Phainopepla WESTERN BIRDS 



daily to eat the elderberries, and mulberries, as well as 

 peppers, when the others are lacking. 



An injured bird which I kept in my bird bungalow for 

 two weeks before he was able to fly, became quite tame, 

 and on several occasions sang to me his low warbling 

 song as I have never heard one of them sing. Perhaps it 

 was excitement that caused him to sing but certainly the 

 song was more varied than usual. 



Besides this low, warbling song which the male sings 

 frequently from telephone wire, or other high place, there 

 is a guttural, rather unpleasant scrat note which is used in 

 alarm and by the nestlings, and a beautiful single liquid 

 note that greatly resembles one note of the Robin. 



Though these birds are fond of berries of various kinds 

 they are also fond of catching insects on the wing, espe- 

 cially towards night. Their manner of doing this is to 

 fly from their perch and zig-zag through the air, often at 

 quite a height, keeping up this irregular, broken flight 

 until one wonders if the bird has lost its senses. Often, 

 too, they fly through the air in circles and in approaching 

 the nesting tree very often come flying rapidly toward 

 it, then dive downward in a large circle and light beside 

 the nest, or directly on it. In leaving the nest they fly 

 out and sometimes straight up before they start on their 

 course. In a straight flight the bird rather bobs along 

 as its wings are short and tail long. 



We find in most species that the female is the home 

 builder and incubator of the eggs, and that she is given 

 a dull, inconspicuous attire which blends with her habitat. 

 It would seem in the case of the Phainopepla almost as 

 if Nature had made a mistake and that the female might 

 as well have been a glossy black like her mate, since 

 he does most of the nest building, and fully his share of 

 brooding. It really does seem a little inconsistent that 

 this jaunty, dapper fellow should perform menial tasks. 

 And yet, one can plainly see that it is his delight. Again 



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