Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-18
This andThat
By Charles E. Trace1peH

i IL.
migrant sparrow which NAV be
seen here for few more weeks is the
white crowned
This white-crowned sparrow is one of
the best, but often is mistaken for the
white-throated sparrow.
Experts hold there is no reason for
this, if the observer keeps we'll in mind
the differences between the two birds.
The white crown lacks the yellow
patch before the eyes.
1t does not have the white SHRINE
over the eye, nor the white patch on
the throat
Ihese are markings of the white
throated sparrow, and they are all lack
Ing in the white crowned.
TOO, the white crown has a dome
SNAPPED head, whereas the white throat
had more of fiat head
All OF these differences must be seen
close at hand to be appreciated
Both sparroWs mix well, and where
one comes the other is likely to be,
except that there seldom will be more
than one White-croWned sparrow in
& group.
Hereabouts the white crowned is a
rarity, only seen in migration in the
spring. Usually he may be seen from
March to May Is, but sometimes he
Will remain longer, at least until the
end of May.
botn OF these sparrows sing at night
AssWe have remarked here before. manv
pros sing at night. 1t is not just the
cklngbird-although him mostly
which you can hear in the dark.
Ihere is no good reason why any
oird may not wake up for few min
utes and be induced to sing a bit,
just to keep his throat in trim.
He is resting comfortably on his
branch.
His stomach, in constant activity
all day long, is getting it's nights rest.
Probably the bird is better for it.
Even birds were not meant to eat
all the time. Only monkeys can do
that, and even they do not eat at
night.
So our bird is on his limb.
Pernaps he sees bright light down
the street. Or he feels moonshine on
him. 0''
Whatever the reason he starts to
sing, at first very softly, in a sort of
reminiscent manner Soon he grows
bit holder, liking the sound of his
own voice
He must feel like pioneer, or some
tnlng, singing there in the night, when
all the other birds are sleeping.
well, rest assured that many birds
sing IN the dark, although most of
them do it softly, SO that unless YOU
are very light sleeper, indeed, you
will never hear them.
Inc OLD mocker uses no soft pedal.
He fairly yells his head off in the
uark, knocking first the cardinal. then
the carolina wren, then a phrase from
popular song he heard from radio,
anu tnen the sound of rusty hinge.
out our way a mockingbird has
neen singing all night for weeks. It
peasant waking, to- hear him. What
Goes coal strike mean to him?
He tells us that we, as his superiors
mentally, ought to be able to rise
above such things, but the question is
can we? Has man really as much
brains as a mockingbird?
One is not likely to hear the white.
crowned sparrow sing here, either dur
ing the day or night. He is on mi
grafton and will not do it until he
gets South. This is a bird which. re-
Verslng the usual order, goes South to
breed. He may go as far as New
Mexico.
Inc nest is placed on the ground in
nlgh mountain plateaus, sometimes in
low bushes, but mainly on the ground.
Inc nest is made of grasses and
roots, mostly, and lined with hair and
fine grass
Inc eggs are three to five, green
piue, dotted with chestnut, in wreath
at the large end.
These birds are weed Good ao+or.
Iney were charged with eating buds
ana blossoms OF fruit trees, but an in
VeStlgatlon OF more than 500 stomachs
showed only 80 containing blossoms.
Probably most charges against birds
are as grossly exaggerated.