II 



BIRDS AND THEIR SEASONS 



Though by far the greater number of our birds spend the 

 winter months south of us, yet a few species of land-birds 

 and many sea-birds find food enough here even in winter 

 to support life. If these species are also found in the same 

 region in summer, they are known as permanent residents. 

 Examples of this class are the Chickadee, the Crow, the 

 owls, and the Grouse or Partridge. Several of them are 

 birds that find their food on the limbs or tv/igs of trees, in 

 the form of dormant insects or their eggs, others feed on the 

 seeds of weeds or grasses, or on the berries or buds of bushes 

 or trees. The owls live on mice or other small mammals. 

 Most of the birds that live chiefly on insects are driven 

 south by the approach of frost. 



Besides these resident birds, our winter list includes birds 

 that are found in summer to the northward of us, migrants, 

 in other words, for whom our latitude is far enough south 

 to afford food. Examples of this class are the Shrike, the 

 Golden-crowned Kinglet, and the Tree Sparrow ; they are 

 known as winter visitants. Another group of birds, includ- 

 ing the Crossbills and the Pine Grosbeaks, generally resi- 

 dent in high latitudes, move southward at very irregular 

 intervals, and then become abundant winter visitants. 



The first warm days of March melt the snow from the 

 hillsides of central New England and stir the hibernating 

 insects ; a few species of birds that have wintered only a 

 few degrees to the south of us, now begin to move north- 

 ward and arrive in New England ; examples are the Bronzed 



