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675. Northern Water-Thrush. WATER-THRUSH. FR. LA GHIVE DBS RUISSEAUX. 

 Seiurus noveboracensis. L, 6-04. Dark olive-brown above, yellowish white finely and 

 sharply streaked with dark below, disconnected lines on throat, breast, and flanks. A 

 buffy blended line over the eye and a fine, sharp, dark one through it. 



Distinctions. Easily distinguished from the Ovenbird by the finer, more evenly 

 distributed striping, darker coloration, yellowish underparts, and the lack of crown patch. 

 From the Louisiana Water-Thrush it may be told by the buffy instead of white line over 

 the eye, the yellowish instead of buffy or creamy underparts, and the presence of spots 

 on the throat. 



Field Marks. The Water-Thrushes can be told in life by their habitual upward 

 jerking of the tail as they walk or stand, very similar to the actions of the common Spotted 

 Sandpiper. The two Water-Thrushes can be told apart by the difference in the colour 

 details given above. 



Nesting. In a mossy bank or in the turned-up roots of a tree, usually near or over 

 water, in nest of moss lined with tendrils and fine rootlets. 



Distribution. North America north to the limits of settlement. Breeds in Canada 

 wherever found except in the extreme southern parts. 



SUBSPECIES. The Water-Thrush is divided into an eastern and a western sub- 

 species; the Eastern Water-Thrush S. n. noveboracensis, the type form, ranges westward to 

 southern Ontario where it intergrades with Grinnell's Water-Thrush S. n. notabilis which 

 occupies the country to the west. 



The favourite home of the Water-Thrush is in wet cedar swamps. 



676. Louisiana Water-Thrush. FR. LA GRIVE DE LA LOUISIANE. Seiurus 

 motacilla. L, 6-28. Dark olive-brown above, buffy white below finely streaked with 

 sharp dark disconnected lines from upperneck to breast and flanks. A sharp, white line 

 over the eye and a fine, blended, dark line through it. 



Distinctions. Easily separated from the Ovenbird by lack of coloured crown streak; 

 very similar to the Northern Water-Thrush but separable by slightly larger size, buffy 

 rather than yellowish underparts, and by the whiteness of the face markings. 



Field Marks. The Louisiana Water-Thrush has the jerking tail habit of the Northern 

 Water-Thrush and can be distinguished from it in life only by attention to the differences 

 given above. 



Nesting. Similar to that of the Water-Thrush. 



Distribution. Eastern United States, appearing in Canada only in southwestern 

 Ontario. 



Very similar to the Northern Water-Thrush in habits as well as in 

 colour and form. It is, however, a bird of more southern distribution 

 and is of only rare occurrence in Canada. 



Genera Oporornis Geothlypis, and Icteria. Ground Warblers. 



The Ground Warblers are rather larger than the Woodland Warblers 

 but considerably smaller than the Wagtail Warblers and have compara- 

 tively stout legs and short wings. Their colours are largely green and 

 bright yellow. They inhabit low shrubbery and are seldom seen far above 

 the ground. 



677. Kentucky Warbler. FR. LA FAUVETTE DU KENTUCKY. Oporornis formosus. 

 L, 5-40. Greenish above; all underparts clear yellow; forehead black, shading off on mid- 

 crown; bright yellow eyebrow line hooking around eye. A sharp black patch extends 

 from base of bill, including lores and most of ear-coverts, to side of neck. Female and 

 autumn birds similar but duller, the black face mark being more or less veiled though still 

 visible. 



Distinctions. Coloured much like the Prairie Warbler but with the black leaving 

 only a narrow eyebrow line in front of the eye instead of a largely yellow cheek and without 

 flank stripes. Somewhat similar to the Canada Warbler but with back greenish instead 

 of grey and without breast markings of any kind. 



