Order XXI. (continued)
The Warbler family, Sylviidae, is a large one, found all through the Eastern Hemisphere. One migratory species crosses Behring Strait each year to summer in Alaska.
As no less than 79 Australian small birds have been grouped in this family, it is of considerable importance to our bird lovers. At the head of the family, we have an exact representative of the Reed-Warbler of Europe in the delightful plain-brown songster which charms all who frequent river sides. Its song is "louder and more melodious than that of any of its European relations except" the Reed-Warbler. It is a welcome spring visitor, and can be heard on any spring or summer day in the Botanic Gardens, or in any reed bed by stream or lake.
The next bird is the Australian representative of the Fantail-Warblers (Cisticola). These birds are related to the Tailor-Bird.
Much has been written of the Tailor-Bird of India which so cleverly sews leaves together to enclose its nest, but few know we have a bird that does similar work when building its nest. Dr. Sharpe has decided that our bird is identical with an Indian species, so we must take the Indian name—Golden-headed Fantail-Warbler. This bird moults twice a year. At the autumn moult, it obtains a long tail and a streaked crown. The four Australian species described by Gould are now known to be but different forms of the one species which undergoes seasonal change.
Speckled Jack, the Speckled Warbler (Little Field-Wren), is a tame little bird with a pleasing song. Its chocolate-colored egg used to be much valued in the days when schoolboys collected eggs. It walks instead of hopping.
The Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler (Acanthiza) is a member of an Australian genus, which has been split up into 27 species, all of which, except a New Guinea form, are restricted to Australia. Some are pleasing songsters. The two-storied nest of the Yellow-tail is well known and is peculiar. What is the use of the upper nest—for the male to rest in, to delude the cuckoo, or what?
These birds are not Tits (Paridae). They have been called Thornbills by Mr. A. J. North. The name Tit-Warbler has been adopted by the "names" sub-committee of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union, pending the completion of the Australian Check-List. The common White-browed Scrub-Wren is not a Wren, but is a Warbler. He is the best known of the genus, though even he is seldom seen. His dark-brown color leads one to suspect a dark scrub as his dwelling place. Though common in places, he is seldom noticed, but if you sit down in a quiet scrubby corner, his inquisitiveness will often impel him to run almost over your feet. Some light spots on the shoulder and the white eyebrow will assist you in identifying him. His mouse-like run further assists in identification.
Amongst the glories of the bird world, the Superb-Warbler stands high. His beautiful enamel-blue and black costume, and his cheery, fussy song justify his name. He is generally accompanied by four or five plain-colored mates, and is said to lose his beautiful coat of blue each autumn, but the balance of evidence now seems to be with Mr. Keartland and Dr. Horne, who claim that he gets the permanent beautiful coat late in life (that is, when three or four years old), and does not lose it afterwards, except for a few days at moulting time. But, being so conspicuous, he soon falls a prey to one of his numerous enemies, of whom the small boy with a pea-rifle is probably the worst. I, too frequently, hear of these enemies of their country being caught with three or four of these lovely little birds in their possession. However, Bird Day in the schools did much good, and the next generation of boy will probably have less of the savage in him.
The Emu-Wren, which has tail feathers like Emu feathers, is easily recognized if seen. It is difficult to cause it to fly out of the rushes round a swamp. The Bristle-Birds are Australian, and are fairly common in some dense scrubs.
Grass-Wrens are not Wrens, but are placed in the Warbler family. They are Central Australian birds. They seldom fly, but "progress like a rubber ball" with great swiftness. They are of the light tawny color that so well matches desert sands. It is very difficult to get a second look at one, as it hides in the grass and scrub, and almost refuses to be flushed. Sometimes it nearly allows itself to be walked upon.
Fourteen of the 17 members of the Wood-Swallow family are confined to the Australian region. The White-rumped Wood-Swallow extends from Australia through the islands to the Andaman Islands; another kind is found in India, Ceylon, and Burma. Some kinds are migratory. They appear suddenly in great companies, build a flimsy, careless nest in any spot high or low, and soon have the young on the wing. They are the "Blue-Birds," "Summer-Birds," or "Martins" of our youth. Some of these birds have the remarkable habit of hanging in a cluster similar to a great swarm of bees. Like Honey-eaters, they take honey from the flowering eucalypts. The street trees of Bendigo were alive with these birds in May, 1909. The Sordid Wood-Swallow is partly migratory, and lives in small companies. Most towns in Southern Australia have a company of these birds in the neighborhood. One such company lives in the Domain, near the entrance to the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.
These tame woodland birds, admirable in their graceful wheeling and floating flight, destroy numbers of destructive insects. Occasionally, a company has discovered that a good food supply can easily be obtained close to a beehive. Thus rarely they do a slight amount of harm, but the balance is overwhelmingly in their favor.
(continued below)
| 284 Aust. Reed-Warbler 285 Aust. Fantail-Warbler 286 Grass-Bird | 287 Speckled Warbler 288 Little Tit-Warbler 289 Brown Tit-Warbler | 291 Striated Tit-Warbler 293 Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler 297 White-browed Scrub-Wren |
| 300 Superb-Warbler 300a Superb-Warbler (Female) 302 White-winged Superb-Warbler | 304 Emu Wren 306 Bristle Bird 311 White-browed Wood-Swallow | 312 Masked Wood-Swallow 313 Wood-Swallow 315 Gray Shrike-Thrush |
| 319 Australian Butcher-Bird 320 Yellow-breasted Shrike-Tit 321 Crested Bell-Bird | 322 Golden-breasted Whistler 322a Golden-breasted Whistler (Female) 323 Rufous-breasted Whistler | 323a Rufous-breasted Whistler (F.) 326 Shrike-Robin 327 Whiteface |
F. 127. SYLVIIDAE (79), WARBLERS (Whitethroat, Blackcap (Br.), Chiffchaff), 525 sp.—107(102)A., 137(84)O., 108(22)P., 267(228)E., 1(0)Nc.
2
29
284[*] Australian Reed-Warbler, Reed-Bird, (Nightingale), Water-Sparrow (e), Acrocephalus australis, Lombok, E.A., S.A., T. =vt. Eur. Reed-Warbler.
Mig. c. reeds 6.2
Brown; head darker; under lighter; throat whitish; bill long, pointed; f., sim. Insects. Rich melodious song.
1
51
285[*] Golden-headed Fantail-Warbler, Grass-Warbler (Exiled), Corn (Barley) Bird, Cisticola exilis, Ind., Formosa to A. (exc. C.A.), King Is.
Stat. r. grass, crops 3.6
Golden-buff; upper streaked blackish; tail 1.2in., blackish, edged buff; f., crown streaked black. Winter[*] crown streaked black; throat whitish; tail 1.9in.; f., sim.
3
10
286[*] Grass-Bird (Little Reed), Marsh-Warbler, Megalurus gramineus, N.S.W., V., S.A., T.
Stat. v.r. tussocks 5.2
Upper brown streaked, lined blackish; throat, chest gray faintly streaked black; tail reddish-brown; f., sim. Insects. "Four or five plaintive notes."
1
1
287[*] Speckled Warbler, Little Field-Lark (-Wren), Speckled Jack, Blood Tit (e), Jenny-Wren (e), Chthonicola sagittata, E.A., S.A.
Stat. r. grass 5
Under whitish boldly streaked black; head brown faintly streaked white; back brown, feathers edged lighter; tip-tail spotted white; f., sim. Insects. Singer.
26
27
288[*] Little Tit-Warbler (Yellow), Yellow-breasted Thornbill, Tomtit, Little Tit, Acanthiza nana, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A.
Stat. c. trees 3.5
Upper dull olive-green; under yellow; tail grayish-brown, black band; f., sim. Insects. "Tiz, tiz, tiz."
289[*] Brown Tit-Warbler (Tit), Scrub Thornbill, Dwarf Warbler, A. pusilla, E.A., S.A.
Stat. c. scrub 3.7
Upper, wings brown; tail brown, banded black, slightly tipped white; throat, chest spotted black and white; flanks, abdomen buff; f., sim. Insects. Singer.
290 Red-rumped Tit-Warbler (Tit), Rufous-rumped Thornbill, A. pyrrhopygia, N.S.W., V., S.A. (interior).
Stat. v.r. mallee, scrubs 4
Upper pale olive-brown; forehead blackish-brown, feathers tipped white; throat, chest mottled gray, white; abdomen whitish; upper base tail rufous; tail olive, black band, white tip; f., sim. Insects.
291[*] Striated Tit-Warbler, Striped Tit, Striped-crowned Thornbill, A. lineata, E.A., S.A.
Stat. c. timber 3.7
Throat, chest whitish streaked black; head brown streaked whitish; back olive-brown; flanks, abdomen yellowish; tail black band; f., sim. Insects. Songster.
292 Chestnut-rumped Tit-Warbler (Thornbill), A. uropygialis, A. exc. C.A., N. Ter.
Stat. r. scrubs, forests 3.6
Upper brown; upper base tail rich reddish-chestnut; tail brownish-black tipped white; under whitish; f., sim.
293[*] Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler, Yellow-rumped Thornbill (-Tit), Yellow-tail, Geobasileus, A. chrysorrhoa, E.A., S.A., W.A., T.
Stat. v.c. gardens, timber 3.8
Upper olive-brown; base tail bright-yellow; under yellowish-white; forehead black spotted white; cheeks, throat, line over eye grayish-white; f., sim. Insects. Singer.
294 Buff-tailed Tit-Warbler, Buff-rumped Thornbill (Tit), A. reguloides, E.A., S.A.
Stat. c. open timber 4.3
Upper olive-brown; upper base tail pale yellow; throat, chest white slightly marked brown; forehead feathers tipped lighter; f., sim. Insects. Song.
10
16
295 Redthroat, Red-throated Scrub-Wren, Sericornis brunnea, N.S.W., V., S., C., W.A.
Stat. v.r. scrubs 4.5
Upper dark-brown; tail brownish-black tipped white; throat rufous; under brownish-gray; f., sim. Insects. "Fine song equal to that of any small bird."
296 Yellow-throated Scrub-Wren, Devil Bird, S. barbata, E.Q., E.N.S.W., E.V.
Stat. r. coastal scrubs 5.5
Crown, upper brown tinged yellow; side of face, round eye, ear black; white line over eye; throat yellow; chest, flanks olive-brown; centre abdomen white; f., smaller; duller. Insects. Pleasing rich note.
297[*] White-browed Scrub-Wren (White-fronted), S. frontalis, E.A., S.A., Kent Group.
Stat. c. undergrowth 4.5
Upper dark-brown; throat white streaked dusky; brow white; chest, abdomen light-yellow; flanks olive-brown; small distinct white marks on shoulder; f., duller, throat not streaked. Insects. Inward warble.
298 Large-billed Scrub-Wren, S. magnirostris, E.A.
Stat. v.r. tree-tops, coast, gully scrubs 4.7
Brown; rump rufous; about bill tawny; eye, long bill black; legs flesh-color; f., sim. Insects.
299 Spotted Scrub-Wren (Striated), S. maculata, V., S.A., Kangaroo Is., W.A.
Stat. v.r. scrubby 4.5
Upper brown; tail black band tipped white; forehead, side of face black; stripe above, very small patch below eye, marks on edge of wing white; under grayish-white, sometimes washed yellow; throat, chest grayish-white spotted (striated) black; f., duller. Insects.
23
23
300[*] Superb-Warbler, Blue-Wren (-Bonnet, -Tit, -Cap, -Head), Mormon-Wren, Cocktail, Malurus cyanochlamys, E.A., S.A., Kangaroo Is.
Stat. v.c. gardens 5
Crown, behind ear, upper-back enamel-blue; throat, chest, hind-neck, lower-back black; tail deep-blue; f.,[*] brown; round eye reddish-brown; under lighter; bill reddish-brown. Insects. "Animated song." "Lovely bird."
301 Black-backed Superb-Warbler (Wren), M. melanonotus, E.A., C.S.A. (inland).
Stat. r. scrubs 4.7
Crown, under, upper-back, upper and under base tail beautiful metallic blue; behind ear verditer-blue; side of face, band on back, faint band across chest black; wing green; tail greenish-blue; f., side of face, round eye reddish-brown; upper brown; under whitish; wings brown; tail green. Insects.
302[*] White-winged Superb-Warbler (Wren), M. cyanotus (leucopterus), A. (exc. N. Ter.).
r. saltbush, plains 4.8
Above, below deep cobalt-blue; wings white; quills brown; tail dark-blue; f., upper brown, under white tinged brown. Insects.
303 Purple-backed Superb Warbler (Wren), M. assimilis, A.
Stat. v.r. scrubs 5
Crown, side of head, back purplish-blue; throat, chest, band on upper back, rump black; chestnut-red patch inner wing; rest wing brown; abdomen white; tail dark-blue tipped white; f., brown; about eye rich chestnut; under whitish; tail greenish-blue. Insects.
4
4
304[*] Emu-Wren, Stick-tail, Stipiturus malachurus, S.A., E.A., W.A., f., throat brown. Insects.
Stat. c. tussocks 7
Upper brown streaked rufous; tail feathers long loosely webbed, erect; throat blue; abdomen brown; runs.
305 Mallee Emu-Wren, S. mallee, N.W.V.
Stat. v.r. Spinifex (Triodia) 5
Like 304, but forehead chestnut; throat, chest light purplish-blue; abdomen grayish-brown.
4
4
306[*] Bristle-Bird, Sphenura brachyptera, N.S.W., E.V., Insects. Rich, varied notes.
Stat. v.r. undergrowth 8.8
Brown; throat, centre-breast lighter; shy; runs; f., sim.
307 Rufous Bristle-Bird (Rufous-headed), S. broadbenti, W.V., S.A. (Otway Ranges to Mt. Lofty).
Stat. v.r. dense scrub 10.5
Rufous-brown; f., sim. Insects.
10
10
308 Grass-Wren, Amytornis textilis, V., C.A., W.A.
Stat. v.r. plains, dense scrubs 6.2
Upper dark-brown striped white; under paler; flanks rust-red; seldom flies; progresses like a rubber ball; tail erect; f., sim. Insects.
309 Striated Grass-Wren (Black-cheeked), A. striatus, N.S.W., V., C.A., W.A.
Stat. v.r. dense scrubs 6.8
Like 308, but black stripe on cheek; plumage strongly rufous; runs, seldom flies; f., sim. Insects.
F. 128. Vireonidae, Vireos, Greenlets, 112 sp.—24(7)Nc., 105(88)Nl.
F. 129. Ampelidae, Waxwings, Cedar-Bird, 10 sp.—1(0)O., 2(0)P., 3(0)Nc., 7(5)Nl.
F. 130. ARTAMIDAE (12), WOOD-SWALLOWS, Swallow-Shrikes, 17 sp.—15(14)A., 2(1)O., 1(1)E.
9
16
310 White-rumped Wood-Swallow (Swallow-Shrike), Artamus leucogaster, Andaman Is., Mal. Arch., Papuan Is., A.
Mig. r. timber 7.4
Head, neck grayish-black; back brown; tail, wing-quills black; rump, breast, abdomen white; f., sim. Insects. Plaintive note.
311[*] White-browed Wood-Swallow, Summer-Bird, Martin (e), A. superciliosus, E.A., S.A., N.W.A.
Mig. v.c. timber 8
Slaty-gray; white eyebrow; abdomen rich chestnut; tail tipped white; f., faint white eyebrow. Insects, honey. "Sweet, clear whistling note."
312[*] Masked Wood-Swallow, Bush (Blue) Martin (e), A. personatus, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A., N.W.A.
Mig. c. timber 8
Dark-gray upper; pure white edge to jet-black throat patch; under gray; tail tipped white; f., duller. Insects.
313[*] Wood-Swallow (Sordid, Dusky), Jacky-Martin, Martin (e), A. tenebrosus, A., T., Bass St. Is.
Part-Mig. v.c. timber 7.3
Smoky vinous-gray; wing-quills black; white line in edge of wing; tail tipped white; bill blue tipped black; f., sim. Insects.
F. 131. Vangidae, 12 sp. E. (Madagascar).