Birds of Allegany Park 29 1 



Hermit Thrush. Hylocichla guttata pallasi (Cab.) 



The Hermit Thrush is only a little larger than the English Spar- 

 row. Its upper parts are uniform olive-brown, except the tail, 

 which is abruptly reddish brown, the best field mark by which to 

 identify it. The under parts are white, spotted on the breast with 

 dark brown spots, smaller than those on the Wood Thrush, about 

 the same as those of the Olive-back and darker than those of the 

 Veery. The young are similar to the adults, but streaked with 

 buff or whitish on the back. 



This is the commonest and most widely distributed thrush in the 

 Park, found nearly everywhere in the maple and beech forest, but 

 noticeably not found in oak and chestnut nor where the Wood 

 Thrush occurs, though there may be cases where there are Wood 

 Thrushes on one side of a stream valley and Hermit Thrushes on 

 the opposite slope. It lives in the lower branches and underbrush 

 of the forest, and is much more frequently heard than seen. 



The Hermit Thrush's song is one of the most beautiful and in- 

 spiring of American bird songs. The notes are as clear, sweet and 

 resonant as those of the purest-toned bell. The song consists of 

 phrases of six to ten notes each. Each phrase usually begins with 

 a long low note, and is followed by higher and faster notes, grouped 

 in twos and threes, each group descending in pitch, but usually 

 higher than the last group. Each complete phrase is pitched higher 

 or lower than the one preceding it. An occasional phrase is pitched 

 an octave or more higher than the others, when the notes are less 

 resonant and musical than other phrases of the song. Unlike most 

 bird songs, the low notes are louder and carry farther than the 

 high ones, so that the last notes are often inaudible in distant birds. 

 This Thrush may be heard frequently in the Park in early summer, 

 but ceases to sing in early August, so that visitors who listen for it 

 in the latter part of that month are likely to be disappointed. 



The nest of the Hermit Thrush is usually placed on the ground 

 and made of mosses, leaves and roots. The eggs are greenish blue 

 and unspotted. 



Chickadee. Penthestes atricapilhis atricapillus (Linn.) 



The Chickadee is smaller than the English Sparrow. The top of 

 its head, and a spot on the chin and throat are black, while the 

 cheek space between these marks is pure white. The back, wings 

 and tail are gray, the wings with white-edged feathers. The under 

 parts are dull white, with the sides, in fresh plumage, buff. 



The Chickadee is common throughout the forests of the Park 

 and found in both kinds of forest, frequenting the lower limbs of 

 the trees and undergrowth. It is an active little bird, continually 

 flitting about among the branches, usually in small companies in 

 late summer and through the winter. Chickadees are quite tame 

 and confiding, often approaching an observer closely, and may 

 sometimes be induced to feed from one's hand. 



The common call of the Chickadee is the well-known " chicka- 

 dee-dee-dee/' It lias another call of more whistled quality that 



