Snowbird (Plectrophenax Nivalis)

About six and a half inches long, this bird is pure white, overlaid with brown the name Reedbird. It is found in North America, chiefly between north latitude 40 and 52 degrees.

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus Galbula)

The Oriole is about eight inches long, flaming orange in color, with black head and back and partly black tail and wings. The female is duller in plumage. Famous for its beautiful nest, as on the crown, back and sides. The wings, back and tail are partly black. The Snowbird nests in the Arctic regions and is common in most of temperate agricultural America, during winter, wherever there is snow.

Song-Sparrow (Melospiza Melodia)

The Song-sparrow is about six and a half inches long - brown above - white underneath. It is thickly streaked with blackish marks on flanks, breast and all upper parts. All the tail feathers are plain brown. There is a black blotch on the jaw and another on the middle of the breast. Always near a brook.

It is noted for its sweet and constant song, and is found in all well wooded and watered parts of North America.

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga Erythromelas)

This gorgeous bird is about seven inches long. The plumage of the male is of a flaming scarlet, with black wings and tail; but the female is dull green in color. The Scarlet Tanager is found in the woods of eastern America, up to Ottawa and Lake Winnipeg.

Purple Martin (Progne Subis)

About eight inches in length, with long wings and forked tail, the Purple Martin is everywhere of a shiny bluish or purplish black. Like the Kingbird it attacks any intruder on its lower range. This swallow is found in the wooded regions of east temperate America, north to Newfoundland and the Saskatchewan.

Barn Swallow (Hirundro Erythrogaster)

About seven inches long, this bird is steel-blue above, chestnut on throat and breast, buffy white on belly. It is known by the long forked tail which is dark with white spots. Famous for its mud nest, it is found in open country about barns in America generally.

Mockingbird (Mimus Polyglottos)

About ten inches long, soft gray above, dull white beneath, wings and tail black and white, with no black on head - the Mockingbird is famous for its song, and is found in United States north to New Jersey.

Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis)

This northern Mockingbird is about nine inches long, dark slate in color, with a black-brown cap, black tail and a red patch "on the seat of its pants." It abounds in the Eastern States and Canada, north to Ottawa, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

Common House Wren (Troglodytes Aedon)

This little fairy is about five inches long; soft brown above and brownish gray below, it is barred with dusky brown on wings and tail. It nests in a hole, and is found in wooded America east of the plains, north to Saskatchewan. Ottawa and Maine.

Chickadee (Penthestes Atricapillus)

This cheerful little bird is five and a half inches long. Its cap and throat are black. Its upper parts are gray, its under parts brownish, its cheeks white, no streaks anywhere. It does not migrate, so it is well known in the winter woods of eastern America up to the Canadian region where the Brown-Capped or Hudson Chickadee takes its place. Its familiar song chickadee dee dee has given it its name.

Wood Thrush (Hylocichla Mustelinus)

About eight inches long, cinnamon-brown above, brightest on head, white below, with black spots on breast and sides, this thrush is distinguished from the many thrushes in America much like it, by the reddish head and round black spots on its under sides. It is found in the woods of eastern North America up to Vermont and Minnesota.

Robin (Planesticus Migratorius)

The Robin is about ten inches long, mostly dark gray in color, but with black on head and tail, its breast is brownish red. The spots about the eye, also the throat, the belly and the marks in outer tail feathers are white. Its mud nest is known in nearly every orchard. Found throughout the timbered parts of America north to the limit of trees.

Bluebird (Sialia Sialis)

About seven inches long, brilliant blue above, dull red-brown on breast, white below. Found in eastern North America, north to about latitude 50 degrees in the interior, not so far on the coast.

Books Recommended

"Handbook of the Birds of Eastern North America," By F. M. Chapman, Appleton, N. Y. Price $3.00. (Technical).

"Handbook of Birds of the Western United States," By Florence Merriam Bailey. Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Price, $3.50. (Technical).

"Bird Homes," By A. R. Dugmore. Doubleday, Page & Co. (Popular).

"Bird Neighbors," By Neltje Blanchan. Doubleday, Page & Co. (Popular).

"Birds That Hunt and Are Hunted," By Neltje Blanchan. Doubleday, Page & Co. (Popular).