wings, light pearl-gray; head and throat, dark slate color; back of head, neck, underparts and square tail, white; wings tipped, and bordered narrowly on the outside edge with black; feet and legs, red; bill black. Winter Plumage: Hood, grayish white. Large flocks seen in Lincoln Park. [Common Tern.]
121. COMMON TERN. 15 in.
(Sterna hirundo. 70.)
Pearly gray back and wings, whiter on rump; top of head, shining black; pure white on throat; dusky-white below; tail forked, outer edge darkest; bill long and red, blackening towards tip; feet reddish. Winter Plumage: Front of head and under-parts, white; bill nearly black. [Bonaparte Gull.]
122. AMERICAN MERGANSER. 25 in.
(Merganser americanus. 129.)
Black; rump and tail, ashy gray; head, throat and upper part of neck, greenish black; wing, largely white, edged with black and crossed by a black bar; white below, extending around the neck in a narrow collar; long red bill tipped with black; eye, red; shows salmon tinge below in flight. Female: Ashy-gray, with sharply defined brown head and neck and a pale salmon or brownish tinge across upper breast; throat, white; wings largely dark with a white patch; small crest on back of neck; feet orange; eye yellow; rare; “pursues and catches food under water.” [American Golden-eye.] [Red-breasted Merganser.]
123. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 22 in.
(Merganser serrator. 130.)
Long ragged crest; head and neck black; broad white collar; broad cinnamon band streaked with black across the breast, otherwise white below, showing salmon tinge in flight; wing largely white, edged and barred twice with black; eye and bill, red. Female: Back and wings dark gray turning to brown on head and neck; much paler on sides of neck and throat and gray across breast; crest, less prominent; white wing-patch; common. [American Merganser.]
124. HOODED MERGANSER. 18 in.
(Lophodytes cucullatus. 131.)
Black, including throat and neck; large, circular crest, white, bordered with black; white below running up in front of the wings in two points; sides brownish, finely lined with black; white wing-patch, crossed by black bar; also lengthwise white streaks on end of wings; short black bill; eye yellow. Female: Grayish-brown; throat white; crest small; sides unmarked. [Buffle-head.]
125. MALLARD. 23 in.
(Anas boschas. 132.)
Head, throat and neck glossy green; narrow white collar; breast, rich brown; back, dark brownish; underparts, silver-gray; tail white, set off by black feathers which curl up from either side of the black rump; wing-patch purple, bordered on either side with a black and then a white bar. Female: Buffy-brown and black; much streaked and speckled; lighter on throat; shows wing-patch as in male; common.
126. GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 14-1/2 in.
(Nettion carolinensis. 139.)
Gray, finely lined on sides and shoulders with black; white bar in front of wing; head, including throat, brown with a broad green stripe from eye to back of head, ending in a small tuft; wings, gray-brown with brilliant green and black wing-patch, bordered by buffy bars; breast very pale reddish-brown, speckled with round black spots; buffy patches on sides of tail; white belly. Female: Mottled brown; top of head and back of neck dark brown; sides of head and neck buff-colored and finely streaked; throat buff, unmarked; no green on head nor white bar in front of wings; wing-patch as in male, but smaller. [Blue-winged Teal.]
127. BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 15 in.
(Querquedula discors. 140.)
Back and underparts thickly mottled brownish and black, lightest below; head slaty, showing purplish gloss; a conspicuous crescent-shaped white stripe in front of eye; shows blue on bend of wing, followed by a white bar and a bright green wing-patch; white patch on sides of tail; bill black. Female: Dusky-brown; black on top of head; streaked and whitish on neck and sides of head; throat and about base of bill, white; back and underparts, mottled and spotted; wing shows blue but no green; white bars on head are wanting. [Green-winged Teal.]
128. PINTAIL. 27 in.
(Dafila acuta. 143.)
Head, including throat, brown, darkest on top; long, swan-like neck, black above, finely waved white and dusky on back and sides; long middle tail feathers, black; white below with a conspicuous curved white stripe running up sides of neck to head and ending in a point; bronzy patch on wings. Female: Tail much shorter but pointed; dusky, everywhere streaked; no white stripe on neck; whitish wing-bars; smaller than male. [Old-squaw.]
129. WOOD DUCK. 18 in.
(Aix sponsa. 144.)
Highly variegated; long, smooth, glossy crest, showing green and purple iridescence and marked by two very narrow white parallel lines, curving from bill and behind eye almost to end of crest; throat white, extending irregularly in two stripes, one up behind eye, the other nearly around neck; breast, glossy brown, spotted with white and set off on either side by a conspicuous white stripe bordered with black; wings highly iridescent, marked by green patch bordered with white. Female: Much duller and less conspicuously marked; head brownish-gray, slightly crested showing greenish tints; throat and line extending from it around base of bill, with space about eye, white.
130. REDHEAD. 20 in.
(Aythya americana. 146.)
Puffy head and upper part of neck and throat, bright reddish brown; breast and upper part of back with rump, black; belly white; middle back and sides evenly and finely waved black and white, which shows gray at a distance. Female: Grayish-brown, almost white on throat; brown on head, light brown on neck. Canvas-back.
131. LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 16 in.
(Aythya affinis. 149.)
Head, neck and breast black, showing purple reflections on head; back black and white, very narrowly barred; upper parts of wings dark, finely mottled with white; lower part of wing brownish-black, showing a small white patch; lower breast and belly white; bill, bluish, tipped with black. Female: Black replaced by brown, lighter on head; region around bill white. [Female Redhead], easily confused with female Lesser Scaup.
132. AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 19 in.
(Clangula americana. 151.)
Black, glossed with green; white below, extending around the neck in a collar; head bunchy, slightly crested and marked below eye and just back of eye by a nearly oval white spot; wings largely white; short bill. Female: Brown, snuff-colored on head; white collar; white wing patch; band of bluish gray across breast and down sides. [American Merganser.]
133. BUFFLE-HEAD. 15 in.
(Charitonetta albeola. 153.)
Head, throat and upper neck, iridescent black; conspicuous black crest broadly banded with white over head from eye to eye; back black, ashy on tail; wings black with a very large white patch; collar and entire under parts, white. Female: Smaller; brownish, lighter below with no crest and only a white patch on cheeks and a small white wing patch. [Hooded Merganser.]
134. OLD-SQUAW. 21 in.
(Harelda hiemalis. 154.)
Winter Plumage: Back, long tail-feathers and breast with conspicuous patch on sides of neck, black; throat and upper breast, top of head, neck and belly, white; cheeks grayish-brown; wings black and gray; bill crossed by yellowish band. Female: Dark brown, lighter on head, grayish on tail; throat, breast and region about the eye, gray-white; below white, brown on lower part of throat; no long tail-feathers; smaller than male. Summer Plumage: Head and neck, dusky black; grayish-white on sides of head, and female shows more brown. [Pintail.]
135. CANADA GOOSE. 40 in.
(Branta canadensis. 172.)
Head and neck, black with white throat-patch extending up to and just behind eye; brownish-gray marked with lighter, darkest on back; rump and tail, black above and white below; fly after a leader in harrow-shaped ranks, often high up, crying, “honk, honk, honk.”
136. AMERICAN BITTERN. 30 in.
(Botaurus lentiginosus. 190.)
Streaky tawny- and dark-brown; tawny-yellowish below, mixed with white and streaked with dark brown; conspicuous black streak on sides of neck; short brown tail; breast feathers loose and baggy; yellow eye; call, loud resounding squawk or booming notes which have given it the common name of “stake-driver.”
137. LEAST BITTERN. 13 in.
(Ardetta exilis. 191.)
Crown, with back, tail and upper half of wings, shining greenish-black; rest of wing shows buff and bright chestnut; throat and baggy breast, whitish, shading into yellowish-brown on sides of neck, and chestnut on back of neck; buffy white below; tufts of dark feathers on either side of breast; yellow eye. [Green Heron.]
138. GREEN HERON. 17 in.
(Butorides virescens. 201.)
Wings and back dark green, latter tinged with blue-gray; crown, greenish-black; neck and breast, rich reddish brown; throat and line down middle of neck to breast whitish, ending in light streaks on breast; the smallest heron; carries neck curved in flight; squawking note, “scow.” [Least Bittern.]
139. SORA. 8-1/2 in.
(Porzana carolina. 214.)
Olive-brown with lengthwise markings of black and some white; short tail turned up, showing buffy white underside; sides barred posteriorily with white; front of head and throat, black; slaty line over eye; sides of neck and breast, grayish slate; bill short and yellowish; legs long. Young: No black; throat whitish and brown on breast; very stealthy; skulks and crouches in grass.
140. AMERICAN COOT. 15 in.
(Fulica americana. 221.)
Smooth blackish slate color, lighter below and black on head and neck; white bill shows dark marks near the tip; turned up tail; white underneath; wing edged with white; eye red; young show white below and no marks on bill; toes with scalloped edges. May be mistaken for a small duck.
141. AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 10-1/2 in.
(Philohela minor. 228.)
Black, mixed black and rusty slate; below reddish-brown, no markings; large head with short neck and very long straight bill; eye set high up and far back; crown barred crosswise with black and rusty; short tail; burrows in soft mud for earthworms; nocturnal.
142. SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER. 6 in.
(Ereunetes pusillus. 246.)
Grayish-brown, marked with black and buffy; rump very dark; tail tapering; underparts pure white, slightly tinged and streaked across breast; white line over eye and dusky line beneath; note, “peep-peep.” [Other Sandpipers.]
143. SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 8-1/2 in.
(Helodromas solitarius. 256.)
Back, dusky olive-brown, finely spotted with white; crown and back of neck showing dark streaks; white below, throat unmarked; sides of head and neck with breast slightly buffy and distinctly streaked; sides lightly barred; wings dark brown with one narrow white wing-bar; middle of tail very dark; outer feathers white, barred with black; note, a soft whistle. [Spotted Sandpiper.]
144. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 7-1/2 in.
(Actitis macularia. 263.)
Greenish-ash marked lightly with black; long white line over eye; pure white below everywhere with dark round spots; wings brownish, marked broadly with white bar; flies close to the water with wings full-spread, showing white wing-bar; note, penetrating “pee-weet, weet;” walks with tilting motion. [Solitary Sandpiper.]
145. KILLDEER. 10 in.
(Oxyechus vociferus. 273.)
Gray-brown; rump rusty-brown; tail rather long; white below; white collar followed by a black collar, and a black band across breast; forehead, line over eye and wing-bar, white; bill black; runs very swiftly; note, loud and persistent “kill-dee” often heard high overhead.