Bird Biographies

								


    distress.
Song: A tender, sweet trill in the spring. Though monotonous, the song

    is very pleasing.
Habitat: Groves of conifers; thickets of bushes or vines, or clumps of

    weeds.
Nest: Juncos' nests are built of mosses or grasses on or near the

    ground. The speckled eggs and the streaked babies are excellent

    examples of protective coloring. The nests are sometimes placed very

    near houses, if the surroundings are to the liking of the birds.
Range: Eastern and northern North America. Breeds from the tree-limit of

    Alaska and Canada southward to northern United States,--northern

    Minnesota, central Michigan, Maine, the mountains of New York,

    Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts; winters throughout eastern United

    States and southern Canada to the Gulf Coast.



    The Carolina Junco, nesting in the southern Appalachian mountains,

    is a subspecies, differing but very slightly in color.
Juncos are gentle, attractive little creatures that come to our thickets
when the chill of autumn has driven away our insectivorous birds. Being
seed-eaters, they do not fear winter snows, except those that cover tall
weeds. According to Professor Beal, juncos should be rigidly protected.
They not only destroy large quantities of weed seeds, thereby rendering
service to agriculture, but they eat harmful insects, of which
caterpillars are their favorite. They do no damage to fruit or
grain.[17]
Mr. Forbush writes of the junco as follows: "The Snowbird does not often
breed in Massachusetts, excepting on the higher lands of the
north-central and western parts of the State. Pairs are said to nest
occasionally in ice-houses, which are certainly cool, if not suitable
situations. It is a bird of the Canadian fauna, and it winters in
Massachusetts whenever conditions are favorable. In the southeastern
portion of the State, where the ground is bare in sheltered places
through much of the winter, or where weed seed, chaff, and other food
can be secured, this bird is common in the colder months. Its notes at
this season are chiefly sparrow like chirps.
"A flock of these dark birds on the new-fallen snow is an interesting
sight on a cold winter's day, as they come familiarly about the house or
barnyard. Audubon says that in winter they burrow in stacks of corn or
hay for shelter at night during the continuance of inclement weather. As
spring comes they begin to sing much like the Chipping Sparrow. They
converse together with a musical twittering, and about the first of May
they leave for their northern breeding-ground."[18]

                     THE SNOWFLAKE OR SNOW BUNTING

                      Finch Family--Fringillidæ

Length: A little less than 7 inches; slightly larger than the junco and

    the English sparrow.
General Appearance: A brown, black, and white bird; the white is

    conspicuous on wings and tail, especially in flight. The bird has a