Produced by Chris Curnow, Turgut Dincer, Joseph Cooper and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net +-------------------------------------------------------+ | TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: | | | | There are a large number of compound words in | | this book including bird names which occur joined, | | spaced and hyphenated. No attempt has been made to | | correct these discrepancies as these are mostly | | alternative spellings of the same word. In the case | | of bird names it is difficult to decide as | | ornithologists are still debating on this subject. | +-------------------------------------------------------+ TERRITORY IN BIRD LIFE [Illustration: A pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers attacking a Great Spotted Woodpecker Emery Walker ph.sc.] TERRITORY IN BIRD LIFE BY H. ELIOT HOWARD WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY G. E. LODGE AND H. GRÖNVOLD NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 1920 PREFACE When studying the Warblers some twenty years ago, I became aware of the fact that each male isolates itself at the commencement of the breeding season and exercises dominion over a restricted area of ground. Further investigation, pursued with a view to ascertaining the relation of this particular mode of behaviour to the system of reproduction, led to my studying various species, not only those of close affinity, but those widely remote in the tree of avian life. The present work is the outcome of those investigations. In it I have endeavoured to interpret the prospective value of the behaviour, and to trace out the relationships in the organic and inorganic world which have determined its survival. Much is mere speculation; much with fuller knowledge may be found to be wrong. But I venture to hope that a nucleus will remain upon which a more complete territorial system may one day be established. I have to thank Mr. G. E. Lodge and Mr. H. Grönvold for the trouble they have taken in executing my wishes; I also want to record my indebtedness to the late E. W. Hopewell; and to Professor Lloyd Morgan, F.R.S., I am beholden more than I can tell. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER II THE DISPOSITION TO SECURE A TERRITORY 20 CHAPTER III THE DISPOSITION TO DEFEND THE TERRITORY 73 CHAPTER IV THE RELATION OF SONG TO THE TERRITORY 119 CHAPTER V THE RELATION OF THE TERRITORY TO THE SYSTEM OF REPRODUCTION 169 CHAPTER VI THE WARFARE BETWEEN DIFFERENT SPECIES AND ITS RELATION TO THE TERRITORY 216 CHAPTER VII THE RELATION OF THE TERRITORY TO MIGRATION 259