EASTERN REDWING 123 



October 12. Ohio — Toledo, October 22. Indiana — East Chicago, 

 October 15. Illinois — Chicago region, October 30 (average, September 

 15); Rantoul, October 23. Missouri — New Haven, November 6. 

 Kentucky — Guthrie, October 18. Arkansas — Rogers, October 11. 

 Maine — Monhegan Island, September 11. Massachusetts — Water- 

 town and Northampton, October 15. New York — Orient, October 4. 

 Pennsylvania — Chester County, September 15. Maryland — Balti- 

 more, October 1. 



Egg dates. — Alberta: 8 records, June 4 to June 19. 



California: 98 records, April 21 to June 28; 53 records, June 2 to 

 June 10. 



Illinois: 20 records, May 20 to June 21 ; 10 records, May 25 to June 8. 



Minnesota: 24 records, May 19 to June 12; 14 records, May 27 to 

 May 31. 



Nevada: 15 records, May 22 to June 3. 



Utah: 8 records, May 16 to June 4 (Harris). 



AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS PHOENICEUS (Linnaeus) 



Eastern Redwing 



Plates 9 and 10 

 HABITS 



Everyone who notices birds at all knows the red-winged blackbird, 

 or redwing as it is now called; at least they recognize it as a black 

 bird with red on its wings. It is very conspicuous and self-revealing 

 whenever one approaches its haunts. It could hardly be overlooked 

 by even the most casual observer, as the male flies up to announce 

 his presence and display his colors. 



The numerous subspecies of the redwing are widely spread all over 

 the continent of North America, except in the arid desert, the higher 

 mountain ranges, the forested and the Arctic regions, wherever they 

 can find suitable marshes in which to breed. The presence of water, 

 or at least its proximity, is essential ; and the birds must have certain 

 types of dense vegetation in which to conceal their nests. Marshes 

 or sloughs supporting extensive growths of cattails, bulrushes, sedges, 

 reeds, or tules are their favorite breeding haunts; but where similar 

 types of vegetation, or water-loving bushes or small trees, grow in 

 ponds, around the shores of lakes or along the banks of sluggish streams, 

 the redwings find congenial homes. Wherever such conditions exist 

 throughout this continent, from Central America nearly to the Arctic 

 Circle and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, some form of this species 

 is likely to be found. 



