THE BIRD BOOK 



Starling 



STARLINGS. Family STURNID^ 



[493.] STARLING. Sturnus vulgaris. 



Range. A European species which has cas- 

 ually been taken in Greenland. It was liber- 

 ated a number of years ago in Central Park, 

 New York City, and has 

 now become abundant 

 there and is spreading 

 slowly in all directions. 



They build their nests 

 in all sorts of locations 

 such as are used by the 

 English Sparrow, wher- 

 ever they can find a 

 sufficiently large crev- 

 ice or opening; less often they build their nests 

 in trees, making them of straw, twigs and 

 trash. They lay from four to six pale bluish 

 green eggs; size 1.15 x .85. Two broods are 

 reared in a season. 



BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. Family ICTERID^E 



494. BOBOLINK. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. 



Range. Eastern North America, breeding from New Jersey north to Nova 

 Scotia and Manitoba, and west to Utah and Nevada; winters in South America. 

 This black and white bird is well known in the east, where his sweet, wild 

 music, often uttered on the wing, is much ad- 

 mired. He sings all day long during May and 

 June to his Sparrow-like mate, who is sitting 

 on her nest concealed in the 

 meadow grass. They are 

 quite sociable birds and sev- 

 eral pairs often nest in the 

 same field, generally a damp 

 meadow; the nests are hoi- 

 Grayish white lows in the ground, lined with 

 grass and frequently with the top slightly arch- 

 ed to conceal the eggs, which are grayish white, 

 clouded, spotted and blotched with brownish, 

 gray and lilac; size .84 x .62. They number from 

 four to six and are laid in June. 



495. COWBIRD. Molothrus ater ater. 



Range. North America from the Atlantic 

 to eastern California, and from New Brunswick 

 and Manitoba southward; winters from the 

 southern half of the United States southward. 



These uncivilized members of the bird world 

 build no nests for themselves, but slyly deposit Bobolink 



3X4 



