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
After comparing a series of about one hundred and twenty North and
Central American specimens (the latter being winter visitors to the
region where obtained), nothing really characteristic of any
particular region can be detected. Specimens from the Pacific coast of
the United States are perfectly identical in colors with those from
the Atlantic States; and they agree in size and proportions, except of
the bill, which is appreciably longer and broader in the Eastern than
in the Western birds. The most highly colored examples are from the
interior regions, along the Mississippi Valley from Louisiana to
Northern Illinois, and over the plains north to Fort Simpson. The
majority of the specimens from this region are just appreciably
different from others, in having the yellow more intense and
prevalent, almost subduing the olive shades above; the crown more
tinged with orange. Sometimes (as in No. 4,301, Calcasieu Pass, La.)
the rump and upper tail-coverts are absolutely _pure_ yellow, only a
medial stripe on the feathers being olivaceous like the back. The
orange-rufous tinge on the crown is deepest in Nos. 4,665, Fort
Lookout, and 4,300, Calcasieu Pass.
Three adult summer males from Alaska (Nos. 54,429, Kodiak; 54,425,
Yukon River; and 27,267, Fort Yukon), as well as one from Maine
(52,378, Calais), differ from others in having the olive pervading the
whole surface above, even to the bill, the forehead being only tinged
with yellow, and the edges of wing-coverts merely inclining to this
color. The lower parts are much as in Southern specimens, though the
yellow is less intense.
Females from Arizona (as 49,712, Camp Grant, May; 40,664, Fort
Whipple, May; and 34,340, Los Pinos, New Mexico, June) differ from
others in very bleached plumage, the lower parts being almost white,
and the upper surface quite ashy. But this is, in fact, an actual
bleaching, frequently to be seen in birds from that region.
HABITS. The geographical range of the common Summer Yellow-Bird is
very nearly coextensive with North America. In its northern
distribution it is found as far toward the arctic shores as any of our
land birds. Richardson speaks of it as well known throughout the fur
countries as far as the woods extend, and mentions meeting with it
among the earliest arrivals in spring, coming in company with the
equally well-known Robin and the Grakle. At Fort Franklin, latitude
66°, he saw it the 15th of May, about the time of its first appearance
in New England. This was supposed to be the limit of its northern
range, but more recent observations give abundant evidence of its
presence, in considerable numbers, to the very shores of the Arctic
Ocean. The late Mr. Hepburn, in manuscript notes, states it to be a
common summer visitant both of California and Vancouver’s Island, and
that along the coast he has traced it as far north as the frontier
line of 54° 40′, where it arrives at the beginning of May, but does
not nest until the end of the month.
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