CONNECTICUT WARBLER (Oporornis 

 agilis) 



Range : Breeds in Canadian Zone from Mani- 

 toba to central Minnesota and northern Mich- 

 igan ; winters in South America, probably in 

 Colombia and Brazil. 



Discovered by Wilson in Connecticut early 

 in the last century, the Connecticut warbler re- 

 mained almost unknown for many years until, 

 September 7, 1870, I found it numerous in the 

 fresh pond swamps of Cambridge. The bird 

 thus rediscovered rapidly came into the lime- 

 light, and there are few eastern observers of 

 the present day who are not tolerably familiar 

 with the appearance and habits of this warbler. 

 In fall it is common throughout eastern United 

 States in low, swampy thickets. It habitually 

 feeds on the ground, and is so silent and shy 

 as easily to escape the notice even of one on 

 the lookout for it, especially as its single chirp 

 of alarm is infrequently uttered. In fact, the 

 only way to be sure that one or more Con- 

 necticut warblers are not concealed in the 

 shrubbery of a suspected locality is to beat 

 over it systematically, not once, but many times. 



When startled, the warbler flies noiselessly to 

 the nearest shaded perch, and there sits mo- 

 tionless, watching the intruder, till it decides 

 either to renew its interrupted search for food 

 or to seek some distant place, far from the dan- 

 ger of intrusion. Under such circumstances its 

 motions are highly suggestive of the staid and 

 quiet thrushes, and in no respect similar to the 

 sprightly warblers. The Connecticut is one of 

 the few species that for some reason choose 

 distinct routes of migration, as in spring it 

 passes up the Mississippi Valley instead of 

 through the Atlantic Coast States, which form 

 its southern route in fall. The bird is known 

 to breed in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, 

 Manitoba, and elsewhere in the north. The 

 only nest so far found, however, appears to be 

 one discovered by Seton in Manitoba. As was 

 to be expected, it was on the ground. 



MOURNING WARBLER (Oporornis 

 Philadelphia) 



Range : Breeds in lower Canadian Zone from 

 east central Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, 

 southwestern Keewatin, Nova Scotia, and Mag- 

 dalen Islands south to central Minnesota. 

 Michigan, central Ontario, and mountains of 

 New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and 

 West \'irginia ; winters from Nicaragua and 

 Costa Rica to Colombia and Ecuador. 



The mourning warbler is a near cousin of 

 the Maryland yellow-throat and, like that bird, 

 sticks rather closely to Mother Earth, being no 

 lover of tree-tops. Unlike the yellow-throat, 

 however, it is one of the rarest of the family, 

 and few ornithologists have ever enjoyed op- 

 portunity to get nn familiar terms with it and 

 to observe its habits ade(inately. 



Most observers, like myself, have come across 

 a few in migration from time to time, chiefly 

 in spring, when the bird's habits may be de- 

 scribed in general terms as a combination of 

 those of the Maryland yellow-throat and the 

 Connecticut warbler. During the spring mi- 

 gration it frequents brushy hillsides and damp 

 thickets, and in the nesting siasnn seems par- 



tial to briar patches, in which it places its 

 bulky nest of leaves and stalks. 



The song is said to be rich and full and has 

 been compared with that of the Maryland yel- 

 low-throat and the water-thrush. 



MACGILLIVRAY WARBLER 

 (Oporornis tolmiei) 



Range : Breeds mainly in the lower Cana- 

 dian and Transition Zones from central 

 British Columbia, central Alberta, and south- 

 ern Saskatchewan south to southern Cali- 

 fornia, southern Arizona, and northern New 

 Mexico, and from the Pacific coast to the 

 eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains and 

 southwestern South Dakota; winters from 

 Lower California to Colombia. 



Though closely resembling the mourning 

 warbler in appearance and representing that 

 bird in the west, the Macgillivray warbler 

 difl'ers widely in habits. Thus it is far more 

 generally distributed, both in the mountains 

 and in the lowlands, and is much more numer- 

 ous. In my own experience I have found it 

 in summer chiefly in moist thickets of willows 

 or other brush along streams, and a suitable 

 locality is rarely without a pair or two. Other 

 observers, however, have found the bird on 

 dry brushy hillsides. This warbler nests from 

 a few inches to a few feet above the ground. 

 It has a short, though pleasing, song which is 

 repeated at brief intervals. 



HOODED WARBLER (Wilsonia citrina) 



Range : Breeds in Carolinian and Austrori- 

 parian Zones from southeastern Nebraska, 

 southern Iowa, southwestern Michigan, central 

 New York, and the lower Connecticut Valley 

 south to Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia ; 

 winters from Vera Cruz and Yucatan to Pan- 

 ama. 



While the hooded warbler has a wide range 

 in eastern United States, its center of abun- 

 dance is the lower Mississippi Valley. It is 

 common only locally and wholly absent from 

 many sections except as a casual migrant. Of 

 the bird, one of our most beautiful warblers. 

 Chapman says : 



"To my mind there is no warbler to which 

 that much misused word 'lovely' may be so 

 aptly applied as to the present species. Its 

 beauty of plumage, charm of voice, and gen- 

 tleness of demeanor make it indeed not only a 

 lovelv, but a truly lovable bird. Doubtless, 

 also, the nature of the hooded warbler's haunts 

 increases its attractiveness not merely because 

 these well-watered woodlands are in them- 

 selves inviting, but because they bring the bird 

 down to (Uir level. This creates a sense of 

 comi)ani()nship which we do not feel with the 

 bird ranging high above us. and at the same 

 time it permits us to see this exquisitely clad 

 creature imder most favorable conditions." 



WILSON WARBLER (Wilsonia pusilla 

 pusilla) 



( I'Or text, sec page ix> 1 



CANADA WARBLER (Wilsonia 

 canadensis) 



( I-'or text, see page *)0^ 



97 



