[j^v 4. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



448 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE. 



With Annotationsbf their Comparative Abundance, 



Dates of Migration, Breeding Habits, etc. 



hy iovEKKi'1 Smith 



Family- Baxtcomdje: Stone Ohats, BiiOESTBtie, 



HI. Stone Obat, or "Wheat Eur" — Ki.fieoln oimnthr (L.) 



Ridg. 21. Cs, ■-'«.— Accidental straggler from Europe. Geo. 



A. Boardman, Esq., has in ids line ornithological collection 



of the birds of northeastern America, a mounted skin of this 



species. This specimen was sent lo him from Musquash, 



near St. John. Now Bruasw ick. Mr. Boardman informs me 



that "Ihe person who sent this specimen had deceived me 



about a grebe and 1 marked it as doubtful." 



A. stOne Chat was shot at Indian Island, near Eastport. 

 Maine, August 25, 1879, and its skin sent to .Mr. Boardman 

 bv Mr. George Moses who proeuicd Uie specimen. 



*11. Bluebird— Si din teiJmmii Aud. : N '/ dis Rjdg. 22, 

 Cs. 27.— Abundant in western Mine, and common East to 

 the Penobscot Valley. Arrives early in Apiil, sometimes in 

 March. Breeds in hollew posts, trees, etc., aud lays five or 

 more pale blue eggs in .May and June, commonly raises two 

 broods. Apparently this species w-as formerly unknown 

 east of the Penobscot Hirer, and but rarely in that vicinity, 

 Thoreau wrote of this species. "Lnknownin the vicinity of 

 Bangor," aud the. sentence may have been true at the time it 

 was written. But the bluebirds have now become com- 

 mon iu that vicinity, and although not abundant there, they 

 appear to be yeai ly increasing in numbers, and n 

 way gradually toward the East. In the aulumn of 1879 I 

 saw a Hock of seven bluebirds in Western New Brunswick, 

 where the species is likely to become common in the future. 

 Family- Svt.viid.k ; Ttre Sylvias. 



12. The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet — Regains t'ltiendtilit And., 

 Ridg. 30, Cs. H8.— Common. Arrives in April, Probably 



ii I- in Maine. A lew T are found here in whiter. 



13. Golden-Crowned Kmguir^lieffultuiwtmpa Aud. . Ridg, 



33, Cs. 34, -Common, Arrives in April. A few birds of this 

 species are found here in winter. Breeds. Lays Six ormoiv 

 eggs of a yellowish w h i I e color, Obscurely spotted.. 1 in ti I some- 

 wiia l recently the nidifical ion of this very common and widely 

 distributed species appears to have been omitted by writers 

 upon ornithology. Air. Harry .Men-ill has a nest, takei 

 Bangor, Me., in in7i>. with (Kit eggs; and he inibra 

 that this nest is figured in Gentry's " Nests and Eggs 

 Birds of Ihe tinted Stales." Part No. 8. In 1871, 1 fo 

 nest with eggs, in Carroll county, New- 

 dozen miles or less from the western 

 identification of which was assured b< 

 the male and the female birds. 



14. Blue-gray GnatCatcher— Mm* 



Pol.ioptiln a, mien Ridg. 27. Cs. M— \i 

 the South or West. The only record 

 Maine is that of a single specimen shot at Cape Elizabeth, 

 Cumberland county. August 2!), 1880, by my friend Mr. 

 Nathan Clifford Brown, of Portland, to whom 1 am in- 

 debted for knowledge of the fact. 



Family PahiDjJS: Titmice oh Cikckadees, 

 la. Black-Capped Chickadee — Puim» trtrkatrt&w And., 

 Ridg. 41. Cs. 44. Abundant throughout the. Slat. Resi- 

 dent. Breeds, usually in ihe holes of trees, posts, etc., and 

 lays front six to ten white eggs with reddish spots, in May 

 and June. In the summer of 1879 a pair of chickadees of 

 this species nested in a birdheui.se upon the -.table of Mr, 

 John Mead, at North Bridglon. Me. 



16. Hudsonian Chickadee, Brown-Capped Chickadee— 

 Pnras /i«rf«// ( V«.vAu4. Ridg. 45. Cs. 4!).— Common in the 

 interior, eastern, and northern portion of .Maine. Resident. 

 Breeds iu May. Habits somewhat similar to those ol Ihe 

 species next above named, but less gregariou.s, more secln- 

 sive, and coniferous frees more exclusively fri 

 The cries of these two species are similar, but 

 readily distinguished by an ear familiar with them, 

 chirping note is frequently uttered by the Hudsonian 

 adee while feeding. lis ordinary cry usually eon: 

 four notes, resembling the cry of the black-capped chicka- 

 dee, but less prolonged and uttered with rather more force 

 an 1 abruntue (S, Tats OX f of I he Hudsonian chickadee I can 

 best express by the syllables, PM-imU thee, /■/,,, , 



Family Sitttxi.-e: Nctiiatctils. 



17. White-Bellied Nuthatch— Mia mrnUn, ww Aud., Ridg. 



51. Cs. 57. — Common. Breeds, usually iu holes in tree's, 

 stumps, etc, and lays four or more white eggs with reddish 

 brown spots, in May. This species is common in Maine 

 throughout the entire year. 



18. Red-Bellied Nuihatch— SMi mmtdensis Aud.; Ridg. 



52, Cs. 591— Common, mare especially in the interior and in 

 Eastern Maine. Breeds, usually in holes in trees, etc., and 

 lays four or more white egg, with reddish spots, in May. 



Family Ckkthiid.k: Qbeepebe 



19. Brown Creeper— Cert/tin. fuiidlinris Aud.. Cs. 62; 

 Oerthm familiar is rvfa Ridg. 55.— Common. Nowhere 

 abundant. Arrives in March and April. Breeds, usually 

 placing its .loosely-constructed neat under the scales of Coarse 

 bark upon such trees as the hemlock, etc., or in the crevices 

 or holes in the trunks of trees, aud lays six dull white eggs 

 with reddish spots, in May and June, 



Family Thogi.odttid^: Wrens. 



20. House Wren, Wood Wren— Troglodytes aedvn Aud., 

 Ridg. 03.; Trogh,.lijl.3,hhi,rslJr\i!<, Cs. 74.— Not uncommon. 

 Arrives in May. Breeds, in holes in trees, etc., and Jays 

 from six to nine eggs, in May and June. Tl 



Breeds in Eastern Maine. Its eggs and habits arc similar 

 to those of the house wren, but the winter wren is of a more 

 retiring nature, usually Frequenting the forests and less 

 often seen about the habitations of men 



22. Short-hilled Marsh.Wren, Trogl ■ ' <oslrii Aud.; 



Cixl'illinrox stellaris Ii. 08 Cs. 81. — I "ueommou. but proba- 



Bri 



[.all 



or more 



e nest U placed near 

 5 composed of grass woven 

 ve inches outside diameter, 

 uch in diameter for the eu- 

 The inferior is lined with 



•of lam indebted tc 

 lest to i 



Hampshire, but a 



irder of Maine, the 

 he presence of both 



■v' • llleu And.; 

 v rare visitant from 

 renc 



quented. 



may be 



A soft, 



bly a regular summer visitant, 

 pure whii.' eggi i 

 but not Upotl, tllO ground, anil 

 into a hollow ball of four or 

 with an aperture .of arxmt an 

 trance and evil of the birds. 



soft materials, such as the down of plants, etc. This curi- 

 ous nest is supported by Ihe coarse marsh grass to which it 

 is attached, and is generally built in the midst of a thick 

 tuSsOck, where i! is not easily detected, 



Mr, N. A. Eddy called toy attention to the fact that the 

 nest and eggs of this species had been found in Penobscot 

 coimiv. anil for a detailed account th< 

 Mr. E, 8. Bowler, who has kindly scr 



Mr. Bowler informs me that "two .._ 

 taken in June, 1881, and twenty or more empty nests were 

 found at the time in the same locality. One of these nests 

 contained four eggs, and the othei nest, contained five 

 eggs." It is said that the male bird builds nests each seaSOh, 

 which are not occupied, unless after another nest is deserted 

 for some reason. 



As above stated, it is probable that wrens of this species 

 are regular summer residents ol Maine, in restricted locali- 

 ties, but owing to the nature of their habits and haunts they 

 are not easily delected. Frequenting the gra-^y meadow's 

 and marshes, where they arc not easily put to flight, when 

 alarmed. Ihey skulk under the grass or dart through it by 

 sleet. Bights, ar.d by thi, means, aided by their diminutive 



sizeaiid brown color of plumage, easily escape observation. 

 Even when their presence is o* 



eully procured if Ihey have luce 



Family A la i in 



2:i. Horned Lark— Alauda (lit 



pvs'tris Ridg. 300, Cs. 82.— A 



Western Maine. Mr. Board mt 



Eastern Maine, where I have ne 



iveted Ihey are with dilfi- 

 e alarmed.' 



••.: LiAKKS. 



'ris And.; EmiiiiphUri 



mmon winter visitor in 



reports it as "rare" i 

 r seen it. It does not a] 

 pear to bO a regular migrant through Maim-. Probably il 

 birds of this species which appear here, usually in small 

 flocks, or associated with the snow buntings, are wanderer. 

 Family Hirnui.tma WAGTAILS. 

 2-1 American Tillark. nrl'ipil - A it'll us litdnririnnn.s Aud. 

 Ridg. 71. ( V H'.l. - -Common during autunin migrations in 

 September. Although rather abundant in autunin, the 

 species is rarely, if ever, seen here in Ihe spring, when a 

 more western mute is followed lo the netting places in the 



North. 



.Family Su.vicolio.l: Waiibleiis. 

 25. Golden Crowned Wagtail. "Ovou-Bird" <— Seiki'im 

 UWicapUtos A.ud., Ridg. US', Cs. 135, — Abundant. A.rrivesin 

 May ; Breeds, and lays four or five yellowish w lute eggs, with 

 brow n spots, in June. The name "oven-bird" has been ap- 

 plied to this species on account of its peculiar nest, which, 

 placed on the ground, is inclosed above, aud has the en- 

 trance on I he side. To this .species arid the others of the 

 genus tjeivrttii, the name thrush has been applied; on ac- 

 count Of the Colorations of plumage, resembling that of our 

 small thru-he-, The N, -iitri. art- r-loselv allied to' the family 



Motri 



■jllid.r 

 . Mo 



Syln 



trial i 



white, entirely covered with fine red Bpots 

 appear to be light red. But few, 

 species are commonly found furthei 

 scot valley, ami even in that region fh 

 Mr. N. A. Eddy informs me that h< 

 eggs of this species from a nest in u 



that the 



r this 



'ellOb- 



laine, in 1875. Until 

 commonly bred in Portland c 

 but now they are quite rare h 

 plucky little birds, but the. ii 



Sorted domestic sparrows (P 

 ave caused them to give up I 

 result that has been effected a 

 five birds to an appreciably 



few v 

 ty and'. 



-re. Tin 



here 



other specie* of our ua 



21. Winter-Wren— Troglodytes ia/emaMs Aud.; Aiiorl/nira 

 troglodytes hyemolis Ridg. 65, Cs. 70.— Not uncommon, 



aglail is appropriate lo these 



■ placed I his genus among the 



r„lidn : . The habits of the oven- 



■iioreal than those of several of the Cerres- 



ith which it is commonly classed. Although 



esting on tue ground, it seeks much of its food duri tig the 



reeding season upon the trees, 



36, Water Wagtail.— *i'»ivhm --w/-;;-- ; mis And., S/nrns 

 tmnm Uidg. ll(j. Os 136. — Common. Arrives in May, 



reeds on or near ihe ground, and lavs live pure v I i 



wifli brown dots and hues, in June. Frequents the shOrt'S 

 of lakes aud streams. 



-.»;. Black aud White Creeping Warbler, Variegated 



Warbler.— Mn.dllu, mrii, Aud., Ridg. 74.0. !I1— Common. 



' rives in April and early in May, breeds on or near the 



uud, and lays from four to seven yellowish v, he . : 



h reddish spot-., in .tune. 



uinei ppntunofnrb oifhm \ud.. 

 ■ni-il i:- od..r from the Soutli. A 



ar Calais, .Maine, Octobei: 30, 



luiau. Esq. 



ir-blex— Mdituiia wrmiwrn And.; 



Ridg. 77, Cs. DC,.- Rare straggler 



37. YellOW-Crowned or Yellow-Rurnped W 



Cola eoronntn And.; Ucni/nmi r„ront<(,t l>idg.'9R, Cs. 111). 

 —Abundanl Arrives early in April. Breeds on trees 

 usually, and lays from five to seven white eggs with brown 

 blotches, in May ami Juue. This is Ihe liisi warbler to ar- 

 rive here iu the spring. Mr friend Nathan Clifford Brown 

 observed a single specimen at (ape Elizabeth. March 21. 

 1880. 



lis. Magnolia Warbler, Spotted Warbler— Si/irieniu .,.,,. 

 lost,. Aud. ; ih ,,,/rver nKteitlosft. Ridg. !) 7, Cs. 125.— Common. 

 Ai rives in May. Breeds on low trees or on bushes, and 

 lays four or five dull wdlite eggs spotted with brown, in 

 June. 



39. Chestniitsiilcd AVarblor — Sylvieohi ieh.rorepluiln, 

 Ami. : Dertdra.lv yieimsyfotiikft, Ridg. 99, Cs. 124.— Common. 

 Arrives in May. Breeds on trees, and lays four white eggs 

 with brown spots, in June. 



40. Bay-Breasted Warbler— ifyMcokt tademea, Ami. ; 

 Beitdrmca eastaneci, Ridg. LOO, Cs. 133.— Not common. Ar 



nMav. Breeds on irees. The eggs have been d.6- 

 d as greenish-white with dark brown spots. Tins 

 s appears lo be quite uncommon in Maine, except, in 

 ■ted localities of the extreme west cm portion of the. 

 State. 



41. Blackpoll Warbler— Syieicohj strinl.i. And Dcndn 

 striii/ii, Ridg. 101, Cs. 122. Common.. Arrive, in Ma\. 



and 1 



needs 



commonly in Eastern and Northern Maine.' 



Nests 



on lo 



w branches of coniferous in-es. and lavs four or 



43, 



whit. 

 BVm 



eggs with cinnamon brown blolches. iu June. 



kburn's Warbler— Sylvuvto blaOburniat, And.; 



Iknd 



■am /, 



lack&uvm'm, Ridg. 103, Cs. 121.— Not uncommon. 



Arrh 



es in 



May, breeds on bushes or trees, usually in dense 



thick 



its. 



Osrgs, white with reddish brown spots, Jum- 



48, 



Bla. 



'-■ Throated (In-en Warbler— St/I rim/,, ri,; its 



Aud. 



Den 



Irceea mi-em Ridg. 107, Cs. 112. C(-mmon. Ar- 



rives 



early 



m May, breeds on trees Or bushes, and lavs ■ 



or fiv 



I whi 



e eggs wiih brown spots, in June and July. 



44. 



Fine 



Ytttfbler—JSj/Mrolit/iiitits And.; Brailm-m pit, us 



Kid'g. 



111 



Cs, Bit.— Abundant. Arrives in April and 



early 



in Mf 



y. Breeds usually in the trees known as "hard 



pine, 

 Earh 



' Will, 



in J 



h arc uo.-,l commonly frequented by this species. 

 me it lavs four eggs, which tire greenish white, 



spotti 



d ail 

 led t< 



ivor with lu-own. Although this, alalogue is not 

 include descriptions of plumage, [will, in this 

 mention a discrepancy that occurs in descrip- 



lions 



of II 



le pine warbler hitherto published. These de 



riptinns name two pairs of tail feathers as blotched i 

 while. In the brief diagnosis of this species in tile 

 North American .Birds,'"' Dr. Cones puts especial 

 upon the follow big sentence: "Tail-blotches ei 

 two outer pairs of feathers." In Maine il is not ID 

 lo find adult; birds of this species having 11,,;. oute 

 i-cctriccs blotched with while, and this appears 

 normal marking of the perfect plnn 



maturity, and I find them in spring 

 marked. 



ml autumn Ihus 



Rids 



Prothouotarv W 

 S Cs 95- Acrid 



1803, by George A. Boat 

 20. Worm-Eating W 



//, Iff) .,': | ■, ,,...-.■. 



from the Sontn. Since' Audubon recorded this .speeies"~fi 

 Maine, the capture of but a single specimen here has In-en 

 publicly reported. This was recorded by Prof. A. E. Ver- 

 rill in the "Proceedings of the Essex Institute," Vol. III., 

 p. 150. 



80, Nashville Warbler— lldiiwin rahrintpillit Ami.: Jld- 

 iititdhipliagu ntjfkttipillil Ridg. 85, Cs. I Oil. —Common. Ar- 

 rives early in May, Breeds on or near the ground, aud lays 

 from four to six eggs covered wiih brown spots, in June. * 



31. Orange Crowned WarUer— Udmaiu ,,k/o Aud.; 

 riehniiitlioph:, u „.rd,iUi Ridg. 80, Cs. 107 —Audubon n Corded 

 this species as occurring in Alain,-, but it. must he only as a 

 very rare visitor, and the species is named here upon his 

 authority and record. 



83 Wandering Warbler, Tennessee Warbler— Hdiwia, 

 pirajrina Aud. : // -'■ ■' ;.„ : ,;i , vrci/rina Ridg. 87, Cs. 109.— 



Not uncommon. Probably breeds. A regular summer visi- 

 tant. 



83. BluoA'ellow-Backcd Warbler -ParUlaamericam And., 



Ridg> 88, Cs, 98.— Co ion, Arrives iu May. Breeds on 



trees, and [ayi four or five while epgs with brown spots, in 



34.' Tiger Warbler, Cape .May Warbler— *>//,/, - .' ■ 

 Until And ; P, rri;:::oglossa fjgrina Ridg. 00; Dnidnrni ligt inn 

 Cs. 12(i.— Not very common. Mr. Boardcnan reports that 

 it breeds in Eastern Maine, and if breeds in the wuS tl part 

 of the Stab- also, but in very Unfiled numbers. A regular 

 visitaui. 



85. Golden Warbler. Summer Yellow Warbler -.S'///e/- 

 roln trs'irn Aud.; 1), , id-urn tistim Ridg. '.HI. Cs. 111.— Very 

 common. Arrives in May. Breeds on trees or bushes, mid 

 lays from four to six greenish white eggs with brown spots, 

 iu June and July. 



86. Black-Throated Blue Warbler— Sylrieola luinadiiisis 

 And. ; Deildraai axndeueht Ridg. 94, Cs. 117.— Not very 

 common, Arrives in May. Breeds usually in trees, anil 

 lays four or five White eggs with reddish brown spots, in 

 June. 



45. Redpoll Warbler, Balm Warbler — Sylvieola ;,./,< 

 Aud.; Tlrndrnrii palm, ten,,, /,yp,„-/iri/sia, Rirlg IKsi, ( Is. 

 133. — Common during spring and autumn migrations. 

 Arrives in April. The' autumn migrations occur in Sep- 

 temher and October. A few w arblers ol this species breed 

 in Easieru Maine, nut nearly all ol Ihem pair beyond the 

 limits of the Stale. Pn'csIs on the grou ml, and lays from 

 three to live yrllowish-whitc eggs" blotched wiih' brown, 

 early in June. The species is of uncommon summer occur- 

 rence in tin- PeUObSCOt Valley, where il is known to bre d, 

 however. I am indebted to Anson Allen, E-q., of Oiono, 

 Me., for the following account of a nest and eggs found in 

 thai vicinity: 



"The nest was found by Prof. C. If. Fen aid, aud con 

 I uinert three egg*, but vv'heu I. went with him two days 



later to identify the bird, there were three y< g bird I 



seared the old bird from the „e-.l and had a good chance p, 

 observe her, Bhe v. as certainly D. jMUmnriim. The nest 

 was ou low, dry ground, with a thin growth of young lend 

 wood around it. The same gentleman writes liic further, 

 "I think Ihe species not a regular but a frequent breeder in 

 this vicinity." 



,1-bler, Connecticut Waihler — so /, , 



VwRidg. 118. Cs. 139 Very rare. 



40. Agile W 



itgiii:-. And , Ofla 



My friend, Natl 

 a warbler of tbl 



count;, Maine, 

 Ban"",-, Maine 

 ICbeme, I'iseatai 



lire, 



ad, pi 



Augu 



GeotMypiis phiiodriphii, Rid 

 .Wives in May, Mr. C. 



species as breeding at Uki 

 0. E. Hamlin's list of bird 



t lira I Ropo 

 ones found 

 learned of i 



regular oet 

 uted. il i 

 Batchelder 

 Arooslook i 

 on the Sum 

 Batchelder 



1882. 



I Brown, of Portlai 



i Cape Elizabeth 



I8i8, and Mr. Harry Merrill, of 



an immature specimen of I lo- 

 , Maine, in August 1879. 

 er— Trirhas pliiladcilpjlitl Aud, ; 



;. 1 30, Cs. 1-12. Not common, 

 T. Mavnard has reported this 

 Umbagog in Maine. Ib 

 i published in the Maine Agrieu) 

 •re it was cited ' one pair, Ihe only 

 Since that, date, much has been 

 cutrence iu Maine, where the species is of 

 ice in summer, but not generally dislrib- 

 re about ihe scitee.sst. bill .Mr. Chas. F 

 1,-poi-ied its occurrence near Fort Fairfield, 

 ty. as "common in suitable places." ("Notes 

 Birds of the Upper St. John," by Charles F. 



!' 180, 

 Main 



48. Maryland Yellow-Throated Warbler — Tri ■/, ..-. 

 Iniidirn Aud.; Gcnthlyins tririta, Ridg. 122, Cs. 141.— 

 Abundant. Arrives iu May. Breeds on or near the ground, 

 and lays from four to six pure white eggs with brown dots 

 and blotches, in Juue. 



411. Wilson's Flvcatching Warbler, Black-Capped Wat- 



blCr—jryintiiur/r.i trilsniiii Aud. ; Mi/iodinrlis pnsilltis Ridg. 



125. Cs. 141. -No! common, Migrant through Maine. Ar- 

 rives in May. 



50. Canadian F)> catching Warbler, Canadian Warbler— 



mr< * ii ■ ad., Ridg. 21, Ob, 4ft C i 



Arrives ill May. Breeds on or near the ground, and lays 

 five pure white' eggs wiih brown spots, in June. 



51. Redstart— Setophttga ruHcim, Ridg. 128. Os. 152: 



Mnsririipo rnli.-iiht A ml.— A hundaut throughout the Stale. 

 Arrives in April and May. Breeds on trees or bushes, usu- 

 ally in thickets, aud lays four or five dull while. . n I 

 brown blotches, in June. 



52. Yellow-Breasted Chat— Irteriti riridis .Ami. / rid 

 (sirens, Ridg, 12H, Cs. 1 44 . Very rare. Although this 

 species is reported as a constant visit, ir to Massachusetts, 

 where it, breeds, it is almost unknow-n to Maine. 



men was sent to a taxidermist in Portland, from Eliot , in the 

 - oiiihwesi, paif, of Maine, in June, r . . 



|TO BE CONTINUED. I 



