Evening star., 1944-08-28
This and That
By Charles E. Traceueu

Dear Sir: -
Recently I saw a small bird which
ne" down out of tree and lit almost
at my feet. AA''o''
ne was very small, olive green on
'op, with almost white underparts
When ne flew up I saw good sized
patches OF yellow in each wing
Gould this have been some sort NJ
warbler? I have lived out here for %
years, but have never seen such a bird
before. oAio
Sincerely, H. G."
-
Our correspondents bird was the fe.
male OF the American redstart
Inc redstart Is an abundant MIGRANT
ana common summer resident here
abouts.
IL can be seen from April IS, usually
10 ABOUT the middle of October. The
iength is 5a4 inches. The male is the
brilliant one of the family. He is black
above, with white underneath. and
adorned with patches of reddish -oranpe
and white.
The female is less brilliant. being
pretty much as described by our cor
respondent.
sometimes she has a good deal of
yellow IN the tail when it is spread out.
II IS the male bird, however, which
takes the prize
HIS colorlng is such that in Cuba he
is called by the beautiful name of
candellta, or little torch.
In the United States he is variously
known as American redstart, redstart
warbler, redstart f1ycatcher, f1re.tail
and yellow-tailed warbler.
HIS method of catching insects in
the air is much like that of the f1v-
catchers. He sings on the wing, between
catching bugs" An experienced oh
server says that the song NAV be re-
produced by whispering between set
teeth the syllables wee Sc ST." and wee
Sc Weet, Sc wit" Try it. sometime and
see II you can fool the birds.
Leon Augustus Hausman, in his "1l-
Nlstrated Encyclopedia of American
Birds has the following praise of the
female redstart:
The female is. to my mind, one of
the most harmoniusly colored of our
native birds, with her inimitable COM
blnation of sedate grayish-brown and
yellow, and is, by many observers. pre-
ferred to the male"
The redstarts are among the most
restless OF all birds. and may almost be
recognized by their habit of never be-
ing still.
They fly down to the ground. and up
again almost in one movement.
They are so busy all the time that
tne TALL is always spread, and the wings
signify a-f1utter, even when perching.
as II always ready to pounce on their
prey. An authority has the following
to say:
ANY one familiar with the woods in
summer will recognize in this the fierv
little redstart-a name corrupted from
redstert,' meaning red tail, this nor
tion OF the plumage being doubly no.
tlceable from the amount of reddish
yellow upon it, and from the birds hab-
1t OF keeping it partly spread as it
moves from limb to limb.
Ihe wings and sides Of the breast
also have dash of flame color. inten-
slned by the otherwise lustrous black
OF the male, whereas the female-well
she LOOKS as any one would be supposed
10 look arrayed in goods warranted
7 not 10 wash. If the male redstart is a
merry coal, the female is trail of ashes
in his wake"
The habit of darting down and seiz-
Ing an insect at the very feet of the
observer Is q sure Identification of the
redstart, and one which always pleases
the watcher no end, as practically no
other bird will do it, except perhaps
downtown sparrows. Both the male
and female sing. The nest is q pretty
one. few feet up In tree or shrub. The
eggs are dull white, marked with brown
and lilac around the large end.