THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink to Robin size ; bright red epaulets of male ; 

 general streakiness of female. 



Nest, a neatly woven but rather bulky basket of grasses and cat-tail leaves, 

 swung usually from upright stalks of the cat-tail ; lining of fine grass of uniform 

 size. Eggs 4-7, usually 5, light blue, scrawled, blotched or clouded with dark 

 purple or black, and chiefly about the larger end. Av. size, 1.04 x .72 (26.4 x 

 18.3). 



General Range. — "Eastern United States and more southern British Prov- 

 inces, except Florida and Gulf Coast ; west to eastern base of Rocky Mountains ; 

 north to Nova Scotia, Province of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, etc." (Ridgway). 1 



Range in Ohio. — Common summer resident throughout the state wherever 

 cat-tail swamps or their equivalent are to be found. Markedly decreasing in 

 numbers because of the drainage of the swamps. 



'HE REDWING'S NEST. 



IN speaking of Blackbirds three pictures almost invariably present them- 

 selves to the mind's eye. One is of a wet day in early March. The untidy land is 

 surfeited with waters, partly from the tardy-melting snows, partly from the 

 iterative dashes of rain which wreak their sullen spite alike on ghostly grove 

 and sodden meadow. But the bird-man has seen a great company of Blackbirds 

 trooping overhead, and settling in the first tree-top to northward ; so he hastens 

 after, manger shower and slop. The birds are swarming in the upper branches, 

 and giving rise to a perfect babel of noises. Clicks, clacks, whistles, squeaks, 

 and ringing challenges make up the boisterous medley of those most sociable 

 and garrulous of birds. It is a mixed company, for Grackles, "Rusties," and 



1 "The Birds of North and Middle America." by Robert Ridgway. Part II. p. 332. 



