Part 50

Over much of the southern part of the United States the magnolia warbler, though rare in spring, is common in fall. * * * The general path of migration of the species seems to cross the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. It is bounded approximately on the east by a line drawn from the north central part of Georgia to eastern Yucatan, while few individuals seem to proceed farther west than the coast line from eastern Texas to southern Vera Cruz. In common with some twenty other species of birds the magnolia warbler seems to make its flight between the United States and Yucatan without taking advantage of the peninsula of Florida or using Cuba as a stopping place. At the southern end of the Allegheny Mountains it is a common migrant, while it has been noted only three times in Florida and only once in Cuba.

Winter.--Dr. Alexander F. Skutch contributes the following from Costa Rica: "The magnolia warbler is one of the abundant winter visitants of northern Central America. Although its known winter range extends to Panamá, it only rarely migrates so far south. I have never seen the bird either in Panamá or Costa Rica; nor did Carriker have any record of it when he prepared his list of the birds of the latter country. But in the Caribbean lowlands of Honduras and Guatemala, it is common and widespread from October to April, sharing with the yellow warbler the distinction of being the member of the family most often seen during this period. While it appears to be present in somewhat smaller numbers than in the Caribbean region, it is still far from rare on the Pacific side of Guatemala. Here I found it fairly abundant, during the winter months, on the great coffee plantations between 2,000 and 4,000 feet above sea-level. It was not uncommon in the bushy growth about the shores of Lake Atitlán (4,900 feet), at the end of October; and I even found a few among the pines and oaks at Huehuetenango, at an altitude of 6,600 feet in the western highlands, on November 12, 1934; but I am not at all certain whether they remained so high during the cooler months that followed. In its winter home, this sprightly bird lives singly rather than in flocks. It frequents open groves, light second-growth woodland, thickets, and the riverside vegetation, rather than the heavy forest.

"The magnolia warblers arrive in Guatemala and Honduras in their dull winter dress, at the end of September or in October. By early April, the males are in full nuptial attire, so bright and gay that their approaching departure will deprive the region of one of its most beautiful birds. They linger until the end of April; and I have seen males as late as females.

"Early dates of fall arrival in Central America are: Guatemala--passim (Griscom), October 12; Colomba, September 30, 1934; Finca Helvetia, October 6, 1934. Honduras--Tela, October 6, 1930.

"Late dates of spring departure from Central America are: Honduras--Tela, April 24, 1930. Guatemala--passim (Griscom), April 15; Motagua Valley, near Los Amates, April 30, 1932."

Dickey and van Rossem (1938) record it for El Salvador as a--

rare fall migrant, but common winter visitant and spring migrant in the Arid Lower Tropical Zone. Although found from sea level to 3,500 feet, the species is much more numerous below 2,000 feet than above that altitude. Dates of arrival and departure are October 12 and April 24. * * *

In December perhaps a dozen all told were seen on Mt. Cacaguatique, always as single birds with small flocks of Tennessee and other warblers. By January they had become very common, and at Puerto del Triunfo during the whole of that month and in February at Rio San Miguel almost every flock of blue honey creepers was accompanied by one or more magnolia warblers. There was no noticeable decrease in numbers until after the middle of April, and even on the 24th (the last date on which the species was noted) they were recorded as common.

DISTRIBUTION

Range.--Central Canada to Panamá.

Breeding range.--The magnolia warbler breeds =north= to southwestern Mackenzie (Wrigley, Providence, and Resolution); northeastern Alberta (Chipewyan); central Saskatchewan (Flotten Lake, Emma Lake, and Hudson Bay Junction); central Manitoba (Cedar Lake, Norway House, and Oxford House); northern Ontario (Red Lake, Lac Seul, and Moose Factory); southern Quebec (Lake Mistassini, Mingan, and Natashquan); and northern Newfoundland (Northeast Brook, Canada Bay). =East= to eastern Newfoundland (Northeast Brook, Badger, and Princeton) and Nova Scotia (Baddeck, Cape Breton Island). =South= to Nova Scotia (Baddeck, Halifax, and Barrington); southern Maine (Ellsworth, Bath, Portland, and Saco); southern New Hampshire (Concord and Monadnock); northwestern Massachusetts (Winchendon and Pelham); northeastern Pennsylvania (Lords Valley, Delaware Water Gap, and Pottsville); western Maryland (Cumberland); central western Virginia (Sounding Knob); central eastern West Virginia (Watoga and Pickens); occasionally western North Carolina (Asheville); northeastern Ohio (Pymatuning Bog and Conneaut); possibly northwestern Ohio (Toledo); northern Michigan (Grayling, Wequetansing, and the Beaver Islands); northern Wisconsin (Kelley Brook, Ashland, and Superior); northern Minnesota (McGregor, Leech Lake, and White Earth); southern Manitoba (Winnepeg and Brandon); southern Saskatchewan (Indian Head, Wood Mountain, and Maple Creek); central Alberta (Stony Plain, Lesser Slave Lake, and Winagami); and central British Columbia (Field, Quesnel, Mukko Lake, and Hazelton). =West= to western and northern British Columbia (Hazelton and Liard Crossing); and southwestern Mackenzie (Nahanni Mountains and Wrigley). Accidental or casual north to Fort Franklin.

Winter range.--The magnolia warbler is found in winter =north= to northern Puebla (Metlatoyuca); Veracruz (Tlacotalpan); and Quintana Roo (Puerto Morelos and Cozumel Island). =East= to Cozumel Island; British Honduras (Orange Walk and Belize); Honduras (Tela and Ceiba); Nicaragua (Río Escondido); and Panamá (Canal Zone). =South= to Panamá (Canal Zone and Almirante). =West= to western Panamá (Almirante); Costa Rica (Guayabo); El Salvador (Puerto del Triunfo); Guatemala (San Lucas); Oaxaca (Tehuantepec); western Veracruz (Motzorongo); and northern Puebla (Metlatoyuca). Occasional or accidental in winter (possibly from delayed migration), in southern Sonora (Alamos); Texas (Brownsville, Dallas, and Huntsville); Mississippi (Edwards and Gulfport); Alabama (Tupelo); and Florida (New Smyrna). It has also occurred rarely in migration in the West Indies; Cuba (Habana); Dominican Republic (Puerto Plata); and Puerto Rico (Mayagüez).

Migration.--Late dates of spring departure from the winter home are: Nicaragua--Edén, March 29. El Salvador--Chilata, April 24. Guatemala--Chuntuqui, April 25. Honduras--Tela, April 24. Veracruz--Minatitlán, April 27. Puerto Rico--San Germán, April 20. Cuba--Santiago de las Vegas, May 4.

Early dates of spring arrival are: Florida--Palm Beach, March 3. Alabama--Long Island, April 10. Georgia--Savannah, April 13. South Carolina--Summerton, April 17. North Carolina--Waynesville, April 14. Virginia--Lynchburg, April 18. West Virginia--White Sulphur Springs, April 25. District of Columbia--Washington, April 22. Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh, April 22. New York--Canandaigua, April 23. Massachusetts--Amherst, April 29. Vermont--St. Johnsbury, April 29. Maine--Dover-Foxcroft, May 5. New Brunswick--Scotch Lake, May 2. Nova Scotia--Wolfville, May 6. Quebec--Quebec, May 4. Prince Edward Island--Mount Herbert, May 4. Louisiana--Avery Island, April 6. Mississippi--Edwards, April 17. Arkansas--Helena, April 20. Tennessee--Knoxville, April 17. Kentucky--Bowling Green, April 23. Illinois--Le Roy, April 19. Ohio--Oberlin, April 19. Michigan--Grand Rapids, April 26. Ontario--London, April 30. Missouri--Marionville, April 20. Iowa--Iowa City, April 27. Wisconsin--Milwaukee, April 26. Minnesota--Crystal Bay, April 29. Texas--Brownsville, April 3. Nebraska--Lincoln, April 29. South Dakota--Yankton, May 2. North Dakota--Argusville, May 11. Manitoba--Aweme, May 11. Saskatchewan--Wiseton, May 5. Colorado--Derby, May 3. Alberta--Glenevis, May 22. Mackenzie--Simpson, May 23.

Late dates of spring departure of transients are: Florida--Dry Tortugas Island, May 22. Alabama--Leighton, May 10. Georgia--Margret, May 25. South Carolina--Spartanburg, May 18. North Carolina--Raleigh, May 18. Virginia--Naruna, May 25. District of Columbia--Washington, June 4. Louisiana--Cameron Farm, May 15. Mississippi--Deer Island, May 21. Arkansas--Winslow, May 22. Tennessee--Nashville, May 22. Kentucky--Danville, May 27. Illinois--Chicago, June 8. Ohio--Youngstown, June 3. Missouri--St. Louis, June 3. Iowa--Mount Vernon, June 2. Texas--Waco, May 23. Oklahoma--Arnett, May 28. Kansas--Stockton, May 21. Nebraska--Stapleton, May 23. South Dakota--Yankton, June 6. North Dakota--Argusville, June 12.

Late dates of fall departure are: Alberta--Glenevis, September 18. Saskatchewan--Wiseton, September 27. Manitoba--Shoal Lake, September 28. North Dakota--Fargo, October 9 (bird banded). South Dakota--Lennox, October 5. Texas--Cove, November 13. Minnesota--St. Paul, October 2. Wisconsin--Appleton, October 18. Iowa--Sigourney, October 20. Ontario--Toronto, October 16. Ohio--Cleveland, November 2. Indiana--Elkhart, October 16. Kentucky--Bowling Green, November 10. Tennessee--Nashville, November 11. Mississippi--Gulfport, November 8. Louisiana--New Orleans, November 4. Newfoundland--Tompkins, September 25. Prince Edward Island--North River, September 8. Quebec--Quebec, September 19. New Brunswick--Saint John, October 12. Maine--Portland, September 28. New Hampshire--Hanover, October 16. Massachusetts--Lynn, October 28. New York--Long Beach, October 27. Pennsylvania--Jeffersonville, October 15. District of Columbia--Washington, October 28. Virginia--Lawrenceville, October 25. North Carolina--Raleigh, October 20. South Carolina--Cherokee Plantation, November 12. Georgia--Atlanta, November 4. Florida--Pensacola, October 31.

Early dates of fall arrival: North Dakota--Fargo, September 3. South Dakota--Aberdeen, August 26. Nebraska--Monroe Canyon, Sioux County, September 12. Texas--Brownsville, September 3. Wisconsin--New London, August 12. Iowa--Grinnell, August 20. Illinois--Chicago, August 12. Indiana--Indianapolis, August 25. Kentucky--Wurtland, August 8. Tennessee--Nashville, August 27. Mississippi--Edwards, September 7. Louisiana--September 11. District of Columbia--Washington, August 15. Virginia--Charlottesville, September 3. North Carolina--Asheville, August 28. Georgia--Athens, September 7. Alabama--Birmingham, September 13. Florida--St. Augustine, September 3. Cuba--Habana, November 3. Yucatán--Chichén-Itzá, October 7. Honduras--Truxillo, September 27. Guatemala--Colomba, September 30. El Salvador--Divisadero, October 12. Nicaragua--Río Escondido, October 27. Panamá--Cocoplum, October 24.

Casual records.--A specimen was secured in Bermuda on May 7, 1878; a specimen was collected at Godthaab, Greenland, in 1875; a bird was picked up, recently dead, at Salem, Oreg., in January 1907; and on October 1, 1913, a specimen was picked up dead on the sea ice a mile off shore from Humphrey Point, Alaska. Eight specimens have been taken in California: Farallon Islands, May 29 and June 2, 1911; at sea about 10 miles west of Halfmoon Bay, June 8, 1943; Yosemite Valley, October 6, 1919; Santa Cruz Island, May 23, 1908; Santa Barbara Island, May 15, 1897; and Los Angeles, October 21, 1897, and October 5, 1901.

Egg dates.--Maine: 95 records, June 4 to 30; 74 records, June 7 to 15, indicating the height of the season.

New Brunswick: 59 records, June 7 to 28; 37 records, June 13 to 19.

New York: 23 records, June 3 to July 1; 13 records, June 5 to 12.

Pennsylvania: 41 records, May 28 to June 13; 32 records, May 30 to June 8 (Harris).

DENDROICA TIGRINA (Gmelin)

CAPE MAY WARBLER

PLATE 29

HABITS

This is the bird that made Cape May famous. Dr. Stone (1937) suggests that it has "served to advertise the name of Cape May probably more widely than has been done in any other way." The inappropriate name Cape May warbler was given to it by Alexander Wilson (1831), who described and figured it from a specimen of an adult male taken by his friend, George Ord, in a maple swamp in Cape May County, N. J., in May, 1811. He never saw it in life and never obtained another specimen. Audubon never saw it in life, the specimens figured by him having been obtained by Edward Harris near Philadelphia. Nuttall apparently never saw it.

Dr. Stone (1937) writes: "Curiously enough it seems never to have been recorded again at Cape May until September 4, 1920, when I recognized one in a shade tree on Perry Street in company with some Chestnut-sided Warblers. Since then we have seen a few nearly every year in spring and fall both at Cape May and at the Point." It is perhaps not to be wondered at that the early ornithologists knew so little about it before 1860, for bird observers were few and widely scattered in those days, and the Cape May warbler is only a hurried migrant through the United States over a very wide immigration range, nowhere very abundant, and its numbers seem to fluctuate from year to year.