Trochilidæ: Hummingbirds.—Inhabit as a rule the open country. I have secured numbers of our ruby-throats on cherry-trees when they were in blossom, and later, on beds of flowers; and I presume the western species may be found in similar situations. I shoot them with light charges of dust-shot, fired from my collecting gun.
Alcidinidæ: Kingfishers.—These noisy birds are found plentifully in the vicinity of streams. They are shy and require a heavy charge of number eight to bring them down.
Cuculidæ: Cuckoos.—The roadrunner of California, Texas, and intermediate locality, occurs in the sage bush, but our species of cuckoos, even the mangrove, inhabit thickets from which they occasionally emerge. They are usually betrayed by their notes. They are easily killed, their skin being very thin and tender.
Picidæ: Woodpeckers.—Occur, as a rule, in the woodlands, but the smaller species and the golden-winged inhabit orchards. They are all tough birds to kill. They are a generally distributed family, but some species are confined to certain localities, for example, the great ivory-billed is not found outside of Florida, and even there, is confined to a limited area, and very rare. Strickland’s woodpecker has as yet only been found in the United States in a single range of mountains in Arizona.
Psittacidæ: Parrots.—Our Carolina paroquet is now exceedingly rare out of Florida, and then occurs in the neighborhood of cypress swamps, but occasionally visits the plantations.
Strigidæ: Owls.—The burrowing owl occurs in the western plains and in a limited area of Florida. The snowy owl inhabits sand-hills of the coast in winter, and the short-eared occurs in the marshes, but all other species are birds of the deep woods, occasionally emerging, however, especially at night. The great horned and barred may be decoyed within shooting distance in the spring by imitating their cries, and the latter-named species will also eagerly fly toward the collector when he produces a squeaking sound similar to that made by a mouse. The small owls may be often found in holes of trees.
Falconidæ: Hawks, Eagles, etc.—Marsh hawks occur in fields, meadows, and marshes. Everglade kites are found on the widespread savannahs of Florida, while the swallow-tailed Mississippi and white-shouldered are found on the prairies of the south and west. The buzzard hawks usually occur in the woods, but during the migrations pass over the fields, flying high. The fish-hawk is abundant on the seacoast, but also visits the ponds and lakes of the interior. The duck-hawk is fond of clefts, and migrates along the seacoast. The sharp-shinned sparrow and pigeon are often found in solitary trees in fields, where they hunt for mice, but they also occur in open woods. The bald eagle occurs on the seashore or on large bodies of water, but the golden eagle prefers the mountainous regions.
Cathartidæ: Vultures.—Occur everywhere throughout the south. The great California vulture is now very rare.
Columbidæ: Pigeons.—Are usually found in fields, but the wild pigeon is often taken in the woods. The ground doves are found in fields which are bordered with thickets, to which they retreat when alarmed. Two or three species are found on the Florida Keys, and about as many more in Texas.
Meleagridæ: Turkeys.—Wild turkeys occur in the wilderness of the south and west. They inhabit open woods as a rule, often roosting at night in swamps.