The Birds of El Paso County, Colorado 581 



This Shrike builds a bulky nest of small sticks, lined 

 with wool and other soft material. Aiken found two nests at 

 Ramah with 7 eggs in each, June 4-7, 1898. He saw old birds 

 feeding young with grasshoppers at the same place, July 15, 

 1897, at which time 30 adults and young were seen. These 

 birds are great destroyers of grasshoppers and other insects 

 and probably do not kill as many birds as the larger species,- 

 though their actions and habits are in many respects the same. 

 Scheutze reported seeing a pure albino of this species May 1, 

 1904, on the plains east of Colorado Springs. A Shrike with 

 black crown was killed and mounted by the same party about 

 June 1, 1907, but before it had been critically examined it was 

 destroyed by a cat. 



In reference to the black-headed Shrike Prof. Wells W. 

 Cooke writes : 



"There are about six species of shrikes in the world 

 v/hich have a black crown, but they are all African species, 

 and since they are non-migratory the only way one of them 

 could have gotten to Colorado would be as an escaped cage 

 bird. So far as I know there is no European species of shrike 

 that has the crown black; their shrikes are closely related to 

 ours." 



Vireosylva gilva swainsoni. Western Warbling Vireo. 

 Swainson's Vireo. 



Summer resident; common. Arrives about May 15 to 25; 

 departs the last of August and early in September. 



Breeds on the plains and in the mountains ; Aiken noted 

 it near St. Peter's Dome, and Keyser at Lake Moraine. Breeds 

 in the trees near the streams, building a semi-pensile nest like 

 other vireos on the lower branches. Aiken found a nest in 

 Monument Valley Park in June, 1907. 



