EASTERN REDWING 147 



of the birds spend the winter south of the Ohio and Delaware Rivers, 

 and from northern Florida to northern Louisiana and northeastern 

 Texas. But some few are to be found occasionally in winter consider- 

 ably north of these limits, even as far north and east as southeastern 

 Massachusetts, locally and chiefly along the coast. 



Their winter habits are much like those of the fall months, when 

 they travel about in large mixed flocks with cowbirds, rusty black- 

 birds, grackles, and starlings. Milton P. Skinner (1928) says that, 

 in North Carolina in winter, they show a tendency to join with 

 meadowlarks and pipits. He says further: "During the winter from 

 Christmas until March 1927, there was a flock of 200 Red-winged 

 Blackbirds almost constantly with the Cowbirds about the Pinehurst 

 stock-yards. Although they were usually on the ground, they often 

 alighted on low oaks, sapling pines and even on tall gums, clustering 

 close together on the very top in compact flocks. Occasionally flocks 

 of Red-winged Blackbirds were seen elsewhere, particularly about old 

 cowpea fields. Early in the winter, and again after the winter was 

 over, I found these blackbirds about old cornfields, freshly planted 

 oat fields, and swampy places, but I did not see them there during 

 the winter." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southeastern Canada to Florida. 



Breeding range. — The eastern redwing breeds from eastern Ne- 

 braska, Missouri, eastern Iowa (Johnson and Clayton Counties), 

 northern Wisconsin (Danbury), central Ontario (Sault Ste. Marie, 

 Lake Abitibi), southern Quebec (Saint Felicien, Gaspe), New 

 Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and central Nova Scotia; south to 

 northeastern Texas, northeastern Louisiana (Mer Rouge, Tallulah), 

 northern Mississippi, south-central Alabama, southwestern Georgia 

 (Newton), central-northern Florida (Cherry Lake, Gainesville), and 

 southern (except the extreme southwest) Georgia (Savannah). 



Winter range. — Winters rarely north to Kansas, southern Ontario 

 (Chatham, Ottawa), southwestern Quebec, Connecticut and south- 

 eastern Massachusetts; casually to New Hampshire (Warren); 

 regularly south to southern Texas (Brownsville, Tivoli), southern 

 Louisiana, southern Mississippi (Gulfport, Saucier), and Florida. 



Casual records. — Casual in southeastern Quebec (Piashti Bay) 

 and northern Nova Scotia (Cape Breton, Sable Island). 



Migration. — The following data refer to the species as a whole. 

 Of the 14 races, 5 are migratory, 9 are resident. Many of the migra- 

 tion records are unidentifiable as to race. 



Early dates of spring arrival are: Alabama — Scottsboro, February 

 18. Georgia — Macon, March 9. South Carolina — Walhalla, March 



