What Birds Signal with Their Tails? 



287 



In general, whenever you see a bird's tail that is strikingly marked, you 

 may believe that that tail is used in some sort of signalling. Every bird, 

 indeed, has some identifying trick or color pattern, besides peculiarities of 

 voice and flight. And one proof that they serve such purpose is the fact that 

 it is by this that we identify them. A few are here noted. If you watch the 

 common birds of the garden, you will surely discover many that have hitherto 

 escaped observation. 



Cultivating the Birds 



By CRAIG S. THOMS, Vermilion, S. Dak. 



With Photographs by the Author 



BIRDS have become plentiful at Vermilion, S. Dak., and before the year 

 is done nearly all of them seem to come to my yard. Of course, 

 there are inducements. I feed them and water them and arrange 

 nesting-places, and grow raspberries and strawberries, and have a home-garden, 

 which provides them with numerous insects. 



I have counted the following birds in my yard in a single year: 



V/INTER BIRDS 



I, Downy Woodpecker; 2, Hairy Woodpecker; 3, Black-capped Chickadee; 

 4, Junco; 5, Cardinal Grosbeak; 6, 

 White-breasted Nuthatch; 7, Red- 

 breasted Nuthatch; 8, Brown 

 Creeper; 9, Redpoll; 10, American 

 Goldfinch; 11, Screech Owl; 12, 

 Tree Sparrow. 



SUMMER BIRDS 

 13, Robin; 14, Bronzed Grackle; 

 15, Red-winged Blackbird; 16, 

 Cowbird; 17, Mourning Dove; 18, 

 Blue Jay; 19, Flicker; 20, Catbird; 

 21, House Wren; 22, Wood Thrush; 

 23, Warbling Vireo; 24, Brown 

 Thrasher; 25, Yellow-billed 

 Cuckoo; 26, Chipping Sparrow; 27, 

 Field Sparrow; 28, Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak; 29, Summer Warbler; 

 30, Kingbird; 31, Bluebird; 32, 

 Baltimore Oriole; 33, Orchard 

 Oriole; 34, Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker; 35, Least Flycatcher; 36, Wood Pewee, 37, Towhee; 2>^, Ruby- 

 throated Hurnmingbird; 39, Cedar Waxwing; 40, American Coot (evidently 

 exhausted in flight). 



jj *„ \ >^ s 



THE FLICKER AT THE DOOR OF HIS NEST IN 



THE LOG WITH THE KNOTHOLE WHICH I 



FIXED FOR HIM 



