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Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



issue. It merits the hearty support and 

 co-operation of every live naturalist in the 

 state ; let us see that it has it. 



^ 



Vireonidae of Wayne County, Midi. 



W. A. DAVIDSON. 



IKING more than twenty years of 

 field work in this county, I have 

 met with but three species of this 

 family — the Red-eyed, the Warbling, and 

 the Yellow-throated Vireos. All are com- 

 mon summer residents, the Red-eyed being' 

 the most abundant. 



They arrive with us from the first to the 

 fifteenth of May, about the time that 

 leaves are well formed, and insect life has 

 assumed spring activity; migrating more 

 as individuals than in flocks, seldom more 

 than three being seen together. Their de- 

 parture south takes place in September, 

 usually the last week. 



Their food consists of caterpillars, grubs, 

 and various small insects, also of worms 

 and spiders. Their hooked bills enable 

 them to tear apart cocoons for the 

 chrysalids they contain, also assisting 

 them in unrolling leaves, which contain a 

 small grub of which they seem to be very 

 fond. The claws are well curved allowing 

 the bird to obtain a good hold on small 

 twigs, and they suspend themselves as do 

 the Chickadees, when examining the under 

 sides of the leaves. 



They commence nesting the last of May, 

 and it is then that the woods resound with 

 their song. All are charming singers, the 

 early morning and shortly before sundown 

 being the time to hear these birds at their 

 best, the male singing to his mate, assur- 

 ing her of his presence, and driving away 

 the dull care of the one who keeps house. 

 That the song is appreciated is in evidence 

 as a faint warble comes from the throat of 

 the tired one. (The habit of answering 

 from the nest is particularly noticeable in 

 this family and some of the fly catchers, 

 as Wood Pewee, Contopus virens, and the 

 genus, Empidonax.) Both sexes assist in 

 nest building and incubation. On May 

 10th, 1896, T found a nest of the Red-eyed 

 Vireo containing two fresh eggs, and on 

 the 17th, the eggs (then three in number 

 and one Cowbird's) were well advanced in 

 incubation. Upon again visiting the nest 

 on the 21th, I found that the eggs of the 

 Vireos had hatched, but the Cowbird's 

 egor was intact so I removed it, and found 



upon breaking it that it was nearly hatched. 

 I think the period of incubation to be 

 eleven days. Both parents assist in feeding 

 the young. The nests are pendulous, 

 generally well out on a horizontal limb in 

 some convenient fork, where the drooping 

 limb has a tendency to hide the nest. 



The Red-eyed Vireo builds a nest of fine 

 strips of bark, weed stalks, grasses, decayed 

 wood, often working in bits of paper, 

 wasp-paper, or moss, and lining the nest 

 with fine grass, round grass stems, horse 

 hair or pine leaves. This bird will often 

 lay before the nest is completed, and I 

 have found nests that were alive with 

 vermin, especially is this the case where 

 decayed wood is used and the nest is 

 bulky. Deep woods or thickets are usually 

 chosen as nesting sites, and when in deep 

 woods it is generally near a path if not 

 directly over it, or along the border. Nest 

 from three to twentv feet from ground. 

 E££s, three to four, dimensions .95 x .65 

 for largest I have taken, down to .78 x .54. 

 I have never been able to find a set of 

 more than three eggs. Color of eggs, 

 white, flecked or spotted with reddish or 

 dark brown. This species as well as the 

 next suffers considerably from the evil 

 habit of the Cowbird. 



The Warbling Vireo's nest is made 

 pretty much the same as is that of the 

 former, but more compactly woven. 

 Seldom is any paper or wasp-paper used. 

 Occasionally a feather is worked in the side. 

 Eggs, 3 to 4, same as in preceding species 

 but" smaller, from .70 x .50 to .75 x .56. 

 Nests from 4 to 20 feet from ground, in 

 orchards or open woods on high ground. 



The Yellow-throated Vireo makes its 

 nest of grasses and strips of fine bark, lined 

 with grasses or horsehair, the outside 

 stuccoed with mosses, lichens, and bits of 

 cocoons, held in place by caterpillar's silk 

 and col) webs. A very handsome nest. 

 Eggs, 3 to 4, are creamy or salmon color be- 

 fore being blown, when thev become more 

 or less creamy white. The markings are 

 dark purplish brown, some eggs showing 

 lilac shell markings. The markings are 

 scattered more or less all over the egg. 

 Largest dimensions, .80x.62; smallest, 

 .70 x .45. This species frequents heavy, 

 damp woods in which there are catholes 

 or through which a stream of water runs. 

 Nest from 4 to 20 feet from the ground. 



Detroit, Mich. 



