TENNESSEE WARBLER (Vermivora 

 peregrina) 



Range : Breeds in Canadian Zone from up- 

 per Yukon Valley, southern Mackenzie, cen- 

 tral Keewatin, southern Ungava, and Anticosti 

 Island south to southern British Columbia, 

 southern Alberta, Manitoba, northern Minne- 

 sota, Ontario, New York (Adirondacks), 

 northern Maine, and New Hampshire ; winters 

 from Oaxaca'to Colombia and Venezuela. 



The Tennessee warbler is by no means as 

 local as its name would imply, but is likely to 

 be found in migration almost anywhere in 

 eastern United States, although it is much 

 more numerous in the Mississippi Valley. Un- 

 pretentious both in dress and character, this 

 little bird seems to possess no very salient 

 characteristics. It is, however, not likely to be 

 mistaken for any other species save the Nash- 

 ville, which it resembles rather closely. Dur- 

 ing spring migration the Tennessee is apt to be 

 overlooked, since it is prone to keep in the 

 tree-tops. In fall, however, it is found lower 

 down, usually in company with flocks of other 

 warblers, among which it becomes conspicuous 

 by reason of its very inconspicuousness and in 

 contrast with its more gaudy fellows. 



Its song has been variously described and 

 may be said to be a simple trill not unlike the 

 chippy. It appears to be certain that the Ten- 

 nessee, like the Nashville, nests On the ground, 

 but apparently the nesting habits of the bird 

 are comparatively unknown, or at least have 

 not as yet been very fully recorded. 



NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER 

 (Compsothlypis americana usneae) 



Range: Breeds mainly in Transition and 

 Austral Zones, from eastern Nebraska, north- 

 ern Minnesota, central Ontario, and Anticosti 

 and Cape Breton Islands south to central south- 

 ern Texas, southern Louisiana, Alabama, Vir- 

 ginia, and Maryland ; winters probably in the 

 Bahamas and West Indies to Barbados, and 

 from Vera Cruz and Oaxaca to Nicaragua. 



The northern parula, smallest of our war- 

 blers, with prevailing colors blue and yellow, 

 is generally distributed during migration and 

 usually found in company with other war- 

 blers in leafy trees, which it explores from the 

 lower to the topmost branches. It is one of 

 the most active of the tribe, and is untiring 

 in its pursuit of the minute insects which form 

 its food. Its habit of hanging head down- 

 ward as it explores a aluster of blossoms sug- 

 gests a chickadee, and the little fellow is a 

 combination of warbler, kinglet, and chickadee. 

 It is very partial to nesting in usnea moss 

 and so is found in summer along streams or 

 in swampy localities where long streamers of 

 the usnea festoon the trees. The preference 

 of the parula for this moss as a site for its 

 nest is exemplified by a nest I once found in 



Maryland on the bank of the Potomac, which 

 had been built in the frayed end of an old 

 rope hanging to a sapling and which a short 

 distance away looked to me — and no doubt 

 to the bird — exactly like a clump of usnea. 

 As no usnea occurred in this locality, the bird 

 accepted the frayed rope as a satisfactory 

 substitute, and in so doing followed the spirit 

 if not the letter of family tradition. How- 

 ever, the parula is not strictly limited to usnea 

 for a nesting site and I once saw a pair 

 carrying shreds of bark into a juniper on an 

 island in the Potomac River, the nest being 

 already far advanced toward completion. The 

 parula has a short, buzzing song of which it 

 is prodigal enough, but it is weak and can be 

 heard at no great distance. 



CAPE MAY WARBLER (Dendroica 

 tigrina) 



Range : Breeds in Canadian Zone from south- 

 ern Mackenzie, northern Ontario, New Bruns- 

 wick, and Nova Scotia south to Manitoba, 

 northern Maine, and New Hampshire, and in 

 Jamaica ; winters in the Bahamas and the West 

 Indies to Tobago. 



Not only is the Cape May one of our most 

 beautiful warblers, but its rarity adds greatly 

 to the zest with which one hails the discovery 

 of even an individual. This species, however, 

 is far more numerous even in New England, 

 especially in fall, than it used to be, and in 

 time the bird may even be listed in many of 

 the Eastern States as among the more common 

 migrants. 



Although the bulk of the species undoubtedly 

 migrates north through the Mississippi Valley, 

 rarely a spring passes that a few individuals 

 are not reported about Washington, D. C, and 

 I have seen several in a day. At this time of 

 year the Cape May often forsakes the wood- 

 lands and appears in orchards or even in city 

 parks, and probably not a season passes that 

 one or more do not visit the Smithsonian or 

 Agricultural Department grounds. Chapman 

 tells us that in Florida he has seen the species 

 "actually common feeding in weedy patches 

 among a rank growth of pokeberries." 



The bird is a rather sluggish, but persistent, 

 insect hunter, though it adds to its bill of fare 

 one item, grapes, which is bringing it into ill 

 repute in parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia. 

 The sharp-pointed bill of the Cape May enables 

 it readily to puncture the skin, its apparent 

 purpose being to satisfy its thirst with the 

 sweet juice. 



The Cape May is a persistent songster, but 

 its song is weak and squeaky and by no means 

 worthy of so superb a creature. Comparatively 

 little is recorded of this bird's nesting habits. 

 It is known to summer from northern Maine 

 northward. A nest found by Banks at St. 

 Johns, New Brunswick, was built in a cedar 

 less than three feet from the ground. 



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