Evening star., 1944-08-31
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1UeN.
BETHESDA, MD.

Dear sir:
Il am wondering if you can possibly
tell me what sort of bird this is 1t
looks very much like a little thrush,
except that it has broad stripes on its
head, and it walks. of all things! know
1t isn't thrush because it is too small
Il got good laugh out of the way 1t
walked. 1t just went along in a most
methodical fashion. It walked around
under our shrubbery for quite a time.
1t did not seem afraid, because when
I went out it looked at me in the most
amazing way, as if saying, No, 1 am
not in the least afraid of you-but I
wish you would 60 back in the house
so I went back in, and the bird re-
mained around for some time. 1t was
one of the most pleasing birds we have
had in long time, and the first time
| fm sure that it has ever been at our
house.
If you can name it I will be greatly
pleased.
Yours truly, NJ G. D."
Our correspondent bird was the oven
He belongs to the warblers, although
his song is not much.
He does. indeed. resemble a thrush,
and in various sections of the country
has been called the golden crowned
thrush, wood wagtail, golden-crowned
wagtail, golden-crowned accentor and
teacher bird.
The last comes from his song. which
seems to say, Teacher, teacher, teacher,
teacher" in crescendo, with the accent
on the second syllable.
This Is not what is called the flight
song. The latter is more musical. 1t
is short. but those who ought to know
say it rivals the song of Englands sky
lark. Mostly this true song comes in
flight, but it may be rendered on the
ground occasionally
There can be little doubt that most
species sing from the ground now and
then. Those who have never witnessed
this are sometimes most emphatic in
declaring that it cannot occur. but the
TACT is that almost anything can hap
pen in birdland and often does. Many
observers say that wood thrush. for
instance, does not sing on the ground,
but we have seen and heard them do 1t
many times
Part of the scientific name of the
oven bird means ito wave the tail"
Certainly he Is an accomplished tail
Waver, or wager, and it is no wonder
that he is given such a popular name
as wood wagtail.
He wags it when he is resting, be-
tween strides. A close relative of the
Louisiana water thrush, which also be-
longs to the warbler family, our wag-
tail likes best the level ground, and
does not particularly care for the banks
OF streams, as his relative does.
He Is just little over inches long,
which makes him small bird, Just
about the length of the water thrush.
His feet are pink and should always
be looked for in identification, The
way he lifts them and places them one
after the other is amusing and pretty
to watch.
George GLADDEN., writing in Birds of
America" gives the following interesting
literary note concerning this species
1T seems clear now that this remark
able flight song of the oven bird is the
one which Thoreau heard so often but
failed to identify with the singer,
though he knew the 'golden-crowned
thrush the name by which the oven
bird was formerly known. No less than
Is times between 1851 and 1860 did he
note in his journal hearing this mysteri-
GUS night warbler's song, and curiously
enough, one entry for May 16 1859
begins with "A golden crowned thrush
hops quite near and ends with Hear
the night warbler So anxious did he
become to identify the unseen bird that
Emerson, with gentle irony, warned him
to desist trying to find out what it was
lest, should he be successful, he should
thereafter lose all interest in life"
Thoreau did not use his eyes very
well In this case because he said the
bird hops when it really walks
The nest Is on the ground, and oven
| shaped. hence the birds common name,