What Birds Signal with Their Tails? 



By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON 



IN EACH family of birds there seems to be at least one species that makes 

 wig-wag signals with its tail, that is, uses the tail to signal to others of 

 its kind. And in each case, with one or two rare exceptions, the tail so 

 used is decorated with colors or with white spots, bars, and blotches, so asto 

 make it more easily seen from far ofif. 



The best known of these tail-waggers is the Robin. The clear white spots 

 at the corners are very plain as the Robin alights and then, for the benefit of 

 'whom it may concern,' gives the wig- wag sign of his race — a wag down to 

 right, and then a wag down to left, so the tip makes a cross in the air when 

 he makes the full sign. 



The Catbird is another. He has an extraordinary performance with a 

 very unusual equipment. His outfit consists of a red lantern and a black fan 

 for screen. He spreads the black fan (his tail), then raises it so you see the 

 red lantern (his undertail coverts), then drops the fan to shut off the lantern, 

 so we get alternately blackness and flashes of red-lantern light, recalHng some 

 of our army and navy signals. 



The Song Sparrow pumps his tail as he flies. 



The Phoebe makes an extraordinary performance with his tail, often 

 swinging it in a complete circle. This is the great exception to the rule that 

 the signal tail is always conspicuously marked, for the Phoebe's tail is very 

 plain indeed, but used with such energy that it never fails to identify the 

 bird, even without the aid of spots and bars. 



His cousin, the Crested Flycatcher, does some adroit tail-work, greatly 

 assisted by the fact that said tail is painted reddish brown. 



The Hermit Thrush is a most delicate tail-wagger. When he alights he 

 raises the tail about half an inch, then slowly swings it down again. The 

 action is slight, but is made more effective by the tail being colored reddish 

 brown, brighter than the rest of the bird's upper plumage. 



The Water-Thrushes and one or two of the Warblers are wig-waggers, and 

 I was surprised not long ago to see a Nuthatch, on my lunch-counter, turn 

 his back and spread his tail like a little Peacock, as a kinsman came flying to 

 join him. As the tail pointed straight up at the time, the white-and-brown- 

 splashed under coverts were remarkable. They spread like a little aurora 

 borealis, and surely were doing service as signals. 



Among larger birds, the Sparrow Hawk and Pigeon Hawk signal with their 

 tails. The Green Heron is an energetic wig-wagger. The Spotted Sandpiper 

 is well known for his tail signal; usually its line of movement describes a W 

 in the air, beginning at the tip on one side and ending at the tip on the other. 

 There arc tail-waggers even among the Ducks. 



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