Wild Birds in City Parks Part 10

Puffy head and _upper_ part of neck and throat, bright reddish brown; breast and upper part of back with rump, _black_; belly white; middle back and _sides_ evenly and finely waved black and white, _which shows gray at a distance_. Female: Grayish-brown, almost white on throat; brown on head, light brown on neck. *Canvas-back.

131. LESSER SCAUP DUCK. 16 in.

(Aythya affinis. 149.)

Head, neck and breast black, showing _purple_ reflections on head; back black and white, very narrowly barred; upper parts of wings dark, finely mottled with white; lower part of wing brownish-black, showing a small white patch; lower breast and belly white; bill, bluish, tipped with black. Female: Black replaced by brown, lighter on head; region around bill white. *Female Redhead, easily confused with female Lesser Scaup.

132. AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 19 in.

(Clangula americana. 151.)

Black, glossed with green; white below, extending around the neck in a collar; head bunchy, slightly crested and marked _below eye_ and just back of eye by a nearly oval _white spot_; wings largely white; short bill. Female: Brown, snuff-colored on head; white collar; white wing patch; band of bluish gray across breast and down sides. *American Merganser.

133. BUFFLE-HEAD. 15 in.

(Charitonetta albeola. 153.)

Head, throat and upper neck, iridescent black; conspicuous black crest broadly banded with white over head from eye to eye; back black, ashy on tail; wings black with a very large white patch; _collar and entire under parts, white_. Female: Smaller; brownish, lighter below with no crest and only a white patch on cheeks and a small white wing patch. *Hooded Merganser.

134. OLD-SQUAW. 21 in.

(Harelda hiemalis. 154.)

Winter Plumage: Back, long tail-feathers and breast with conspicuous _patch on sides of neck_, black; throat and upper breast, top of head, neck and belly, white; cheeks grayish-brown; wings black and gray; bill crossed by yellowish band. Female: Dark brown, lighter on head, grayish on tail; throat, breast and region about the eye, gray-white; below white, brown on lower part of throat; no long tail-feathers; smaller than male. Summer Plumage: Head and neck, dusky black; grayish-white on sides of head, and female shows more brown. *Pintail.

135. CANADA GOOSE. 40 in.

(Branta canadensis. 172.)

Head and neck, black with white throat-patch extending up to and just behind eye; brownish-gray marked with lighter, darkest on back; rump and tail, black above and white below; fly after a leader in harrow-shaped ranks, often high up, crying, "honk, honk, honk."

136. AMERICAN BITTERN. 30 in.

(Botaurus lentiginosus. 190.)

Streaky tawny- and dark-brown; tawny-yellowish below, mixed with white and streaked with dark brown; conspicuous black streak on sides of neck; short brown tail; breast feathers loose and baggy; yellow eye; call, loud resounding squawk or booming notes which have given it the common name of "stake-driver."

137. LEAST BITTERN. 13 in.

(Ardetta exilis. 191.)

Crown, with back, tail and upper half of wings, s.h.i.+ning greenish-black; rest of wing shows buff and bright chestnut; throat and baggy breast, whitish, shading into yellowish-brown on sides of neck, and chestnut on back of neck; buffy white below; tufts of dark feathers on either side of breast; yellow eye. *Green Heron.

138. GREEN HERON. 17 in.

(Butorides virescens. 201.)

Wings and back dark green, latter tinged with blue-gray; crown, greenish-black; neck and breast, rich reddish brown; throat and line down middle of neck to breast whitish, ending in light streaks on breast; the smallest heron; carries neck curved in flight; squawking note, "scow."

*Least Bittern.

139. SORA. 8-1/2 in.

(Porzana carolina. 214.)

Olive-brown with lengthwise markings of black and some white; short tail turned up, showing buffy white underside; sides _barred_ posteriorily with white; front of head and _throat, black_; slaty line over eye; sides of neck and breast, grayish slate; bill _short and yellowish_; legs long.

Young: No black; throat whitish and brown on breast; very stealthy; skulks and crouches in gra.s.s.

140. AMERICAN COOT. 15 in.

(Fulica americana. 221.)

Smooth blackish slate color, lighter below and black on head and neck; white bill shows _dark marks near the tip_; turned up tail; white underneath; wing edged with white; eye red; young show white below and no marks on bill; toes with scalloped edges. May be mistaken for a small duck.

141. AMERICAN WOODc.o.c.k. 10-1/2 in.

(Philohela minor. 228.)

Black, mixed black and rusty slate; below reddish-brown, no markings; _large_ head with short neck and _very long straight bill_; eye set _high up and far back_; crown barred crosswise with black and rusty; short tail; burrows in soft mud for earthworms; nocturnal.

142. SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER. 6 in.

(Ereunetes pusillus. 246.)

Grayish-brown, marked with black and buffy; rump very dark; tail tapering; underparts _pure white_, slightly tinged and streaked across breast; white line over eye and dusky line beneath; note, "peep-peep."

*Other Sandpipers.

143. SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 8-1/2 in.

(Helodromas solitarius. 256.)

Back, dusky olive-brown, _finely spotted with white_; crown and back of neck showing dark streaks; white below, throat unmarked; sides of head and neck with breast slightly buffy and _distinctly streaked_; sides lightly barred; wings dark brown with one narrow white wing-bar; middle of tail very dark; outer feathers _white, barred with black_; note, a soft whistle. *Spotted Sandpiper.

144. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 7-1/2 in.

(Act.i.tis macularia. 263.)

Greenish-ash marked lightly with black; _long white line over eye_; pure white below everywhere with dark round spots; wings brownish, marked broadly with white bar; flies close to the water with wings full-spread, showing white wing-bar; note, penetrating "pee-weet, weet;" walks with tilting motion. *Solitary Sandpiper.

145. KILLDEER. 10 in.

(Oxyechus vociferus. 273.)

Gray-brown; rump rusty-brown; tail rather long; white below; white collar followed by a black collar, and a _black band across breast_; forehead, line over eye and wing-bar, white; bill black; runs very swiftly; note, loud and persistent "kill-dee" often heard high overhead.

Explanation of Chart.