Vol. XXXI-j Cooke, Winter Birds of Oklahoma. 48o 



ber 1, in flocks containing both males and females; from September 26, to 

 October 9, these flocks increased in size until they contamed 100-150 birds 

 in a flock The increase continued for the next month until by November 2 

 they were present in multitudes swarming over the cornfields and around 

 the barnyards. Then they decreased rapidly and only a few were seen 

 after November 15. These few remained through the winter and on 

 January 6 seemed to be nearly through with the winter molt. The first 

 male in full spring plumage was seen January 17 and two days later there 

 was a marked increase in numbers, about half the birds being in bright 



black plumage. 



The bulk of male cowbirds began to arrive about January 22 and tney 

 were common for a month and then about February 20, they seemed to 

 pass on north and after a few days their places were taken by new flocks 

 from the south composed mostly of females. They were never common m 

 the spring as in the fall and their spring numbers at the most formed only a 

 small fraction of the mixed Blackbird flocks. Few were seen after the first 

 of March, and a single one March 23 was the last. 



52 Agelaius phoeniceus subsp.? Red-winged Blackbird.— The 

 first flock appeared September 10, the species was not yet common by 

 October 9, and even by November 6, not more than ten flocks had been 

 seen in all Two days later they became more common and by November 

 16 they were abundant and equal in number to the Brewer's Blackbird. 

 These mixed flocks gradually decreased until by December 25 there were few 

 flocks of more than a hundred birds. Yet these small flocks were scattered 

 so numerously over the country as to make the Blackbirds among the most 

 numerous species. The last of December the females of the Red-winged 

 Blackbird were hardly a tenth as numerous as the males. On January -^ 

 the first increase over winter numbers was noted; still further mcrease 

 January 29 and the first spring song. Several flocks were passing north in 

 migration February 16, and by February 20 quite a share of the birds had 

 passed on north. More flocks flew by heading north February 25, still 

 principaUy males, though a few females were seen February 26 and about a 

 tenth of the flocks on this date were young males. On March 1 it was 

 noticed that the local flocks feeding around town during the day, were 

 flying to the woods for the night . Nothing of the kind was seen during the 

 whole of the winter, the birds keeping aU the time in the open country away 

 from the timber. A cloud of Red-winged Blackbirds was seen for the first 

 time in the spring March 5, and on March 11 a similar cloud passed by at 

 noon as though in regular migration. Within a few days they began to 

 decrease and by March 20 had become so rare that for the rest of the month 

 only smaU parties of 6-10 were seen. 



53 Sturnella magna magna. Meadowlark.— Though probably 

 resident, they cannot have been common in the fall for they were not noted 

 among the large numbers of Western Meadowlarks that swarmed over the 

 country in the fall. It was not until January 1 1 that this form was certainly 

 identified; by January 31 it was in fuU song and the songs of the eastern 



