Part 25

Male, steely blue or greenish above; female, duller and often plain gray above, but both sexes always entirely white below.

These Swallows are also abundant about farmyards; except when they are skimming over ponds, they are almost always scouring the air above buildings or fields, at higher elevations than the Barn Swallows. When weary they roost on dead twigs or telephone wires, hundreds often being seen in rows on the latter. Like the Martins, these birds frequently nest in bird boxes, but usually not more than one or two pairs in a single house.

Notes.—A twittering like that of the other Swallows.

Nest.—Of grass, lined with feathers, in hollow trees on the border of water or in orchards, or in bird boxes erected for their use; eggs white (.75 × .52).

Range.—Breeds in the northern half of the U. S. and northward to Labrador and Alaska; winters in southern U. S. and southward.

BANK SWALLOW 616. Riparia riparia. 5¼ inches

These are the smallest of our Swallows; this species can be distinguished, even at a distance, by the conspicuous band across the breast, showing in bold relief against the lighter throat. They are found throughout North America, breeding from the middle of the U. S. north to the Arctic regions.

They nest in colonies in holes in banks, laying the four to seven white eggs on a grass nest in an enlarged chamber at the end of the tunnel.

ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 617. Stelgidopteryx serripennis. 5½ inches

In this species the throat is gray as well as the breast. The outer vane of the outer primary is stiff and bristly, thus giving the species its name. These birds breed from the Gulf north to Massachusetts and Washington, in banks or in crevices of stone bridges. The eggs cannot with certainty be distinguished from those of the Bank Swallow. They measure .75 × .52.

BOHEMIAN WAXWING 618. Bombycilla garrula. 8 inches

Larger and grayer than our common Cedar Waxwing and with yellow and white on the wing; it is a northern species and is only casually found in eastern U. S. They nest within the Arctic Circle and only a few of their nests have ever been found. In winter they are found in flocks, roving restlessly about the country, often appearing where least expected and utterly deserting other places where they are usually found.

Nest.—Of small twigs and moss, lined with feathers, usually placed at low elevations in spruce or coniferous trees; eggs dull bluish white specked sparingly with black (1.00 × .70), similar to those of the Cedar Waxwing but larger.

Range.—Northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle and wintering casually south to Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kansas and California.

CEDAR WAXWING 619. Bombycilla cedrorum. 7 inches

Plumage very soft colored with a general brownish tone, shading to gray on the rump. The Waxwings are named from the curious wax-like appendages attached to the tips of the secondaries, and rarely to the tail feathers. They are very sociable and usually feed in flocks. They live chiefly upon fruit and are especially fond of cherries, for which reason they are very often known as Cherry-birds. They are very tame and allow any one to almost touch them while they are feeding or sitting upon their nests.

Note.—An insignificant lisping hiss.

Nest.—A substantial structure of twigs, mosses, twine, etc., lined with fine grasses; placed in cedar trees or, when near habitations, usually in orchard trees; the four or five eggs are dull bluish white specked with black (.85 × .60).

Range.—N. A., breeding from Virginia, Missouri and northern California north to Labrador and southern Alaska; winters throughout the United States.

NORTHERN SHRIKE 621. Lanius borealis. 10 inches

This shrike is larger than any of the species found in summer in the United States and has the breast quite distinctly barred.

Shrikes are cruel, rapacious and carnivorous birds, feeding upon insects, grasshoppers, lizards and small birds. As they have passerine feet, the same as all our small birds, they are unable to hold their prey between the feet while tearing it to pieces, so they impale it upon thorns or the barbs of a wire fence so they may tear it to shreds with their hooked bill.

Song.—Loud snatches consisting of various whistles and imitations suggesting that of a Catbird.

Nest.—They breed chiefly north of the U. S., placing their rude, bulky structures of twigs and weeds in thorny trees or hedges; their four to six eggs are grayish white with spots of light brown and darker gray (1.08 × .80).

Range.—N. A., breeding chiefly in the northern parts of Canada; winters south to Pennsylvania, Kansas and California.

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 622. Lanius ludovicianus. 9 inches

Pure white below and with the markings above, intense black instead of the brownish or grayish black of the last species. Although smaller, these Shrikes have the same destructive habits of the northern species. All the Shrikes do considerable good to mankind, for they eat quantities of grasshoppers and mice, and probably resort to their diet of small birds when other food is unusually scarce. It cannot be denied that they are cruel, for they often kill more than they can eat and leave it impaled on thorns to decay.

Song.—Of harsh, discordant whistles.