Birds -- United States; Natural history -- Outdoor books
A correspondent, writing to me from the country one September, said:
"I have observed recently a new species of bird here. They alight upon
the buildings and fences as well as upon the ground. They are
walkers." In a few days he obtained one and sent me the skin. It
proved to be what I had anticipated, namely the American pipit, or
titlark, a slender brown bird, about the size of the sparrow, which
passes through the States in the fall and spring, to and from its
breeding haunts in the far north. They generally appear by twos and
threes, or in small loose flocks, searching for food on banks and
plowed ground. As they fly up, they show two or three white quills in
the tail, like the vesper sparrow. Flying over, they utter a single
chirp or cry every few rods. They breed in the bleak, moss-covered
rocks of Labrador. It is reported that their eggs have also been found
in Vermont, and I feel quite certain that I saw this bird in the
Adirondack Mountains in the month of August. The male launches into
the air, and gives forth a brief but melodious song, after the manner
of all larks. They are walkers. This is a characteristic of but few of
our land-birds. By far the greater number are hoppers. Note the track
of the common snowbird; the feet are not placed one in front of the
other, as in the track of the crow or partridge, but side and side.
The sparrows, thrushes, warblers, woodpeckers, buntings, etc., are all
hoppers. On the other hand, all aquatic or semi-aquatic birds are
walkers. The plovers and sandpipers and snips run rapidly. Among the
land-birds, the grouse, pigeons, quails, larks and various blackbirds
walk. The swallows walk, also, whenever they use their feet at all,
but very awkwardly. The larks walk with ease and grace. Note the
meadowlarks strutting about all day in the meadows.
Besides being walkers, the larks, or birds allied to the larks, all
sing upon the wing, usually poised or circling in the air, with a
hovering, tremulous flight. The meadowlark occasionally does this in
the early part of the season. At such times its long-drawn note or
whistle becomes a rich, amorous warble.
The bobolink, also, has both characteristics, and, notwithstanding the
difference of form and build, etc., is very suggestive of the English
skylark, as it figures in the books, and is, no doubt, fully its equal
as a songster.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account