Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, May, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, May, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
Most of our birds are migrators, passing their breeding season in
summer with us and then leaving for warmer climes. In addition to the
climatic reasons for this migration, the question of food supply is
doubtless an important factor, for while they might stand the severity
of our winters the insectivorous birds could not get any food when our
ground was covered with snow and ice, and, in proof of this, as a rule
the omnivorous migratory birds are the first to come in the spring and
the last to leave in the fall.
In 1877 I began making notes of the arrival of the robin, bluebird, and
swallow; these notes have been made every spring, mostly by myself, but
during my absence by some member of my family, and were all taken at
Au Sable Forks. The earliest date for the robin is March 10th; for the
bluebird, March 7th; and for the swallow, April 4th. The latest date
for the robin is April 7th; for the bluebird, April 7th; and for the
swallow, April 25th. The average date is for the robin, March 28th;
bluebird, March 26th; and the swallow, April 15th.
In every year the first robins that came were males, and this was
true with the bluebird excepting two years when I saw both male and
female birds on the same day. The sex of the swallow is not as easily
determined, and I am not sure about them, but my general observation
has been that the males come first, and are followed in a few days
by the females, and that the courtship and mating are all arranged
after their arrival. My observations have been quite careful, and I
think they are full enough to go far toward establishing this fact. Of
course, there will be exceptions and our observations are necessarily
imperfect, for it is not probable that we happen to see the very first
bird that comes.
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