~ ce nw 
197 
Distribution. Eastern North America west to well into the prairie country and 
north to beyond settlement. Nests locally almost wherever found in eastern Canada 
except in the extreme southern portion. 
The Chestnut-sided is usually found in dry brushy clearings, second 
growth, and raspberry tangles. 
660. Bay-breasted Warbler. FrR—LA FAUVETTE A POITRINE BAIE. Dendroica 
castanea. L, 5:63. Male: finely striped with dull olive-ochre and black above; under- 
parts white; top of head, throat, foreneck, and flanks bay colour (reddish chestnut); fore- 
head and cheeks black; a light ochre spot on side of neck. Female has all these charac- 
teristic marks obvious enough for recognition but veiled and dimly indicated. The 
autumn birds, however, are entirely different; above, yellowish-green faintly striped with 
dark, below, white, more or less tinged with yellowish or buffy greenish; the bay of the 
sides is often indicated by a slight ruddy warmth or by individual, fully coloured feathers. 
Distinctions. Spring birds are distinctive enough. Autumn specimens resemble 
the juvenile Black-poll so closely that often they can be separated only with difficulty even 
when in the hand. The Bay-breast almost invariably has a certain amount of warm 
ochre on the flanks which is lacking in the Black-poll and the under tail coverts are cream 
instead of pure white. The presence of wing-bars will distinguish these two species from 
any other plain greenish warbler. 
Field Marks. The adult male is distinctive in colour. The spring female always 
shows enough of the bay breast for recognition. Adult autumn birds also usually have 
a trace of the bay on the flanks and the warm ochreish of these parts can usually be seen 
in juveniles. When these characters fail to distinguish the species, however, close at- 
tention will show that the breast colour is perfectly even and sharp eyes or good glasses 
will usually reveal very faint dark stripings showing on the sides of the breast of the Black- 
poll. None of these marks, however, can be seen except under the most favourable cir- 
cumstances, but in mixed flocks one can usually tell the proportion of each species with 
fair accuracy. . 
Nesting. In coniferous trees 5 to 20 feet above the ground in nest of grasses and 
plant fibres lined with plant down and long hairs. 
Distribution. Eastern North America west to across the prairies and north to the 
tree limits. Breeds beyond regular cultivation. 
The Bay-breast in spring migration prefers brushy growth in sandy 
wastes, roadsides, etc., but often comes close about the house in shade 
trees and the orchard. The similarity of the autumn Bay-breast and the 
autumn Black-poll, a bird in full plumage totally different, is one of the 
interesting phenomena of bird coloration. The autumn plumages of these 
two birds were at one time confused with each other under the name 
of Autumnal Warbler. 
661. Black-poll Warbler. rrR.—LA FAUVETTE RAYEE. Dendroica striata. L, 5°56. 
Male: black and white stripes with a solidly black crown; finely lined with black and grey 
on back; below all white with black from base of bill down sides of neck breaking into 
stripes on flanks; cheeks white. Female: greenish above; white below washed with green- 
ish on throat and breast but with enough of the black striping showing more or less 
vaguely to make the bird recognizable as the female of the above. Autumn birds are 
almost indistinguishable from the preceding Bay-breast (see above). 
Distinctions. The spring males with their clear black and white markings can be 
mistaken for nothing except the Black-and-White Creeper, but their non-creeping habits 
and the crowns solidly black, instead of with a broad white median stripe, easily separate 
them. The striping of the female is distinctive. The autumn birds can be told from the 
Bay-breast by their lack of ochre, bay, or buffy on flanks and their pure white undertail 
coverts. 
Field Marks. The Black-poll is seen in three plumages: the male black and white; 
the female greenish, white below and more or less streaked with black; and autumn birds 
like Bay-breasts with faint stripes, visible only to sharp eyes or with good glasses, showmg 
through the yellowish flanks. . 
Nesting. Generally in spruce trees about 6 feet above the ground in nest of twigs, 
mosses, rootlets, etc., lined with fine grasses and tendrils. ‘ 
Distribution. Nearly similar to that of the preceding species. 
