For a amount of years Doris Huestis Speirs had carried on intensive studies of the Evening Grosbeak in their natural habitat, from New Hampshire to California, and in captivity at the Vivarium of the University of Illinois. Wishing to make an intimate study of their nesting behavior, a study that seemed almost impossible in the wild state, Mrs. Speirs brought to me, late in May, 1942, two male evening grosbeaks, in the hope that we might mate them with the females already in the summer aviary. If this could be done successfully, facts might be gleaned to add to the gift rather scant knowledge we have of these birds. My summer aviary is an octagon with large nesting compartments surrounding the main flight.
Two compartments, Nos. I and Viii were reserved for our grosbeaks. When they mated they would have many neighbors. In Ii were the wood thrushes, Vee and his mate with their three feathered young; in Iii, Robbie, the male robin; in Iv, Wintering and his mate, the rose-breasted grosbeaks with one nestling out of the nest: in V, wee Blue and Josie, the bluebirds with five newly hatched babies; in Vi, the catbirds, Fuss and his mate, with four youngsters almost ready to fly; in Vii, Cher, the eight-year-old rose-breasted grosbeak, whose mate was incubating their eggs. We had decided that as soon as the pairs were formed, nests built, and the first egg laid, the evening grosbeaks would be given the same liberty as was given to all the other nesting birds.
Arbor Vitae
The egress and ingress to the compartments would be by a small gate in the outer mesh wire, similar to that used by other specifics during the nesting season. Early in June Tana mated with Cherree, an old female, and they were placed in compartment I. Then Vesper mated with Tina, and they were put in Viii. Arbor vitas, growing in these compartments, made ideal nesting sites. Thus began a delightful experience; a prelude to the beauty to be seen often during the following days.
The male evening grosbeak is an exceedingly handsome bird. The large areas of golden yellow, shading to umbery-bronze, stand out in stunning variation to the black and white of his wings. But to see him in all his beauty he must be seen as he courts his mate a few feet away. The male's wings are spread wide, rapidly vibrating, drooped so low that they almost scrape the ground; the tail is partly spread and slightly elevated; the head is retracted so that the beak is pointing level at the sky.
Gradually the male approaches the female, his head and body weaving in an erratic dance. Then, he looks like some gorgeous tropical butterfly rather than a bird. Yet his mate does not seem to be nearly so much impressed as we, or, if she is, she does not show it, for she goes quietly about the firm of building as though he were not there.
click here An Exceedingly Handsome Bird
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