i8o BIRDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN 

 96. AMERICAN REDSTART 



Setophaga ruticilla 



The American Redstart comes to the 

 Garden and passes out again like all of the 

 other warblers. It may be that occasionally 

 a pair has nested there or on the Common. 

 The earliest appearance of the Redstart 

 was in 1905, when a male bird came to the 

 Garden on May 9. In 1908 three male 

 birds came on May 12. Usually it has been 

 quite the middle of May before the arrival 

 has been noted, May 14 to 18. Three to 

 five birds have often been present together. 

 Six Redstarts were in the Garden on 

 May 24, 1908. Perhaps not more than a 

 dozen birds have appeared in any one sea- 

 son; sometimes only four or five. 



The male birds sing freely. The visitants 

 frequent the larger and taller trees. Some- 

 times a young male in a plumage resem- 

 bling that of the female has been seen 

 singing like the adult male. In 1907, and 

 again in 1908, a Redstart was singing in 

 the Garden up to the end of May, having 



