Winter Wren Feeds Townsend Solitaire Young
Winter Wren Feeds Townsend Solitaire Young.-Skutch (Condor, 63, 1961:198-226) in his survey of the literature on helpers among birds cites several instances where individuals of the Old World population of the Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) were observed feeding young of another bird species. This note records similar behavior by a Winter Wren from North America.
On July 2, 1961, along the Congress Trail in Sequoia National Park, Tulare County, California, I found the nest of a Townsend Solitaire (My&e&es tomsendi) containing four young. These young left the nest on July 8 or 9. During four visits to the nest in this 6-day period a Winter Wren was observed feeding the young solitaires. On two of the four occasions more than 40 accompanying park visitors witnessed the behavior.
On July 6 a Winter Wren and a Townsend Solitaire simultaneously fed the young birds from opposite sides of the nest. No aggressive behavior was observed. During all four periods of observation the Winter Wren seemed less reticent to approach the nest than did the solitaire.
Nothing in the behavior of the wren suggested that it had a nest in the area. Consequently, into which of Skutch’s categories this bird would fall is unknown.-GERALD G. ROBINSON, Biological Science, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, October 9, 1961.
