Bird lore - Project Puffin

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Bird - Lore
Mr. E. H. Forbush, in his book "Useful Birds and their Protection,"
has written:
"The insect-food of the Redstart is perhaps more varied than that of any
other common Warbler. Apparently there are few forest insects of small size
that do not, in some of their forms, fall a prey to this bird. Caterpillars that
escape some of the slower birds by spinning down from the branches and hang-
ing by their silken threads are snapped up in mid-air by the Redstart. It takes
its prey from trunk, limbs, twigs, leaves, and also from the air, so that there
is no escape for the tree insects which it pursues, unless they reach the upper
air, where the Redstart seldom goes, except in migration. It has been named
the fly-catcher of the inner tree tops, but it is a fly-catcher of the bush tops
as well.
"While there are few small pests of deciduous trees that it does not eat in
some form, it is not confined to these trees, but forages more or less among con-
iferous trees. Also it is seen at times in orchards, and gleans among shade-
trees in locaUties where the woods are cut away. It is impossible to weigh the
pros and cons of this bird's food, for no thorough examination of it has ever
been made. It is an efficient caterpillar hunter, and one of the most destructive
enemies of the smaller hairy caterpillars. It catches bugs, moths, gnats, two-
-winged flies, small grasshoppers, and beetles. It probably secures a larger
proportion of parasitic hymenoptera and diptera than most other Warblers,
occasionally destroying a few wasps; otherwise, its habits seem to be entirely
beneficial."
The summer home of the Redstart extends as far northward as Labrador
and southern Alaska; in fact, it goes almost to the Hmit of tree-growth through-
out Canada. The southern boundary of its breeding-range may be roughly
traced by a Hne extending from the North Carohna Mountains to Utah, and
thence northwesterly to northern Washington. In a few cases, breeding birds
have been found south of this area, for its nesting has been reported at Greens-
boro, Alabama; Hopefield, and Jackson, Mississippi; and at Fort Union,
New Mexico.
As this species is highly insectivorous in its feeding habits, it of necessity
must depart from the land of frost upon the approach of winter. Therefore,
Redstarts migrate southward through the Southern States. Many in the East
follow down the peninsula of Florida, and then across to Cuba, Haiti, and others
of the West Indies Islands, where they pass the winter. The larger number,
however, reach the sea at various points along the west coast of Florida, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana, and eastern Texas. Here they pause only long enough to sup-
ply themselves well with food, and then at the close of day start out boldly
across the Gulf of Mexico. Their journey to Yucatan or to western Cuba is
made in a single night, although the distance is from five to seven hundred miles.
Many of the Warblers pass their winter on the eastern shore of southern
Mexico and Central America, although numbers of others push on by the