NORTHERN BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 233 



recognize, olive-green above and biiffy below; the only distinctive 

 marks are the white patches in the wings and tail, similar to those of 

 the male, but smaller, duller, and sometimes obscure. 



Fall. — As soon as the molting season is over, late in August, old 

 and young birds begin to drift away from their summer haunts ; most 

 of them depart from New England during September or even late 

 August. Birds from New England and farther north pass through the 

 Atlantic Coast States to Florida and the West Indies, while those 

 from the interior migrate slightly southeastward and across the lower 

 Alleghenies to join them. Professor Cooke (1904) writes: 



"Black-throated blue warblers strike the lighthouse at Sombrero Key in greater 

 numbers than any other kind of bird, particularly during the fall migration. 

 * * * In five years' time they struck the light on seventy-seven nights, and 

 as a result 450 dead birds were picked up on the platform under the lantern. 

 Probably a still larger number fell into the sea. Adding to these those that were 

 merely stunned and that remained on the balcony under the light until able to 

 resume their journey, the keeper counted 2,000 birds that struck. There were two 

 nights, however, when the numbers of this species were so great that no attempt 

 was made to count them. The Fowey Rocks lighthouse was struck on thirty 

 different nights. It is certain, therefore, that the black-throated blue warbler 

 passes in enormous numbers along both coasts of southern Florida. 



'Winter. — Professor Cooke (1904) observes that "the winter home 

 of the black-throated blue warbler is better defined than that of any 

 other common warbler, and allows a very exact determination of the 

 square miles of territory occupied by it at this season. Cuba, Haiti, 

 and Jamaica, with a combined area of 74,000 square miles, are doubt- 

 less occupied during the winter by the great majority of the individuals 

 of the species. The remaining birds do not probably cover enough 

 territory to bring the total to 80,000 square miles. This is a small area 

 compared with that occupied during the breeding season." In his 

 Birds of Cuba, Dr. Thomas Barbour (1923) writes: 



The Black-throated Blue Warbler is excessively common, early to arrive and 

 late to leave. It is one of the tamest and most confiding species, and one to be 

 found in all sorts of situations. Early pleasant days in Cuba spent at Edwin 

 Atkins' plantation, Soledad, near Cienfuegos, brought a great surprise, for I 

 found it not uncommon to have these little Warblers enter my room through the 

 great ever open windows and flit from couch to chair. This happened often, 

 notably at Guabairo, not far from Soledad. So inquisitive and confiding are 

 they, that one can hardly recognize the rather retiring dweller in woodland 

 solitude which we know in the North. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Eastern North America, from southern Canada to north- 

 ern South America. 



Breeding range. — The black-throated blue warbler breeds north to 

 southwestern and central Ontario (Lac Seul, Kapuskasing, and Lake 



