BAY-BREASTED WARBLER 385 



The prenuptial molt of adults is similar to that of young birds. 



Food. — Like other wood warblers, the bay -breasted is almost wholly 

 insectivorous, indulging occasionally, perhaps, in a little wild fruit. 

 No intensive study of its food seems to have been made. Edward H. 

 Forbush (1929) says that "it takes locusts, caterpillars, ants, beetles 

 and leaf-hoppers." Miss Stanwood (MS.) saw moths and other in- 

 sects and their larvae fed to the young. 



Behavior. — At the nest studied by Mr. Mendall (1937) — 



The adult birds showed a remarkable degree of adaptability in the face of the 

 four changes in location to which the nest was subjected. In fact, for a species 

 of the woodlands, the Bay-breasted Warbler appears to be exceedingly tame and 

 unsuspicious in the presence of man. * * * ghe was reluctant to leave the 

 nest, even when I had climbed within three feet of her, and it was not until the 

 branches had been pulled to one side that she departed. Injury-feigning was 

 very much in evidence. The bird dropped to a lower limb of the tree and almost 

 literally crawled through the foliage in front of me. The left wing was extended 

 and drooped, the tail was twisted to the left and the feathers spread. The bird 

 uttered no sound, but continued to move through the branches for about fifty 

 seconds after which she flew around me, several times coming very close to my 

 head, and scolded violently. This protest brought the male to the scene and he 

 joined his mate in uttering notes of alarm, though with less vigor. 



Yoice. — ^Aretas A. Saunders contributes the following study : "The 

 song of the bay-breasted warbler is much like that of the blackpoll 

 in high pitch and quality, and in having little or no change in pitch 

 throughout. The time, however, is not even and regular; short and 

 long notes are alternated or irregularly mixed. There is no definite 

 increase in loudness. 



"I have only 18 records of this song, as the bird is uncommon and 

 seems to sing less frequently on migration than the other species. 

 Six of these songs show no change in pitch, while the others change 

 but slightly, half a tone to a tone. The pitch in the different songs 

 varies from B"" to ^""\ a range of only two and a half tones. A 

 larger number of records would probably show a greater range than 

 this. 



"All but one of my records are from migrating birds in Connecti- 

 cut. One record from the breeding grounds in the Adirondacks is 

 remarkably different, particularly in the matter of time. The records 

 from migrating birds vary from % second to 2 seconds, but the record 

 from the breeding grounds is 4% seconds. This record is also re- 

 markable in its rhythm, containing groups of three notes each that, 

 in their time arrangement, suggest the 'peabody' notes of the song of 

 the white-throated sparrow. The song, which is all on one pitch, 

 might be written Teee teelelee te te teee teee teelelee teelelee teelelee 

 tee. With only this one record of the smnmer song, I cannot determine 

 whether it is typical of the breeding songs of this species or is unusual." 



