Life histories of North American wood warblers, Part 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
Life histories of North American wood warblers, Part 1 (of 2)Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Science
Life histories of North American wood warblers, Part 1 (of 2)
Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Birds -- North America; Passeriformes; Wood warblers
three males established territories. Male I arrived April 14. By the
next day he was singing on an area 550 feet long and for the most part
not more than 200 feet wide. It included three kinds of habitats: (a) a
grassy terrace on which several nesting boxes were located, (b) river
banks densely covered with small trees and bushes, and (c) a small open
orchard which constituted the connecting link between the terrace and
the river bank. Male II arrived on April 18 and occupied a narrow
territory along a brook confined by wooded slopes and which contained
two lotus ponds. The area was about 400 feet long and 100 feet wide. A
nesting box was on a stake above one of the ponds. Male III appeared May
5 in the terraced area being claimed by Male I. During the day, the 2
males sang energetically and flew often only a few inches apart. Male I
maintained his territory and Male III disappeared.
There were a number of nesting boxes on the area that the males
investigated, carrying nesting material into some of them while they
were waiting for the females to arrive. The mate of the first male came
on April 20, and--
on this day this pair communicated by their full call-note. Twice the
male was seen pursuing the female rapidly in a small semi-circle and
pausing, called a soft, full note which was later heard only when the
two sexes were together.
The mate of Male II came April 22, four days after the latter's arrival.
Combat with other species found within the territories of these birds
was observed. Combat with the Bluebird was most frequent but one or more
indications of opposition was noticed with the Flicker, Downy
Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Tufted Titmouse, Robin, and Cardinal.
The males sing persistently and energetically from the time that they
arrive on their territories, hoping to attract their mates, but they are
not always successful, especially in regions where the species is rare
or not very common, and their nest-building brings no occupant. Edward
von S. Dingle writes to me that, at Summerton, S. C., a male
prothonotary warbler built a nest in a low stub, but no female was ever
seen. He sang frequently and remained in the vicinity for several weeks.
And Frederic H. Kennard, in far-away Massachusetts, mentions in his
notes that he saw one and watched it for several days, June 16-20, 1890.
"He sang loudly and clearly and sweetly, and seemed to like a particular
place by the side of the river, for when I returned later in the day, he
was still there, on the other side of the river." On June 19, he watched
him for half an hour. He was always in the same locality. On a later
search, no nest or no mate could be found.
_Courtship._--Brewster (1878a) gives the following full account of this
performance:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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