WESTERN BIRDS Warbler 



GENUS VERMIVORA: NASHVILLE 

 WARBLER. (Eastern.) 



Nashville Warbler: Vermivora rubricapilla 

 rubricapilla. 



FAMILY— WOOD WARBLERS. 



These birds have gray heads with a partially con- 

 cealed chestnut crown patch, which is less in extent in the 

 female, and often wanting. The prevailing upper parts 

 are olive green, and the under parts a bright yellow; 

 white eye-ring; no white tail patches, or wing bars. The 

 immature birds are duller and usually lack the crown 

 patch. 



It is fond of the open woodland and tree-bordered 

 fields rather than the mountain heights, ranging from 

 north of the United States south to Nebraska, northern 

 Illinois, northern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, 

 and Connecticut; wintering casually in Texas, but 

 usually farther south. 



The nest is made of grasses and fibers and placed on 

 the ground in partial clearings, or tree-grown pastures. 



Thayer says that the Nashville has at least two main 

 perch-songs, and a flight-song, all subject to a good deal 

 of variation. The latter, a fairly common performance 

 in late sunamer, is sung from the height of five to forty 

 feet above the (usually low) tree-tops. It is like the 

 commoner perch-songs, but more hurried, and slightly 

 elaborated — often with a few chippings added at both 

 ends. It has a very small, dry chiq) call, and a more 

 metallic, louder chip, somewhat Water-Thrush-like. It 

 also chippers like a young Warbler or a Black-throated 

 Green. 



259 



