. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande Valley . Young :like adult female, but crown patch wanting. Male: length 12-15, , tail 7-10. Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from southwestern Mis-souri to western Texas ; migrates to Costa Rica ; straggling rarely to Mani-toba and Hudson Bay (York Factory). Nest. — Generally 5 to 15 feet from the ground, in open situations,preferably mesquite, but also other trees and thorny bushes; madeusually of fine rootlets and plant stems lined with plan
. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande Valley . Young :like adult female, but crown patch wanting. Male: length 12-15, , tail 7-10. Distribution. — Breeds in Lower Sonoran zone from southwestern Mis-souri to western Texas ; migrates to Costa Rica ; straggling rarely to Mani-toba and Hudson Bay (York Factory). Nest. — Generally 5 to 15 feet from the ground, in open situations,preferably mesquite, but also other trees and thorny bushes; madeusually of fine rootlets and plant stems lined with plant fibers, wool, andfeathers ; but sometimes of gray moss, cotton, rags, and seaweed. Eggs :usually 5, generally clear white, marked with browns and purples. Food. — Moths, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, cot-ton-worms, and some J)erries. In visiting the southwestern prairie country the scissor-tail is oneof the first new birds you notice. Discovering him first perched onthe chaparral you are struck by his long white tail and glisteningblack, white, and salmon plumage. In perching, the tail is closed. SCISSUR-TAILEI) ILVCATCHER FLYCATCHERS 247 thill, and the black of the wings contrasts well with the bright sal-mon sides. He sits quietly like any everyday bird, giving only anoccasional bee-bird like note, till suddenly up he darts into the air,and with delighted wonder you watch his odd ligure and oddergyrations in the sky. One of his favorite performances is to tly up and, with rattlingwings, execute an aerial seesaw, a line of sharp-angled VVVVVVVs,lulping himself at the short turns by rapitUy opening and shuttinghis long white scissors. As he goes up and down he utters all thewhile a penetrating scream, ka-qiiee -ka-quee -ka-quee-ka-quee-ka-qxee . the emphasis being given each time at the top of the ascendingline. Frequently when he is passing along with the even flight of asober-minded crow and you are quietly admiring the salmon liningof his win
Size: 1278px × 1956px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidhandbookofbi, bookyear1902
