THE GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 



{Empidonax virescens.) 



The Green-crested or Acadian Fly- 

 catcher is a frequent summer resident in 

 the eastern United States, and through 

 the valley of the Mississippi river it mi- 

 grates as far northward as Manitoba, 

 where it is said to be quite common. 



This bird exhibits no haste in its 

 northward spring journey, for it is one 

 of the latest species to arrive on its 

 breeding grounds in the higher latitudes 

 and as winter approaches, it leaves the 

 United States entirely and winters in 

 Mexico, Central America and northern 

 South America. 



If we would make the acquaintance of 

 the Green-crested Flycatcher, we must 

 seek it in woodlands in the vicinity of 

 some stream or other body of water. Its 

 favorite haunts are "deep, shady, second- 

 growth hardwood forests, on rather ele- 

 vated ground, especially beech woods 

 with little undergrowth, or bottom lands 

 not subject to periodical overflow." It 

 is not an over shy bird, yet it is rathei 

 difficult to find, for its colors are in per- 

 fect harmony with its surroundings as it 

 passes from tree to tree through the dark 

 foliage of the lower limbs. So perfect is 

 this color-harmony that Major Charles 

 l^endire said, *T have several times failed 

 to detect the bird when I was perfectly 

 certain it was within twenty feet of me," 

 and Neltje Blanchan likens its move- 

 ments to "a leaf that is being blown 

 about, touched by the sunshine flittering 

 through the trees, and partly shaded by 

 the young foliage casting its first shad- 

 ows." 



Like its sister flycatchers the Green- 

 crested is not a good natured bird and 

 will even quarrel with individuals of its 

 own species. Even its voice is fretful, 

 especially when from its perch it is wait- 

 ing for an insect to pass by. It seldom 



perches higher than from fifteen to 

 twenty feet from the ground, and while 

 standing constantly twiches its tail and 

 frequently utters a note that Mr. Chap- 

 man describes as a single spec or peet. 



It is a beneficial bird, for its food con- 

 sists of insects except in the fall when 

 it feeds to a limited extent on wild ber- 

 ries. It will occasionally visit orchards 

 where it has learned there may be found 

 a plentiful supply of food to its liking. 

 When an insect is sighted, like the other 

 flycatchers, except that it chooses a low 

 rather than a high perch from which to 

 watch, it flies outward and with an up- 

 ward sweep seldom fails to catch its prey 

 in its open bill, which is suddenly closed 

 with a notably loud click that seems like 

 an expression of satisfaction over the 

 result of its efiforts. 



The drooping branches of several 

 kinds of trees and shrubs are selected by 

 the Green-crested Flycatchers as suitable 

 sites for their unpretentious homes. The 

 nests are semipensil, being attached by 

 the rim to the fork of a small limb or to 

 two parallel limbs. They are shallow 

 and so loosely constructed that frequent- 

 ly the eggs may be seen from the under- 

 side. As this Flycatcher breeds nearly 

 throughout its range, the materials used 

 in the construction of the nests varies 

 greatly. In southern states where Span- i 

 ish moss is common it is one of the chief 

 constituehts of the nest. In more north- 

 ern district, stems of plants, small roots 

 and fibrous materials are used. These 

 are loosely woven with blades of grass, 

 dry flowers and the catkins of the wil- 

 low. Not infrequently the hanging 

 catkins, decayed fibres and the loose ends 

 of stems and blades of grass give an 

 untidy appearance to the home of this 

 useful and interesting bird. 



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