Nests and Eggs of Birds of The United States
Few species are more careless in the selection of nesting materials. Almost anything of the proper length and requisite degree of flexibility is utilized. Herbaceous stems, leaves of deciduous trees, strips of the inner bark of the flax, lichens, weeds, wrapping string, carpet rags, patches of cotton or wool, are a few of the many articles which are found on the outside; while slender grasses, fibres of bark, fine rootlets and horse-hairs constitute the inner arrangement.
A typical structure before us is rather loosely built exteriorly, but increases in compactness towards the interior, where the materials are more closely intermingled. The frame-work of this nest is composed of herbaceous stems, chiefly of the wheat and pigweed, large quantities of fibrous bark of a white, satiny lustre, and leaves of the oak, apple, pear, etc. The inside is formed of fine grasses, quite artistically and intricately laid in position. The cavity is beautifully symmetrical, and measures three inches in width, and two and a half in depth. The outside is five inches at the base, but contracts to four and a half at the mouth. The height is about four inches. This nest was obtained in the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, Pa., June 15th, 1872.
Another structure which the writer obtained in the same locality, only a few yards distant from the foregoing, differs slightly from it in form, but largely in composition. It is built of compressed stems of wheat, numerous and rather large scraps of printed paper, a few herbaceous plants, all closely compacted and curiously intermingled. Within, there is an inner fabric, secured to the former in a neat and substantial manner, and composed of dark stems and leaves of various species of grass, besides a small quantity of fine roots. The cavity is less regular than that of the other, and conspicuously shallow. It measures three inches in diameter and two in depth. The basal diameter is five inches, which is nearly the width at the mouth. The vertical thickness is three and a half inches.
The Plate represents a very beautiful nest which was obtained in Southern New Jersey, in the summer of 1879. It was placed upon a cherry-branch, as shown in the drawing, at an elevation of fifteen feet from the ground. The outside consists of fine lichens, stems of grasses, wrapping string, roots, tassels of the oak and chestnut, and some mosses; the inside, of fine lichens, dried catkins of the oak, but largely of slender stems and rootlets. The external diameter is four and a half inches, and the thickness about one and three-fourths. The cavity is three inches wide, and one and a half inches deep. In the engraving it is shown the natural size.
Before drawing this part of our subject to a close, we cannot permit the occasion to pass without giving a brief description of one more nest which was obtained in June, 1880. It was placed upon the horizontal limb of an apple-tree, at an elevation of about ten feet from the ground. The peculiarity of this structure is the large number of carpet rags which depend therefrom. In most cases they extend from ten to fourteen inches beyond its lower border, thus contrasting very markedly with the dark stems and rootlets that make up the bulk of the exterior. Was this arrangement the result of blind chance, or were the rags placed there for some special purpose?
The building of a home occupies the birds from four to five days. Did the builders work continuously at it from sunrise to sunset, the period of nidification would be considerably shortened. But such is not the ease. They seem to have no regular hours for labor, but only work as it suits their convenience. The duty of the male is to collect the materials; that of the female, to arrange them in suitable places. The nest being completed, scarcely a day passes before the first deposit is made. Subsequent deposits are made on consecutive days until the full complement is reached, when the female on the day following the last extrusion, takes the nest, and continues thereon, with brief intervals of intermission, for a period of thirteen or fourteen days, when her labors are repaid by the appearance of a nest-full of tiny fledglings. While she is thus occupied, the male acts the part of a dutiful and faithful husband, guarding her from danger, and supplying her with the choicest and most savory articles of food. When not foraging, he may be seen upon the topmost bough of the tree upon which the nest is placed, directly above his mate, on the constant lookout for danger. Should an enemy approach, he immediately gives vent to his displeasure by a few shrill twitterings, elevates his crest, and then gives chase to the intruder, whom he pursues for a considerable distance, all the while darting at him from different positions, and inflicting the severest punishment, in order to teach him the folly of trespassing. Owls, Eagles, Crows, Grakles, Jays, and even the common barnyard Hen, are made to feel the force of his vengeance; but his most implacable enemy is the Purple Martin.
The young are objects of more than ordinary parental solicitude. The most endearing attentions are lavished upon them, and no efforts are spared to render them comfortable and happy. Caterpillars, flies, and other equally tender insects, are brought in great quantities, during the first few days of their existence, to satisfy the demands of their greedy appetites; but as they become larger, beetles and grasshoppers are added to their dietary. When fourteen days old, they quit the nest, but still remain under home influences for a fortnight later, when they are allowed to shift for themselves.
In many particulars the eggs of this species resemble those of the Arkansas Flycatcher, but differ mainly in their somewhat larger size, and more pointed form. They are oval in shape, white in ground-color – except when fresh, when they show a roseate tinge – and beautifully spotted with brown and reddish-brown blotches and markings, which are confluent about the larger extremity in some, and irregularly scattered over the surface in others. They measure from 1.02 to .87 of an inch in length, and from .75 to .72 in width. Specimens from different parts of the country have been examined, and all, without exception, bear a very close resemblance to each other, scarcely differing more than do eggs of the same clutch.
Plate VI. – AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS, Vieillot. – Redwing Blackbird
The Redwing Blackbird is found throughout North America, from ocean to ocean, and westward to the 57th parallel. From Texas and Florida to the plains of the Saskatchewan, wherever found, it breeds more or less abundantly.
During the winter they congregate in large parties in Southern Virginia, the Carolinas, and all the Gulf States, especially near the sea-coast and among old fields of rice and grain. Occasionally, small flocks are found during the same season about stables and hay-stacks, in the vicinity of Vancouver. But in the Eastern, Middle, Western and Central sections, they are chiefly migrants.
Early in March these large assemblies break up, a part separating in pairs and remaining among the Southern swamps, while the greater portion, the males leading the way, direct their movements northward. Later in April they have re-established themselves in their favorite and accustomed haunts.
On their arrival, the males consort together in high open fields, where their songs may be heard, at regular intervals, from morning until night. At this time they are rather suspicious, and can be approached only by the exercise of great caution. But when the females make their appearance, their attention becomes so absorbed, that they are apparently oblivious of events transpiring around them. The presence of the latter is the signal for redoubled vigor in the line of music. From bush and tree, from ground and fence-rail, and from almost every available place, in loud, clear and resonant notes, is heard their strange, unmistakable melody, each bird striving to outsing his companions. Ever and anon a half-dozen voices may be heard at the same time, producing a perfect medley of sounds, enough to "split the ears of the very groundlings." The males seem never to weary of singing. It is a remarkable and well-authenticated fact, that during the breeding-period, and even late in September when preparing to migrate, the same sweet but pensive strains are heard.
Nearly three weeks have expired since the advent of the Redwing, and still the sexes remain unmated. This cannot long continue. Already a change is manifest. The males are more musical, while, on the other hand, a spirit of restlessness pervades the females. The latter are now no longer given to feeding as before, but cease from their labors, and bend listening ears to the gushing notes of love which swell around. Enraptured, impressed, they eventually emerge from their hiding-places, select their partners, and hie away to more congenial scenes.
The period of mating is unusually short, and unmarked by any special peculiarities. It generally occurs about the 20th of April, but seldom later than the beginning of May. The chief concern of the newly-wedded pair now seems to be the selection of a building-spot. This is a matter of importance, and, with most species, is attended with considerable difficulty. Not so in the present instance. The birds repair to accustomed sites, and there, amid the small bushes and tussocks which abound, prepare their houses.
Nest-making commences in the Middle Atlantic States between the 25th of April and the 1st of May; in New England, about the 1st of June, but not before the middle of this month, in more northern regions. The nest is usually placed in a cluster of reeds, or in the tops of small bushes alongside of streams of water. Occasionally, small trees and fields of timothy are made the recipients of these marks of attention, and, in rare instances, the bare ground is made subservient to this purpose. Almost every ornithologist who has paid any attention to field-work has observed nests in their ordinary positions upon small hushes, or in bunches of swamp grass, but few, we opine, have met with them elsewhere. Mr. Maynard, as stated by Dr. Brewer, seems to have been the first to notice this change. While exploring an island in the marshes of Essex River, he found a number of nests in trees at an elevation of twenty feet from the ground. One of these structures, which was purse-shaped, was composed entirely of eel grass, and placed upon a sapling, at a height of fourteen feet.
High grounds are seldom chosen for nidificating purposes, for the obvious reason that they offer poor facilities for food-collection; the aquatic larvæ, may-flies, dragon-flies, and mosquitoes, which constitute a conspicuous part of the diet of these birds, being only found in marshy situations. Even here a preference is manifested for certain positions. Small bushes along the borders of streams, from the two-fold advantages which they possess, are almost wholly adopted in some localities. Being convenient to appropriate food-stuffs, they are placed beyond the reach of snakes, particularly water snakes, which have a decided partiality for young birds.
Having selected a building-spot, the pair proceed with all possible dispatch to construct a home. This requires the joint labor of the sexes, during the early mornings and evenings, for a period of about five days. The articles of composition are chiefly collected by the male, while the female performs the more difficult operation of putting them in position. Considerable differences are often noticeable in these structures. Those placed upon bushes are, as a general thing, more symmetrical and compact than those found in clumps of grasses, and differ still further in being-plastered with mud on the outside, which adds to their durability; while, on the other hand, nests enclosed by tall overarching grasses, have a looseness of arrangement that will scarcely bear manipulation. But where the nest is placed in fields of timothy and clover, there is evidence of great pains having been taken in its construction.
Having finished their domicile, generally on the following day, but sometimes not for nearly a week afterwards, as is the case when mud and other damp substances have been used in building, the female begins to deposit her eggs, at the rate of one a day, until the full number of five has been laid. Incubation follows on the day of the last deposit, and continues for fifteen days. This business devolves wholly upon the female. While she is thus engaged, the male is not idle, but stands guard over the nest, or ventures off in quest of food for himself and companion. Should the nest be assailed, both parents seek, by the most piteous cries and remonstrances, to drive, off the offending party. In case of pillage, they keenly feel the injustice, and for several days bewail their misfortune. But they soon recover their usual spirits, and prepare to remedy the disaster. So tenacious are they of a chosen locality, that the same pair has been known to build as many as three nests in the same bush, after having been robbed twice.
The parents show the most intense affection for their progeny. Day after day they watch over their helpless infancy with a devotion somewhat akin to that which a human mother manifests toward her child. Their slightest desire is a law, which is obeyed with cheerfulness and alacrity. When food is in demand, they prove themselves to be willing providers, each parent vying with the other in patience and fidelity. While one is absent in quest of food, the other remains at home to protect them from danger, the labor being accomplished by turns. Earthworms, caterpillars, fresh-water larvæ, flies and mosquitoes constitute their earliest fare. But later, beetles, butterflies, and various kinds of fruits help to swell their hitherto very extensive dietary. When about fourteen days old, the young leave the nest, but are not yet prepared to earn their own living. This requires an additional period of twelve days. Brood-raising being over, both young and old continue in the old haunts, until near the time of departure, when they collect in small flocks, and take up their southward-bound journey.
A typical nest of this species is somewhat irregular in shape, and rather coarsely and rudely built. It is composed of stubble and broad grasses variously intermingled, and lined with soft meadow grass. The dimensions vary according to locality. Several nests before us, from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the South and West, have an average external diameter of five inches, and a height of three. The cavities, however, are more uniform, and generally measure three inches in width, and one and a half in depth. But when a nest is built in a bush, the outer basketlike frame is carefully interwoven with, and strongly secured to, adjacent twigs. Though somewhat rudely put together, it is nevertheless firmly and compactly woven. The outer framework is usually made of rushes, strong leaves of the iris, and, in some instances, of an additional article apparently similar to mud. Within is packed a mass of coarse materials, over which is placed a thick lining of grasses and sedges. These nests, in the matter of size, differ from the former chiefly in the particulars of length and thickness. The internal dimensions offer no very striking exceptions.
The nest represented in the Plate is three-fourths of the natural size, and was obtained by the writer in the summer of 1879, by purchase, from Mr. Alexander M. Reynolds, of Philadelphia. It was built in a field of grass, many of the stalks of which being wrought in its composition. In figure it resembles an inverted cone, and is beautifully, symmetrically and compactly put together. The outside is formed of grasses and rushes, very neatly and intricately interwoven, and shows here and there a head of dried pappus plucked from some species of hawkweed. The inside is lined with sedges and fine blades of grass. As shown in the drawing, the nest occupies a rather conspicuous position. This was not the case in its natural location. Being found in the centre of a large field, it is at once evident that the authors had spared no pains to make the concealment as complete as possible. In height, this fabric measures nine inches. Its external diameters above, below, and in the middle, are, respectively, six, two, and four and a half inches. The width of the cavity is three inches, and the depth three.
The eggs are oval in contour, of a light bluish ground-color, and are marbled, blotched and streaked with light and dark purple, chiefly about the greater extremity. In size, they vary considerably; the average length of a large number of specimens from different regions being 1.01 inches, and breadth .76. In the Middle, New England and Western sections of our country, this species is single-brooded; but further south, three, and even a larger number of broods, are annually raised.
Plate VII. – TROCHILUS COLUBRIS, Linaeus. – Ruby-throated Humming-bird
The Ruby-throated Humming Bird is found throughout Eastern North America as far west as the Missouri Valley, and thence northward to the 57th parallel. It breeds from Florida and Western Texas to the plains of the Saskatchewan and the head-waters of the Elk River.
From its winter-quarters in Guatemala and Mexico, it takes up its line of flight when the season has fairly opened, reaching our southern frontiers late in March. Thence it slowly advances northward in its migration, arriving in Upper Georgia about the 10th of April; in Pennsylvania, from the last of April to the Middle of May, and in its northern habitats, during the last of May, or the beginning of June.
For a brief season subsequent to arrival the sexes remain apart, and seem only intent upon the procurement of food. This is especially the case in the Middle Atlantic States where their habits have been very closely observed. Here they make their appearance with the blossoms of the horse-chestnut and tulip-tree, and may be seen at all hours of the day, in fair weather, delving into flowers for honeyed sweets, or probing their bosoms for the caitiffs within. In feeding, their movements resemble those of the hawk-moths. Gracefully they suspend themselves in mid-air before the opening flowers, ravish their hidden treasures, and, with almost the speed of an arrow let fly from a bended bow by some skilled archer, are off in an instant, possibly to more delectable vineyards, or to some shady nook for rest and contemplation. For agility and fleetness of motion the little Ruby-throat is certainly unsurpassed by any of our smaller feathered species.
But things cannot long remain in this state. Their favorite flowers must soon wither and decay, and with their timely death, must inevitably come the disappearance of an easy and luxurious means of subsistence. The tooth of appetite will then grow dull, and other thoughts and scenes invite their attention. Experience has taught us that the falling of the blossoms of the horse-chestnut and tulip-tree foretell the time of mating.
This important business is performed without the least semblance of show. The sexes tired, as it were, of the riotous and luxurious lives they have been leading, come together by mutual agreement, and enter into matrimonial relations. This being accomplished, they separate for a brief period, and each proceeds to scour the country for miles around in quest of a suitable tree in which to locate. When one is selected by either bird, the other is summoned to the spot to talk over, in true bird-language, the merits thereof. Should the parties differ as to the advantageousness of the site, no quarrelling or bickering is indulged in, but, in the most friendly manner, they separate, and renew the search until one is found which gives satisfaction.
Having decided upon a locality, the birds are now ready to commence building. This takes place between the first and the tenth of June in the Middle States, about the tenth in New England, and as early as the fourth in the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States. The situations chosen vary considerably. Sometimes high, open woods are selected; again, low, dense thickets; but, more frequently, an orchard close-by a human dwelling, or an isolated tree in the midst of a lawn. Occasionally, the birds have been known to build in trees along travel-worn thoroughfares. A case in point came under our notice in the summer of 1872. While returning home one day, we were surprised to see a female fly from her nest in a maple-bough, only a few feet above our head. The nest was immediately examined, and found to contain a pair of young birds. Not wishing to disturb the happiness of the family, we permitted it to remain intact. On visiting the spot a week or ten days afterward, it was found to be empty, the birds either having matured and flown away, or else had been killed by some ruthless invader. For several successive years a nest was to be seen on the same tree and branch, but whether the work of the same pair, we are unable to say.
That this species is not very particular as to the kind of tree in which it builds, has been our experience, and we do not find any recorded instance of disagreement. Dr. Brewer mentions but one kind of tree in which it builds – the apple. In addition to it, we have found nests saddled upon the pear, red-oak, white-oak, willow, red maple, sugar maple, cottonwood, beech, pine, etc. In fine, almost any tree will answer this purpose, as the generality of arboreous growths are more or less favorable to the development of lichens. Several anomalous positions, as on pine-cones and warty excrescences, have frequently been met with in our ornithological rambles.
The nest is the result of the joint labor of both birds, who work with unwearied perseverance and diligence until it is completed; the male furnishing the raw material to be manipulated and adjusted by his zealous partner. Occasionally, the latter assists her "liege lord" in collecting and bringing in his burden.
In the matter of composition, there is but little difference in fabrics from the most distant regions. Nests from Texas are exact counterparts of those from Georgia; and these, again, resemble others from Pennsylvania and Michigan. All we have seen are composed mainly of a woolly substance of vegetable origin, plucked from the leaves of the common mullein, or from the young and unexpanded leaves of the various species of oak, immediately before their full development. This substance, after being wrought into form and symmetry, is strengthened on the outside by small woody fibres, or the webs of spiders. Over all is placed a close and compact thatching of small lichens, a species of Parmelia, glued thereon by the viscid saliva of the builders. On the inside may be frequently observed a thin lining of white feathers; and, on the outside, a few dried catkins. In dimensions, these nests usually measure one and a half inches in external diameter, and nearly one and three-fourths in height. The cavity is generally three-fourths of an inch wide at the rim, and the same in depth. Specimens have been met with which were but half an inch deep, and others which showed a much greater depth, as well as external height.
The nest in the Plate is from Comal County, Texas, and was found upon a beech-tree. It is composed almost entirely of vegetable wool from the poplar and oak, and is lined with a few small white feathers. Externally, there is a dense covering of bluish crustaceous lichens and brownish oak-tassels, which are held in position by saliva and strands of spider's silk. It was placed upon a branch at an elevation of twenty feet above the ground. In height it measures one and three-fourth inches; in external diameter, one and a half. The width of the cavity is three-fourths of an inch, and the depth about a half.
A nest obtained in Lynn, Mass., in June, 1860, was saddled on a horizontal branch of an apple-tree. It is woven of a soft woolly material, fine in texture, silky in appearance, and of the purest white color. Basally, it is strengthened with pieces of bark; and laterally, with fine vegetable fibres. The whole exterior is beautifully covered with a compact coating of lichens. It measures one and a half inches in height, and two and one-fourth in external diameter. The cavity is shallow, and is seven-tenths of an inch in depth, and one in width.
A very beautiful nest, as well as a marked deviation from the normal form, as far as materials of composition are concerned, was discovered in June, 1870, upon a branch of a red-oak which overhung a by-road, and within a few feet of a woollen factory. Scattered in the neighborhood was a lot of reddish shoddy, which had been discarded by the mill hands. The birds, it is evident, were not slow in perceiving the use to which this "waste" could be put. Accordingly they set to work, and, in a few days, had constructed a beautiful nest, at a saving of much labor and time. It might be thought there was a dearth of the usual materials, but this was not so, as a careful survey of the grounds soon satisfied us. Interiorly, this nest was entirely composed of this shoddy, while the exterior was covered with the ordinary lichens fastened to the nest proper by a few cobwebs and a secretion from the builders. In external diameter, it measured one and three-fourths inches; in height, two inches; in internal diameter, three-fourths of an inch, and nearly as much in depth of cavity.