GULF COAST REDWING 155 



AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS LITTORALIS Howell and van Rossem 



Gulf Coast Redwing 

 HABITS 



A. H. Howell and A. J. van Rossem (1928) have given the above 

 names to the redwings that are resident along the Gulf coast region, 

 from Choctawhatchee Bay, in northwestern Florida, westward along 

 the coast at least to Galveston, Tex. Following is their description 

 of it: 



Compared with Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus of northeastern United States: 

 Coloration of females darker, both above and beiow, particularly on the rump; 

 general tone of upper parts in breeding plumage fuscous-black, with median 

 crown stripe and buffy edgings on nape and interscapular region nearly obsolete; 

 ground color of under parts less buffy (more whitish), the dark streaks broader 

 and averaging more blackish; wing and tail slightly shorter; bill slightly more 

 slender in lateral profile. Compared with A. p. mearnsi: Coloration of females 

 throughout very much more blackish (less brownish), the brown and buff edgings 

 to the feathers of the head, nape, interscapular region, and wings very much 

 reduced; streaks on under parts decidedly more blackish, the ground color less 

 buffy (more whitish); bill shorter, and thicker at base; wing averaging slightly 

 longer. 



This subspecies, the darkest of all the eastern races, apparently ranges little, 

 if any, above the tidewater region. It appears to be more closely related to 

 phoeniceus than to mearnsi or megapotamus, but material is lacking to show with 

 certainty the area of intergradation with any of these races." 



Dr. H. C. Oberholser (1938) calls this redwing "an abundant per- 

 manent resident in southern Louisiana. * * * Throughout all the 

 marshes in the Gulf Coast region in the southwestern part of the State, 

 even in the winter, it is one of the most abundant birds." 



Nesting.— In May and June 1910, I spent about a month cruising 

 with Warden Sprinkle among the islands off the coasts of Louisiana 

 and Mississippi, mainly in the Breton Island Reservation. On all 

 the islands that we inspected, wherever there was a little moisture and 

 suitable vegetation, we found redwings common and in some places 

 abundant. Their favorite nesting sites were in the black mangrove 

 bushes; the nests were placed 3 or 4 feet above the ground, and usually 

 held three eggs. 



Francis M. Weston has sent me some notes on the Gulf coast red- 

 wing, as observed in the region of Pensacola Bay, Fla. He says that 

 the nests "are usually built in clumps of the needle rash (Juncus 

 roemerianus) and in the scattered bushes and low trees that grow in 

 or adjacent to the areas covered by this rush." 



Young. — Weston relates the following experience: "A young bird, 

 barely able to fly, fluttered out of the march at my feet and headed 

 out across a large salt-water pond. I saw at once that it could not 



