THE OOLOGIST 



150 



Some Common Land Birds Found in 



the Immediate Vicinity of 



McKeesport, Penn. 



The following list has been prepar- 

 ed by the writer to encourage local 

 interest in the protection and study 

 of birds. Most of the water and game 

 birds give the Tube City a wide berth. 

 A list of the shore birds, ducks and 

 other water birds and the game birds 

 may be prepared at some future time. 

 Particular attention has been paid to 

 the land birds frequently noted with- 

 in the city limits. 



Mourning Dove — A few invade the 

 wilder portions of the outskirts of the 

 city. 



Sparrow Hawk — Regularly fre- 

 quents the Christy Park hillside. A 

 pair successfully raised a brood of 

 young there a few years ago. (Christy 

 Park is a part of the city along the 

 Youghiogheny River). 



Yellow-billed Cuckoo — A few seen 

 and may breed within the city limits. 

 Belted Kingfisher — Found along 

 Long and Jacks Runs. 



Hairy Woodpecker — One seen to 

 about five of the next species. 



Downy Woodpecker — Probably 

 breeds in Olympia Park. 



Yellow-bellied Sapsucker — A few 

 regularly seen in Snake Hollow. 



Red-headed Woodpecker — Common 

 within the outer city limits. 



Flicker — Common, seen occasionally 

 in winter on Christy Park hillside and 

 Snake Hollow where it is a common 

 summer resident. 



Whip-poor-will — In the summer af- 

 ter dusk this bird can be seen and 

 heard along Jacks Run one mile from 

 Long Run bridge. 



Nighthawk — Common. 

 Chimney Swift— A bird of the city 

 residential sections. 



Ruby-throated Hummingbird — More 

 apt to be seen in Snake Hollow where 

 I once watched a mother feed her 

 young. 



Kingbird — A pair frequents the 

 swampy ground along Lincoln way, 

 Fawcett Place. 



Crested Flycatcher — Common in 

 woods near Olympia Park. 



Phoebe — Common near running 

 water in Snake Hollow and Long Run. 



Wood Pewee — In forest trees on out- 

 skirts of the city. 



Blue Jay — Very common within one 

 mile of city limits. I never could see 

 any reason why the bird is not com- 

 mon in this vicinity. 



Crow — The most numerous of all 

 birds during part of the year as there 

 is a roost of some 20,000 crows on the 

 hills along Dead Man's Hollow. (This 

 is about one quarter mile from the 

 city limits and across the Youghiog- 

 heny River). 



Bob-o-link — Breeds in the field fac- 

 ing Lincoln Way a short distance be- 

 yond the Foster Road. 



Cowbird — Rather uncommon except 

 during migrations. 



Red-winged Blackbird — Breeds in 

 the swampy fields along Lincoln way. 



Meadowlark — Breeds in the larger 

 vacant fields in the city limits. 



Baltimore Oriole — Found every- 

 where where there are big shade 

 trees. 



Bronzed Grackle — A big egg eater 

 and a public nuisance. I have watched 

 them several times raid nests of Eng- 

 lish Sparrows and eat the eggs and 

 young birds. They should be pro- 

 scribed. 



Goldfinch — Common permanent resi- 

 dent within the city limits. 



English Sparrow — A pest illustrat- 

 ing the law of the survival of the fit- 

 test. 



Vesper Sparrow— Breeds on Christy 

 Park Hillside. 



White-throated Sparrow — Common 

 migrant especially qn the Christy Park 

 hillside. 



