9 



Absent Winter Birds at Oberlin, Ohio. — While the region about 

 Oberlin has been favored by the presence of several species (see above) 

 not commonly found during the entire winter, it has also been marked 

 on account of the absence of a number of species which are ordinarily 

 winter birds. These may be enumerated as follows : 



Red-tailed Hawk. — Absent during December, January, and nearly all 

 of February. It is usually not uncommon in the timbered tracts during 

 every month in the year. 



Red-shouldered Hawk. — Absent during December, January, Feb- 

 ruary, and the first half of March. Though usually less common in 

 winter than the Red-tail, it is one of our familiar winter birds. 



Sparrow Hawk. — Seen only once during the entire winter. Usually 

 seen in the vicinity of its last summer nesting place during the entire 

 winter. 



Short-eared Owl. — Absent during the entire time from November to 

 March 15. In suitable localities it is a familiar object of the fields, 

 especially during the winter months. 



Mourning Dove. — Absent from November to March 27. While this 

 species may not be present in January, it is yet very unusual that it is 

 absent during all of December and February, and its absence during the 

 greater part of March is almost unheard of. 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. — Absent all winter. This is one of our rare 

 species, yet it is almost always seen at some time during the winter. 



Cooper's Hawk. — Absent during the entire winter. It may be ques- 

 tioned whether this species is not usually rare or even entirely absent 

 during the larger part of the winter. But Mr. L. M. McCormick, whose 

 observations in the vicinity of Oberlin have covered a number of winters, 

 records it as a " tolerably common resident." 



Crow. — Absent during December and January, and the first half of 

 February. A few individuals usually remain all winter. 



Meadowlark. — Absent during the entire winter. It is unusual when 

 a few flocks of four to eight individuals of this species do not remain in 

 the fields during even the coldest part of the winter. 



Lapland Longspur. — Not recorded during the fall, and not found up 

 to the present time (March 27). Usually small companies of this species 

 may be confidently looked for from November i to April 20. 



JuNCO. — Absent during the entire winter. This species is rare during 

 the winter, at its best ; yet the mildness of the past winter would seem to 

 cause a few to remain. 



Song Sparrow. — Rare all winter. This species is usually common 

 during every month of the year. 



