Part 28

Description.—A little smaller than a Robin, with upright perching attitude and dignified, masterful bearing; sexes similar. Upperparts grayish olive-brown, outer primaries edged with dull reddish brown, and inner-vane of all tail-feathers pale reddish brown, which often shows plainly in flight; throat and breast light gray; belly pale yellow. Length: 9 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common migrant and summer resident in the orchards and woodlands, from mid-April to mid-September.

Nest.—Of vegetable fiber, roots, downy material, and a cast-off snake-skin or two, in a cavity in a tree or a nesting-box, at from 10 to 40 feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 to 6, creamy white, heavily streaked, longitudinally, with rich brown.

The Crested Flycatcher’s loud, incisive creep, creep rings through the spring woodlands as the handsome bird seeks mate and nesting-place. His large, crested head and yellow underparts are usually obvious in the field. He is given to perching on high dead branches, usually beneath the canopy of outer leaves, and he turns his head from side to side thoughtfully as he watches for passing insects which he captures with great agility.

This is our only bird which regularly uses cast-off snake-skins in its nest. These may serve to frighten off intruders.

PHŒBE Sayornis phœbe (Latham)

Other Names.—Bridge Bird; Phœbe-bird; Pewee (erroneous).

Description.—Larger than English Sparrow, with upright position and comparatively long tail which is occasionally quickly lifted as the bird watches for insects. Upperparts grayish olive-brown, darkest on top of head; bar on wings noticeable in field; tail with outer edge of outer tail-feathers white, not noticeable in field; underparts white, suffused with yellowish, and tinged with brownish gray on breast and sides; bill and eyes black. Length: 7 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—Abundant migrant and summer resident from mid-March to November.

Nest.—Of moss and vegetable substances, lined with finer, softer materials, placed on any projection which will hold it, under a bridge, on a stone ledge, in a well or spring-house, or under the roof of a porch. Eggs: 3 to 6, white, rarely with a few small brown spots.

The simple call-notes, fit-i-bee and zee-bee, and the habit of wagging or jerking the tail now and then, serve to identify this bird, even though no colors be noted. Look for it along small streams or near rock-ledges, where the nests are built in April. The Phœbe is a confirmed eater of insects and is one of our most valuable birds. It comes with the pussy-willows and the first cries of the tiny tree-frogs, and stays until the host of migrating warblers has all but passed through.

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER Nuttallornis borealis borealis (Swainson)

Description.—Smaller than a Robin, with upright carriage and dull, unmarked appearance. Upperparts, sides of breast, and sides dark olive-gray; wings and tail darker; throat and middle of breast and belly very pale yellow, or yellowish white; under tail-coverts marked with dusky; a loose tuft of fluffy, silver-white feathers on either flank, sometimes protruding through wings, on back; bill dark, save base of lower mandible which is yellow. Length: 7½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather regular but rare migrant from mid-May to about the end of the month and from late August to the middle of September. As a summer resident, found only in coniferous woodlands at high altitudes or in the northernmost counties.

Nest.—Rather well made of twigs and mosses, placed on a branch of hemlock or other conifer at from 25 to 40 feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 or 4, creamy white, spotted, chiefly at larger end, with reddish brown.

The Olive-side will usually be seen on the topmost twig of a tree, sitting quietly in a dignified, upright manner. His call-note, pit, per-wheer, is very distinctive—not to be confused with any other bird-song of this latitude. The white tufts of feathers on the flanks I have found not to be a good field-mark, for they do not, apparently, often show; but the call-note and the dark sides are unmistakable. At Pymatuning Swamp I have seen fair-sized flocks of Olive-sided Flycatchers late in spring. The bird is usually so rare that the sight of several of them sitting about on the tips of the hemlocks is long to be remembered. Additional records of this species are desirable. (See illustration page 87.)

WOOD PEWEE Myiochanes virens (Linnæus)

Description.—About the size of an English Sparrow, with upright perching attitude. Adults: Dark grayish olive above, the wings with two rather indistinct whitish wing-bars; underparts white or pale yellowish, washed with grayish on sides of throat and on breast; upper mandible dark; lower mandible yellowish; eyes black. Immature birds: Similar, but the wing-coverts tipped with buffy and underparts more yellowish. Length: 6½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant and summer resident from May 1 to October 1.

Nest.—A shallow cup made of vegetable fibers, small twigs, cocoons, lichens, and moss, saddled on a horizontal branch from 25 to 40 feet from the ground, usually in a shady woodland. Eggs: 3 or 4, creamy white, with a wreath of dark brown spots about larger end.

The Wood Pewee’s plaintive, musical pee-a-wee, pee-wee, the first half ending with an upward inflection, the latter with a distinct falling, is a characteristic bird-note of the summer woodlands. The singer is usually seen high in a tree, not near the ground, as is the Phœbe. It does not have the habit of flicking its tail. A bird of the shadowy woodland, not of the open stream-sides, it will not be confused with any other bird if its song may be heard. In appearance it is much like the other small flycatchers. The song is often almost perfectly imitated by the Starling, so that Pewee songs heard in winter or in unlikely places should be investigated.

THE SMALL FLYCATCHERS

The bird student will find the shy, dull-colored, small flycatchers difficult to identify. All forms of the group found regularly in Pennsylvania, aside from the Phœbe and Pewee, are dull olive-green or grayish above, lighter or whitish below, have a more or less noticeable eye-ring and two noticeable wing-bars. These small flycatchers are so similar in size and color that it is at times almost impossible to distinguish specimens in the hand. But they are reasonably easy to identify in the field, chiefly from their call-notes which are very distinctive, from their habitat which differs considerably, and from the dates upon which they are seen. They are all under 6 inches in length. All of these birds have an erect perching attitude; none of them, strictly speaking, sings a song; all are equipped with broad, flat bills, for capturing insects.

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER Empidonax flaviventris (W. M. and S. F. Baird)

The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a migrant in mid-spring and early autumn, not found during summer, save at one or two high altitudes, where it nests rarely. It is always rather noticeably yellow below and is found in low, thick woodlands, not often far from the ground. The call-note is a nervous tsek, or chuh-bec, its song a querulous tsu-eek, with a rising inflection. In fall immature birds are sometimes exceedingly abundant.

ACADIAN FLYCATCHER Empidonax virescens (Vieillot)

This flycatcher lives in shadowy woodlands along ravines where long, swaying branches of beech, maple, or hemlock overhang a stream. Here, not at great height, is built the shallow, thin nest, where three eggs are laid. These are creamy white, spotted with dark brown at the larger end. The call of this bird may be written pit-i-yuk or wee-zee-eep, and is of an explosive character. Do not look for this bird save in woodlands along streams. It will not be found in swamps, or in orchards. It comes in early May and stays until mid-September and occurs chiefly in the southern and less mountainous counties.

ALDER FLYCATCHER Empidonax traillii traillii (Audubon)