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. The Black-throated Gray or Dusky Warbler, so far as is now
known, belongs to the Western and Middle Provinces, occurring
certainly as far to the south as San Diego, in California, and as far
to the north as Fort Steilacoom, in Washington Territory, penetrating
in winter into Mexico. The most easterly localities in which it has
been met with are in Arizona and New Mexico. The Smithsonian
Institution has received specimens also from Columbia River,
Calaveras, Cal., and Fort Defiance.
This species was first obtained and described by Mr. Townsend, who
found it abundant in the forests of the Columbia, where it breeds and
remains until nearly winter. Its nest, which he there met with,
resembles that of _Parula americana_, only it is made of the long and
fibrous green moss, or _Usnea_, peculiar to that region, and is placed
among the upper branches of oak-trees, suspended between two small
twigs.
Mr. Nuttall states that it arrives on the Columbia early in May, and
from the manner in which its song was delivered at intervals, in the
tops of deciduous trees, he had no doubt that they were breeding in
those forests as early as May 23. This song he describes as delicate,
but monotonous, uttered as it busily and intently searches every leafy
bough and expanding bud for insects and their larvæ in the spreading
oak, in which it utters its solitary notes. Its song is repeated at
short and regular intervals, and is said by Mr. Nuttall to bear some
resemblance to _t-shee-tshāy-tshaitshee_, varying the feeble sound
very little, and with the concluding note somewhat slenderly and
plaintively raised. Dr. Suckley speaks of this bird as moderately
abundant near Fort Steilacoom, generally met with on oaks, and very
much resembling _Dendroica auduboni_ in its habits. Its arrival there
he gives as occurring in the first week in April, or a month earlier
than stated by Nuttall.
Dr. Cooper met with a pair at Puget Sound that appeared to have a
nest, though he sought for it in vain. He describes its note as faint
and unvaried.
Dr. Coues met with this Warbler in the vicinity of Fort Whipple,
Arizona. He speaks of it as common there as a spring and autumn
migrant. He thinks that a few remain to breed. It arrives in that
Territory about April 20, and is found until late in September. It is
most common among the pine-trees, and in its general habits is stated
to resemble the new species _D. graciæ_.
Dr. Heermann found a few birds of this species near Sacramento, and
also on the range of mountains dividing the Calaveras and the
Mokelumne Rivers. During the survey by Lieutenant Williamson’s party,
Dr. Heermann met with a single specimen among the mountains, near the
summit of the Tejon Pass. It was in company with other small birds,
migrating southward, and gleaning its food from among the topmost
branches of the tallest oaks. He states that its notes closely
resemble the sounds of the locust.
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