THE RUSTY BLACKBIRD OR GRACKLE. 



{Scolecophagus carolinus.) 



Unlike the other blackbirds and our 

 common orioles the Rusty Blackbird 

 must not be sought in the orchards and 

 fields of our farms and waysides, but in 

 our forests and the heavily wooded banks 

 of mountain streams and lakes. In 

 such places this retiring bird passes the 

 breeding season and raises its family in 

 quiet solitude. It even seems to shun 

 the company of its own kind and, unlike 

 the red-winged blackbird, is seldom seen 

 in large flocks. It is only in the spring 

 that we may observe even small flocks 

 from "whence issues a confused medley 

 of whistles, sweeter and higher-pitched 

 than the best efforts of the redwings." 

 Captain Charles Bendire says : "The or- 

 dinary call note sounds like 'tehack, te- 

 hack,' several times repeated ; another 

 like 'turnlee, turnlee, turnlee,' uttered in 

 a clear tone and varied occasionally to 

 'trallahee, trallahee.' " 



Few birds exhibit a more happy dis- 

 position. They seem always to be per- 

 fectly satisfied with their surroundings. 

 One writer, quietly watching them, gath- 

 ered in the trees about him, says that 

 "The wind whistled loudly through the 

 branches above, but these lively fellows 

 began a serenade so joyous and full of 

 gleeful abandon that I lingered long to 

 hear them. In singing they opened the 

 bill widely and the throat swelled with 

 melody. Their notes are rich, varied 

 and energetic. They are almost con- 

 stantly in motion, chasing each ether or 

 flying from perch to perch, singing merri- 

 ly most of the time." 



The Rusty Blackbird has a wide 

 range. It is more common in the east- 

 ern portion of North America from 

 Florida and the Gulf of Mexico north- 

 ward to the northern limit of the forests. 

 Westward, though constantly decreasing 

 in numbers as the distance increase s 

 from the Atlantic coast, it is found as far 

 as the great plains and very rarely on the 

 eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. 

 It frequents practically the' whole forest 



area of British America from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific ocean. Mr. E. W. Nel- 

 son says : "I found it abundant at the Yu- 

 kon mouth, where the widely extended 

 areas of bush grown country offered suit- 

 able shelter and where it consequently 

 nested in considerable numbers." 



Their nesting range covers the whole 

 of British America, but in the United 

 States it is restricted to a comparatively 

 small area. Its nests have only been re- 

 ported as occurring in portions of New 

 England and in the wild Adirondack for- 

 ests. In winter it makes its home in the 

 Middle and Southern States. At this 

 time, from necessity, it is often seen 

 around barn and stock yards, feeding on 

 the grain that has been dropped by the 

 cattle. 



During the summer season the Rusty 

 Blackbird depends almost entirely on 

 animal life for its food, eating caterpil- 

 lars, moths and other insects, worms, 

 snails and spiders, also eating, to a lim- 

 ited extent, wild berries. 



The nest of the Rusty Blackbird is 

 large and substantially constructed. It 

 is generally placed in cone-bearing trees 

 and is seldom more than ten feet from 

 the ground. As a rule, trees growing in 

 swampy and rather inaccessible places 

 are selected. The base of the nest "is 

 principally composed of sphagnum moss 

 and earth, forming a firm, hard platform 

 on which the nest proper is built. This 

 is thickly covered on the outside with 

 small tamarack and spruce twigs, mixed 

 with a few blades of grass, pieces of fern 

 and long green moss, especially at the 

 base. The inner cup is thickly and neat- 

 ly lined with fine bright green grass." 

 These blackbirds are not quarrelsome and 

 are devoted parents, both sexes assisting 

 in the care of the young, which are able 

 to leave the nest in about fifteen or six- 

 teen days. Our illustration shows the 

 fall and winter plumage of the male. 

 During the breeding season the plumage 

 is a glossy bluish black. 



2(M 



