THE SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER 



PIvYCATCHERS are all interest- 

 ing, and many of them are 

 beautiful, but the Scissor- 

 tailed species of Texas is 

 especially attractive. They are also 

 known as the Swallow-tailed Fly- 

 catcher, and more frequently as the 

 "Texan Bird of Paradise." It is a 

 common summer resident throughout 

 the greater portion of that state and 

 the Indian Territory, and its breeding 

 range extends northward into Southern 

 Kansas. Occasionally it is found 

 in southwestern Missouri, western 

 Arkansas, and Illinois. It is accidental 

 in the New England states, the North- 

 west Territory, and Canada. It arrives 

 about the middle of March and returns 

 to its winter home in Central America 

 in October. Some of the birds remain 

 in the vicinity of Galveston throughout 

 the year, moving about in small flocks. 

 There is no denying that the grace- 

 fulness of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 

 should well entitle him to the admira- 

 tion of bird-lovers, and he is certain to 

 be noticed wherever he goes. The 

 long outer tail feathers he can open 

 and close at will. His appearance is 

 most pleasing to the eye when flutter- 

 ing slowly from tree to tree on the 

 rather open prairie, uttering his 

 twittering notes, "Spee-spee." When 

 chasing each other in play or anger 

 these birds have a harsh note like 

 "Thish-thish," not altogether agree- 

 able. Extensive timber land is shunned 

 by this Flycatcher, as it prefers more 

 open country, though it is often seen 

 in the edges of woods. It is not often 

 seen on the ground, where its move- 

 ments are rather awkward. Its amia- 

 bility and social disposition are ob- 

 served in the fact that several pairs 

 will breed close to each other in 



perfect harmony. Birds smaller than 

 itself are rarely molested by it, but it 

 boldly attacks birds of prey. It is a 

 restless bird, constantly on the lookout 

 for passing insects, nearly all of which 

 are caught on the wing and carried to 

 a perch to he eaten. It eats moths, 

 butterflies,beetles,grasshoppers,locusts, 

 cotton worms, and, to some extent, 

 berries. Its usefulness cannot be 

 doubted. According to Major Bendire, 

 these charming creatures seem to be 

 steadily increasing in numbers, being 

 far more common in many parts of 

 Texas, where they are a matter of 

 pride with the people, than they were 

 twenty years ago. 



The Scissor- tails begin housekeep- 

 ing some time after their arrival from 

 Central America, courting and love 

 making occupying much time before 

 the nest is built. They are not hard 

 to please in the selection of a suitable 

 nesting place, almost any tree standing 

 alone being selected rather than a 

 secluded situation. The nest is bulky, 

 commonly resting on an exposed limb, 

 and is made of any material that may 

 be at hand. They nest in oaks,, 

 mesquite, honey locust, mulberry, 

 pecan, and magnolia trees, as well as 

 in small thorny shrubs, from five to 

 forty feet from the ground. Rarely 

 molested they become quite tame. 

 Two broods are often raised. The 

 eggs are usually five. They are hatched 

 by the female in twelve days, while 

 the male protects the nest ifrom sus- 

 picious intruders. The young are fed 

 entirely on insects and are able to 

 leave the nest in two weeks. The 

 eggs are clear white, with markings of 

 brown, purple, and lavender spots and 

 blotches. 



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