Part 45

OVENBIRD Seiurus aurocapillus aurocapillus (Linnæus)

Description.—Adult male: Crown-patch orange-brown, bordered on either side by a black stripe; rest of upperparts dull olive-green; a rather prominent white eye-ring; underparts white, washed with buffy along sides, and heavily streaked on breast and sides with black. Female and young: Similar but duller. Length: A little over 6 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—An abundant migrant and summer resident from early April to November; found in open woodlands.

Nest.—A neat cup of leaves, grasses, and weed-stalks, arched over the top with the same materials, in the shape of an old-fashioned oven.

Beneath the ferns and the low bushes a small bird walks daintily among the leaves, jerking its tail a little as it pauses to search for food. As it turns, we glimpse the eye-ring and its heavily streaked underparts. In a moment it puts back its head and sings teecher, tee cher, tee cher, tee cher, the notes becoming louder toward the end. Occasionally the Ovenbird sings a flight-song, a brilliant repetition of its usual song, embellished with additional notes and phrases, and enlivened by enthusiasm.

NORTHERN WATER-THRUSH Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis (Gmelin)

Description.—Upperparts, including wings and tail, olive, without wing-bars or marks on tail; line over eye, buffy or yellowish; underparts whitish, tinged with pale yellow; throat, breast, sides, and belly streaked with black. The sexes are alike and young birds are like adults; in fall, the underparts are more yellowish than in spring. Length: 6 inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather regular and fairly common migrant throughout, from latter April to mid-May, and during the first half of September; summer resident in the northerly counties and at high altitudes.

Nest.—Built among the roots of a fallen tree in a damp forest, or in a wooded swamp, lined with fine grasses, rootlets, and moss. Eggs: 4 or 5, white, spotted with brown, chiefly at larger end.

The Water-Thrushes wag their tails in a characteristic fashion as they walk among the ferns and mosses, or seek their food at the edge of a woodland pool or thickly up-grown stream. They are not particularly shy, and may sometimes be “squeaked up” very close. Their song is loud, bright, and clearly patterned, and has been ably written hurry, hurry, hurry, pretty, pretty, pretty. It is usually not to be found along swift, shallow woodland streams, but seems to prefer more quiet, even stagnant, water.

LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH Seiurus motacilla (Vieillot)

Description.—Like the Northern Water-Thrush, but a little larger, the line over the eye whiter and more conspicuous, the underparts white, tinged with buffy, not with yellow, and streaked with blackish on the breast and sides, not on the throat or belly. Length: 6¼ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common but local summer resident in central and southern Pennsylvania.

Nest.—Built along the bank of a stream, sometimes not far from the water’s edge, of leaves, lined with grasses and rootlets. There is often a neat pavement of leaves in front of and below the nest. Eggs: 4 to 6, white, spotted and flecked all over with brown.

The Louisiana Water-Thrush’s home is the wooded ravine, where a swift stream speeds down its rocky bed amid fallen trunks and mossy ledges. Here the shy birds dash about with swift, erratic flight, walk among the mosses, teetering as they go, or singing their remarkably loud, ringing song when they are not disturbed. The song is louder, more ringing, and less abrupt in closing than is that of the Northern Water-Thrush.

KENTUCKY WARBLER Oporornis formosus (Wilson)

Description.—Male: Crown and area below eye and on side of throat, black, crown-feathers tipped with gray; line from bill, which extends over and back of eye, yellow; rest of upperparts olive-green; wings and tail unmarked; underparts bright, clear yellow. Female: Similar, but duller, the black areas inclined to be grayish and not clearly defined. Length: About 5½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common summer resident in southeastern and southwestern counties from about May 1 to September 5. It is a bird of the Carolinian faunal zone, which is probably gradually extending its range northward.

Nest.—On or near the ground, rather bulky, and made of leaves and roots, lined with rootlets and other fine materials. Eggs: 4 or 5, white, rather evenly spotted or speckled with brown. Nests of this species are often difficult to find.

In southwestern Pennsylvania, where I first became acquainted with the species, the Kentucky Warbler lives in damp, dense woodlands, usually in ravines. Its song is a strikingly smooth and sweet-voiced, rolling tootle, tootle, tootle, tootle, which has a penetrating quality. In singing, the males often sit upon the lower branches of the great trees; they search for their food chiefly on the ground. The black area on the face and the bold yellow line about the eye are striking field-marks.

CONNECTICUT WARBLER Oporornis agilis (Wilson)

Description.—Adult male: Head, neck, and breast, ashy gray, with prominent white eye-ring; rest of upperparts olive-green; wings and tail unmarked; underparts yellow; sides washed with olive-green. Female and young: Similar to adult male, but uniform olive-green above, the lighter eye-ring not noticeable, the throat and breast light brownish gray. Length: 5½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant, very rare in spring, during latter May, and somewhat commoner from latter August to about the end of September.

This rare bird does not often sing in Pennsylvania. Look for it among high weed-growth in fall and among undergrowth in damp woods.

MOURNING WARBLER Oporornis philadelphia (Wilson)

Description.—Adult male: Much like the Connecticut Warbler, but without eye-ring, and throat blackish, blending into a fan-shaped black area on breast. Female and young: Similar, but with upperparts olive-green, slightly grayer on head, and throat and breast gray, lightest on throat. Length: 5½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather uncommon migrant during May and from mid-August to the end of September. As a summer resident it occurs only in the northern and higher counties.

Nest.—A rather bulky structure, among weeds, on or near the ground, made of grasses, plant-fiber, and old leaves, lined with hair or fern rootlets. Eggs: 3 or 4, white, spotted with brown at larger end.