§9.49bΤῶν δ’ ὀρνέων πολλὰ μεταβάλλουσι κατὰ τὰς ὥρας καὶ τὸ χρῶμα καὶ τὴν φωνήν, οἷον ὁ κόττυφος ἀντὶ μέλανος ξανθός, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν ἴσχει ἀλλοίαν· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ θέρει ᾄδει, τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος παταγεῖ καὶ φθέγγεται θορυβῶδες.
And among birds, many change both their colour and their voice according to the seasons, as for instance the blackbird, which becomes yellow instead of black and has a different voice; for in summer it sings, but in winter it chatters and makes a noisy sound.
Μεταβάλλει δὲ καὶ ἡ κίχλη τὸ χρῶμα· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ χειμῶνος ψαρὰ τοῦ δὲ θέρους ποικίλα τὰ περὶ τὸν αὐχένα ἴσχει· τὴν μέντοι φωνὴν οὐδὲν μεταβάλλει.
The thrush also changes its colour; for in winter it has greyish plumage, but in summer it has speckled feathers around its neck, though its voice does not change at all.
Ἡ δ’ ἀηδὼν ᾄδει μὲν συνεχῶς ἡμέρας καὶ νύκτας δεκαπέντε, ὅταν τὸ ὄρος ἤδη δασύνηται· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ᾄδει μέν, συνεχῶς δ’ οὐκέτι.
The nightingale sings continuously for fifteen days and nights when the mountain is already becoming densely wooded; after this she still sings, but no longer continuously.
Τοῦ δὲ θέρους προϊόντος ἄλλην ἀφίησι φωνὴν καὶ οὐκέτι παντοδαπὴν οὐδὲ τραχεῖαν καὶ ἐπιστρεφῆ ἀλλ’ ἁπλῆν, καὶ τὸ χρῶμα μεταβάλλει, καὶ ἔν γε Ἰταλίᾳ τὸ ὄνομα ἕτερον καλεῖται περὶ τὴν ὥραν ταύτην.
As the summer progresses, she utters a different voice, no longer varied nor high-pitched and modulated, but simple, and she changes her colour; indeed, in Italy she is called by another name at this season.
Φαίνεται δ’ οὐ πολὺν χρόνον· φωλεῖ γάρ.
She is not seen for a long time, for she goes into hiding.
Μεταβάλλουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐρίθακοι καὶ οἱ καλούμενοι φοινίκουροι ἐξ ἀλλήλων· ἔστι δ’ ὁ μὲν ἐρίθακος χειμερινόν, οἱ δὲ φοινίκουροι θερινοί, διαφέρουσι δ’ ἀλλήλων οὐθὲν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἀλλ’ ἢ τῇ χρόᾳ μόνον.
The robins and the so-called redstarts also change into one another; the robin is a winter bird, and the redstarts are summer birds, and they differ from one another in practically nothing but their colour.
Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ αἱ συκαλίδες καὶ οἱ μελαγκόρυφοι· καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι μεταβάλλουσιν εἰς ἀλλήλους. Γίνεται δ’ ἡ μὲν συκαλὶς περὶ τὴν ὀπώραν, ὁ δὲ μελαγκόρυφος εὐθέως μετὰ τὸ φθινόπωρον.
In the same way, the fig-eaters and the blackcaps also change into each other; for the fig-eater appears about late summer, and the blackcap immediately after autumn.
Διαφέρουσι δὲ καὶ οὗτοι οὐθὲν ἀλλήλων πλὴν τῇ χρόᾳ καὶ τῇ φωνῇ.
These too differ in nothing from one another except in colour and voice.
Ὅτι δ’ ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν ὄρνις, ἤδη ὦπται περὶ τὴν μεταβολὴν ἑκάτερον τὸ γένος τοῦτο, οὔπω δὲ τελέως μεταβεβληκότα οὐδ’ ἐν θατέρῳ εἴδει ὄντα.
That they are the same bird has already been observed in the case of both these classes when they were in the midst of their change, not yet completely transformed nor being in either single form.
Οὐδὲν δ’ ἄτοπον εἰ ἐπὶ τούτων αἱ φωναὶ μεταβάλλουσιν ἢ τὰ χρώματα, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ φάττα τοῦ μὲν χειμῶνος οὐ φθέγγεται (πλὴν ἤδη ποτὲ εὐδίας ἐκ χειμῶνος σφοδροῦ γενομένης ἐφθέγξατο καὶ ἐθαυμαστώθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμπείρων), ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἔαρ γένηται, τότε ἄρχεται φωνεῖν.
And there is nothing strange if their voices or colours change in these cases, since even the wood-pigeon does not coo in winter (except that once, when fair weather occurred after a severe winter, it cooed and was wondered at by experienced men), but when spring comes, it then begins to utter its voice.
Τὸ δ’ ὅλον τὰ ὄρνεα καὶ μάλιστα καὶ πλείστας ἀφίησι φωνάς, ὅταν ὦσι περὶ τὴν ὀχείαν.
In general, birds utter their voices most and in the greatest variety when they are near the time of copulation.
Μεταβάλλει δὲ καὶ ὁ κόκκυξ τὸ χρῶμα καὶ τῇ φωνῇ οὐ σαφηνίζει, ὅταν μέλλῃ ἀφανίζεσθαι· ἀφανίζεται δ’ ὑπὸ κύνα, φανερὸς δὲ γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔαρος ἀρξάμενος μέχρι κυνὸς ἐπιτολῆς.
The cuckoo also changes its colour, and its voice is not clear when it is about to disappear; it disappears around the rising of the Dog Star, and is visible starting from spring until the rising of the Dog Star.
Ἀφανίζεται δὲ καὶ ἣν καλοῦσί τινες οἰνάνθην ἀνίσχοντος τοῦ σειρίου, δυομένου δὲ φαίνεται· φεύγει δὲ ὁτὲ μὲν τὰ ψύχη ὁτὲ δὲ τὴν ἀλέαν.
The bird which some call the wheatear also disappears when Sirius rises, and appears when it sets; and it flees sometimes from the cold and sometimes from the heat.
Μεταβάλλει δὲ καὶ ὁ ἔποψ τὸ χρῶμα καὶ τὴν ἰδέαν, ὥσπερ πεποίηκεν Αἰσχύλος ἐν τοῖσδε. Τοῦτον δ’ ἐπόπτην ἔποπα τῶν αὑτοῦ κακῶν
πεποικίλωκε, κἀποδηλώσας ἔχει
θρασὺν πετραῖον ὄρνιν ἐν παντευχίᾳ,
ὃς ἦρι μὲν φαίνοντι διαπάλλει πτερόν
κίρκου λεπάργου.
The hoopoe also changes its colour and its appearance, just as Aeschylus has represented in the following verses: "And this hoopoe, a spectator of his own evils, he has made variegated, and has shown him as a bold, rock-dwelling bird in full armor, which, when spring appears, shakes the wing of a white-speckled hawk.
Δύο γὰρ οὖν μορφὰς φανεῖ,
παιδός τε χαὑτοῦ νηδύος μιᾶς ἄπο.
For indeed he will show two forms, both of his child and of himself, from one womb.
Νέας δ’ ὀπώρας ἡνίκ’ ἂν ξανθῇ στάχυς,
στικτή νιν αὖθις ἀμφινωμήει πτέρυξ.
And when the ear of corn grows yellow in the new harvest, once more the speckled wing will wrap him round.
ἀεὶ δὲ μίσει τῶνδ’ ἄπ’ ἄλλον εἰς τόπον
δρυμοὺς ἐρήμους καὶ πάγους ἀποικίσει. Εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν ὀρνίθων οἱ μὲν κονιστικοί, οἱ δὲ λοῦσται, οἱ δ’ οὔτε κονιστικοὶ οὔτε λοῦσται.
And ever in hatred of these, he will migrate from here to another place, to lonely forests and frozen hills." Of birds, some are dusters, some are bathers, and others are neither dusters nor bathers.
Ὅσοι μὲν μὴ πτητικοὶ ἀλλ’ ἐπίγειοι, κονιστικοί, οἷον ἀλεκτορίς, πέρδιξ, ἀτταγήν, κορύδαλος, φασιανός· τῶν δ’ εὐθυωνύχων ἔνιοι, καὶ ὅσοι περὶ ποταμὸν ἢ ἕλη ἢ θάλασσαν διατρίβουσι, λοῦνται· οἱ δ’ ἄμφω, καὶ κονίονται καὶ λοῦνται, οἷον περιστερὰ καὶ στρουθός· τῶν δὲ γαμψωνύχων οἱ πολλοὶ οὐδέτερον.
Those that are not apt at flying but live on the ground are dusters, such as the common hen, the partridge, the francolin, the lark, and the pheasant; whereas some of those with straight talons, and those that spend their time near rivers or marshes or the sea, are bathers; and some do both, namely dust themselves and bathe, such as the pigeon and the sparrow; but most of those with crooked talons do neither.
Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, ἴδιον δ’ ἐνίοις συμβαίνει τῶν ὀρνιθίων τὸ ἀποψοφεῖν, οἷον καὶ ταῖς τρυγόσιν· ποιοῦνται δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν ἕδραν κίνησιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἰσχυρὰν ἅμα τῇ φωνῇ.
Now these things are so, but a peculiar thing happens to some of the small birds, namely that they make a sound from their rear, as for instance the turtledoves; and such birds make a violent movement near their rump at the same time as they utter their voice.