Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Order Passeriformes
Family Passerellidae
Other names: Chewink
♂ Adult male.— Head, throat, breast, back, wings, and tail black; the wing-feathers margined with white; the outer tail-feathers with large white spots; belly white; flanks chestnut.
♀ Adult female.— The black of the male replaced by a light reddish-brown; otherwise similar.
Immature.— Head and back brown; breast streaked with black; wings brown and white; tail as in ad.
Nest, on the ground, often under a heap of brush.
Eggs, white, evenly speckled with brown.
The Chewink is a common summer resident of southern and central New England and of the Hudson Valley. In the northern parts of New York and New England it is confined to the more settled portions, and frequents pastures that are becoming overgrown with bushes. It arrives late in April, and stays into October. It is abundant in scrubby oak, such as is common on Cape Cod and on Martha’s Vineyard.
When undisturbed, it scratches energetically in the dry leaves under the bushes, or mounts some low tree to sing.
The song varies considerably, but as a rule resembles the syllables dick-yoo, chiddle-chiddle-chiddle. The Chewink has two broods, and therefore sings well into July. The alarm-note, chi-wee’, has given the bird its name; often the southern name, Joree, seems to suggest the note better. During the breeding season it has a sharp, sibilant call-note which suggests the sst of certain of the sparrows.
When startled, the Chewink flies with jerks of its widespread tail, so that the large white spots on the outer tail-feathers show clearly. When seen from below, the angle made where the black breast meets the white belly is an excellent field-mark. At close range the bright red iris is conspicuous.
Hoffmann – A Guide to the Birds of New England and Eastern New York (1904)