Category: Passeriformes

The Story of God and the Food of the Titmouse

When God had made all the creatures, he called every one of them and told them what their food should be. Among the birds was the titmouse. To her God turned and said, “Thy food shall be the seed of the pumpkin.” The titmouse, knowing that the seed of the pumpkin was very sweet, did […]

The Merry Meadowlark who lived in the tall reeds

Once there was an old gray pussy, and she went down into the meadow, where she saw a merry lark flying among the tall reeds; and pussy said, “Where are you going, little lark?” And the merry lark answered, “I am going to the king to sing him a song this fine May morning.” And […]

Children that became Swallows, but remained near us

Once upon a time some Eskimo children were playing in the wet clay by the seashore. They were making tiny toy houses of the clay. These houses they fastened high on the face of the cliff. The children chattered and laughed. They ran gaily to and fro in their happy play. The people of the […]

The pessimistic Raven and the wiser Robin

One morning in the early spring a raven was sitting on one of the branches of an old oak. He felt very ugly and cross, and could only say, “Croak! Croak!” Soon a little robin, who was looking for a place to build her nest, came, with a merry song, into the same tree. “Good […]

How the Birds Obtained their Distinctive Markings

An Arawak hunter captures a Vulture, daughter of Anuaninia.” She lays aside her feathers, appears before him as a beautiful girl, becomes his wife, bears him above the clouds, and after much trouble persuades her father and family to receive him. All then goes well until he expresses a wish to visit his aged mother, […]

The Slothful Nightingale and the Industrious Ant

It is related that in a certain garden a Nightingale had built his nest on the bough of a rose-bush. It so happened that a poor little Ant had fixed her dwelling at the root of this same bush, and managed as best she could to store her wretched hut of care with winter provision. […]

The Skylark is capable of moving its eggs to safety

Intelligence of the Lark. It is stated in ” Wood’s Natural History ” that a pair of larks had built their nest in a grass field, where they hatched a brood of young. Very soon after, the young birds were out of their nest, the owner of the field was forced to set his mowers […]

The Yellow-billed Cacique marks the time

Until recently when many Mopan began using wristwatches, birds played a crucial role in marking time. Even today when watches are more commonly seen, many birds are still a valued resource for knowing the time of day. For example, the Yellow-billed Casique (Amblycercus holosericeus) (known as otz, otz otz, or ootz ootz) is said to […]