Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America

The book that made American bird-watching possible in the field: keys, plumages, songs and habits for every species of the East, by the man who ran ornithology at the American Museum.

B

17 species in this part of Handbook of Birds.

By D

APPLETON AND COMPANY. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Birds

In describing the eggs the color chart was used when possible; but it was designed with particular reference to the plumages of our birds…

Biographies

After devoting separate paragraphs to the bird's general range, its manner of occurrence, comparative numbers, times of migration at…

Back

Ad. in summer. -Back and wings slaty black; wing-feathers tipped GULLS. with white; rest of plumage white; tail sometimes mottled with…

Black-headed Gull

It could be readily distinguished from the Common Tern, which it closely resembles when on the wing, by its grating monotonous note, which…

Black Coot

Ad. 8. - Entire plumage black, feathers on the side of the bill extending little if any forward beyond the corner of the mouth; bill black…

Beetle-Head

(See Fig. 25, c, 26, d.) Ad. in summer. Upper parts black, bordered with white; tail white, barred with black; basal half of the inner web…

Bost

Soc. Nat. Hist., xxii, 1883, p. 378). 488. Corvus americanus Aud. AMERICAN CROW. (See Fig. 44, 6.) Ad.-Entire plumage black, with…

Bird (See Fig c Ad Head neck throat)

(See Fig. 46, c.) Ad. 6. - Head, neck, throat, and upper breast all around varying from brilliant metallic purple to bluish green or…

Bird (Ad Head neck throat and upper)

Ad. 8.-Head, neck, throat, and upper breast all around varying from brilliant metallic purple to bluish green or steel-blue; back metallic…

Bunting

Ad. 8. -Head and sides of the neck ashy gray; forehead tinged with yellow; a yellow line over the eye and one on the side of the throat; a…

Bellied Swallow

Ad. - Upper parts steel-blue or steel-green; under parts pure white; outer tail-feathers somewhat longer than the middle ones. -Upper parts…

Brewster

It was migrating with other Warblers, and kept to the tops of the highest trees. It is not improbable, however, that when in its breeding…

Bler (Ad Top and sides of the head)

Ad.-Top and sides of the head bluish gray, a partially concealed chestnut patch in the center of the crown; back and rump bright…

Blue Yellow-Backed Warbler

(Fig. 97.) Ad. 8. - Upper parts grayish blue; a greenish-yellow patch in the middle of the back; greater and lesser wing-coverts tipped…

Bler (Fig Ad Crown bright yellow)

(Fig. 100.) Ad. 8. - Crown bright yellow, a black line behind the eye; front part of the cheeks black; ear-coverts white; back streaked…

Bler (Ad Upper parts bright)

Ad. .-Upper parts bright olive-green. back sometimes spotted with black; line over the eye and cheeks bright yellow, ear-coverts dusky; two…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America (1895) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.