A FIELD KEY TO OUR 

 COMMONER EASTERN LAND BIRDS 



The following is a field key to those birds which, either because of 

 their abundance or conspicuous colors, most frequently attract our 

 attention. With the object of making it as brief, and consequently as 

 simple, as possible, I have omitted species which can be referred to 

 their respective families without difficulty for example, Hawks, Owls, 

 Woodpeckers, and Swallows. It is designed simply as an aid to the 

 first steps of the beginner, who will soon graduate from it to the more 

 detailed keys in the body of the book. Like the field keys to Finches 

 and Sparrows and Warblers, it is based largely upon adult males. 



First Group. With yellow or orange in the plumage. 

 Second Group. With red in the plumage. 

 Third Group. With blue in the plumage. 



Fourth Group. Plumage conspicuously black, or black and white. 

 Fifth Group. Without either yellow, orange, red, or blue in the plumage; 

 not conspicuously black, or black and white. 



First Group. With yellow or orange in the plumage 



I. Throat yellow. 



1. Throat and breast pure yellow, without streaks or spots. 



A. Length 5*00; cap, wings, and tail black; back yellow; song canary- 



like, sometimes uttered on the wing; flight undulating, frequently 

 accompanied by the notes chic-o-ree, per-chic-o-ree. 



529. GOLDFINCH. 



B. Length 5*50; lower belly and wing-bars white; back olive-green; 



frequents the upper branches, generally in woodland; actions delib- 

 erate; song loud and musical, uttered slowly, often with pauses: 

 "See me? I'm here; where are you?" 



628. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 



C. Length 5' 25; cheeks and forehead black bordered by ashy; upper 



parts olive-green; no wing-bars; haunts thickets and undergrowth; 

 movements nervous and active ; call-note, pit or chack; song, a vigor- 

 ous, rapid witch-e-wee-o, wi'ch-e-wee-o, witch-e-wee-o. 



681. MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT 



D. Length 7'25; upperparts olive-green; no wing-bars; a white line 



before the eye; haunts thickets and undergrowth; song, a striking 

 mixture of whistles, chucks, and caws, sometimes uttered on the 

 wing 683. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 



2. Underparts streaked or spotted. 



A. Underparts streaked with rufous-brown; length 5*00; general 



appearance of a yellow bird ; haunts shrubbery of lawns, orchards, 

 second growths, and particularly willows near water; song, rather 

 loud, wee, chee-chee-chee, cher-wee, or chee-chee-chee-chee, why-o. 



652. YELLOW WARBLER. 



B. Breast yellow, with a conspicuous black crescent; length 10'QO; 



fields and meadows, largely terrestrial ; flight quail-like, outer white 

 tail-feathers showing when on the wing; song, a loud, musical 

 whistle 501. MEADOWLARK. 



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