Chicago Winter Birds 5 



the city, where its presence is seldom suspected unless 

 its quavering call is heard. The Sparrow Hawk, a 

 common summer resident, stays about in small num- 

 bers during mild winters. During 1921 and 1922, 

 especially, many were reported. Mice and small birds 

 are sometimes found impaled on the thorns of the haw, 

 wild crab and other trees. This is the work of the 

 Northern Shrike or Butcherbird, as it is popularly 

 called, which appears in small numbers in October and 

 stays about until March. 



In mild years, a few Meadowlarks usually remain, 

 staying in one locality all winter, about certain favor- 

 ite fields. The Prairie Horned Lark is a common resi- 

 dent, frequenting open fields and prairies, as its name 

 suggests. It is always very plentiful on golf courses. 

 It nests very early, sometimes in March when snow is 

 still on the ground. In the brushy fields, open woods 

 and along the roads, the Tree Sparrow is always pres- 

 ent. It arrives about the middle of October and leaves 

 about the first of May. The Slate-colored Junco, often 

 found with it, arrives in September and spends the 

 winter in small numbers, leaving in April. As the 

 food of these two sparrows consists chiefly of noxious 

 weed seeds, they are very beneficial to agriculture. 

 Three other finches with similar local preferences are 

 the Goldfinch, Redpoll and Pine Siskin, the latter pre- 

 ferring the pine woods. The Goldfinch is a common 

 resident and the Redpoll and Pine Siskin come down 

 from the north in October and stay until April, the 

 Siskins staying, sometimes, until May. The Redpoll 

 is more common and is here every year, while the 

 Siskin is rare in some years. The Holboell's and Hoary 

 Redpolls have been taken here, but are very rare. Two 

 other spaiTows, occasionally found in winter, are the 

 Song Sparrow, a summer resident, and the Fox Spar- 

 row, a common migrant. The Song Sparrow has been 



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