=Rock Wren=: _Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus_
(Say).--This species is a common summer resident in western Kansas, in
open, rocky country. Specimens taken in the breeding season and actual
nests found come from west of stations in Decatur, Trego, and Comanche
counties. Dates of occurrence are from April 2 to October 25.
Autumnal, postbreeding movement brings the species east at least to
Cloud County (October 7, 8, and 12) and Douglas County (October 25).
_Breeding schedule._--Sixteen records of breeding span the period May
11 to July 20; the modal date for egg-laying is June 15.
_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.6, 3-7; 5).
Nests are placed in holes in rocks, occasionally in rodent burrows,
from ground level to 80 feet high on faces of cliffs, but there
averaging about 20 feet.
=Northern Mockingbird=: _Mimus polyglottos_ (Linnaeus).--This is a
common resident in parkland and brushy savannah throughout Kansas. _M.
p. polyglottos_ (Linnaeus) occurs in the east, and _M. p. leucopterus_
(Vigors) in the west; a broad zone of intergradation exists between the
two. Most specimens from Kansas are of intermediate morphology.
_Breeding schedule._--Sixty-nine records of breeding span the period
April 21 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is
June 5, but is weakly indicated in the histogram (Fig. 7).
_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.5, 3-5; 27). Size of
clutch does not vary seasonally or geographically in the present
sample.
Nests are placed about four feet high (two to 10 feet) in osage
orange, red cedar, mulberry, scotch pine, catalpa, cottonwood, rose,
and arbor vitae.
=Catbird=: _Dumetella carolinensis_ (Linnaeus).--This is a common
summer resident in the eastern half of Kansas, but is local in the
west, in and near woodland edge and second-growth. First dates of
arrival in spring are from April 25 to May 14 (the median is May 6),
and last dates of autumnal occurrence are between September 20 and
November 16 (the median is September 26).
_Breeding schedule._--Seventy-seven records of breeding span the
period May 11 to July 31 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is
May 25, and 57 per cent of all clutches are laid from May 21 to June
10.
_Number of eggs._--Clutch-size is 4 eggs (3.3, 2-5; 43). Clutches laid
between May 11 and June 10 tend to be of 4 eggs (3.5, 2-5; 27), and
clutches laid between June 11 and July 31 tend to be of 3 eggs (2.9,
2-4; 16).
Nests are placed about four feet high in shrubs (rose, lilac, plum,
elderberry) and about seven feet high in trees (red cedar, honey
locust, willow, elm, apple, and in vines in such trees).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account