SOUTHERN AMERICAN REDSTART 675 



flyway, which in the course of a few hundred years may become a 

 regular migration route for these Redstarts. 



At Point Pelee, Ontario, according to Taverner and Swales (1908) 

 the bulk of the redstarts pass through during the first week of Sep- 

 tember but are fairly common during the latter part of the month. 

 In Maine the bulk of the redstarts leave by the middle of September 

 but in southern New England and New York there are many records 

 of redstarts throughout the month of October. 



In Ohio and the Middle "West there is a distinct movement of red- 

 starts early in August and the peak of the migration takes place from 

 August 20 until September 25. A sharp decrease takes place during 

 the last few days of September, and by October 5 the species disappears 

 except for an occasional straggler. 



Thomas D. Burleigh (1944b) in discussing the fall migration on 

 the Mississippi Gulf coast writes: "The first birds to appear are 

 always young of the year, and although a few females are seen early 

 in August, it is not until after the middle of the month that the males 

 are observed. During September the Eedstart occurs in its greatest 

 numbers, and there is usually an occasional day after the middle of 

 the month * * * when these warblers are found literally every- 

 where." Mr. Burleigh's latest fall record is November 10, 1937. In 

 Florida the largest flights also occur about the middle of September, 

 and at this time many are reported killed at the lighthouses. Many 

 are seen throughout October and some late fall records are : Pensa- 

 cola November 19, 1929 ; Fort Pierce November 2, 1918 ; Fort Drum 

 November 3, 1888; and Sombrero Key November 4, 1888. 



According to F. C. Lincoln (1935), redstarts, evidently the more 

 southern breeders, are seen returning southward on the northern 

 coast of South America just about the time that the earliest of those 

 breeding in the North reach Florida on their way to winter quarters. 



Winter. — The redstart may be found in the West Indies from 

 August until the following April. In Cuba, according to Thomas 

 Barbour (1923), "the Eedstarts are the first sign to the Cubans that 

 the migration is on, and they probably are the very last northern visi- 

 tor to leave in the spring. They are excessively abundant in thickets 

 and woods everywhere, even in the cities. Except for the Palm War- 

 bler, no bird is more in evidence during the winter than the Candelita — 

 the little flame. The North American observer never would dream 

 that there could be enough redstarts gathered together from all the 

 bird's range to make up the hordes which come to Cuba." 



Alexander Wetmore (1916), in his account of the birds of Puerto 

 Eico, writes of the redstart: "These birds frequent the mangroves, 

 forest growths, and coffee plantations, and sometimes shade trees about 

 houses. The greater portion seen were immature birds and females, 



