BIRDS OF THE WEST 49 



511. PURPLE GRACKLE. Quiscalus quiscula. Twelve and one- 

 half inches long. Entirely black with purple luster. Yellow eyes. 

 Called "crow blackbird". Harsh voice. Nests in colonies. Bulky nests 

 of mud and dry grass. Differs from the bronzed grackle in having 

 indistinctly barred plumage. 



501b. WESTERN MEADOW LARK. Sturnella magna neglecta. 

 About the length of the robin but a little larger. Brown and yellow 

 above. Yellow throat. Black collar. Two white feathers in tail, very 

 noticeable in flight. Good singer. Nests often roofed over and hard to 

 find. Very common on the prairies. 



507. BALTIMORE ORIOLE. Icturus galbula. Nearly eight inches 

 long. Black head. Wings black and barred with white. Body bright 

 orange. Tail yellow and black. Female yellow and brown instead of 

 orange and black. Builds a high, hanging nest, most often in elms. 



506. ORCHARD ORIOLE. Icturus spurius. About an inch long- 

 er than the English sparrow. The smallest of the blackbirds. Mostly 

 black above with black head, throat and tail. Orange-chestnut below. 

 Chestnut on wings. Would never be thought of as a blackbird but as 

 an oriole. Nest is made of green grass. A valuable insect destroyer. 



494. BOBOLINK. (Swamp Blackbird, Rice Bird, Reed Bird.) 

 Dolichonix oryzivorus. Seven inches long. Mostly black. Yellowish- 

 white hood. Mone or less white on wings and tail. Female mostly 

 yellowish-brown. Sings while flying. 



RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 



As you wander about a marshy place where the cat-o 'nine- 

 tails grow, you will almost surely see a number of red-wings'. 

 They are sociable birds as are most birds of black feather, 

 sociable among themselves, but they will lose no time in letting 

 you know that you are not a welcome visitor. Their cry at such 

 time is as full of fear and sorrow as an earthly note can be and 

 much in contrast to the piping of his "Co-ka-lee" as he sits above 

 his nesting mate. When you approach his nest that is carefully 

 fastened to the reeds he will hover above you and almost betray 

 its location. The chances are that you will have to wade to see 

 it, as they know how to cheat the squirrels and almost every- 

 thing else except their arch-enemies, men. What a shame that 

 they are so often put upon the list of birds that may be killed 

 with impunity! 



When you have reached the nest, leave it alone, but notice 



