THE TRAVELS OF BIRDS 



Meanwhile mother Robin is patiently sitting 

 on her blue eggs from which in about two weeks' 

 time another little family will appear. In two 

 weeks more they also will be large enough to 

 leave the nest and can join their brothers and 

 sisters in the roost. 



Grackles,*or Crow Blackbirds, have the same 

 habit. But since they have only one family, or 

 brood, both the parent birds go to the roost with 

 their young. 



Sometimes the Robins are joined by the 

 Crackles, and both by the European Starlings, 

 which, brought to this country and released in 

 Central Park in 1890, have since become one of 

 the most abundant birds in our Middle Atlantic 

 States. Such a roost is visited nightly by many 

 thousands of birds. It is very interesting, at 

 sunset, to watch them come streaming in from 

 every point of the compass and to hear their 

 good-night chorus before they all go to sleep. 



In the morning they begin to leave soon after 

 daybreak and by sunrise few are left. The place 

 which was thronged by myriads is deserted. 

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