Birds of Allegany Park 311 



Marsh birds like both kinds of habitats, but nest more frequently 

 among the cat-tails as they furnish better protection and conceal- 

 ment. Only three species of birds that have been found in the Park 

 properly belong to the marshes, but there are many other possibili- 

 ties left for future discovery, including the other rails, the marsh 

 wrens, Swamp Sparrow and Least Bittern. Species listed under 

 other headings that often haunt the marshes are Black Duck, Great 

 Blue Heron, Green Heron, Marsh Hawk, Meadowlark and Bronzed 

 Grackle. 



Red- winged Blackbird. Agelaius phccniccus phoc ulceus (Linn.) 



This bird is a little smaller than the Robin. The male is entirely 

 black, except the shoulder of the wing which is brilliant scarlet red, 

 edged with pale yellow. This mark is always visible in flight or 

 when the wing is spread, but may be concealed when the bird is 

 quiet, with wings folded. A singing bird, however, has a habit of 

 spreading the wings and lifting the shoulders, so that in such cases 

 it cannot be mistaken. The female and young are of a plain brown- 

 ish color, striped above and below. 



The Red-winged Blackbird is well distributed in open country in 

 the Park. It prefers swampy areas, and borders of slow-moving 

 streams. Cat-tail marshes are its favorite home, but where there 

 are no cat-tails it is found in open, sedgy marshes, or in bushes and 

 trees along their margin. 



The song of the Red-wing has been well represented in its most 

 typical form by the syllables " conqueree," the last note a long trill. 

 The commonest call is a harsh " chack," but when one approaches 

 the nesting site it utters an alarm note " pee-ah " and less commonly 

 a rather mournful " whee-ee-ew." 



The nest is placed in cat-tails a foot or two above the water of a 

 marsh, or in a tussock of grass, or more rarely a bush, growing in a 

 marshy situation. Nests were common in the cat-tails about Lime- 

 stone. They are made of coarse grasses, and the bluish eggs are 

 marked with curious black scrawls and streaks. 



Bittern. Botaurus lentiginoses (Montag.) 



The Bittern is larger than the Crow, with long neck and legs, and 

 a long, sharp-pointed bill. It may be distinguished from the Great 

 Blue Heron and Green Heron by its brown, striped plumage, and 

 by its size, — smaller than the former but considerably larger than 

 the latter. 



It has been found in the Park only in the Tunungwant Valley, 

 where a single bird was seen July 25 and again July 27. It lives 

 in the marshes among the grasses and cat-tails, or about bayous 

 along: the stream borders (figure 91). 



While the Bittern is usually silent, it sometimes when startled 

 emits a hoarse cry. In spring, in regions where it nests, it makes a 

 curious pumping noise sounding like " pumper lunk — pumper 

 lunk," the sound often being uttered at night and carrying a long 

 distance. 



