THE SCISSOR-TAILED FLY-CATCHER. 



{Milvulus forificatus. ) 



The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is per- 

 haps the most graceful, as it certainly 

 is one of the most beautiful, of the 

 thirty-five species of the flycatcher fam- 

 ily whose ranges bring them within the 

 borders of the United States. It may 

 be called a bird of Texas, and it also 

 frequents the adjacent regions of the 

 United States as far northward as 

 Southern Kansas and southwestern 

 Missouri, and the region southward 

 through Mexico to Costa Rica. It is a 

 notable wanderer and solitary individu- 

 als have been reported from various 

 localities through the eastern United 

 States as far north as the Hudson Bay 

 Territory. In Texas, where it is much 

 admired and is a common summer resi- 

 dent, it is commonly called the Texan 

 Bird of Paradise, and it is also called 

 Swallow-tailed Flycatcher. Its names 

 are all given to it because of its elon- 

 gated .outer tail feathers which it opens 

 and closes whenever it so desires. 



These Flycatchers are very graceful 

 when flying or when perched upon the 

 limb' of a tree. Upon the ground their 

 long tails are in the way and they are 

 quite awkward in their movements. 

 However, they seldom light upon the 

 ground for nearly all their food is taken 

 while upon the wing. They have a 

 kindly disposition, especially toward 

 their fellows and the smaller birds. But 

 like their relatives the kingbirds, they 

 vigorously attack hawks, crows, jays or 

 any other of the larger birds which 

 approach too near their homes. While 

 not gregarious, they are socially in- 

 clined and may often be seen in small 

 flocks of five to ten individuals. They 

 also frequently nest in small colonies. 

 Major Bendire says of these Flycatch- 

 ers: "They do not begin housekeeping 

 at once after their arrival from their 

 winter quarters in Central America, but 

 dally for several weeks in courting and 



love-making and having a good time 

 generally before they begin their more 

 serious duties of reproduction." 



That the Scissor-tails have a fearless 

 character is well shown in their selec- 

 tion of a nesting site. They seem to 

 seek publicity and will not only seek a 

 solitary tree but will also build their 

 nests as a rule, in exposed places upon 

 a horizontal limb. Neither do these 

 birds seem to have any choice regarding 

 the materials to be used in the con- 

 struction of their nests. Any material, 

 near at hand, that can be used is perfectly 

 satisfactory. Because of this indiffer- 

 ence, their nests vary greatly both in 

 size and in the materials used in their 

 construction. While the walls usually 

 consist of twigs, small roots and herba- 

 cious stems, especially those of low 

 annuals belonging to the genus Evax 

 and related to the everlastings, either 

 Spanish moss, wool or raw cotton may 

 make up nearly the whole bulk of the 

 nest and ''rags, hair, twine, feathers, bits 

 of paper, dry grass, and even seaweeds 

 may be incorporated in the mass." 

 Nests have been seen which were com- 

 posed almost entirely of cotton twine 

 and a few twigs. The nests are lined 

 with feathers or some other handy soft 

 material. 



Both parents assist in feeding their 

 young, exclusively insect food. As the 

 summer advances, both young and old 

 congregate in the fields and prairies be- 

 fore they begin their southward migra- 

 tion. The Scissor-tails are useful as 

 well as ornamental birds, for their foods 

 mainly consists of insects and they con- 

 sume large numbers of grasshoppers, 

 locusts and cotton worms. They also 

 eat berries to a limited extent. As they 

 gracefully and slowly fly from tree to 

 tree they frequently utter rather soft 

 twittering notes which have been lik- 

 ened, in sound, to the syllables "pscc- 

 pscc." 



'J04 



