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
Dr. Woodhouse found it abundant in New Mexico, confining itself to the
timbered and mountainous districts, and especially plentiful among the
San Francisco Mountains, feeding among the tall pines. Dr. Coues found
it exceedingly common in Arizona, where some spend the winter, and a
few possibly remain in the summer to breed.
Dr. Heermann found them remaining in the Sacramento Valley throughout
the winter, and quotes Dr. Kennerly as finding these birds on the Boca
Grande and at different points in Sonora. Mr. Gambel found these
Warblers on all his route from New Mexico to California in great
abundance, their habits greatly resembling those of the _D. coronata_.
They display a great deal of familiarity, entering the towns,
resorting to the gardens and hedge-rows, and even the corrals of the
houses, descending also to the ground in company with Blackbirds and
Sparrows.
This Warbler is thus shown to have a very extended distribution. It is
now known to be found, at different seasons, from Central America to
British Columbia, and from New Mexico to the Pacific.
We are indebted to the late Mr. Hepburn for all the knowledge we
possess in reference to its nests, eggs, and breeding-habits. He
procured their nests and eggs in Vancouver’s Island. They were built
in the forked branches of small shrubs. Around these the materials of
which they were built were strongly bound, and to it the nests were
thus securely fastened. They were quite long and large for the bird,
being four inches in height, and three and a half in diameter. The
cavity is small, but deep. The external periphery of the nest is made
of coarse strips of bark, long dry leaves of wild grasses, and strong
stalks of plants, intermingled with finer grasses, pieces of cotton
cloth, and other materials. The inner nest is also a singular
combination of various materials, yet carefully and elaborately put
together. It is made up of fine grasses, feathers, lichens, mosses,
fine roots, etc., all felted together and lined with a warm bedding of
fur and feathers. Mr. Hepburn’s observations, so far as they go, seem
to show that this bird does not usually build in such lofty positions
as Nuttall and others conjectured.
According to Mr. Hepburn, they arrive in Vancouver’s Island in the
middle of April, and generally frequent high trees, constructing their
nests in the upper branches, though also frequently building in low
bushes, a few feet from the ground. The number of their eggs is four.
These, he states, have a pure white ground, and are spotted, usually
chiefly about the larger end, with red markings.
Mr. Salvin met with both this species and the _D. coronata_ at San
Geronimo, November, 1859. They congregated together on the ground,
where they principally obtained their food.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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