bird neighbors-第39章

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he　nest　accommodation　to　its　utmost。

In　the　mating　season　the　female　may　be　seen　perching　　a　posture　one　rarely　catches　her　gay　lover　in　　preening　her　dainty　but　sombre　feathers　with　ladylike　nicety。　The　young　birds　do　a　great　deal　of　perching　before　they　gain　the　marvellously　rapid　wing…motions　of　maturity；　but　they　are　ready　to　fly　within　three　weeks　after　they　are　hatched。　By　the　time　the　trumpet…vine　is　in　bloom　they　dart　and　sip　and　utter　a　shrill　little　squeak　among　the　flowers；　in　company　with　the　old　birds。

During　the　nest…building　and　incubation　the　male　bird　keeps　so　aggressively　on　the　defensive　that　he　often　betrays　to　a　hitherto　unsuspecting　intruder　the　location　of　his　home。　After　the　young　birds　have　to　be　fed　he　is　most　diligent　in　collecting　food；　that　consists　not　alone　of　the　sweet　juices　of　flowers；　as　is　popularly　supposed；　but　also　of　aphides　and　plant…lice　that　his　　proboscis…like　tongue　licks　off　the　garden　foliage　literally　like　a　streak　of　lightning。

Both　parents　feed　the　young　by　regurgitation　　a　process　disgusting　to　the　human　observer；　whose　stomach　involuntarily　revolts　at　the　sight　so　welcome　to　the　tiny；　squeaking；　hungry　birds。


RUBY…CROWNED　KINGLET　（Regulus　calendula）　Kinglet　family

Called　also：　RUBY…CROWNED　WREN；　RUBY…CROWNED　WARBLER

Length　　4。25　to　4。5　inches。　About　two　inches　smaller　than　the　　　English　sparrow。　Male　　Upper　parts　grayish　olive…green；　brighter　nearer　the　　　tail；　wings　and　tail　dusky；　edged　with　yellowish　olive。　Two　　　whitish　wing…bars。　Breast　and　underneath　light　yellowish　gray。　　　In　the　adult　male　a　vermilion　spot　on　crown　of　his　ash…gray　　　head。　Female　　Similar；　but　without　the　vermilion　crest。　Range　　North　America。　Breeds　from　northern　United　States　　　northward。　Winters　from　southern　limits　of　its　breeding　range　　　to　Central　America　and　Mexico。　Migrations　　October。　April。　Rarely　a　winter　resident　at　the　　　North。　Most　common　during　its　migrations。

A　trifle　larger　than　the　golden…crowned　kinglet；　with　a　vermilion　crest　instead　of　a　yellow　and　flame　one；　and　with　a　decided　preference　for　a　warmer　winter　climate；　and　the　ruby…crown's　chief　distinguishing　characteristics　are　told。　These　rather　confusing　relatives　would　be　less　puzzling　if　it　were　the　habit　of　either　to　keep　quiet　long　enough　to　focus　the　opera…glasses　on　their　crowns；　which　it　only　rarely　is　while　some　particularly　promising　haunt　of　insects　that　lurk　beneath　the　rough　bark　of　the　evergreens　has　to　be　thoroughly　explored。　At　all　other　times　both　kinglets　keep　up　an　incessant　fluttering　and　twinkling　among　the　twigs　and　leaves　at　the　ends　of　the　branches；　jerking　their　tiny　bodies　from　twig　to　twig　in　the　shrubbery；　hanging　head　downward；　like　a　nuthatch；　and　most　industriously　feeding　every　second　upon　the　tiny　insects　and　larvae　hidden　beneath　the　bark　and　leaves。　They　seem　to　be　the　feathered　expression　of　perpetual　motion。　And　how　dainty　and　charming　these　tiny　sprites　are！　They　are　not　at　all　shy；　you　may　approach　them　quite　close　if　you　will；　for　the　birds　are　simply　too　intent　on　their　business　to　be　concerned　with　yours。

If　a　sharp　lookout　be　kept　for　these　ruby…crowned　migrants；　that　too　often　slip　away　to　the　south　before　we　know　they　have　come；　we　notice　that　they　appear　about　a　fortnight　ahead　of　the　golden…crested　species；　since　the　mild；　soft　air　of　our　Indian　summer　is　exactly　to　their　liking。　At　this　season　there　is　nothing　in　the　bird's　〃thin；　metallic　call…note；　like　a　vibrating　wire；〃　to　indicate　that　he　is　one　of　our　finest　songsters。　But　listen　for　him　during　the　spring　migration；　when　a　love…song　is　already　ripening　in　his　tiny　throat。　What　a　volume　of　rich；　lyrical　melody　pours　from　the　Norway　spruce；　where　the　little　musician　is　simply　practising　to　perfect　the　richer；　fuller　song　that　he　sings　to　his　nesting　mate　in　the　far　north！　The　volume　is　really　tremendous；　coming　from　so　tiny　a　throat。　Those　who　have　heard　it　in　northern　Canada　describe　it　as　a　flute…like　and　mellow　warble　full　of　intricate　phrases　past　the　imitating。　Dr。　Coues　says　of　it：　〃The　kinglet's　exquisite　vocalization　defies　description。〃

Curiously　enough；　the　nest　of　this　bird；　that　is　not　at　all　rare；　has　been　discovered　only　six　times。　It　would　appear　to　be　over　large　for　the　tiny　bird；　until　we　remember　that　kinglets　are　wont　to　have　a　numerous　progeny　in　their　pensile；　globular　home。　It　is　made　of　light；　flimsy　material　　moss；　strips　of　bark；　and　plant　fibre　well　knit　together　and　closely　lined　with　feathers；　which　must　be　a　grateful　addition　to　the　babies；　where　they　are　reared　in　evergreens　in　cold；　northern　woods。


GOLDEN…CROWNED　KINGLET　（Regulus　satrapa）　Kinglet　family

Called　also：　GOLDEN…CROWNED　GOLDCREST；　FIERY　CROWNED　WREN。

Length　　4　to　4。25　inches。　About　two　inches　smaller　than　the　　　English　sparrow。　Male　　Upper　parts　grayish　olive…green；　wings　and　tail　dusky；　　　margined　with　olive…green。　Underneath　soiled　whitish。　Centre　of　　　crown　bright　orange；　bordered　by　yellow　and　en。　closed　by　black　　　line。　Cheeks　gray；　a　whitish　line　over　the　eye。　Female　　Similar；　but　centre　of　crown　lemon…yellow　and　more　　　grayish　underneath。　Range　　North　America　generally。　Breeds　from　northern　United　　　States　northward。　Winters　chiefly　from　North　Carolina　to　　　Central　America；　but　many　remain　north　all　the　year。　Migrations　　September。　April。　Chiefly　a　winter　resident　south　　　Of　Canada。

If　this　cheery　little　winter　neighbor　would　keep　quiet　long　enough；　we　might　have　a　glimpse　of　the　golden　crest　that　distinguishes　him　from　his　equally　lively　cousin；　the　ruby…crowned；　but　he　is　so　constantly　flitting　about　the　ends　of　the　twigs；　peering　at　the　bark　for　hidden　insects；　twinkling　his　wings　and　fluttering　among　the　evergreens　with　more　nervous　restlessness　than　a　vireo；　that　you　may　know　him　well　before　you　have　a　glimpse　of　his　tri…colored　crown。

When　the　autumn　foliage　is　all　aglow　with　yellow　and　flame　this　tiny　sprite　comes　out　of　the　north　where　neither　nesting　nor　moulting　could　rob　him　of　his　cheerful　spirits。　Except　the　humming…bird　and　the　winter　wren；　he　is　the　smallest　bird　we　have。　And　yet；　somewhere　stored　up　in　his　diminutive　body；　is　warmth　enough　to　withstand　zero　weather。　With　evident　enjoyment　of　the　cold；　he　calls　out　a　shrill；　wiry　zee；　zee；　zee；　that　rings　merrily　from　the　pines　and　spruces　when　our　fingers　are　too　numb　to　hold　the　opera　glasses　in　an　attempt　to　follow　his　restless　fittings　from　branch　to　branch。　Is　it　one　of　the　unwritten　laws　of　birds　that　the　smaller　their　bodies　the　greater　their　activity？

When　you　see　one　kinglet　about；　you　may　be　sure　there　are　others　not　far　away；　for；　except　in　the　nesting　season；　its　habits　are　distinctly　social；　its　friendliness　extending　to　the　humdrum　brown　creeper；　the　chickadees；　and　the　nuthatches；　in　whose　company　it　is　often　seen；　indeed；　it　is　likely　to　be　in　almost　any　flock　of　the　winter　birds。　They　are　a　merry　band　as　they　go　exploring　the　trees　together。　The　kinglet　can　hang　upside　down；　too；　like　the　other　acrobats；　many　of　whose　tricks　he　has　learned；　and　it　can　pick　off　insects　from　a　tree　with　as　business…like　an　air　as　the　brown　creeper；　but　with　none　of　that　soulless　bird's　plodding　precision。

In　the　early　spring；　just　before　this　busy　little　sprite　leaves　us　to　nest　in　Canada　or　Labrador　　for　heat　is　the　one　thing　that　he　can't　cheerfully　endure　　a　gushing；　lyrical　song　bursts　from　his　tiny　throat　　a　song　whose　volume　is　so　out　of　proportion　to　the　bird's　size　that　Nuttall's　classification　of　kinglets　with　wrens　doesn't　seem　far　wrong　after　all。　　Only　rarely　is　a　nest　found　so　far　south　as　the　White　Mountains。　It　is　said　to　be　extraordinarily　large　for　so　small　a　bird　but　that　need　not　surprise　us　when　we　learn　that　as　many　as　ten　　creamy…white　eggs；　blotched　with　brown　and　lavender；　are　no　uncommon　number　for　the　pensile　cradle　to　hold。　How　do　the　tiny　parents　contrive　to　cover　so　many　eggs　and　to　feed　such　a　nestful　of　fledglings？


SOLITARY　VIREO　（Vireo　solitarius）　Vireo　or　Greenlet　family

Called　also：　BLUE…HEADED　VIREO　＇AOU　1998＇

Length　　5。5　to　7　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Dusky　olive　above；　head　bluish　gray；　with　a　white　line　　　around　the　eye；　spreading　behind　the　eye