GRAY KINGBIRD 45 



Against tlie dark, glossy green of the mangroves, the gray kingbird 

 stands out sharply, but in such vegetation as described above the 

 protective coloration would undoubtedly be impressive. 



Weston considers the difference in size between dominiccnsis and 

 tyrannus to be considerable, viz, "much larger." E. H. Forbush 

 (1927), in his "Field Marks" of the species, says that it is "similar 

 in size and shape to the kingbird, but somewhat larger etc." Mr. 

 Forbush admitted that he was not at all sure he had seen the species 

 himself. Had he done so, he would have undoubtedly been impressed 

 with the distinctly larger size. The beak of the gray kingbird is so 

 much larger than that of tyrannus that it seems over-sized and top- 

 heavy, being very broad and flattened at the base. So, between size, 

 color, larger beak, and absence of the white-tipped tail, the gray 

 kingbird stands alone and can hardly be mistaken for any other bird. 



Fall. — ^While the gray kingbird has a very limited range in this 

 country — virtually one State, Florida — it does wander at times, as 

 so many birds will. Extralimital records, however, are exceedingly 

 uncommon. Other than the few breeding records for South Caro- 

 lina and Georgia, occurrence of dominicensis in the United States 

 is confined to but four Eastern States and one western Canadian 

 Province, the latter the most remarkable of all. Most of these 

 wanderings appear to be indulged in during the autumnal migration, 

 and some of the distances reached and the dearth of records in in- 

 tervening territory are noteworthy. 



In Florida the fall migration is rather early. Arthur H. Howell 

 (1932) notes departures from "St. Marks [Gulf coast] September 26, 

 1917, and New Smyrna [east coast] September 18, 1924." A specimen 

 seen by Dr. H. C. Burgess in the lower Everglades on December 26, 

 1917, will be commented on later. F. M. Weston says of the Pensa- 

 cola area : "Fall migration is early, often by the last week in August. 

 The latest dates in my journal are September 6, 1931, and Septem- 

 ber 18, 1927." He has this to add on the behavior of the adults and 

 young in late summer: "After the nesting season, the family group 

 remains together until time for departure. At this time they some- 

 times wander a bit from the beach habitat and have been seen in 

 clearings in the pine woods several miles from the Gulf. The Naval 

 Air Station birds come out into the bare industrial section of the 

 station and catch their prey of flying insects from the vantage point 

 of a concrete coping or a steel tower." 



In the Florida Keys I have seen numbers of the birds late in 

 September ; at Tavernier, Key Largo, on October 2 ; and Key West on 

 October 4. They no doubt remain in the Keys until well after these 

 dates. Usually I do not visit Key West in November but start my 

 winter trips to that point early in December. No birds were in evi- 



