BIRDS OF THE WEST 97 



Late in the season another family will be raised and possibly 

 a third and when at last the little home is broken up and you no 

 more see the even and easy flight of your little neighbors nor hear 

 their gentle and almost distant call note you had better make sure 

 that the storm windows are on and that there is plenty of coal 

 in the cellar and you may think of your little friends sailing south 

 upon the winds, their backs reflecting the blue of heaven and 

 their breasts the southern sun. 



OVENBIRD. Six inches long. The size of an English sparrow. Olive 

 brown above with a golden-brown crown. White beneath with the char- 

 acteristic thrush spots on the breast. Small white ring about the 

 eyes. One of the birds that walk. 



OVENBIRD. 



In spite of the fact that scientists classify this little bird as 

 a wood warbler his wonderful similarity to the thrushes will lead 

 you to think of him as one of them. If it is not a thrush, and we 

 must take the seentists' word for it, one thing is sure, it is trying 

 as hard to make a thrush of itself as the flicker is. Both of them de- 

 part from the habits of their kind, "come off their perches" and 

 get down to earth. Well, the thrush family is thoroughly respect- 

 able and the flicker is not to be blamed, but the ovenbird need 

 never be ashamed of the warblers. 



Few birds are of greater interest. To see one of them walk- 

 ing among the dead leaves, actually walking seems very queer 

 for so small a bird and the moving of its head and neck back- 

 ward and forward, rooster-like when it walks gives it a dignity 

 that is very striking. 



Ovenbirds like cuckoos are often spoken of as very shy but in 

 the west they seem to be surprisingly familiar. I have walked 

 to within a few feet of them and have observed as little timidity 

 among them as is to be expected from robins. The scarcity of 

 trees in the west subjects all birds to more frequent exposure 

 and doubtless explains in part what many people have often re- 

 marked, the greater familiarity of western birds. 



The name ovenbird is given to it because of the shape of its 

 nest which is entered from the side and very prettily arched 

 above. 



