NESTING HABITS OF OUR BIRDS 6l 



larger Cowbird gets the greater share of the food. Sometimes 

 the nest become so crowded that the stronger Cowbird will rest 

 on the edge of the nest. 



Red- Winged Blackbird. 

 Agelaius phoeniceus. 

 The Red-wing is a bird of the swamps, where it builds its 

 nest, which is built either on the ground or suspended from the 

 rushes. The young are fledged late in June, there being but one 

 brood. During the nesting season, the old birds manifest much 

 concern whenever a pedestrian passes the place where the nest 

 is situated. The males will follow the intruder, scolding all the 

 while, until he has got away from the vicinity of the nest. 



MEADOWIvARK. 



Sturnella magna. 



This well-known species of the meadows places its nest on 

 the ground in some grassy field. About haying-time the young 

 birds are fledged, but sometimes they are still in the nests when 

 the mowing-machine is working. Then there is great excitement 

 among the Meadowlarks, and individuals may be seen flying 

 hither and thither, and showing great alarm by their incessant 

 calling. 



Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 

 Coccyzus americanus . 



The Cuckoo builds its nest sometimes in the top of tall forest 

 trees and again in such a low position as may be found in a young 

 box-elder. A habit peculiar to the bird is laying one egg at a 

 time and hatching it before laying another. To this character- 

 istic is due the fact that young Cuckoos may be seen as late as 

 the end of September. I was astonished one day to see an old 

 Yellowbill feeding a young bird on the 30th of September. 



Red-headed Woodpecker. 

 Melanerpes erythrocephalus. 



Holes in trees or telephone poles are made by the Red-headed 

 Woodpecker as its nesting- place. Walking along a country road, 

 one may find nearly every pole bored by the Red-heads. In this 

 respect they are an injurious species, for the poles used for nesting 

 are often easily broken by wind and weather. While feeding the 

 young, the old birds make continuous trips to and from the nest. 



