Wild Birds in City Parks / Being hints on identifying 145 birds, prepared primarily for the spring migration in Lincoln Park, Chicago

Table of Arrival.

Note.—The following table gives the dates of the first arrival of each bird mentioned in the preceding list of one hundred and fourteen for the seven years from 1897 to 1903 inclusive, as observed in Lincoln Park. The birds are arranged in their respective families, and space is left for recording their first appearance in any succeeding year.

The record for 1902, in the absence of the authors, was kept by Mr. Harold V. Bozell.

Attention is called to the fact that many birds which are common summer residents in the neighboring country are rare migrants in the Park. Among these may be mentioned the Red-winged Blackbird, Bobolink and Warbling Vireo. Some fine singers also, for example, the Vesper Sparrow, Yellow-throated Vireo and Hermit Thrush, are usually silent in the Park.

WATER AND SHORE BIRDS.

General Hints.

The Loon and Grebes are common representatives of the order of Diving Birds. Their legs are set far back on the body, making it difficult for them to walk at all.

Grebes look like small, tailless ducks. They have long, slender necks, short wings, smooth glossy plumage and flat, lobed feet. They rarely leave the water and can dive or sink out of sight instantly when disturbed, swimming to a distance with only the tip of the bill out of water.

Loons are very large, with flat, heavy bodies, short tails and long, tapering bills. They are never crested, but are conspicuously marked, and are equally expert with the grebes in diving and sinking.

Gulls and Terns belong to the order of the Long-winged Swimmers, but are better described by the name of Skimmers.

Terns are much slenderer and usually smaller than gulls, have very pointed bills and wings, and forked tails. They rarely if ever swim, but skim swallow-like over the water, bill downward, plunging into the water for their prey.

Gulls are plumper than terns, with heavier bills and tails usually even. They do not dive or plunge suddenly into the water, but fly and soar or float about on the surface, sitting well up out of the water.

Ducks, Geese and Swans have webbed feet and short legs, and in walking carry themselves almost horizontal. As a rule they have very strong wings, enabling them to fly long distances at great speed. Our ducks are most easily remembered in three groups:—

1. The fish-eating Mergansers, whose plumage is largely black and white and which have saw-edged bills and, usually, conspicuous crests.

2. The Sea Ducks, which are conspicuously marked but plainly colored, frequent open water or the sea coast, diving, often to great depths, for their food. Descriptions are given of the Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Canvas-back, American Golden-eye, Old-squaw and Buffle-head.

3. The River Ducks, which have broad, rounded bills, are much variegated in color and markings, and have a peculiar habit of feeding head downwards, as though standing on their heads with the body tipped up. The Teals, Mallard, Wood Duck and Pintail belong to this group. The females of these ducks, though differing noticeably in size, may easily be confused.

Geese are larger than ducks, feed mostly on land and are usually seen during migration flying at a height in regular ranks after a leader.

Herons and Bitterns belong among the Wading Birds. They have long, pointed bills, long legs, loose, baggy plumage, broad wings and long necks, curved s shaped in flight.

Herons are tall, crested birds, with very long legs, bills and necks and small tails. Their notes are harsh and squawking. Large numbers sometimes nest together.

Bitterns have shorter legs, necks and bills than herons and are very rarely crested. They utter hoarse, resounding calls, and are ordinarily solitary in habit.

Rails and Coots are known as Marsh Birds, although the latter are fine swimmers.

Rails as a rule are smaller than bitterns and frequent grassy marshes where they steal stealthily about, effectively concealed by their dull streaky plumage. Short turned-up tails, short wings and long legs are noticeable characteristics of these rapid runners.

Coots are ducklike in appearance and smoothly plumaged. Lobed feet enable them to swim easily. Their bills spread out at the base in the form of a plate or shield which extends up on to the forehead.

Plover, Sandpipers and the Woodcock are strikingly different representatives of the great order of Shore Birds. The plover family have stout, short bills, while the sandpipers and woodcock belong to a family which have soft probing bills of greatly varying length, for obtaining their food in soft mud.

Sandpipers have pointed wings, are dull-colored, and are usually found slipping gracefully along the water’s edge in search of food. They skim rapidly over the water on outspread wings, and their clear, reed-like notes are distinctly musical.

Plovers are small and plump, with long pointed wings, short necks and rather flat heads. They run and fly very rapidly, generally in flocks piping loudly but sweetly. They frequent the inland as well as the shore.

Shore and Water Birds are often extremely shy and they can detect the presence of an observer at a distance. The caution is therefore emphasized to approach them slowly and quietly.

Particular Hints.

Note:—Owing to a lack of sufficient data the following Shore and Water Birds are arranged according to the American Ornithologist’s Union order instead of their average first appearance. They have all been seen, however, in Lincoln Park by the authors.

115. HORNED GREBE. 14 in.

(Colymbus auritus. 3.)

Brownish, sooty black, extending in narrow line up back of neck; rest of neck, sides and upper breast rich chestnut-brown; silky white below; head and chin deep black, set off by buffy “horns” or crests, which slant abruptly backwards from the eyes; black bill, tipped with yellow; eye, red. Winter Plumage: Black parts sooty; brown replaced by white; grayer below; crests and ruff less conspicuous. Pied-billed Grebe.

116. PIED-BILLED GREBE. 13-1/2 in.

(Podilymbus podiceps. 6.)

Brownish-black, showing gray on head and neck; belly, dusky white, otherwise brownish below; black throat-patch and a conspicuous black band across bill. Winter Plumage: Throat whitish; browner below; no band on bill. Horned Grebe.

117. LOON. 33 in.

(Gavia imber. 7.)

Black, showing greenish on head and neck, spotted with square or oval patches of white on back and wings and striped with white in front of wings; white below; two conspicuous white-striped bars across the black neck give the effect of a broad black collar; tail, very short; eye, red; large black bill, long and pointed; dives and sinks like the Grebes; note, an eerie, prolonged cry.