Flycatcher "WESTERN BIRDS 



beauty and great difference from the others, we cannot 

 but regret its limited range. According to the A. O. U., 

 it breeds from southern Kansas to southern Texas, casu- 

 ally to southwestern Missouri, western Arkansas, and 

 western Louisiana; winters from southern Mexico to 

 Panama; accidental locally from Colorado, Keewatin, 

 and New Brunswick south to Florida. 



The male is from twelve to fifteen inches long, with 

 wings about five inches, and extent of spread fourteen 

 and one-half to fifteen and one-half. The tail is from 

 eight to ten inches long and forked five or six inches; 

 hence the name, Scissor-tail, or Swallow-tail. This un- 

 usual shape, together with his manner of flight — zig- 

 zagging through the air or flying up and down, opening 

 and closing his long pair of scissors, make him a spec- 

 tacular object. Add to this his beautiful plumage and 

 you have a bird to please the most fastidious. 



The body plumage is ash-gray, which becomes whiter 

 on the throat; wings and tail blackish, the long outer tail 

 feathers white with black markings; under tail coverts, 

 wing coverts, and axillars (feathers lining the wing close 

 to body) are salmon; head with concealed red spot and 

 upper parts marked with red. The female is similar but 

 smaller, and the young resemble the female but lack 

 the crown patch. 



Mrs. Bailey says of this jaunty bird: "In visiting the 

 southwestern prairie country the scissor-tail is one of 

 the first new birds you notice. Discovering him first 

 perched on the chaparral you are struck by his long 

 white tail and glistening black, white, and salmon plum- 

 age. In perching the tail is closed thin, and the black 

 of the wings contrasts well with the bright salmon sides. 

 He sits quietly like any every-day bird, giving only an 

 occasional bee-like note, till suddenly up he darts into 

 the air, and with delighted wonder you watch his odd 

 figure and odder gyrations in the sky." "As he goes up 



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