THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



WINTER 1916-1917 



Published by the 



ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



(For the protection of wild birds) 



Winter Birds in Illinois 



As this Bulletin goes to press, the record for winter birds in Illinois 

 is being made up. As early as October 15, a flock of thirty American 

 Cross-bills arrived at Highland Park in Lake County, north of Chicago, 

 and for several days spent much of their time in a clump of Scotch pines 

 at the corner of an open lawn, fronting a busy street. A hundred or 

 more school children were able to get frequent views of these birds as 

 they twisted open the pine cones and disported themselves fearlessly down 

 on the ground or on the cone-laden branches. A flock of evening 

 grosbeaks appeared on November 21st. Snow buntings were present 

 in large flocks on the Waukegan flats. 



In anticipation of the peculiar pleasure bird lovers may have in the 

 approaching winter in searching for birds in the barren wintry land- 

 scapes, the following regional notes have been obtained : Prof. T. E. 

 Hankinson writes for the Charleston. 111., region; T. E. Musselman for 

 the Quincy region and ( ). M. Schantz for Northern Illinois. 



Common Birds of the Charleston Region. 



Prof. Hankinson reports having seen thirty-seven or more species of 

 birds in winter in the neighborhood of Charleston, and it is probable that 

 as many as a dozen others occur there at that season. Of these forty or 

 more species, twenty-four may be called common winter birds, and found 

 quite regularly in their favorite habitats during the winter. These are : 

 English sparrow, downy woodpecker, crow, bluejay, sparrow-hawk, 

 northern nicker, red-headed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, hairy 

 woodpecker, tufted titmouse, chickadee, brown creeper, golden-crowned 

 kinglet, goldfinch, screech owl, song sparrow, horned lark, tree sparrow, 

 junco. Carolina wren, bob-white, cardinal, mourning dove and purple finch. 



From an examination of the favorite habitats of birds in winter it 

 appears that a walk at this season for the purpose of studying them should 

 be taken when possible on a piece of low ground like a stream valley. 

 High regions and open field had better be avoided except covered hill- 

 sides with southerly exposures. Courses along edges of bush patches 

 ought to be taken and such places traversed when possible. Streams, roads 

 and fences can be advantageously followed when these are bordered with 

 high, dead grass, tall weeds, bushes or trees. Low woodlands with rather 

 dense tree growths and some underbrush are pretty sure to yield good 



