290 



REDSTART 



Fall Migration. Since the Redstart breeds over most of the 

 eastern United States, it is not possible to determine the beginning of 

 its fall migration in that portion of its range from which were received 

 the fullest records of spring arrival. Just south of the breeding range, 

 in the South Atlantic and Gulf states, the dates show that the Red- 

 start is one of the earliest of fall migrants. The earliest migrant in 

 Chester County, South Carolina, was seen July 10; at Key West, Fla., 

 July 22, 1889, and near there, at Sombrero Key lighthouse, July 28 

 and 29, 1886. It has been taken in Jamaica by August 10; in Costa 

 Rica, August 13 ; Colombia, South America, September 2, and on 

 the island of Antigua, Lesser Antilles, September 6. These dates are 

 especially interesting because they prove so conclusively that the 

 southernmost breeding birds start first in their migration, and pass at 

 once to the southern portion of the winter range. The date of Sep- 

 tember 6, at Antigua, is interesting because the Redstart is one of the 

 very few migrant land-birds from the United States that range 

 throughout the West Indies, even to the Windward Islands and Trini- 

 dad; and the early date shows that the flights from island to island 

 are interspersed with but few and short intervals of rest. 



Fall migration in the Mississippi Valley is not quite so early ; still 

 the first were seen at New Orleans, La., July 21, 1899, July 29, 1900, 

 and July 30, 1897. The earliest migrants reach central Texas the 

 last of August and have been noted the first of September in Mexico, 

 nearly at the southern limit of the bird's winter range in that country. 



The regular tide of migration in southeastern United States sets 

 in early in August, and the striking of the Redstart against the Florida 

 lighthouses has been reported on nineteen nights in that month. The 

 largest flocks pass through the Middle Atlantic states about the middle 

 of September, and the greatest number strike the Florida lighthouses 

 the first half of October. 



