Part 42

The song is a series of chips, introduced by the syllables wee-see, wee-see, wee-see.

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER Vermivora celata celata (Say)

Description.—Olive-green above; crown with more or less concealed dull orange patch, not easily seen in the field; underparts and obscure ring about eye dull yellow; sides irregularly streaked with olive-green; sexes similar. Young birds: Duller. Length: 5 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—The Orange-crown is one of our little-known warblers which may be considerably commoner than we suppose. It occurs as a migrant in May and September, and is to be found chiefly in swampy situations, principally among alders.

The song, which is not often heard in Pennsylvania, according to my experience, is considerably like that of a Nashville or Tennessee Warbler, being a series of chips, but the tempo is different. All such songs should be thoroughly investigated to make certain some rare bird is not passed by. (See illustration, page 131.)

TENNESSEE WARBLER Vermivora peregrina (Wilson)

Description.—Adult male: Crown clear gray; prominent white superciliary; line through eye black; underparts white, washed along sides with faint yellow; upperparts olive-green; wings unmarked; outer tail-feathers marked with white along the inner margin. Female: Similar, but crown tinged with greenish. Immature: Olive-green above, brightest on rump; dull yellowish below, brightest on the under tail-coverts. Length: 5 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant in May and September, apparently fairly regular and common in spring among the mountains, rare east of the mountains, but equally abundant everywhere in the fall.

The song of this bird is a series of chips, the tempo of which changes twice, the most rapid part of the song coming at the last. This bird is like a vireo in color but not in actions. Young birds are sometimes exceedingly common in the fall.

PARULA WARBLER; BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER Compsothlypis americana pusilla (Wilson)

Description.—Adult male: Head, all but chin and throat, blue-gray, extending down to upper back, scapulars, wings, and tail; back dull yellow; wings with two prominent white wing-bars; outer tail-feathers with white along inner vanes; chin, throat, and lower breast clear yellow, a dusky band across upper breast which is bordered below with reddish brown; belly, sides, and under tail-coverts white. There is an almost complete, but not particularly noticeable, white eye-ring. Female: Similar, but less brightly colored; breast usually without much trace of the dusky and reddish brown band. Young birds: Similar to the female. Length: 4¾ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—Common as a migrant during May and September; rather local as a summer resident, having been known to nest at several points in the State.

Nest.—Generally built of and among tree moss, in a conifer or other tree, usually from 20 to 40 feet from the ground. Eggs: 4 or 5, white, speckled with brown at the larger end.

The thin, squeaky song of this species is not noticeable. It might be written pit see, pit see, pit see see. A thin, insect-like, ascending trill is also occasionally given; this trill resembles one of the songs of the Redstart.

CAPE MAY WARBLER Dendroica tigrina (Gmelin)

Description.—Adult male: Crown black, the feathers tipped with gray toward the back of the head; patch about eye, including ear-coverts, rich orange-brown; fore part of superciliary, chin and throat, sides of neck, breast, sides and rump, clear yellow; lower throat, breast, and sides strikingly streaked with black; wing with two wing-bars which are so broad that they merge, forming a white patch; outer tail-feathers with white spots on inner vanes at tip. Female: Much duller, the brown of the side of the head being replaced with olive-green, the yellow of rump and underparts dull, sometimes hardly noticeable, the wing-bars narrow and obscure. Young birds: Like their parents, but duller, the white wing-patch in the young male usually being evident. Length: 5 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant, rare, as a rule, in the spring, when it is seen during May. It is often abundant in the fall, from early September through October, and sometimes later.

This very handsome warbler can hardly be called a songster. The song is thin and squeaky, sometimes like the shrill squeaking of a large insect—see, see, see, see, see, it might be written, the syllables becoming louder toward the end. Usually the song is given from a rather high perch. The heavily streaked breast is a pretty good field-mark for any age or plumage of this bird.

YELLOW WARBLER Dendroica æstiva æstiva (Gmelin)

Other Names.—Summer Yellow Bird; Wild Canary (erroneous).

Description.—Adult male: Head and underparts bright yellow, the breast, sides, and belly streaked with reddish brown; back, wings, and tail dull yellowish green, brightest on rump, and obscurely streaked; wing with two yellow wing-bars, and the inner webs of all the tail-feathers but the central pair, yellow, showing plainly in flight. Female: Similar, but much duller, the underparts almost altogether without streaks. Length: A little over 5 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—An abundant migrant and summer resident from late April and early May to early September.

Nest.—A neat, usually deep cup, made of vegetable fiber lined with wool, feathers, and soft materials, held in place with a few horsehairs. Eggs: 3 to 5, white or bluish white, spotted with gray, chiefly about the larger end.

The Yellow Warbler’s fondness for lilac bushes and other shrubbery about our yards leads him to be a favorite and familiar bird. His bright though unmusical song is almost incessant during the days of early spring, when much time is spent, prior to building the nest, in chasing about, sparring with rival males, or in courting. During these pursuits the yellow inner vanes of the tail-feathers are likely to be plainly seen.

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER Dendroica cærulescens cærulescens (Gmelin)

Description.—Male: Upperparts dark gray-blue, lightest on forehead and crown; face, throat, upper breast, and sides solid black; belly and under tail-coverts white; base of primaries with a white spot, rather obscure in some individuals; tips of inner vanes of outer tail-feathers white. Female: Dull greenish gray above, pale buffy gray below, with white spot at the base of the primaries which is always characteristic of this species in any plumage. The female has an obscure whitish line above the eye. Length: 5¼ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A common migrant in May and September. Found as a summer resident in the northern and more mountainous counties where it occurs almost wherever there is a rhododendron growth.

Nest.—A neat but rather shallow cup, usually placed in rhododendron 2 to 3 feet from the ground, often in the deepest part of the woodland. Eggs: 3 or 4, white or creamy white, spotted about larger end with reddish brown.