Harris Birds of the Kansas City Region. 307 



Family TANGARIDAE. Tanagers. 



PIRANGA ERYTHROMELAS Vieillot. Scarlet Tanager. 

 Common summer resident. 



The Scarlet Tanager arrives from April 25th (1895, earliest) 

 to the 30th, sometimes not until the last days of the first week in 

 May. Nesting begins in early June, and after the postnuptial 

 moult, when the young are on the wing, the birds leave for the 

 south. The migrating period occupies nearly all of September. 

 By the first of October all have left. 



The Tanagers are woods-loving birds and are always found 

 in the neighborhood of timber. 



This species has a general distribution over the county and 

 breeds in the timbered bottoms as well as in the woods of the 

 high country and near the edges of the prairie regions. 



It is common in Swope Park and the upper Blue Valley and 

 breeds at several points in the southern suburbs. 



PIRANGA RUBRA RUBRA (Linn.). Summer Tanager. 

 Fairly common summer resident. 



This tanager arrives with its congener in late April or early 

 May and leaves during September. It is perhaps not quite as 

 common as the Scarlet and is never found nesting in the Mis- 

 souri bottom lands or other low timber. It prefers higher 

 country, particularly dry oak woods, and occasionally builds its 

 nest in orchards or other timber close to habitations. 



It is numerous in Swope Park and on the wooded hills and 

 ridges of the upper Blue Valley, as well as in many similar 

 places in the central and southern parts of the county. 



Family HIRUNDINIDAE. Swallows. 



PROGNE SUBIS SUBIS (Linn.). Purple Martin. 

 Very common summer resident. 



The earliest Martins arrive in mid-March (from the 4th to 

 26th). These are a few impatients males that are sometimes 

 forcec by late storms to rejoin their less venturesome brothers 

 further south. By the last week in March there are always a 

 few present and during the following two weeks they are joined 

 daily by fresh arrivals. It sometimes happens that late sleet 

 storms force the Martins to remain in their roosts for two or 

 three successive days when they starve to death. 



