WARBLERS 



(662) Dendroica fusca (MMkr) 



BLACKBURNIAN WAfeBLER. 

 Ad. cP — As shown by the lower 

 bird; crown patch, superciliary stripe, 

 throat and breast bright orange; up- 

 per parts black; large patch on wings, 

 stripe on scapulars and bases of tail 

 feathers white. Ad. 9 — Shown by 

 the upper bird; orange replaced by 

 dull yellow; black replaced by olive- 

 brown; two whitish wing bars and 

 less white on tail. L., 5.25. Nesl — 

 Of shreds of bark, fine rootlets and 

 grasses; in coniferous trees at any 

 height; eggs greenish- white, blotched 

 with brown, .68 x .50. 



Range — Breeds from Quebec and 

 Manitoba south to Minn., Mich, and, 

 rarely, Mass. and Conn. Winters in 

 northern South America. JMass. in 

 spring. May 10; in fall, Aug. 15. 



even city shade trees as well as open woodland. They are so 

 numerous that only their general dispersal prevents a con- 

 gestion of Black-polls. In fall, the returning adults and their 

 young far outnumber all other species combined. At this 

 season they are all very dully clothed. 



In spring, they are ^-ery slow and deliberate in their move- 

 ments, which may account for the very fat condition of their 

 bodies. Although the males are striped black and white, 

 their actions as well as the solid black crown render any con- 

 fusion of identity with Black and White Warblers unlikely. 

 Their song is a very distincti\'e one although weak and un- 

 musical. It is a succession of high-pitched staccato notes 

 all of the same wiry tone but uttered with a peculiar rise and 

 fall of volume. In previous pages, I have stated that other 

 warbler songs resembled that of this species; some of them do 

 sufhciently to be mistaken for this species but the song of the 

 Black-poll cannot be mistaken for that of any other; it is a 

 rule that does not work both ways. 



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