Wild Birds in City Parks Part 9

*Note:--Owing to a lack of sufficient data the following _Sh.o.r.e_ 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.

118. AMERICAN HERRING GULL. 24 in.

(Larus argentatus smithsonia.n.u.s. 51a.)

White; wings and back, pearly blue-gray; bill yellow, showing a small vermillion spot on either side; the longest wing feathers are partly black, marked and _tipped with white_; the closed wing therefore shows black towards the end, marked with a regular line of white spots and tipped with white at the extreme point; eyelids, bright yellow; looks large and heavy in flight. Winter Plumage: Streaked on head and neck with gray. Immature Plumage: Dark and much streaked with brownish; bill darker. *Ring-billed Gull.

119. RING-BILLED GULL. 19 in.

(Larus delawarensis. 54.)

Similar to the _American Herring Gull_, but _smaller_; bill, greenish-yellow, bright at tip, _banded with black around the middle_; wing tipped at extreme point with black; feet greenish-yellow; eyelids vermillion-red. *American Herring Gull.

120. BONAPARTE GULL. 13 in.

(Larus philadelphia. 60.)

Back and wings, light pearl-gray; head and throat, dark slate color; back of head, neck, underparts and square tail, white; wings tipped, and _bordered narrowly on the outside edge with black_; feet and legs, red; bill black. Winter Plumage: Hood, grayish white. Large flocks seen in Lincoln Park. *Common Tern.

121. COMMON TERN. 15 in.

(Sterna hirundo. 70.)

Pearly gray back and wings, whiter on rump; _top of head, s.h.i.+ning black_; pure white on throat; dusky-white below; tail forked, _outer edge darkest_; bill long and red, blackening towards tip; feet reddish. Winter Plumage: Front of head and under-parts, white; bill nearly black.

*Bonaparte Gull.

122. AMERICAN MERGANSER. 25 in.

(Merganser america.n.u.s. 129.)

Black; rump and tail, ashy gray; head, throat and upper part of neck, greenish black; wing, _largely white_, edged with black and crossed by a black bar; white below, extending around the neck in a narrow collar; long red bill tipped with black; eye, red; shows salmon tinge below in flight. Female: Ashy-gray, with sharply defined brown head and neck and a pale salmon or brownish tinge across upper breast; _throat_, _white_; wings largely dark with a white patch; small crest on back of neck; feet orange; eye yellow; rare; "pursues and catches food under water."

*American Golden-eye. *Red-breasted Merganser.

123. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 22 in.

(Merganser serrator. 130.)

Long ragged crest; head and neck black; broad white collar; broad cinnamon band streaked with black across the breast, otherwise white below, showing salmon tinge in flight; wing largely white, edged and barred twice with black; eye and bill, red. Female: Back and wings dark gray turning to brown on head and neck; much paler on sides of neck and throat and gray across breast; crest, less prominent; white wing-patch; common. *American Merganser.

124. HOODED MERGANSER. 18 in.

(Lophodytes cucullatus. 131.)

Black, including throat and neck; large, circular crest, white, bordered with black; white below running up in front of the wings in two points; sides brownish, finely lined with black; white wing-patch, crossed by black bar; also lengthwise white streaks on end of wings; _short_ black bill; eye yellow. Female: Grayish-brown; throat white; crest small; sides unmarked. *Buffle-head.

125. MALLARD. 23 in.

(Anas boschas. 132.)

Head, throat and neck glossy green; _narrow_ white collar; breast, rich brown; back, dark brownish; underparts, silver-gray; tail white, set off by black feathers which curl up from either side of the black rump; wing-patch purple, bordered on either side with a black and then a white bar. Female: Buffy-brown and black; much streaked and speckled; lighter on throat; shows wing-patch as in male; common.

126. GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 14-1/2 in.

(Nettion carolinensis. 139.)

Gray, finely lined on sides and shoulders with black; _white bar in front of wing_; head, including throat, brown with a broad green stripe from eye to back of head, ending in a small tuft; wings, gray-brown with brilliant green and black wing-patch, bordered by buffy bars; breast very pale reddish-brown, speckled with round black spots; buffy patches on sides of tail; white belly. Female: Mottled brown; top of head and back of neck dark brown; sides of head and neck buff-colored and finely streaked; throat buff, unmarked; no green on head nor white bar in front of wings; wing-patch as in male, but smaller. *Blue-winged Teal.

127. BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 15 in.

(Querquedula discors. 140.)

Back and underparts thickly mottled brownish and black, lightest below; head slaty, showing purplish gloss; a conspicuous crescent-shaped white stripe in front of eye; _shows blue_ on bend of wing, followed by a white bar and a bright green wing-patch; white patch on sides of tail; bill black. Female: Dusky-brown; black on top of head; streaked and whitish on neck and sides of head; throat and about base of bill, _white_; back and underparts, mottled and spotted; wing shows blue but no green; white bars on head are wanting. *Green-winged Teal.

128. PINTAIL. 27 in.

(Dafila acuta. 143.)

Head, including throat, brown, darkest on top; long, swan-like neck, black above, finely waved white and dusky on back and sides; _long middle tail feathers_, black; white below with a conspicuous curved white stripe running up sides of neck to head and ending in a point; bronzy patch on wings. Female: Tail much shorter but pointed; dusky, everywhere streaked; no white stripe on neck; whitish wing-bars; smaller than male.

*Old-squaw.

129. WOOD DUCK. 18 in.

(Aix sponsa. 144.)

Highly variegated; long, smooth, glossy crest, showing green and purple iridescence and marked by two very narrow white parallel lines, curving from bill and behind eye almost to end of crest; throat white, extending irregularly in two stripes, one up behind eye, the other nearly around neck; breast, glossy brown, spotted with white and set off on either side by a conspicuous white stripe bordered with black; wings highly iridescent, marked by green patch bordered with white. Female: Much duller and less conspicuously marked; head brownish-gray, slightly crested showing greenish tints; throat and line extending from it around base of bill, with s.p.a.ce about eye, white.

130. REDHEAD. 20 in.

(Aythya americana. 146.)