BIRDS OF KANSAS. 359 



Empidonax pusillus traillii (Aud.). 



TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER. 

 PLATE XXIV. 



Summer resident; not uncommon. Arrive the last of April 

 to middle of May; begin laying early in June; return early in 

 September. 



B. 140. R. 325a. C. 385. G. 159, 178. U. 466a. 



Habitat. Eastern I^ortli America, to the plains; north to 

 Nova Scotia and Manitoba; south in winter to northern South 

 America. 



Sp. Char. "Third quill longest; second scarcelj' shorter than the fourth; 

 first shorter than fifth, about .35 shorter than the longest. Primaries about .75 

 of an inch longer than secondaries. Tail even. Upper parts dark olive green; 

 lighter under the wings, and duller aud more tinged with ash on nape and sides 

 of the neck. Center of the crown feathers brown. A pale yellowish white 

 ring (in some specimens altogether white) round the eye. Loral feathers mixed 

 with white. Chin and throat white; the breast and sides of throat light ash 

 tinged with olive (its intensity varying in individuals), the former sometimes 

 faintly tinged with olive. Sides of the breast much like the back. Middle of 

 the belly nearly white; sides of the belly, abdomen and the lower tail coverts 

 sulphur yellow; the quills and tail feathers dark brown, as dark (if not more so) 

 as these parts in G. virens. Two olivaceous yellow white bauds on the wing, 

 formed by the tips of the first and second coverts, succeeded by a brown one; 

 the edge of the first primary and of secondaries and tertials a little lighter shade 

 of the same. The outer edge of the tail feathers like the back; that of the lat- 

 eral one rather lighter. Young: With the wing bands ochraceous instead of 

 grayish olive." 



Stretch of 



Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 5.75 9.00 2.75 2.50 .65 .45 



Female... 5.G0 8.60 2.60 2.35 .65 .45 



Iris brown; bill, upper black, under dull brownish yellow, 

 shading into darker brown at tip; legs, feet and claws black. 



These birds are quite common and breed throughout their 

 summer range. They frequent the groves and woods skirting 

 streams and swampy lands. A rather noisy bird, that at short 

 intervals utters its loud call note, "Ke-wick." Its ordinary 

 note is a sharp "Pip," and, as it flits about from bush to bush, 

 often repeats the same in a twittering manner. Their food hab- 

 its and actions are essentially the same as those of the Acadian; 

 but their nests are constructed in a very different manner, the 

 same being placed in the upright forks of a bush or saplinf>- 



