A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 1 of 3Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Science
A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 1 of 3
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Birds -- North America
HABITS. This somewhat rare species, so far as its history and
distribution are known with certainty, is migratory in the principal
portions of the United States, in the spring and fall passing to the
north of the 42d parallel to breed. The first specimen was obtained
near the extreme southern point of New Jersey by George Ord, in 1811,
and described and figured by Wilson. From this accidental circumstance
it derives its inappropriate name of Cape May Warbler. Wilson never
met with a second specimen, and Mr. Nuttall was wholly unacquainted
with it. Mr. Audubon also never met with a specimen in all his
wanderings, and was able to add nothing to its history. Those figured
by him were procured by Mr. Edward Harris, near Philadelphia, through
which region these birds appear to pass rapidly in their northern
migrations.
Mr. J. A. Allen obtained a specimen near Springfield, Mass., May 15,
1863, and specimens have also been procured at East Windsor Hill,
Conn., by Dr. Wood. It was not met with in Western Maine by Mr.
Verrill, but in Eastern Maine and in New Brunswick Mr. Boardman has
found it a not uncommon summer visitant, though of irregular
frequency. He has no doubt that they remain there to breed. They reach
Calais as early as the second week in May, or as early as their
appearance usually in the neighborhood of Philadelphia has been
noticed. Mr. Kumlien has also obtained specimens from year to year,
about the middle of May, in Southern Wisconsin, where they do not
remain to breed, and Mr. Ridgway has taken them in the beginning of
May in Southern Illinois.
It is also by no means uncommon in Cuba; was met by the Newtons as a
migrant in St. Croix, and is not only one of the birds of Jamaica, but
is resident and breeds in the highlands of that island. It is not
known to occur in Central America, Mexico, or west of the Mississippi
River. Specimens were procured at Moose Factory about May 28.
Its nests and eggs have not been, with certainty, obtained in the
United States, though an egg obtained in Coventry, Vt., in 1836, and
attributed at the time to this bird, closely resembles its identified
eggs from Jamaica. Specimens of the bird, as well as its nests and
eggs, have also been received from St. Domingo by Mr. Turnbull of
Philadelphia. In the summer of 1871 a nest of this species was found
by Mr. H. B. Bailey on the Richardson Lakes, in the extreme
northwestern part of Maine. The nest was in a low spruce-tree, less
than five feet from the ground, and when found contained only a single
egg. Unfortunately it was left until more eggs were deposited, and in
the mean while the tree was cut, and the nest and eggs were destroyed.
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