BIRDS OF THE
PACIFIC COAST
^^^mmW
VILLARD AYRES ELIOT
v
FOR THE PEOPLE
FOR EDVCATION
FOR SCIENCE
LIBRARY
OF
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
—
BIRDS OF
THE PACIFIC COAST
Including a brief account of the distribution
and habitat of one hundred and eighteen
birds that are more or less common to
the Pacific Coast states and British
Columbia, many of which are
found eastward to the Rocky-
Mountains and beyond
BY
WILLARD AYRES ELIOT
WITH FIFTY-SIX COLOR PLATES BY
R. BRUCE HORSFALL
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
Cbe Iknichcrbockcr prced
NEW YORK AND LONDON
1923
Copyright, 1923
by
Winard Ayres Eliot
0
^•^
Made in the United States of America
Color Cuts made by Beav«5r Engraving Company, Portland, Oregon
PREFACE
Birds of the Pacific Coast is intended as a fieid
book, giving the distribution and habitat, and
illustrating one hundred and eighteen birds
which are more or less common to all of the
Pacific Coast states and British Columbia,
and only a few that are rare or of local occur-
rence. Many of the birds described in this
book may be found as far east as the Rocky
Mountains, and some as far as the Mississippi
Valley.
The migratory habits of many of our
strictly western birds do not seem to be as
pronounced as among members of the same
families along the Atlantic seaboard. This
seems especially true of many of the warblers,
bluebirds, thrushes, vireos, robins, wrens and
purple finches. It would seem that our
milder winter climate has something to do
with this retarded movement of our birds
during their southward migration in the fall.
The plates are colored to show the males
in full breeding plumage, and where the
iii
PREFACE
females differ radically in color from the
males they are shown whenever practicable.
Many birds go through a seasonal change of
plumage which requires special study and
observation on the part of the amateur bird
student. No attempt is made to describe
the plumage except to call attention to some
striking patch of color that will serve as a
distinct field mark.
The lengths are given in inches, and are
averages, some birds are longer and some
shorter than the figures quoted.
The arrangement of the birds and the text
was made without regard to their proper
order in the check-list and simply follows a
whimsical plan of my own, bearing in mind
that the average person is first interested in
the smaller land birds that are found about
his home.
The classification and nomenclature used
in this book are those of the 1910 Check-List
of the American Ornithologists' Union. Al-
though many new sub-species have been
recognized since its publication there is still
much controversy regarding them and it was
thought best to keep to the accepted list.
The paragraphs on distribution are based
mainly on Ridgway's Birds of North and
Middle America, with some minor changes
iv
PREFACE
due to later reports and local observations.
Other works that have been freely consulted
are Bendire's Life Histories of North American
Birds; Bailey's Handbook of Birds of the
Western United States; Chapman's The
Warblers of North America ; Finley's American
Birds; and Dawson's Birds of Washington.
I wish here to express my thanks to ^Villiam
L. Finley and Stanley G. Jew^ett for their
helpful and kindly criticism of the text.
Birds of the Pacific Coast is dedicated to
the amateur bird students of the West, es-
pecially to the teachers and students in our
public schools, w^ho in ever increasing
numbers are asking *' What bird is that?"
WiLLARD AyRES ElIOT.
Portland, Oregon,
May. 1922.
INTRODUCTION
The popular interest and love for wild
birds has advanced with such strides in the
past twenty years that it seems quite un-
likely that any more bird species will com-
pletely disappear through the destructive
agency of man. The most far-reaching influ-
ence in America to-day for fair play and
protection to birds is the widespread organ-
izing of school children in junior Audubon
societies. A class of approximately three
hundred thousand pupils each year, who re-
ceive illustrated educational leaflets of the
commoner birds has become a vital influence
in protecting and encouraging wild birds
about the home.
The National Association of Audubon
Societies and the different state Audubon
societies have molded public opinion and
secured the pasage and enforcement of proper
laws and have built up a general 4ove and in-
terest in birds. This has resulted in a greater
vii
INTRODUCTION
need for books about the common birds that
every person wants to know.
The field of bird literature in the eastern
states is more productive than on the Pacific
Coast. Along the western slope there is a real
need for a small popular handbook. Many
people who have a limited time out-of-doors
are anxious for a short cut in getting ac-
quainted with the birds in the woods. A
careful written description is good, an ac-
curate colored bird sketch is often a quicker
help. This volume with its short descriptions
and colored pictures should be a welcome
companion for bird lovers on their first walks
in the fields and forests.
William L. Finley.
vui
CONTENTS
Family Turdid.e:
Western bluebird .
Mountain bluebird
Western robin
Varied thrush
Russet-backed thrush
Sierra hermit thrush
Family Sylviid^:
Western golden-crowned kinglet
Ruby-crowned kinglet .
Family TROGLODYTiDiE:
Seattle wren .
W^estern house wren
Western winter wren
Tule wren
Family Mniotiltid^:
California yellow warbler
Pacific yellow-throat
Golden pUeolated warbler
Lutescent warbler
Black-throated gray warbler
Macgillivray warbler
Audubon warbler .
Long-tailed chat .
Townsend warbler
Hermit warbler
Family Vireonid^:
Western warbling vireo
Cassin vireo
IX
CONTENTS
Family Parid^:
Oregon chickadee .
Chestnut-backed chickadee
Bush-tit
Family Cham^eid^e:
Coast wren-tit
Family Certhiid.e:
California creeper
Family Sittid.e:
Slender-billed nuthatch
Red-breasted nuthatch
Pygmy nuthatch .
Family Cinclid^:
Dipper (water ouzel)
Family Trochilid^:
Rufous hummingbird
Family Caprimulgid^:
Pacific nighthawk
Family Micropodid^:
Vaux swift .
Family Hirundixid^:
Cliff swallow
. 53
Tree swallow
54
Northern violet-green swallow
55
Western martin
56
Barn swallow
57
Rough-winged swallow
. 58
Family Tyrannid.e:
Kingbird ....
. 59
Arkansas kingbird
. 60
Olive-sided flycatcher .
. 61
Western wood pewee
. 62
Traill flycatcher .
. 62
Say phoebe ....
. 63
35
37
38
39
41
42
42
43
45
47
50
51
CONTENTS
Family Bombycillid.e:
Bohemian waxwing
Cedar waxwing
Family Tangarid.e:
Western tanager
Family Fringillid.e:
Black-headed grosbeak
Lazuli bunting
Oregon junco
Oregon towhee
Golden-crowned sparrow
Nuttall sparrow
Rusty song sparrow
Townsend fox sparrow-
Western lark sparrow
Oregon vesper sparrow
Western savanna sparrow
Western chipping sparrow
Willow goldfinch .
Green-backed goldfinch
Crossbill
Pine siskin
California purple finch
Cassin purple finch
Hepburn rosy finch
Redpoll
Western evening grosbeak
Family Icterid.e:
Bullock oriole
Northwestern red-wing .
Brewer blackbird
Bobolink
Yellow-headed blackbird
Western meadowlark
Family Alaudid^:
Streaked horned lark
64
05
67
68
70
71
73
74
76
77
78
80
80
81
82
83
85
86
87
88
90
91
93
94
97
98
100
101
UH
104
105
XI
CONTENTS
Family Alcedinid.e:
Belted kingfisher
Family Corvid^:
Steller jay
Oregon jay .
California jay
Pinon jay
Magpie
Western crow
Clarke nutcracker
Family Picid^:
Red-shafted flicker
Northern red-breasted sapsucker
Harris woodpecker
Gairdner woodpecker
California woodpecker
Northern pileated woodpecker
Lewis woodpecker.
Family Odontophorid^:
Bobwhite
Mountain quail
California quail
Family Phasianid^:
Ring-necked pheasant
Family Tetraonid^:
Sooty grouse
Oregon ruffed grouse
Family Columbid^:
Band-tailed pigeon
Mourning dove
Family Scolopacid^:
Spotted sandpiper.
Family Charadriid^
Killdeer
Xll
PAGE
107
CONTENTS
Family ('(ilymbid.e:
Picd-billcd grebe .....
Family Rallid^:
Coot .......
Family Ardeid.e:
(ircat blue heron .....
Family Falcon id.e:
Desert sparrow hawk ....
Family Buteonid.e:
Western red-tailed hawk
Sharp-shinned hawk ....
Cooper hawk .....
Family SxRiGiOiE:
Long-eared owl .....
Short-eared owl .....
Dusky horned owl ....
Kennicott screech owl ....
California pygmy owl ....
Family Aluconid.e:
Barn owl ......
Family CucuLiOiE:
Road-runner .....
Systematic Synopsis of Living North American
Birds to and Including the Families .
List of Birds Found in British Columbia, Wash
iNGTON, Oregon and California .
Index .......
PAGE
144
145
146
149
150
152
154
155
156
156
158
159
160
161
165
169
207
Kill
COLOR PLATES
PLATE
1. Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird
Frontispiece
FACING
PAGE
2. Western Robin, Varied Thrush 4
:J. Russet-backed Thrush, Sierra Hermit
Thrush ....... g
4. Western Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-
crowned Kinglet ..... 12
5. Western House Wren, Seattle Wren 16
6. Western Winter Wren, Tule Wren . 18
7. Golden Pileolated Warbler, Pacific Yel-
low-throat, Californl^ Yellow Warbler 22
8. Macgillivray Warbler, Lutescent Warb-
ler, Black-throated Gray Warbler 26
9. Audubon Warbler, Long-tailed Chat 28
10. Hermit Warbler, Townsend Warbler 30
11. Western Warbling Vireo, Cassin Vireo 34
12. Oregon Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chick-
adee, California Creeper . . .38
13. Slender-billed Nuthatch, Red-breasted
Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch ... 40
14. Bush-tit, Coast Wren-tit . .44
15. Dipper ....... 46
16. Rufous Hummingbird .... 50
17. Vaux Swift, Pacific Nighthawk . 52
18. Northern Violet-green Swallow, Tree
Swallow, Cliff Swallow ... 56
19. Western Martin, Barn Swallow, Rough-
winged Swallow ..... 58
20. Olive-sided Flycatcher, Traill Fly-
catcher, Western Wood Pewee 62
XV
COLOR PLATES
PLATE
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
FACING
PAGE
Arkansas Kingbird, Kingbird, Say Phcebe
Cedar Waxwing, Bohemian Waxwing
Western Tanager, Bullock Oriole
Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting
Oregon Towhee, Oregon Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Nuttall White
crowned Sparrow ....
Rusty Song Sparrow, Townsend Fox Spar
ROW, Western Lark Sparrow .
Oregon Vesper Sparrow, Western Chipping
Sparrow, Western Savanna Sparrow
Willow Goldfinch, Green-backed Gold
finch .
Crossbill, Pine Siskin
California Purple Finch, Cassin Purple
Finch ......
Redpoll, Hepburn Rosy Finch .
Western Evening Grosbeak
Brewer Blackbird, Northwestern Red
winged Blackbird ....
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bobolink
Western Meadowlark, Streaked Horned
Lark ......
Belted Kingfisher .....
Steller Jay, Oregon Jay ...
California Jay, Pin on Jay
Western Crow, Magpie, Clarke Nut
CRACKER ......
Red-shafted Flicker, Northern Red
breasted Sapsucker
Harris Woodpecker, Gairdner Wood
pecker, California Woodpecker
Lewis Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker
bobwhite ......
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail, Mountain Quail .
Sooty Grouse, Oregon Ruffed Grouse
XVI
COLOR PLATES
PLATE
4H. Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove
49. KiLLDEER, Spotted Sandpiper
50. Coot, Pied-billed Grebe
51. Great Blue Heron ....
di. Western Red-tailed Hawk, Desert Spar
ROWHAWK .....
53. Cooper Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk .
54. Dusky Horned Owl, Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl ....
55. Barn Owl, Kennicott Screech Owl, Cali
fornia Pygmy Owl ...
56. Road-runner .....
FACING
PAGE
144
148
150
1.52
154
156
158
160
162
xvu
FAMILY TURDIDM: THRUSHES,
BLUEBIRDS
Western blue bird, Sialia mexicana
^ occidcntalis. 6.75
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
Britisli Columbia to southern California, and
east to western Idaho and Nevada. South-
ward in winter to northern Mexico.
The western bluebird is a dark purplish
blue instead of the bright blue of the eastern
variety. It has a rufous patch on the upper
back and the breast is rufous, the underparts
washed with brownish. It is in every respect
a darker and browner bird than the eastern
bluebird.
The western bluebird is common through-
out its range in the open country, about
clearings, farms, orchards and along country
roads where it may be seen perched on tele-
phone poles and wires watching for the pass-
ing insects which it pursues in true flycatcher
fashion. At other times it is often found in
small flocks sitting on fence posts, from which
3
FAMILY TiirdidcB
vantage point it watches for small insects on
the ground beneath, dropping into the grass
with a dainty flick of the wings, a characteris-
tic of the family.
The song, or call note, of the bluebird is a
gentle, warbling trually, trually, trually. It is
so distinctive as to be a positive identification
of the species, even when the bluebird is
flying high overhead, and so far away as not
to be distinguished in any other way.
The western bluebird, in common with
other bluebirds, builds its nest in natural
cavities in trees, old woodpeckers' holes and
in cracks and crannies about outbuildings.
It is also one of the easiest of birds to attract
to bird boxes, and if undisturbed will return
to the same locality year after year.
While the bluebird is highly migratory in
most of its range many individuals often
remain to winter in the protected valleys of
the Pacific Slope.
Mountain bluebird, Sialia curru-
coides. 7.25
Distribution: Mountain districts of wes-
tern North America, breeding from Alaska
south to the mountains of Arizona, New
Mexico and northern Mexico, east to Wyom-
ing and Texas, west to the Cascades and
4
THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS
Siorrca Nevadas. South in winter to Lower
California and Mexico.
The mountain bluebird, as its name imphes,
inhabits the higher parts of its range, hving
mostly in the interior arid districts of the
West and in the mountains up to fourteen
thousand feet. It is a common bird in east-
ern Washington and Oregon, and throughout
the foothills and mountains of California as
far south as the San Bernardino Mountains.
It comes about the ranches and builds its
nest in any convenient hole or crevice in tree
or })uilding and often in bird boxes.
The exquisite coloring of the mountain
bluebird makes it one of our most beautiful
birds. It has all of the winning w^ays of other
bluebirds, the same soft warble, the same
dainty manner of lifting its wings as it alights,
and the same butterfly-like habit of hovering
close to the ground when in quest of some
insect it spies in the grass.
The mountain bluebird is especially attrac-
tive in its favorite haunts in the high moun-
tains. Here it may be seen in flocks about
the mountain meadows, flying back and forth,
stopping on its way to hover, almost motion-
less, in midair as it sees something below,
sometimes dropping lightly to the ground to
seize some dainty insect morsel. In the fall
5
FAMILY TurdidcB
the young are seen with the parents, in their
soft gray plumage, with only a hint of blue,
and speckled breast.
The mountain bluebird is rarely found in
the coast valleys although it sometimes
follows the Columbia River gorge in its wan-
derings towards the sea and may be seen in
the burns along the mountain sides high
above the river.
^ Western robin, Planesticus migra-
torius propinquus. 10.50
Distribution: Western North America
from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific
Coast, north to the limit of the Coast forest
district of Alaska (including Islands), south
to southern end of Mexican plateau, occa-
sionally to highlands of Guatemala.
The robin is perhaps the most abundant
and conspicuous of all our western birds.
It is found everywhere from sea level to high
mountains, both in timbered and cultivated
areas. It comes about the home in the same
friendly manner as does its robin cousin of
the eastern states, building its nest in all sorts
of places, in vines and shrubbery about the
porch, in orchard and shade trees or in tall
firs in the wood-lot. It preys upon the insects
in trees and garden, and in this respect is
6
THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS
liitTJily beneficial to growing crops and should
he i)rotected, though it makes occasional
raids on cherries and strawberries, causing
some damage at certain seasons of the year.
xVlthough the robin is very tame and ap-
proachable during the breeding season it
seems to change its nature in the fall, after
family cares are over, and frequents heavy
timber w^here it gathers in flocks to roost at
night, to sally forth in the early morning,
scattering out over the surrounding country
in search of food. While the w^estern robin, as
a species, is highly migratory and moves
south at the approach of cold weather, large
numbers remain to winter in the protected
valleys of the northwestern states. It is
probable however that the w^inter robins of
^Yashington and Oregon are the summer
birds of farther north, and that our ow^n
summer robins spend the winter in the sun-
shine of southern California.
^ Varied thrush, Ixoreus ncovius nce-
vius. 9.50
Distribution: Western North America;
breeding from northern California northward
to the limit of spruce forests in northern
Alaska; wintering from Kadiak Island south-
ward to southern California, and during
7
FAMILY TurdidcE
migrations straggling eastward to Montana,
Kansas, New Jersey, New York and Massa-
chusetts.
The northern varied thrush, a closely
related sub-species, is found from the Yukon
Delta south to northeastern Oregon in the
mountains.
The varied thrush, Alaska robin, winter
robin, or Oregon robin as it is variously called,
is a bird of the heavy timbered areas. It is a
frequenter of deep woods, of shady fern-clad
hills and alder bottoms. It lives near the
ground where it seeks its food, turning over
the dead leaves in search of fat worms and
slugs. When the snow gets deep in the moun-
tains it comes down into the valleys to pick
at the frozen apples that may be hanging on
the trees, or turn over the big maple leaves
with a quick flirt of its bill to seize the be-
numbed insects that are found there.
At this time of year the varied thrush may
be found along the edges of woods roads or
fields where it watches one furtively from its
perch on bush or limb. Its orange yellow
breast and black collar make its identification
easy. Its nest is usually placed in small firs
on a limb close to the body of the tree. It is a
large bulky nest made of twigs, leaves, grass
and green moss. The varied thrush is a
8
THRUSHES. BLUEBIRDS
mountain bird in the summer, leaving the
valleys in May to nest well up in the timbered
slopes of the Coast and Cascade Mountains.
Its song is a clear, vibrant whistle given in a
minor key and in a descending scale. It has
a melancholy strain about it that is hard to
describe. As the song floats down from the
top of a giant fir in the mountains it has all
of the w^ildness and sweetness of the song of
the hermit thrush.
_ r. Russet -backed thrush, Hylocichla vs-
^^ tulaia usiulata, 7.25
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
Alaska south to Lower California. Migrating
in winter south through Mexico and Central
America to northern South America. Abun-
dant summer resident on the Pacific Coast
from sea level to high mountains. Two
closely allied species are; willow thrush of
British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba
south to Central Oregon, Utah and Iowa; and
the olive-backed thrush, found in North and
South America and on the Pacific Coast from
Alaska south to eastern Oregon.
Tlie thrushes live in the deep w^oods where
the ground is carpeted w^ith moss and ferns.
The dozen or more species that live in the
west are alike in their fondness for thickets
9
FAMILY TurdidcB
of alder and vine maple along streams and
for the heavily wooded hills and mountain
sides. The delicate browns and grays of their
plumage blend perfectly with their chosen
haunts. They flit silently from place to place
in the semi-darkness of the deep canyons, and
when sitting still on some low perch are in-
visible against the background of withered
leaves.
The russet-backed thrush is the only mem-
ber of the family that is a summer resident
in the valleys along the Pacific Coast. It is
commonly found in alder bottoms along
streams, in the tangle of fallen tree tops and
vines in slashings, along the edges of quiet
woods roads and tree bordered fields, and
comes freely into the outskirts of towns to
live and nest in the shrubbery in the door-
yards.
The nest of the russet-backed thrush is
made almost entirely of green moss, and is a
thick walled structure, lined with fine grass
and feathers. It is usually placed in low
bushes or ferns.
The characteristic call note of this thrush
is a sharp quit. Its beautiful tremolo song
fills the evening woods and is often heard
till nine or ten o'clock at night in mid-
summer.
10
THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS
Sierra hermit thrush, Ilylocichla gut-
tata scquoiensis. 7.00
Distribution: Breeding in the Sierra
Nevada and Cascade ranges from southern
CaHfornia north to Alaska; during migrations
southward to Mexico and Lower CaHfornia,
and eastward to western Texas and AVyoming.
Three closely allied species are the Audubon
hermit thrush of the Rocky Mountain region
of the United States (west occasionally to the
Cascade Mountains) : the Alaska hermit
thrush of Alaska, south along the coast in
winter to Lower California, and east to
western Texas; and dwarf hermit thrush of
the coast district of Alaska and British
Columbia (and probably also in the western
parts of Washington and Oregon), win-
tering southward through California and
Mexico.
The Sierra hermit thrush is a bird of the
mountains, usually above five thousand feet,
and is found in the valleys only during the
migrations in the fall, when on its annual
journey to its winter home in the tropics.
It lives in damp, densely wooded localities
where it builds its nest in some low bush,
typical of the thrush family.
The Sierra hermit thrush is considered the
finest song bird of the Pacific Coast but only
11
FAMILY SyhiidcB
those who visit its haunts in the high moun-
tains will have the pleasure of hearing it.
FAMILY SYLVIID.^: KINGLETS, GNAT-
CATCHERS, ^YARBLERS
^ Western golden-crowned kinglet, Re-
gulus satrapa olivaceous. 4.00
Distribution: Western North America
from Alaska to California, and from the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast.
South in winter to Mexico and Guate-
mala.
The golden-crowned kinglet is an abundant
summer resident in coniferous timber from
sea level to high mountains throughout its
range, and a common winter resident in all
the coast valleys from Puget Sound south-
wards. During the summer the golden-
crowned kinglet keeps well in the big firs that
clothe the hills, where their lisping call notes
nay be heard far overhead as they troop
:hrough the woods, their tiny forms and
olivaceous coloring making them almost in-
visible in the dim light of the heavy growth.
In the winter, however, they may be found
everywhere in mixed woods, frequenting the
lower branches of the trees along the edges of
12
X
■^ ^
KINGLETS, GNAT-CATCHERS, ETC.
old fields, woods roads and hillsides, where
they may be studied easily. At this season
of the year they like to associate with chicka-
dees and bush-tits, large numbers of the three
families often being seen together in friendly
flocks.
As a rule kinglets travel high in bright
weather and low in misty or rainy weather.
In the winter when the firs are bending low
with their load of wet snow the kinglets may
be seen creeping over the snow picking up
tiny insects, sometimes dozens of them on
one small tree talking to each other in cheery
tones and seemingly regardless of an obser-
ver's near presence.
The golden-crowned kinglet builds a beau-
tiful nest of green moss and vegetable fibers,
concealing it in a dense clump of needles of
fir or spruce from twenty to one hundred feet
from the ground. The ruby-crowned kinglet
keeps more to the mountains in the summer
than does the golden-crowned, building its
nest high in the conifers, and coming down
into the valleys on its way south during its
migrations in the f all . Its nest is semi-pensile,
made of moss, vegetable fibers and plant
down, lined with feathers. It is usually
placed in conifers from twenty to one hundred
feet from the ground.
13
FAMILY Sylviidce
Ruby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calen-
dula calendula. 4.00
Distribution: North America in general,
in wooded districts, north to the limit of trees
from Labrador to Alaska. Breeding south
to the middle United States, and wintering
in the southern part of the United States,
Mexico and Central America. Common in
winter in the protected valleys on the Pacific
Coast north to Washington. Two closely
related species are the Sitka kinglet, found
on the Pacific Coast from Alaska to
southern British Columbia, south in win-
ter to middle California; and the dusky
kinglet of Guadaloupe Island, Lower Cali-
fornia.
The ruby-crowned kinglet may be found in
company with the golden-crowned and chick-
adees in second growth woods, and in the
tangle of alder and vine maples along streams.
Its call or alarm note is a sharp chit-it, chit-it-
it which together with its peculiar habit of
daintily "flicking" its wings as it moves
nervously from branch to branch, makes its
identification easy. The song of the ruby-
crowned kinglet is a gem of bird music. It
begins with a series of rapidly uttered couplets
low and quavering, and ends with two or
three sets of triplets. It is such a fascinating
14
WRENS
song, so distinctive and unusual, as to be
always remembered .
FAMILY TROGLODYTID/E: WRENS
Seattle wren, Thryomanes hewicki calo-
phoniis 5.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast district of
British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
The Vigors wTcn, Baird wren, San Diego
wren, San Clements wren and Guadeloupe
wren are closely related species of California
and the southwest.
The Seattle w ren is the largest of the family
in the northwest and may be distinguished
from any other WTen in its range by the dis-
tinct white line over the eye. It may be
found everywhere from sea level to the Cas-
cades in heavy timber, in the dense mixed
woods along streams, along the edges of
woods roads in the tangle of logs, vines and
brush, and about the farms in the brushy
fence rows and overgrown pastures.
The song and call notes of the Seattle WTen
are quite different from the other species.
It has an alarm note that is almost explosive
in its suddenness, a rasping scolding note and
two or three different songs according to the
season of the year. The song is loud and
15
FAMILY TroglodytidcB
clear and may be heard a long distance away.
In the Puget Sound district this bird has
what is called its 'Svaterfall song," a beauti-
ful liquid trill of a dozen notes, uttered
rapidly, in a descending scale, and unlike
the song of any other bird in the North-
w^est.
The Seattle wren is a shyer bird than the
house wren and keeps closer to the thickets
where there is shelter in which to dive when
danger threatens. Its nest is tucked into any
convenient nook or corner about old build-
ings, in hollow logs and cavities in trees. It
seldom accepts a bird box, preferring the
shelter of the woods rather than the dis-
turbance and noise about dwellings.
Although the Seattle wren is more or less
migratory it is found most of the year through-
out its range, living in the dense woods during
cold weather, though often appearing in the
open glades to whistle a low sweet song when
the sun breaks through the wintry clouds.
Western house wren, Troglodytes cedon
parkmani, 4.75
Distribution: Western United States and
Canada from British Columbia, Alberta and
Manitoba south to Mexico, and from the
Mississippi Valley to the Pacific Coast.
16
^
v»
f ■:4
1
WRENS
The western house \\Ten resembles its
cousin of the East in both habits and song,
and Hves the same jolly Hfe in the midst of its
chosen surroundings of tangle and brush pile,
or in the shrubbery about the home. Wher-
ever there is thick cover in which to range,
there it will be found, from sea level to moun-
tain top. It is particularly fond of brush-
grown fence rows along the edges of old fields
where it may be heard singing or scolding by
turns as it seeks its food in the tangle, or on
the ground running along the lower rail of a
fence and in and out amongst the weed stalks
like a mouse. The song is a bubbling, rollick-
ing performance that goes on incessantly
from daylight until dark, interspersed with
much scolding if an intruder happens on its
hunting grounds or comes too near its nest.
The nest of the house wren is a bulky mass of
twigs, grass and weed stems, lined with moss
and feathers and placed indifferently in
natural cavities in trees, in old woodpecker
holes, in cracks and crannies about old build-
ings, and often in bird boxes. The house
wren is frequently found as far north as
the Columbia River during the winter
although most of the family migrate to
the southern border of the United States in
the fall.
2 17
FAMILY TroglodytidcB
Western winter wren, N annus hiemalis
'pacificus. 4.00
Distribution: Western North America
from southern Alaska to southern Cahfornia,
and from Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and
Colorado west to the Pacific Coast; wintering
southward to southern California.
The winter wrens live for the most part
in deep shady woods where there is a tangle
of fallen tree tops and mossy logs. There you
will see them creeping along in mouse-like
fashion examining every crack and cranny
in the bark for possible food. When dis-
turbed they will scold with a sharp chip, and
if you approach too near they will dive into
any convenient tangle, to reappear in a
moment from the opposite side and watch
for your next move.
The winter wren, as its name implies, is more
or less a permanent resident in the vicinity of
its summer home. During the severest weather
it may be found in the shelter of deep canyons,
seemingly indifferent to cold or storm.
Its nest is hidden in crevices and holes in
hollow logs and stumps and under the over-
hanging roots of trees. A favorite location
for its nest is underneath the end of a pro-
jecting log over running water. The nest is
composed of all sorts of rubbish wedged into
18
WRENS
a huge crack or behind a loose piece of bark.
The winter wren is the smallest and brownest
of all our wrens and this fact together with its
song will distinguish it from all others of the
family. Its song is a rippling outburst like
that of the house wren but longer sustained
and uttered in a higher key. To hear it at its
best you must go to the deep woods, to a spot
where the sun comes sifting through the
leaves overhead, and there on an upturned
root the little bird will pour out its melody
of happiness and cheer to its mate that is
brooding her eggs in some cosy retreat nearby.
Tule wren, Telviatodytes palustris palu-
'^^^^ dicola. 5.30
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
British Columbia to California, west of the
Cascades and Sierra Nevadas.
The tule wren is the marsh WTcn of the
Pacific Coast. It is found in the thick cover
of marsh grass and tules along the borders
of sloughs, ponds and shallow lakes, where it
may be common, although rarely seen because
of its shyness. The best way to study its
habits is to go in a skiff to its haunts and
paddle quietly along the edge of the marsh.
It will soon notice your intrusion and begin to
scold, bobbing up and down, jerking its tail and
10
FAMILY MniotiltidcB
in most positive terms showing its displeasure.
The tule wren has all of the nest building
passion of its kind, constructing half a dozen
but occupying on^ one. Its nest is a thick-
walled structure made of tule leaves lined with
the pith of the stalks and thickly padded with
this material. The eggs are purplish brown
in color and from five to nine in number.
The tule wren is as full of song as the house
wren and during the nesting season the marsh
is a medley of little bird voices. They will
sing and scold by turns, a comical sight as
they cling to some swaying stalk of grass,
bubbling over with wrath at your impudence,
or with happiness at the thought of the babies
tucked away in the round ball of a nest that
is hung in the tules a few feet from the water.
Any distinct field markings are lacking
in the tule wren, although the back is slightly
streaked with white, being different in this
respect from other wrens in its territory.
FAMILY MNIOTILTID^: WOOD
WARBLERS
^ California yellow warbler, Dendroica
cestiva hrewsteri. 4.50
Distribution: From northern Washington
to southern California, west of the Cascade
and Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Alaska
20
WOOD WARBLERS
yellow warbler, a closely related species, is
found on the Pacific Slope from Alaska to
Vancouver Island, wintering south through
Mexico to Nicaragua.
The yellow warbler is the summer yellow
bird of the whole United States. It is the
commonest of the warblers, coming north
in April and May to fill the woods with its
cheery song, taking possession of the big
maples in town and country where it loves to
dwell. Although found from sea level to high
mountains it is particularly fond of mixed
woods along the edges of old fields and open
park-like timber where the sun comes sifting
through the leaves to warm the ground
beneath. Its song is variously interpreted by
different writers, but Chapman renders it as,
wee-chee-chee, chee-chee, chur-wee, or, stveet,
sweety sweet, sweet, sweeter, sweeter, etc.
The yellow warbler is the most persistent
singer of all the family and no summer day is
complete without its music floating in from the
tree tops. Its nest is placed in small bushes
and trees, sometimes in willows along streams.
^^ Pacific yellow-throat, Geothhjpis trichas
arizela. 4.70
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
British Columbia to southern California, east
21
FAMILY Mniotiltidce
to the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas. South
in winter to Mexico and Lower Cahfornia.
The western yellows-throat, a closely related
species, is found from the Mississippi Valley
west to the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas;
wintering in Central America.
The Pacific yellow-throat is a bird of the
marsh and wet meadows, of brush-grown
pastures, and of the tangle of weeds and vines
along railroad cuts and rail fences. It loves
the protection of the tall grass that grows by
the side of ditches and here it usually builds
its nest near the ground well hidden by the
thick cover. The black domino worn by the
Pacific yellow-throat, together with its dis-
tinctive song will easily identify this from all
other warblers of the West. Its song is
variously interpreted by different observers
but may be rendered as, witch-a-wee-o, witch-
a-wee-o, witch-a-wee-o, witch. One enthusias-
tic bird student seemed to hear it say, *' Willie-
come-ere, Willie-come-ere, Willie-come-ere,
Willie."
^o 1 Golden pileolated warbler, Wilsonia
pusitla cnryseola. 4.%5
Distribution : Pacific Coast district of the
United States and British Columbia. Win-
tering in southern California and Mexico.
22
2 o
WOOD WARBLERS
The pileolated warbler is a closely related
species found in all of the western country
from Alaska to Arizona and from the Rocky
Mountains to the Pacific. Less common than
the former along the coast.
The golden pileolated warbler lives in the
thickets of alder and vine maple along streams,
thick damp woods, along the edges of woods
roads and in the tangle of brush and vines
that line the deep canyons. Its quiet song of
four or five notes is uttered in a descending
scale and is not distinctive. Its black cap is
a certain field mark since no other of the
yellow warblers has it. The golden pileolated
warbler is an abundant summer resident
throughout its range but keeps so close to
cover as to escape observation unless one is
watching for it. Its nest is of the usual
warbler type usually placed in bushes near
the ground.
^ . Lutescent warbler, Vermivora cclafa
646a -
lidescens. 4.30
Distribution: From southern Alaska to
Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains to
the Pacific. Abundant summer resident of
the Pacific Coast district; wintering in south-
ern Mexico and Central America.
The lutescent warbler is common every-
23
FAMILY MniotiltidcB
where from sea level to high mountains, but
is most often found in second growth woods,
and is particularly abundant on brush-covered
hillsides, along woods roads and about the
edges of old fields in the lower branches of the
trees. It is the earliest of the warblers to
come north in the spring, appearing in the
northern part of its range by the first of
March.
The lutescent warbler is the plainest of all
our western warblers and lacks any distinc-
tive markings. It is an olive gi-een bird above
and pale olive yellow below, with yellowish
eye ring and a dull orange patch on crown,
which is covered by tips of adjoining feathers.
Its very plainness together with its beautiful
song, a long, well-sustained trill of a dozen
or more notes, w^ll distinguish it from any
other w^arbler. The song is uttered rapidly
and ends either in an ascending or descending
scale. The nest is placed on the ground at
the foot of a bush, usually in deep woods on
a hillside.
^. Black-throated gray warbler, Den-
droica nigrescens . 4.40
Distribution: From British Columbia to
Mexico and from the Roc :y Mountains to
the Pacific Coast. Abundant summer resi-
U
WOOD WARBLERS
dent of the Pacific Coast. Wintering through
Mexico to Central America.
The bhick-throated gray warbler is abun-
dant throughout its range from sea level to
high mountains in both coniferous timber
and mixed woods. It keeps more to the upper
branches than do most of the warblers, es-
pecially in bright weather but comes down
into the lower branches and undergrowth in
misty or cloudy weather. It has striking
black and white, lengthwise streaked plumage
making it easily recognized among all our
western warblers, except Townsend's, which it
resembles in general appearance at a distance,
but which, when seen closely will not be con-
fused with it. The song of the black-
throated gray warbler is an indistinct medley
of notes resembling that of both the Town-
send and hermit, except in the ending, which
has a zee, zee quality that is distinctive and
may be recognized as far as it is heard. The
nest is placed in some conifer from twenty to
fifty feet from the ground.
.^ Macgillivray warbler, Oporomis to!-
miei. 5.00
Distribution: From British Columbia to
southern California, Arizona and New iNIex-
ico and from the Rocky Mountains to the
25
FAMILY MniotiltidcB
Pacific. An abundant summer resident along
the Pacific Coast. Wintering throughout
Mexico and Central America to northern
South America.
The Macgillivray warbler, like the lu-
tescent, lives near the ground, frequenting
brush-covered hillsides, thickets of vine maple
and alder and the tangle of logs and vines
along woods roads, and streams and swampy
places. Its slate-gray head and neck, and
peculiar ventriloquial song are distinctive
and will aid in its identification. The nest is
placed in the tangle of vines and brush near
the ground.
^ . Audubon warbler, Dendroica auduhoni
auduhoni. 5.00
Distribution: Western North America
from British Columbia to southern California,
Arizona and New Mexico, and from the Great
Plains to the Pacific Coast. Wintering south
to Guatemala.
The Audubon warbler is the commonest
and most distinctive of all our western
warblers. It is found from sea level to high
mountains throughout its range, both in
mixed woods and coniferous timber. It may
be seen along the edges of old fields in second
growth woods, in fruit orchards where it is
26
WOOD WARBLERS
abundant during blossoming time, catching
the tiny insects that swarm about the blooms,
and along woods roads on the hills and in the
valleys. The Audubon warbler is a restless
little bird, ever on the wing, darting from tree
to tree in pursuit of flying insects or chasing
its fellows in and out among the trees and
bushes in a Ceaseless game of tag. With
spread tail and fluttering wings its move-
ment reminds one of a butterfly as it fairly
dances from the top of one tree to another.
It may be distinguished from all other of the
western warblers by its five yellow patches on
crown, throat, sides and rump. The song of
the Audubon warbler is one of the earliest
heard in the spring. It is loud and clear, with
many variations, and may be heard a long
way off. Its favorite perch when singing is
the highest point on some conifer or other tall
forest tree. Although the warblers as a group
are highly migratory, most of them leaving
the United States entirely in the winter, the
Audubon warbler may be found in large
numbers in the winter as far north as southern
British Columbia. In their winter dress they
retain only the yellow rump patch and in this
grayish garb they go about in small flocks
seeking their living in weedy old fields and
along roadsides.
«7
FAMILY MniotiltidcB
The nest is usually placed in small firs
about twenty-five feet from the ground. It
is rather a large nest for a warbler, loosely
built, and composed of fir twigs, weeds, root-
lets, moss and dry grass, lined with hair and
feathers.
.^ Long- tailed chat, Icteria virens longi-
cauda. 6.75
Distribution : Western United States from
the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast, and
from British Columbia to southern Mexico.
Wintering in Mexico and Central America.
The long-tailed chat is the largest of the
warblers and very unlike any other member
of the family. It makes its home in dense
thickets and in the tangle of vines and brush
in swampy places . No other warbler, and few
birds of any kind, possess the individuality
of the chat. Its form, call notes and habits
are all pronounced and characteristic making
it one of the most interesting birds in the
world. No other small bird has such a vo-
cabulary of call notes, gurgles, chuckles or imi-
tations of other birds. It is chut, chut, chut,
or quoort, quoort, quoort, and again, whew,
whew, whew, and sometimes a kee-yuk; then a
series of hawk or jay notes startling in their
suddenness and close imitations. Its presence
28
\
WOOD WARBLERS
Is usually madr known by a suddon ckui, chut,
cJiuf, from out \hv depths of a marshy place.
After this introduction it will follow with a
number of its various call notes. It is a very
shy and suspicious bird and at the least sign
that it is being watched, will dive into the
underbrush and slink away in silence. It
sometimes bursts into an ecstasy of song and
will jump into the air fluttering its wings and
warbling in a delightful manner. The nest of
the long-tailed chat is hidden in the center of
some thicket close to the ground. It is made
of dead leaves and fine grass and lined with
finer gi'asses.
^^o Townsend warbler, Dendroica toum-
668 .
sendi. 4.50
Distribution: Western North America
from southern Alaska to southern California,
and from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast.
Abundant summer resident of the Pacific
Coast states, thinning out eastward. During
migrations to Colorado, western Texas and
south to Guatemala.
The summer home of the Tow^nsend warb-
ler is in the heavy timber that clothes the
hills and mountain ranges. Its weak song
comes drifting down to one from the tops of
tall firs and only once in a w hile will one catch
29
FAMILY MniotiltidcB
a glimpse of the bird itself as it flits from the
top of one tree to another. Occasionally it
will come down near the ground to feed in
the lower branches of the trees. At such
times it fairly dances from bush to bush with
wings a-flutter and tail spread wide, showing
the white outer tail feather. In action it
resembles the Audubon warbler with all its
butterfly-like traits.
There is nothing distinctive about the
Townsend warbler by which it may be easily
identified, except the triangular black patch
enclosing the eye, surrounded by the yellow
on the side of the head. During the fall
migrations these marks have a faded appear-
ance, the males, females and young of the
year looking very much alike. The nest of
the Townsend warbler is rarely found. It is
reported as being placed in bushes and in firs
well up from the ground.
^^ Hermit warbler, Dendroica occidentalis.
''^ 4.50
Distribution: From British Columbia to
southern California, and from the Rocky
Mountains to the Pacific Coast. Abundant
summer resident throughout its range in con-
iferous timber. Wintering south of the United
States in Mexico and Central America.
30
\- V
WOOD WARBLERS
The hermit warbler is found along with the
Townsend in the same kind of woods, usually
high in the firs but sometimes showing itself
on the lower branches of the mixed woods,
or along the edges of quiet woods roads in the
tangle of alder and vine maple. It seems to
be far commoner than the Townsend warbler,
frequenting the fir-clad hills in all parts of its
range and swarming through the valleys
during the spring and fall migrations. The
hermit warbler shows to best advantage in
the firs, its bright yellow head, black throat
and white underparts making a striking
picture against the background of greenery.
It may be easily distinguished from all other
of our western warblers by its unusual colora-
tion. While the hermit warbler is quite
common in many localities it keeps well to
cover and must be diligently sought for by the
bird student w^ho wishes to become familiar
with it in its native haunts.
The song of the hermit warbler is varied.
In some cases it resembles that of the black-
throated gray, again that of the Townsend
warbler, but it has a very peculiar and dis-
tinctive song of its ow^n that, when once heard,
will never be forgotten. If set to words it
would say, see here, see here, I see you. The
first four notes are given in couplets, and in a
31
FAMILY VireonidcB
sharply ascending scale, the last three in a
sharply descending scale. The song is en-
tirely different from that of any other western
warbler and as it comes floating down from
the top of some giant fir in the big woods its
unusual cadence will instantly attract the
attention of those whose ears are attuned to
bird music.
The nest of the hermit warbler is placed in
all sorts of locations from small trees along
mountain streams to high conifers in the
mountains.
FAMILY VIREONIDM: VIREOS
^ Western warbling vireo, Vireosylva
gilva swainsoni. 5.00
Distribution: Western United States and
British Columbia south to Mexican border,
and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific
Coast. South in winter through Mexico.
An abundant summer resident on the Pacific
Slope. Two closely allied species include the
Hutton vireo of California, Oregon and Wash-
ington west of the Cascades and Sierra Neva-
das; and the red-eyed vireo that is rarely
(and irregularly), found in the Sierras and
Cascades from California to northern Wash-
ington.
32
VIREOS
Vireos are not confined to any particular
kind of woods. They seem to be everywhere.
If you go to the seashore they are there in the
thickets of manzanita and lodge-pole pine.
If you journey to the mountains you find
them filling the big woods with their song.
But they are most abundant in the valleys,
living in the heavy timber that covers the
hills, in the thickets of alder and vine maple
in the canyons or in the deep woods that skirt
old fields and quiet country roads. They are
common in parks where they build their
nests in dogwood and hazel along steep banks;
and they inhabit the trees and shrubbery of
vacant city lots, peering at you from the
overhanging limbs while searching the under-
side of leaves for tiny insects.
Vireos are so nearly the color of the green-
ery in which they live that it is often diflScult
to see them, and since their plumage lacks
distinctive markings one must rely on the
song for identification unless one can observe
them at arm's length.
. Cassin vireo, Lanivireo solitarius cas-
sini. 5.'i5
Distribution : Pacific Coast district of the
United States and British Columbia, south
to southern California, and east to Idaho,
3 33
FAMILY VireonidcE
Wyoming and Utah. South in winter to the
western part of Mexico. An abundant sum-
mer resident of the Pacific Coast states.
The white line over the eye and absence of
wing bars will identify the warbling vireo,
while the ring around the eye and distinct
white wing bars will indicate the Cassin vireo.
The Vireos comprise a very compact and
w^ell-defined family of about one hundred
species that are confined to the western
hemisphere. About twenty species visit the
United States in the summer, ranging north-
ward to the Canadian Provinces. They are
noted for their musical ability and on this
account are among the most delightful of all
the smaller birds of our country. The song
of the warbling vireo is loud and clear with a
rhythm that carries you with it. That of the
Cassin vireo seems to talk to you out of the
deep woods and seems to say, / see you, do
you see vie? I do, do you? During the nesting
season they sing incessantly and dominate the
woods with their melody, and both sexes sing
while sitting on the nest during incubation.
The nest of the vireo is a dainty basket
hung by the edges to a slender fork in tree or
bush, usually in dogwood, alder or hazel on
the side of a steep bank. It is a thick-walled,
well-woven structure of various vegetable
34
Iff gf A k^
••' ■••»• ir^.»3kf
T'-i:<*|fc?
r^uW
TITMICE
fihcM's, HiumI willi plant down and iVatliors
and otlu^r soft materials. Wlicn the wintry
l)lasts have cleared the trees of leaves their
nests may be fonnd everywhere along woods
roads where they have remained well hidden
among the greenery during the nesting season.
FAMILY PARIDM: TITMICE
, Oregon chickadee, Penthestes atricapil-
lusoccidentalis. 5.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
Alaska to California west of the Cascade
Mountains. Three closely allied species
include the long-tailed chickadee of western
North America from Alaska south to eastern
Oregon; mountain chickadee, found from
central British Columbia south to southern
California and Arizona; and the Bailey
mountain chickadee, breeding in the moun-
tains of southern Oregon, eastern California,
to Lower California.
The Oregon chickadee is found everywhere
in its range from sea level to high mountains.
It seems equally common in coniferous
timber and mixed woods. Its fi^vorite haunts
are thickets of vine maple and alder along
streams, brushy hillsides grown up to dog-
wood and hazel, or the borders of woods
35
FAMILY ParidcB
roads. The Oregon chickadee prefers the
lower branches of the trees and may be
found trooping through the woods, often in
company with kinglets and bush-tits, peering
into crevices and holes in trees or tearing
open the rolled up leaves and cocoons in
search of fat grubs.
The gray and black of its plumage blends
so well with its surroundings that the Oregon
chickadee is often hard to see against the
mottled bark of its favorite alder and dog-
wood trees, but its distinct whistled song of
three notes, or its chickadee, dee, dee, dee, call
notes will help to identify this species.
The Oregon chickadee is resident wherever
found and because of the nature of its food
supply is able to exist in the coldest weather.
It has the habit of using its last year's nesting
hole to sleep in during cold nights, several
birds often occupying the same hole together.
The Oregon chickadee builds its nest in
natural cavities in trees, old woodpeckers'
holes or bird boxes. Large quantities of warm
materials are gathered to fill the bottom of
the cavity, the lining being usually bits of
animal hair of various kinds and feathers.
The tiny eggs number from five to nine.
They are pure white, thickly dotted with
reddish brown.
36
TITMICE
Chestnut-backed chickadee, Penthes-
^ tcsrufcsccnsrufesceyis. 4.75
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
Alaska south to northern CaHfornia, east
to Idaho and INIontana. Two closely
related species found in California are
the California chickadee and the Barlow
chickadee.
The chestnut-backed chickadee is a bird
of coniferous timber, living in the upper
branches of the trees where it spends much
of its time pecking at the cones of the Doug-
las fir. In the summer it seems to keep well
to the heavy timber along the crests of the
hills, coming down into the valleys in the fall
and winter to feed in the lower woods and
underbrush along with the bush-tits and
kinglets but rarely mixing with the Oregon
chickadee in its wanderings.
The chestnut-backed chickadee may be
distinguished from the Oregon by its smaller
size and the well-defined rufous brown of its
back and sides. Both its song and call notes
are weaker than those of the Oregon chicka-
dee. The song has more of a wiry quality,
and the chickadee-dee notes are far less pro-
nounced. When a flock of chestnut-backs,
kinglets and bush-tits are ranging through
the tree tops together it is often difficult to
37
FAMILY ParidcE
tell them apart on account of the resemblance
of then- lisping call notes.
The nesting habits of the chestnut-backed
chickadee are in all respects like those of the
Oregon chickadee.
Bush-tit, Psaltriparus minimus mini-
vius. 4.25
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
Washington to Lower California; and from
the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas to the
Pacific. The California bush-tit of California,
except on the northwest coast, and the lead-
colored bush-tit of eastern Oregon, to Wyom-
ing and south to Arizona, Texas and Califor-
nia are closely related species.
The bush-tit is found everywhere from the
mountains to the sea but mostly in open
country away from heavy timber. One may
expect to see it along the edges of woods
roads in second growth timber, and in the
tangle of fallen logs and brush in slashings
and cut-over lands. Then too the brushy
slopes of deep canyons afford cover for these
little gray birds as they go trooping from
place to place in search of food. They may
be seen clinging head downwards in true
titmouse fashion as they examine every
curled leaf or cocoon for a possible chrysalis
38
\f ^"^^
WREN-TITS
or grub, all the while keeping up a subdued
conversation in lisping tones that reminds
one of the kinglets. Late in the summer,
when the nesting season is over, bush-tits
may be seen in large flocks, probably several
families united, wandering about the country,
flitting across the road ahead of one or cling-
ing to the side of gravel pit or cut bank search-
ing the tiny crevices for insects.
In the winter bush-tits are found in com-
pany with chickadees and kinglets moving
through the woods in leisurely fashion, calling
to one another in cheery notes, seemingly
indifferent to cold or stormy w^eather. The
nest of the bush-tit is a purse-shaped affair
about ten inches long, woven of vegetable
fibers and moss and hung to the sw^aying
slender end of fir or hemlock bough, or placed
in a bush along the side of some steep canyon.
The entrance is near the top, often so small
that the little bird has to wriggle in and out
like a mouse. The tiny eggs are five to nine
in number.
FAMILY CHAM^IDJE: ^YREN-TITS
, Coast wren-tit, Chamooa fasciaia phooa.
^-'-'' ' 5.00
Distribution: Coast counties of northern
California and Oregon to the Columbia River,
39
FAMILY CJiamcEidcB
between the mountains and the sea. The
pallid and the ruddy wren-tits are found in
California and the southwest.
The coast wren-tit is found in the dense
grow^th of salal, manzanita and lodge-pole
pines that clothe the ridges along the coast.
It delights in the thick cover from which it
rarely shows itself except to dart from one
dense patch of brush to another in its travels.
One's first introduction to this queer yet
delightful little bird is usually a sharp scold-
ing on the part of the wren-tit that sounds
hke the w^ooden rattle that the small boy
whirls in his fingers. Then one may hear a
queer tremolo whistle that sounds like the
subdued quaver of the screech owl. The call
will probably be taken up and repeated by
several other tits from different directions,
the whole performance being very unusual
in bird life. The song may be described as
keep, keep, keep, keep-it, keep-it, keep-it,
running down the scale, starting slowly and
ending in a trill. And another song may be
rendered, pee, pee, pee, peep, peep, peep, peep,
in a slow and monotonous tone. The nest
is described by Finley as well made and
deeply cupped, resembling that of the
lazuli bunting. It is usually well hidden in
low brush.
40
CREEPERS
FAMILY CERTIIIID/E: CREEPERS
. California creeper, Certhia familiaris
occidentalis. 5.00
Distribution : From central British Colum-
bia south through central Washington, Ore-
gon and California to the mountains of Los
Angeles county. Two closely allied species
are the tawny creeper found along the humid
coast district from northern California to
southern Alaska, and the Sierra creeper of
the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains
of Oregon and California.
The creepers are quiet little brown birds that
spend their lives examining the rough bark of
the big forest trees for food. This they do by
climbing spirally up the tree to the large
branches and then flying to the bottom of the
next tree nearby to repeat the performance.
They have a weak lisping call note that
can be heard but a short distance away, and
are said to have a short sweet song of four
notes, which only a few observers have been
fortunate enough to hear. Their small size,
brownish striping, long slender curved bill
and creeping habits will aid in identifying the
creepers. They usually build their nests
behind a loose piece of bark from twenty to
fifty feet from the ground.
41
FAMILY Sittidct
FAMILY SITTID.E: NUTHATCHES
Slender-billed nuthatch. Sitta carolin-
ensis aculeata. 5.50
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
interior of British Columbia to northern
Lower California and east to the Cascades
and Sierra Nevadas. The Rocky Mountain
nuthatch, a closely related species, is found
in the interior of North America west as far
as the eastern base of the Cascades and
Sierra Nevadas.
The slender-billed is the largest of the
western nuthatches and may be distinguished
from the other species by its white under-
parts, bluish gray upper-parts and black cap.
Its peculiar yajik, yank, call note, uttered in
a deliberate manner, is a good clue to its
identity. During its cross country trips from
ridge to ridge it may often be seen about the
orchards and wood-lots in the valleys busily
engaged in searching the rough bark of the
trees for small insects.
^ Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canaden-
^^ sis, 4.50
Distribution: Forest districts of northern
North America and higher mountains of the
United States, from Labrador and Alaska
south to middle United States.
42
NUTHATCHES
The red-breasted nuthatch is a smaller
bird than the slender-billed and may be dis-
tinguished by its reddish brown sides and
breast and white line over the eye. Its nasal
yanJi, yank, is also uttered more rapidly and
in a higher key. It wanders from tree to tree
in the restless manner of its kind, running up
a tree spirally and going out on the big
limbs, sometimes to the very tips, often
hanging head downwards like a chicka-
dee, while it examines the clusters of fir
needles for food.
Pygmy nuthatch, Sitta pygmoea pyg-
^'^^ moea. 4.20
Distribution : Mountains of western North
America and Mexico, north to British Colum-
bia, and from the Pacific Coast east to
Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New
Mexico. The white-naped nuthatch, a near
relative, is found in southern California in
San Diego County, south into Lower Cali-
fornia.
The pygmy nuthatch lives in the moun-
tains and only rarely comes down into the
valleys. Only those who go to its haunts will
make its acquaintance. Its small size and
the white patch on the back of its neck will
serve to identify it.
43
FAMILY SittidcB
The nuthatches are small, soft-plumaged,
square-tailed little birds that spend their
lives running up and down the tree trunks
looking for food. All of them are denizens
of the forests, usually keeping well to the big
woods where they lead a more or less solitary
life. One seldom sees more than half a dozen
together and then it is probably a family
party. In the winter however they often
congregate in good-sized flocks to w^ander
about in search of food during the day, and
sleep together in old woodpeckers holes at
night. One observer counted twenty-one
pygmy nuthatches coming out of one hole
in the early morning.
Nuthatches build their nests in natural
cavities in trees, old woodpeckers' holes and
in holes which they dig for themselves in
decayed trees.
The nests are lined with bits of wool, plant
down, feathers and the brown fuzz gathered
from the stems of ferns. The five to nine tiny
eggs are pure white thickly speckled with
reddish brown. After leaving the nest the
young follow the parents about begging for
food, and a party of them perched on the top
of an old snag holding an animated conversa-
tion in nuthatch language is an interesting
sight.
44
DIPPERS
FAMILY CINCLID/E: DIPPERS
Dipper (Water ouzel), C Indus mexi-
701 ' ' ^. , ^
canus unicolor. 7.75
Distribution : Mountains of western North
America from near tree limit in northwestern
Alaska, northeastern British Columbia, and
west central Alberta south to northern Lower
California and southern New Mexico; acci-
dental in the Black Hills, South Dakota and
in western Nebraska. Resident wherever
found.
The dipper, or water ouzel, belongs to one
of the most unique as well as one of the
smallest families of birds in the world. The
family has been traced back to its probable
home in the high Himalaya Mountains of
northern India from whence it spread over the
mountainous districts of the w^orld. Five
species are found in the western hemisphere,
one in North and four in South America. It
is found only in the vicinity of rushing moun-
tain streams in which it lives and finds its
food supply.
Its plumage is a soft lusterless gray, very
compact and practically waterproof. The
body has also a secondary coat of oily down
like that on typical water birds, and this
marks it as unique among strictly land birds.
45
FAMILY CinclidcB
The eye is provided with a nictitating mem-
brane, or third eyehd, which protects it from
injury in its underwater journeys.
The dipper is common in the mountains
of the Pacific Slope, in many places following
the streams down to the foothills where it
may be seen darting ahead of the fisherman
as he works upstream, or standing on a water-
worn boulder bobbing up and down in its
peculiar fashion. The relationship of the
dipper to other families has been in dispute
for many years but its resemblance to the
wrens is striking, and its bobbing and atti-
tudinizing is very -wTen-like.
The dipper has strong feet and sharp claws
with which it is enabled to walk deliberately
into swift water and disappear without effort,
using its wings to fly under water. It will
appear up or down stream fifty or more feet
from where it went in, quietly step out of the
water to rest a minute and then plunge in
again. No water seems too swift or rough for
it to enter. Its food consists of minute marine
life such as periwinkles and the like which it
collects from the bottom of the streams.
Fishermen claim that it destroys the eggs of
the brook trout but this has yet to be proven.
The dipper is one of the most interesting
and delightful of all the small birds of the
46
HUMMINGBIRDS
West. Its song is a bubbling warble, long
sustained and clear, louder than that of the
winter wren and closely resembling it. John
Muir recounts many interesting tales of the
water ouzel, which he studied and learned to
love in the mountains of California. He tells
of seeing them swimming under the thin ice
from one air hole to another in the high
Sierras, and Grinnell records the same thing
in other places.
The nest of the dipper is a round ball of
green moss with its entrance hole on one side,
placed in a crevice in the rock over w^ater,
and often near or behind a waterfall where
the spray is always keeping it wet. Where it
is placed behind a waterfall the ouzel will
dash right through the spray to reach it.
FAMILY TROCHILID.T:: HUMMING-
BIRDS
Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus
rufous. 3.50
Distribution: Western North America
from Alaska to southern Mexico, east during
migrations to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado
and western Texas, wintering in Mexico.
The hummingbirds comprise one of the
most wonderful as well as one of the largest
47
FAMILY Trochilidce
families of birds in the world. Nearly six
hundred species are known, all peculiar to
the western hemisphere. Their center of
distribution lies in Ecuador and Colombia in
South America where they are found from the
lowest jungle to the crests of the high Andes.
Of the total number only about eighteen
species visit the United States, most of whom
only come over the border from Mexico into
Arizona, New Mexico and southern Califor-
nia. Only one, the ruby-throat, is found east
of the Mississippi River. The rufous hum-
ming-bird is found in the summer from south-
ern Mexico to southern Alaska while the
black-chinned. Calliope and the broad-tail-
ed hummingbirds are found more or less com-
monly from British Columbia to Mexico, and
the Anna, Allen and Costa hummingbirds
are confined to the Southwest.
The rufous hummingbird is the most widely
distributed and the most abundant of all the
hummingbirds of the West. It comes North
early in the spring, reaching the northern
border of the United States by the first week
in March. It seems to time its arrival with
the blooming of the wild currant. The males
are the first to arrive and they may be found
along the crests of the hills, sometimes dozens
together, sitting in the bushes preening their
48
HUMMINGBIRDS
feathers or chasing each other about with an
angry buzz or twitter. By the first of April
rufous hummers are common everywhere,
buzzing about the dooryards, probing the
flowers, darting at some winged intruder with
an angry squeak or investigating possible
nesting sites.
Its nest is placed in all sorts of situations
on vines, bushes and trees but its favorite
nesting site seems to be on the swaying
slender end of a hemlock or cedar bough at
varying heights from the ground. It is a tiny
cradle composed of spider web and plant
down and other silky vegetable fibers. The
outside is covered with small lichens making
the nest appear like a small knot on the limb.
It is about the size of half an eggshell. The
eggs are always two in number and pure
white. These when hatched disclose two of
the ugliest little birds imaginable, blind,
naked and more like insects than birds. They
are fed by regurgitation, a frightful looking
operation, and leave the nest in from fourteen
to twenty days, beautiful full fledged hum-
mers, ready to follow their parents back to
the tropics.
By the first of October the hummingbirds
are flocking south and they may be found by
scores, the males and females and the young
4 49
FAMILY Caprimulgidce
of the year, all busily engaged in dipping
into the flowers for honey or tiny insects.
At such times they are unusually tame and
one can study them at close range. By the
middle of October they have retired from the
northern part of their range to southern
California and beyond.
FAMILY CAPRIMULGIDM'. GOAT-
SUCKERS
, Pacific nighthawk, Chordeiles virginia-
nus hesperis, 9.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast district and
eastward to the Rocky Mountains, and from
British Columbia south to Nevada and Utah,
and to southern California; an abundant
summer resident of the Pacific Coast states.
The nighthawk, or bullbat, belongs to a
world-wide family of about one hundred
species. They are curious looking birds with
the horny part of their bills short and weak,
and a wide gaping mouth that opens behind
the eye. The mouth is surrounded with long
stiff bristles which act as a fly trap when the
bird is flying through the air in pursuit of the
winged insects upon which it lives.
Nighthawks are familiar objects in the
evening sky during the summer as they pass
50
■^W'
0l^
SWIFTS
with irregular flifjlit over town and country
in search of an evening meal. They are dark-
phunaged birds, barred and streaked with
whites and grays and browns in intricate
patterns, and they show conspicuous white
wing patches as they soar overhead in the
twihght. Their pecuHar screeching cry and
hollow booming sound are characteristic
noises of hot summer nights.
The nighthawk is highly migratory, coming
from its home in the tropics in May and June,
going as far north as British Columbia to
spend the summer and returning South again
about the first of October.
The nighthawk lays its two oblong, even-
ended eggs on the bare ground in open places
in fields, pastures and hillsides, and sometimes
on a flat rock or boulder, or in the gravel on
a beach near water. The eggs have a marbled
appearance, being blotched and streaked
with varying shades of lavender, grays and
blackish brown, blending perfectly with their
surroundings.
FAMILY MICROPODIDJE: SWIFTS
Vaux swift, Chcotura vauxi. 4.30
Distribution: Pacific Coast region
from Alaska to Lower California; rare east
51
FAMILY MicropodidcB
of the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas. Migrat-
ing to Mexico and Central America.
The Vaux swift is confined almost ex-
clusively to the Pacific Slope and is a bird of
the mountains rather than of the valleys. It
is rarely seen in any numbers, a dozen or
more being considered a large flock. At times
it may be seen by twos or threes sailing over
the open country on the way from one high
ridge to another, and at certain places along
the Columbia River it may even be called
common. In California it is reported as being
common in the coast districts from San
Francisco Bay northward.
In coloration the Vaux swift is sooty brown
instead of the sooty gray of the chimney
swift. Vaux swifts may be distinguished at
a distance from the swallows by the peculiar-
ity of their flight. The narrow crescent-
shaped .wings move with a rapid bat-like
motion, alternating several wing beats with a
swift gliding movement, darting here and
there with incredible speed. When in the
mountains observers have noticed the swifts
circling close overhead as if curious about
the intruders, and occasionally they will come
close to the ground in the open country,
beating about over the fields in a curious
zigzag manner.
52
f
/
SWALLOWS
TIr' Vaux swift builds a tiny saucer-shaped
nest of small twigs plastered together with
the sticky saliva, secreted so abundantly by
the bird, and is usually fastened to the inside
of a hollow tree. Of late years however it
has been reported as nesting in chimneys like
its cousin of the eastern states.
FAMILY HIRUNDINIDM: SWALLOWS
. Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon lunijrons
lunifrons. 5.50
Distribution: Nearly the whole of North
America. Abundant summer resident on the
Pacific Coast. South in winter over Mex-
ico, Central America and most of South
America.
The cliff swallow, eave swallow, or mud-
dauber, is seen in great numbers in the farm-
ing districts, circling about the big red barns,
snapping up the flies that are so common
there and building its nest under the over-
hanging eaves. The nest is a gourd-shaped
affair with the neck slanting dow^nwards. It
is made of mud and lined with grass and
feathers. This swallow formerly cemented
its nest to the perpendicular face of cliffs but
since the advent of man with his numerous
buildings it has changed its habits, and its
53
FAMILY HirundinidcB
name as well, and is commonly called the
eave swallow. The brownish plumage, squar-
ish tail and buffy forehead are the distinguish-
ing field marks of this species. The call note,
too, is quite different from others of the
family. It is a peculiar purring note, easily
remembered if given careful attention. It is
interesting to know that each species of swal-
low has its own distinctive call note which a
careful student learns to recognize without
seeing the bird as it flies overhead.
^ Tree sw allow y I ridoprocnebicolor. 5.75
Distribution: North America in
general; on the Pacific Coast from Alaska to
California; wintering south of the United
States in Mexico and Central America.
The tree swallow, or white-bellied swallow,
is far less common than the violet-green in
the northern part of its range. It builds its
nest in hollow trees or old woodpeckers' ho^es,
and rarely in a bird box. The tree swallow
with its steely blue upperparts and pure
silky white underparts is considered the
most beautiful of all the swallows. It is
so nearly like the violet-green swallow^ in
appearance, however, that only a good bird
student can identify it on the wing at any
distance.
54
SWALLOWS
. ^ Northern Violet-green swallow, Tavhy-
ciucfa ihalassina Icpida. 5.30
Distribution: Western North America
from Alaska to southern California, and from
the Pacific Coast to Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico and western Texas;
breeding throughout its range. South in
winter to highlands of Guatemala and Costa
Rica.
The swallows of the Pacific Coast seem to
follow well-defined routes in their wanderings.
The violet-green swallows seem to prefer the
inland valleys where they are found in untold
thousands in the summer. They follow the
waterways north early in March and by the
middle of April are sw^arming over the coun-
tryside in quest of nesting sites. The nest is
usually placed in the cornice of a building
where a shingle has been knocked off or the
boards have sprung, or on a beam on the
inside of a barn which may be entered
through a convenient knot hole. Many other
curious and interesting nesting sites might
be mentioned, however, and the violet-green
is also one of the commonest occupants of
the bird box.
In September the violet-green swallows
gather for the long flight southward. They
Hne the telegraph wires along country roads
55
FAMILY HirundinidcE
and with much twittering make their plans
for the long trip. Today they are everywhere
in animated groups, tomorrow they have
disappeared not to return until the following
spring. The white rump patch, together with
the white encircling the eye, will distinguish
the violet-green from the tree sw^allow and
are distinctive field marks for the species.
^ Western martin, Progne suhis hesperia,
8.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
British Columbia to Mexico, wintering south
to Nicaragua.
The western martin is not common any-
where in its range. Small colonies are known
to inhabit certain localities about Puget
Sound and the lower Columbia River. They
are occasionally reported from points in the
Coast Range Mountains where they are
supposed to nest in hollow trees. They are
known to nest m the wooden boxing about
the overhead electric wires in some north-
western cities, and in the broken cornices of
old buildings at several points along the lower
Columbia. They are more common in the
southern part of their range. In California
the western martin is found about the farm-
steads where it nests in the crevices of the
56
Y.
SWALLOWS
big red barns, or in artificial houses put up
for them. The martin is the Largest of the
American swallows and may be distinguished
from all others of the family by its color as
well as by its size. The whole body is a glossy
blue black, the wings and tail being black,
the tail is deeply forked. Its twittering call
note, or song, attracts instant attention by
its vibrant quality. Martins are wanderers.
They may be found in one locality for several
years and then disappear without apparent
reason, no others coming to take their place.
. Barn swallow, Hirundo erythrogastra.
^^ 6.75
Distribution: North America in general
from Alaska south over the whole ofi the
United States and Mexico. Wintering from
the INIexican border south through Central
America and South America to the Argentine.
The barn swallow is very handsome with
its steely blue upperparts, reddish brown
underparts and long forked tail. In flight
it is the most graceful of all the swallows.
Along the Pacific Slope it is more common
west of the Coast Range JNIountains where it
may be found m\ large numbers skimming
over the grassy slopes in sight of the ocean;
making its nest underneath culverts and
FA M I L Y HirundinidcB
bridges and the eaves of the beach cottages,
and about old outbuildings. The nest is a
half saucer-shaped affair composed of mud
and grass mixed together and warmly
lined with feathers, placed either on a
beam or rafter or glued to the side of a
beam or wall.
, Rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx
serripennis. 5.40
Distribution: Temperate North America,
Mexico and Central America to Costa
Rica. Breeding nearly throughout its
range.
The rough-winged swallow resembles the
bank swallow but may be distinguished from
it by its soiled rather than white underparts
and absence of the sooty band across the
breast. Its nesting habits are similar to those
of the bank swallow, although it is not found
in so large numbers in any one place, and it
sometimes places its nest in the cracks and
crannies about the abutments of bridges.
Although the rough- winged and bank swal-
lows are much alike in appearance and habits,
both species being sooty gray with lusterless
plumage, the rough-winged is found more
often about water than the bank swallow and
lives in much smaller colonies. Neither
58
r
'iawr^'
«
FLYCATCHERS
variety is common in the West, and both are
rare in most parts of the Northwest.
FAMILY TYRANXID/E: FLYCATCHERS
Kingbird, Tyrannus iyrannus. 8.50
Distribution: Temperate North
America, except parts of the arid regions
(where it is distributed locally and irregu-
larh'), from the Atlantic Coast west to south-
ern British Columbia, and in eastern
^Vashington and Oregon.
The flycatchers comprise a family of over
four hundred species centering in tropical
America, about ten per cent of which come
north in the spring to spend the summer in
the L'nited States, and northward to Alaska.
Most of the family, at least those that visit
the United States, are birds of somber hue,
of })rowns and grays and blacks with only
slight touches of color in some of the species.
They have few distinctive markings and one
must n^ly principally on their call notes,
especially among the smaller species, to tell
them apart.
The kingbird, eastern kingbird, or bee
martin, is abundant in the eastern United
States l)ut thins out west of the Rockies, being
found in certain localities in eastern Wash-
59
FAMILY TyrannidcB
ington and Oregon but rarely west of the
mountains.
Arkansas kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis.
^^"^ 8.75
Distribution: Western United States and
Canada from British Columbia to Mexico,
and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mis-
sissippi Valley. Wintering throughout Mexico
and south to Guatemala.
The Arkansas kingbird or western king-
bird, is slightly larger than its eastern cousin,
with yellowish underparts, and is common in
the open country along water courses where
it frequents the willows and cottonwoods
during the nesting season. It is also found
far from water about the ranches and cattle
pens where it may be seen perched on fence
posts and scrubby trees, darting at the pass-
ing flying insects upon which it feeds. The
nest of the Arkansas kingbird is placed in
small trees or bushes or on ledges of rock in
the broken hill country, and sometimes on
beams or posts about the ranch buildings.
The Arkansas kingbird is said not to be so
quarrelsome as other kingbirds, and one ob-
server noted a Say phoebe, Swainson hawk
and Arkansas kingbird nesting in the same
tree, all on the best of terms.
60
FLYCATCHERS
Olive-sided flycatcher, Nuttallornis
borcali.s. 7.50
Distribution: North America from Hud-
son Bay to Alaska, southward in coniferous
timber over the higher parts of the United
States to the Carolinas, and in the coniferous
forests of the western United States from
British Columbia south to Mexico. INIigrat-
ing in winter to South America.
With the exception of the kingbirds the
olive-sided flycatcher is the largest of the
family to be found on the Pacific Coast. It
inhabits tall timber along the crests of the
hills, and well up into the mountains, where
it may be seen perched on the higher parts of
some dead tree watching for flying insects.
Its whitish underparts, raised crest and half-
droope.d wings will be noticed if examined
through a field glass as it stands on its lofty
vantage point. Its excursions will sometimes
take it far afield but it wull soon return to the
same tree, w^hich is usually near its nest.
The call note of the olive-sided flycatcher
is a shrill pit-pip, pu, pu-pip while its song is
a loud, i\vii^\\mg s-e-c-h-c-r-c , or tliree ch-e-e-r-s
which may })e heard a long way off. Its nest
is placed high in fir or sj^ruce and is one of
the most difficult to find. It is beautifully
made of small twigs, rootlets and green moss,
61
FAMILY TyrannidcB
the outside covered with lichens and the in-
inside lined with moss.
^ Western wood pewee, Myiochanes rich-
ardsoni richardsoni. 6.40
Distribution: Western North America
from Alaska to southern California, and from
the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast. Win-
tering southward over most of Mexico and
Central America to middle South America.
The western wood pewee makes its home
in the big maples that are found about the
farm houses and barns in the open valleys.
The barnyard nearby, with its numbers of
flying insects, offers an inviting field for its
food supply, and one or more pairs of wood
pewees may be seen darting back and forth,
in and out among the buildings, snapping
up their unwary prey. The pewee's nest is
saddled on the top of a large limb. It is made
of fine grass, weed stems and bits of moss, lined
with plant down, cobweb and feathers, and the
outside is often decorated with lichens making
the nest look like a knot on the limb. The call
note of the wood pewee is a plaintive swee-air.
Traill flycatcher, Empidona: trailli
^ trailli. 6.00
Distribution: Western North America
from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific
62
FLYCATCHERS
Coast, and from southern Alaska to Mexico.
South in winter over greater part of ^lexico.
Central America and Colombia.
The Traill flycatcher is one of the com-
monest of its family to be found along the
Pacific Slope. It may be seen everywhere
from sea level to high mountains, in thickets
of vine, maple and alder along streams, in
deep brush-covered canyons, and along woods
roads in the tangle of dogwood, hazel and fern.
It is found along the borders of fields and coun-
try lanes where it may be seen darting from
place to place in pursuit, of flying insects or
chasing some rival from the vicinity of its nest.
Its nest is usually placed in a clump of
ferns near the edge of the woods, or in a bush,
or lower limb of a tree. Its song or call note
is a hurried pree-pe-deer.
Say phcebe. Say amis sayiis. 7. To
Distribution : Western North Amer-
ica from Alaska to Mexico, and from the
western part of the Mississippi Valley to the
Pacific Coast.
The Say phoebe is a bird of the arid country
and is seldom found west of the mountains
along the Pacific Coast. It is easily recog-
nized by its black tail and reddish brown
breast, differing in these markings from all
63
FAMILY BomhycillidcB
other of our western flycatchers. It is one
of the commonest of the western flycatchers
and is said to breed from the Arctic Circle to
Mexico, building its nest underneath culverts
and bridges and about outbuildings, and in
caves and crevices in rocks. It is also re-
ported as nesting in abandoned mining shafts
and has been known to occupy an old robin's
nest. In common with others of the family it
feeds upon flying insects, as well as grass-
hoppers, crickets, beetles and butterflies.
FAMILY BOMBYCILLIDJE: WAX WINGS
^ ^ Bohemian waxwing, Bomhycilla gar-
rula. 8.10
Distribution: Circumpolar, breeding in
the coniferous forests of the far North or the
higher mountains of the Canadian Rockies,
ranging south in winter (irregularly) to
middle United States.
The waxwings in several varieties are found
throughout the northern hemisphere where
they live in the great belts of coniferous
timber, breeding north to the Arctic Circle.
They are birds of great beauty, of a soft
immaculate gray, trimmed with black, yellow
and red, set off with a splendid crest which
can be raised or lowered at will. The birds
64
'^
WAXWINGS
are so different from any other North Ameri-
can species that there should be no difficulty
in identifying them at sight.
The Bohemian waxwing is the larger and
rarer of the two species. Its home is in the
more northern parts of Canada, from which
region it wanders south, at intervals of several
years, during the winter, to visit various parts
of the Pacific Coast states. Such a visit
occurred during the winter of 1919-20 when
large flocks appeared in the vicmity of Seattle,
Spokane and Portland. They came into the
dooryards to feed on holly berries and rose
apples and to splash in the chilly water of
the bird baths.
The Bohemian waxwing has been found
n(\sting in the stunted conifers about Hudson
Bay, and has been reported by Brooks,
Macoun and Raine from various parts of the
Canadian Rockies where nests and eggs were
taken. The nest is described as a loosely con-
structed, bulky affair made of moss, dry grass,
weed stems and rootlets, placed in small spruce
trees about twenty feet from the ground.
. Cedar waxwing, Bomhycilla cedrorum.
^^ 7.00
Distribution: Temperate North America
in general, wandering over most of the United
s 65
FAMILY BombycillidcB
States and breeding northward through the
Canadian Provinces to Hudson Bay. Winter-
ing in whole of the United States, south
irregularly to the West Indies and Central
America.
The cedar waxwing, cedar bird, or cherry
bird, although practically a permanent
resident wherever found, has the habit of
wandering about the country in small flocks,
thus being common in some localities one
year and rare the next. It may be that the
food supply has something to do with this
since the waxwing lives chiefly on various
wild fruits and berries, though sometimes it
makes serious raids on domestic fruits.
The call note of the cedar waxwing is a low
beady pee-eet which may be heard as it sits
perched in a tree or as it flies overhead. This,
together with its rapid wing beat and straight-
away flight, will help to identify it.
Its nest is usually placed in small firs,
cedar or orchard trees. It is rather bulky,
composed of bark, leaves, roots and weed
stalks, sometimes bits of paper, and lined
with various soft materials.
The waxwings are very sensitive about
their nests being touched by the human hand
and will often desert the eggs if they are
molested in any way. On the other hand
66
TANAGERS
they are most devoted parents when the
young are hatched and will then endure
almost any amount of disturbance without
resentment.
FAMILY TANGARID.^: TANAGERS
Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana.
^^^ 7.00
Distribution: From British Columbia to
Mexico and from the Mississippi Valley to
the Pacific Coast. Casually eastward to the
Atlantic states. South in winter through
Mexico to Guatemala. The western tanager
is the only representative in northwestern
North America of a family of nearly four
hundred species that centers in tropical
America.
The western tanager, Louisiana tanager, or
crimson-headed tanager is found everywhere
in its range from sea level to high mountains,
where it often breeds at an elevation of ten
thousand feet. It inhabits all sorts of wooded
areas but seems to prefer coniferous timber.
East of the mountains it is abundant in the
belts of pine timber where it is often seen in
large flocks. In the valleys w^est of the moun-
tains it is common everywhere in the culti-
vated areas, coming about the farmsteads to
G7
FAMILY FringillidcB
feed upon wild and tame berries. In the fall
it is commonly found in the dogwood trees
where it consumes great quantities of the
bitter red berries.
The western tanager usually builds its
nest in a fir well up from the ground and near
the tip of the limb. It is a flat, loosely built
affair of twigs, grass and weed stems. The
song of the western tanager is short, of three
or four notes, w^th a robin-like quality. The
call note is a pit-ic, pit-ic-ic, uttered as it sits
high in a fir or other tall tree. The striking
plumage of the western tanager, lemon-
yellow body, black wings and orange-red
head is so distinctive that the bird may be
readily identified at sight.
In common with most of the family it
changes its dress in the fall assuming almost
the olive green of the female, with darker
wings. In this plumage it spends the winter
months.
FAMILY FRINGILLIDJE: FINCHES
^ Black-headed grosbeak, Zamelodia
melanocephala. 7.25
Distribution: Western United States and
plateau of Mexico; north in summer to
British Columbia, Idaho and Montana, and
68
FINCHES
east to tlu' Dakotas and Nebraska. South
in winter to southern Mexico.
When tlie b hick-headed grosbeaks first
arrive in the spring they keep well to the tops
of the tall firs along the crests of the hills
where they may be heard singing, but are
hard to see because of their habit of conceal-
ing themselves in the dense foliage. The
females usually appear a couple of weeks
later when the birds soon mate and scatter
out over the valleys and hillsides to nest.
Then they may be found in the mixed timber
along woods roads and in brushy canyons, or
in thick woods along streams.
The black-headed grosbeak eats wild fruits
and berries of all kinds and is particularly
fond of dogwood berries in the fall. They
also consume great quantities of potato bugs
and other injurious insects, as well as tender
fruit and leaf buds of forest trees.
Its black head and conspicuous white wing
bars, which show as white patches when it is
flying, together with its rapid wing beat and
straight-away flight will help to identify the
species at a distance.
Its nest is a frail affair made mostly of
twigs and rootlets so loosely woven together
as to allow the eggs to be seen from under-
neath, and is placed indifferently in bushes
69
FAMILY FringillidcB
along the sides of steep hills, in trees in deep
woods and in firs, nesting from the floor of
the valleys to well up in the mountains. The
song of the black-headed grosbeak is of fine
quality. The well-rounded notes are exe-
cuted with care and deliberation as if the bird
were enjoying the performance. It has been
called a *' glorified robin song," and it is
indeed one of the finest of the finch family.
Its call note is a sharp eek, eek, resembling
that of the Gairdner woodpecker, for which
it is often mistaken when the bird is not seen.
Lazuli bunting, Passerina amoena.
^^^ 5.30
Distribution: Western United States and
British Provinces, from British Columbia to
the Mexican border, and from the Pacific
Coast east to the Dakotas and Kansas.
Migrating in winter to Lower California and
the valley of Mexico.
The Lazuli bunting comes North early in
May from its winter home in Mexico and
spreads over the country from California to
British Columbia. Although it may be
found in all sorts of country it is partial to
second growth woods, old pastures and
meadows interspersed with sweet-briar and
blackberry vines. It has a weak song which
70
FINCHES
it repeats by the hour during the nesting
season as it sits in the top of tree or bush.
Its nest, a deep well-cupped structure, rather
ragged in appearance on the outside, is placed
in small trees or bushes.
The Lazuli bunting may be distinguished
from all other small western finches by its
coloration. The head, neck and back are a
bright turquoise blue, the breast and sides
are reddish brown and the wings have distinct
white bars. When seen in bright sunlight
the blue fairly glistens, a little gem in
feathers.
. Oregon junco, Junco hyemalis
oreganus. 5.75
Distribution: Pacific Coast from the
northern border of the United States, north
to Alaska. In winter south through Wash-
ington and Oregon to northern California,
and east to Nevada. Two closely allied
species include: Shufeldt junco, found from
northern British Columbia south through
Washington and Oregon and east to Idaho
and Montana; and the Thurber junco, found
in southern Oregon and California, south to
Arizona. Speaking generally, the Oregon
junco is a summer bird in British Columbia,
north to Alaska, and a winter bird in Wash-
71
FAMILY FringillidcB
ington, Oregon and California; while the
Shufeldt junco is a summer bird in Wash-
ington and Oregon and a winter bird in Cali-
fornia and the southwest to Mexico. The
Thurber junco breeds in southern Oregon and
south through California, summering in the
mountains and wintering in the valleys. The
three species are so much alike that it is hard
to tell them apart without a close examina-
tion of the skins.
The junco is so abundant and conspicuous,
with its blackish head and neck, flesh-colored
bill, and a flash of its white outer tail feathers
when it flies, that it may be easily identified
by these points alone. It may be found
everywhere, at all seasons, from sea level to
high mountains, spending the breeding season
in the hills and mountains and the winters in
the valleys, where it swarms over the stubble-
fields and pastures, and along the roads
picking up weed seeds and scattered grain.
Its metallic chip can be heard on every hand
as it darts from the roadside at one's ap-
proach.
The junco builds its nest on the ground in
the side of a bank or in an open field among
the weeds. The nest is a frail structure of
fine grass w ith a few bits of other soft material
for lining.
FINCHES
^^, Oregon towhee, Pipilo macidafus
Oregon us. 7.35
Distribution: Coast districts of southern
British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and
California, soutli to San Francisco Bay.
The Oregon towhee, or catbird, as it is
commonly called, is common everywhere in
its range from the mountains to the sea. It is
a ground bird, living in the underbrush where
it may be often heard, when not seen, through
its habit of vigorously kicking in the dead
leaves in search of food. Its love of the cover
afforded by brushy fence rows and the tangle
of brush and vines along woods roads, it
shares with the song sparrow with w hich it is
alw^ays closely associated. It is one of our
permanent birds, braving the cold and snow
with seeming indifference, its strong feet and
bill enabling it to find a living where other
weaker birds would perish.
It may be easily identified by its black head
and neck, reddish brown sides, white belly
and long black tail bordered with conspicuous
white thumb marks. A near view will also
disclose its red eye.
When disturbed it utters a mewing call
note not unlike that of the catbird of the
eastern states. It has a pleasing, though
monotonous variety of other call notes and
73
FAMILY FringillidcB
songs which it repeats as it sits on some bush
in the vicinity of ii s nest. When approached
too closely it will dive into the underbrush, to
reappear in a few moments at some other
point, scolding all the while at one's intrusion
on its preserves. Its nest is placed on or near
the ground in thickets. It is coarsely built of
twigs and weed stems, lined with various
soft materials.
Golden-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia
coronata. 7.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast and Bering
Sea districts of North America, breeding on
the Shumagin Islands, Alaska peninsula,
Kadiak and the more western parts of the
Alaska mainland, and south at least to south-
ern British Columbia in the high Rockies
where its nests have been taken. South in
winter through British Columbia, ^Yashing-
ton, Oregon and California to Lower Cali-
fornia; straggling eastward, rarely to Nevada,
Colorado and Wisconsin.
The golden-crowned sparrow is a migrant
and winter resident in the United States,
reaching our northern border on the way
south about the first of September, and by
the middle of November has spread over the
whole coast to Lower California. Its favorite
74
FINCHES
haunts seem to ))e along the sides of brushy
canyons where it may be found sitting in
small groups sunning itself in the bushes,
preening its feathers and practising its
peculiar soft, vibrant whistle of three notes
given in a descending scale. Set to words it
sounds like 0-dear-mc! Those wdio are fa-
miliar with the bird in Alaska report it
as an incessant singer, the plaintive strain
often becoming tiresome with the repeti-
tion.
It is often seen scratching in the dirt roads
after the manner of towhees, always on the
lookout for danger, darting into the adjoining
cover at the least suggestion of it. Its larger
size, conspicuously black area above the eyes
and wide central stripe on crow^n, lemon-
yellow in front and gray behind, will readily
distinguish the golden-crow^ned from the
white-crowned sparrow. The young of the
year have the head marked with brown in-
stead of black and they are very handsome
in this dress. The golden-crown is seen in
many places along the Pacific Coast as late as
the middle of May, and many young are seen
by the first of July, which may indicate that
they may possibly nest within the borders of
the United States, although no nest has yet
been found so far as known.
15
FAMILY FringillidcE
Nuttall sparrow, Zonotrichia leuco-
^^^ phrys mittalli. 6.25
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
British Columbia south to southern CaH-
fornia, east to the Cascade and Sierra Nevada
Mountains. Two closely allied species are
the Gambel sparrow, found in western North
America from Alaska south to eastern Oregon.
Idaho and Montana; and the white-crowned
sparrow, found over most of the United States
from the Atlantic seaboard to the western
slope of the Rocky Mountain district,
straggling west to the Sierra Nevadas and
southwest to southern California.
The Nuttall white-crowned sparrow is one
of the commonest of the sparrows along the
Pacific Slope and is found everywhere from
the mountains to the sea. It is always in
evidence during the spring and summer,
sitting on fence posts along country roads,
perched on bushes and trees in field and
pasture and along w^ith the song sparrow
making its home in the cities wherever there
is shrubbery enough to afford protection, and
gardens for its food supply of insects and
worms. It is a familiar bird about the lawns,
hopping about on the grass or singing from
the top of some tree or peak of the house.
It is also the night singer of the Pacific Coast.
76
FINCHES
Its song is subject to great variation and this
often leads to some confusion as to its ident-
ity. Tlie birds of the Puget Sound district
have an entirely different song from those of
the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and many
of those of the coast belt differ from those of
the interior valleys.
The nest of Nuttalls sparrow is usually built
on the ground although it is sometimes placed
in vines or shrubbery about the home ten or
twelve feet from the ground. It is made of
weed stems and fine grass when on the
ground but twigs are used when placed in
vines or shrubbery.
r. Rusty song sparrow, Melospiza melodia
morphna. 6.00
Distribution : From southern Alaska south
through British Columbia, Washington and
Oregon, west of the Cascade Mountains.
Several closely allied species include: the
Merrill song sparrow, found in Idaho and
eastern Washington and Oregon; sooty song
sparrow, found in Alaska, south in winter
through western Washington and Oregon;
Mendicino song sparrow, found on northwest
coast of California and southwest coast of
Oregon, and the mountain song s]);irrow,
found in the Rocky Mountain districts of the
77
FAMILY Fringimd<B
United States, west to the mountains of
eastern Washington and Oregon. A dozen
other sub-species are found in California and
the Southwest.
The rusty song sparrow, in common with
others of the genus, lives on or near the
ground in thickets of brush and vines, in the
tangle of fallen logs and ferns along woods
roads and in the shrubbery' and garden patch
about the home. It is everywhere one of the
familiar birds with brown-streaked plumage,
and nervous wren-like action. It is a p>er-
manent resident wherever found for it is able
to find a living in the coldest weather and
imder the worst conditions. Its food consists
of insects and weed seeds. In the winter it
may be seen picking at the thistles and cockle
burrs that are sticking up through the snow,
all the while calling to its fellows in a chee^^^
manner, and if the sun breaks through the
winter sky but for a moment, burst iog iato
song. Its nest is placed m. some tangle of
vines or brush near the ground.
^^ ^ To wnsend fox sparrow, Pa-sserella Uiaca
toinuendi. 6.70
Distribution: Breeds on Alaska i>eninsula
and islands and migrates south along the
Pacific Coast to southern California. Several
78
FINCHES
closely allied species include: slate-colored
fox sparrow of the Rocky Mountain region
and west to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade
Mountains; Shumagin fox sparrow, of the
Shuniagin Islands and the Alaska peninsula;
sooty fox sparrow of the coast district of
British Columbia and northwest Wash-
ington; Kadiak fox sparrow of Kadiak
Island, Alaska; thick-billed fox sparrow
of the Sierra Nevadas of California from
Shasta to Whitney, and Stephens fox spar-
row of the mountains of southern Cali-
fornia.
Fox sparrows in the w^est live in the far
north or in the higher mountains of the
United States, and are only seen in the
valleys during the spring and fall migrations.
The sooty fox sparrow is said to nest in
northwestern Washington, and the slate-
colored in the Cascades of Washington
and Oregon, while the thick-billed and
Stephens fox sparrows live and nest in
California.
Fox sparrows may be distinguished from
song sparrows by their slightly larger size,
unstreaked u])perparts, boldly spotted
breast and yellow lower mandible. Their
song is described as rich and fine for a
finch.
79
FAMILY FringiUidcB
Western lark sparrow, Chondestes
552a . ^
grammaciis strigatus. 6.15
Distribution: Western North America
from British Columbia and Manitoba south
over the United States to Mexico, and from
the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast.
The western lark sparrow is common
throughout its range except west of the
Cascades where it is rare. It seems to be a
bird of the plains and semi-arid country
where it builds its nest on or near the ground.
It is a far more common bird in California
than farther north. Its striped head, brown
cheek patches and rounded white-bordered
tail are distinctive field marks.
, Oregon vesper sparrow, Pooecetes
gramineus affinis. 5.50
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
British Columbia south through western
Washington and Oregon. South in winter
to southern California and northern Mexico.
The western vesper sparrow, its near relative,
is found in western North America from
Canada to Mexico (except Pacific Coast
district), and east to the Mississippi Valley.
The "sparrows" are always difficult for
the amateur to identify because of their
similarity in appearance. They are brown-
80
FINCHES
ish, more or less lengthwise streaked birds
that live on or near the ground, yet there are
certain marks, which if learned, will help in
telling them apart. The vesper and savanna
sparrows look very much alike and live very
much in the same kind of cover. The vesper
sparrow has partly white outer tail feathers
which may be seen when the bird is standing
still but show more plainly as a field mark
when it flies. The savanna sparrow lacks the
white in the tail and is slightly smaller in size,
but has a yellowish line over the eye that will
serve as a good field mark.
The vesper sparrow is a common bird along
country roads sitting on fence posts or bushes ;
a favorite perch being the cross arm of a
telephone pole. It lacks a distinctive call
note but has a pretty, though weak, song of
several notes that is one of the pleasing
sounds in the hot summer days along the
dusty highways. The vesper sparrow makes
its shallow nest of grass in some slight
depression on the ground in grain or stubble-
field or weedy pasture.
, Western savanna sparrow, Passerculus
sandwichensis alaudinus. 5.00
Distribution: Western North America
from northwestern Alaska to southern
6 81
FAMILY FringillidcE
Mexico, and from the eastern edge of the
Great Plains to the Pacific Coast. Breeding
nearly throughout its range. Wintering in
the valleys of the entire west and south
through Mexico to Guatemala.
The savanna sparrow, meadow sparrow, or
ground sparrow, keeps close to cover in weedy
old fields, brush-grown pastures and in the
grass-grown and vine-covered fence rows
along country roads in company with the
vesper sparrow^s. Although it may be seen
at times perched on fence or bush it is usually
found on the ground skulking along in the
grass like a mouse, and it is flushed with
difficulty. When it flies it goes in a halting
zigzag manner for a few yards, to drop into
the grass and hide itself as before.
Sometimes it may be seen running along in
the bottom of a furrow in a grain field searching
for tiny insects or weed seeds, then it will perch
on an upturned clod and sing a weak little song,
a tune just the reverse of that of the vesper spar-
row. The nest is placed on the ground in grain
field or pasture well hidden in the grass.
^ Western chipping sparrow, Spizella
passerina arizoiice. 5.00
Distribution: Western North America in
general from the Rocky Mountains to the
82
/ -
/
FINCHES
Pacific Coast (including Alaska) and British
Columbia, south to the Mexican border.
Wintering south to Mexico.
The western chipping sparrow, chippy, or
hair bird is in habits and song like the
chipping sparrow of the eastern states. It is
the smallest of the sparrows and this fact
together with its grayish white unmarked
underparts, and distinct rufous crown patch
will distinguish it from all others of the family
on the Pacific Coast.
Willow goldfinch, Astragalinus tristis
salicamans. 4.50
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
Lower California north to British Columbia,
west of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade
Mountains. An abundant summer resident
and partial winter resident throughout its
range.
The willow goldfinch, wild canary, thistle-
bird, or yellow bird, is one of our most abun-
dant and conspicuous birds throughout most
of the year. It is found everywhere in open
country from sea level to high mountains. It
is a common bird along the coast within
hearing of the booming breakers, or about the
clearings on the crests of the ranges. It is a
characteristic bird in the farming districts
83
FAMILY FringillidcB
where it may be seen perched on fences and
telephone wires along the roads or feeding
on dandelion and thistle heads in the fields.
The goldfinch is equally common in the cities
about the lawns and gardens. Any vacant
lot grown up to weeds and thistles is likely to
be the home of a small flock of goldfinches
where they may be seen clinging to the bend-
ing stalks, picking at the ripened seeds.
In its summer dress of black and yellow
the goldfinch differs from all other of our
small birds in the arrangement of its color
pattern, and this, together with its undulating
flight and querulous call note, which is uttered
on the wing, makes its identification easy.
Its call note is a plaintive per-chic-o-ree.
Its song is a weak imitation of the tame ca-
nary and is heard constantly during the nest-
ing season. The willow goldfinch changes its
dress in the fall to olive-yellow and green and
drifts about in small family parties from
place to place in search of food, its favorite
haunts being weedy old fields and brush-
grown pastures. Because of its inconspicuous
dress at this time of year it is often overlooked,
and this leads to the common impression that
it is only a summer resident. The willow
goldfinch begins nesting in midsummer when
there is plenty of thistle down and other soft
84
FINCHES
plniit fihrrs with whicli to line its nest, which
is made of weed stems and fine grasses.
Its nest is phiced indiscriminately in bushes
or trees up to fifty feet from the ground.
Green-backed goldfinch, A.stragalinus
psaUria hesperophilus. 4,50
Distribution: Southwestern United States
and northwestern Mexico, northward
through California and Oregon to southern
AYashington; common in the coast valleys
north to the Columbia River.
The green-backed goldfinch is not nearly
so common a bird as the willow goldfinch, and
on account of its quieter habits and dark
olive-green dress, with blackish upperparts, it
usually escapes the attention of the casual
observer. It seems to stay in the open spaces
more than does the willow goldfinch, and
apparently does not consort with it on the
feeding grounds. The green-backed gold-
finch has all of the interesting ways of the
family, the same querulous talking notes and
quaint little song as it sits perched on bush
or tree, and the same undulating flight as
it goes darting across a field. Its nest is
placed in bushes or small trees and is similar
in composition and construction to that of the
willow goldfinch.
85
FAMILY FringilUdce
When the young are able to leave the nest
they accompany the parents in small flocks to
swarm over the weed patches in search of
food. At the approach of cold w^eather most
of them move to the more southern part of
their range, a few how^ever remaining in the
protected valleys along the Pacific Slope.
Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra minor. 6.00
527
Distribution: Northern and eastern
North America, breeding in coniferous forests
from the southern Alleghanies in northern
Georgia, Maryland, Virginia and Michigan,
north to Nova Scotia and west to western
Alaska. South in the mountain districts
through the Pacific Coast states to Cali-
fornia.
Although crossbills generally breed in the
mountains they are sometimes found in the
coast valleys in small flocks, a few remaining
to nest in the firs on the big hills. They are
particularly abundant however in the Coast
Range mountains wdiere they find a congenial
home in the tall spruces, and one may see
them, and hear their querulous call notes, all
day long as they fly from the top of one giant
tree to another. The crossbills have a fond-
ness for salt and may be seen along the
beaches picking at the encrusted salt on the
86
FINCHES
seaweed. At such times they are very tame
and may be studied easily.
Crossbills are always hard to see in the
tree tops, they blend so well with the foliage
and cones upon which they feed. Through a
pair of powerful glasses one can see them
clinging to the cones while extracting the
seeds, many hanging downwards like chicka-
dees, and if one is near enough their plaintive
conversation can be heard.
The nest of the crossbill is placed in some
conifer from twenty to one hundred feet from
the ground. The twigs which form the
foundation are pulled from the trees rather
than picked up from the ground, as with
most birds. The nest is a rather flat structure,
lined with rootlets, strips of bark and hair or
other soft substances.
The call note of the crossbill is a metallic
kimp, kimp, kimp.
533
Pine siskin, Spinus pinus. 4.50
Distribution : North America at large,
breeding northerl}^ in most of its range. Mov-
ing about in flocks in the winter in most of
the United States. Abundant and resident in
the coniferous forests of the Pacific Coast
states.
The pine siskin is common in the Pacific
87
FAMILY FringillidcB
Coast district from sea level to high mountains,
making its home in the great belts of fir and
spruce that clothe the mountains and big
hills. It builds its nest high in some conifer,
and late in the summer when the young are
full grown it gathers in large flocks to wander
about the country in search of its favorite
food which consists of the seeds of the Doug-
las fir and the alder. In the fall when the
leaves have dropped these little birds may be
seen in large numbers fairly covering the
trees, hanging head downwards like chickadees
as they devour the cone-like seeds. When dis-
turbed they rise from the tree, a whirling mass
of little gray birds, to circle about over the
trees for a short distance and settle back again
in the same tree to resume the feast. Pine sis-
kins, in company with goldfinches, may often
be seen along the roadsides feeding on weed
seeds or thistle heads. The gray streaked plu-
mage with yellow patch on the wing may be
easily seen at such a time. They have much
the same call notes and pretty little song of
the willow goldfinch, and the same undulatory
flight, showing their close relationship.
California purple finch, Carpodacus
purpureus calif ornicus. 5.75
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
88
FINCHES
British Coluinbiii to southern CaHfornia, cast
to the Casca(h\s and Sierra Nevadas.
The CaHfornia purj>le finch is one ot* the
characteristic western birds, found every-
where from the mountains to the sea. It is
common in the valleys about the farms and
comes freely into the cities to nest in the
parks and dooryards. When singing its very
finely lodulated warble its favorite perch is
the tip of the leader of fir or hemlock. Its
song is one of the finest of the family, a clear
loud warble of several notes, with many
variations, but always unmistakable. Its
call note is a plaintive dear-ie.
In the central valleys of Washington and
Oregon the purple finch usually builds its frail
nest in maple or alder trees, while in Califor-
nia it seems to go to the mountains to build
in pine or fir.
The food of the purple finch consists of
various insects, beetles and grasshoppers, to-
gether with tender leaf and fruit buds and
})erries, both wild and cultivated. It is
often found along roadsides in company with
goldfinches and pine siskins, picking at the
dandelion and thistle heads; and in the fall
it resorts to the dogwood in company with
robins, tanagers and thrushes to feed on the
berries.
80
FAMILY FringillidcB
Although partially migratory, large num-
bers of the purple finch remain all winter in
the more northern parts of its range, and in
severely cold weather it is one of the common-
est birds at the feeding shelf.
The wine purple on head and neck and the
pinkish wash on breast and rump will dis-
tinguish the purple finch from all other
sparrow-like birds in its range. The female
and young of the year are gray and brownish
lengthwise-streaked birds without distinct
field marks. It seems to take two or three
years for the male bird to acquire its full
breeding plumage, which varies all the way
from deeply colored hues on some birds to
barely a purplish trace on others.
p Cassin purple finch, Carpodacus
cassim. o.(o
Distribution: Western United States from
the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains to
the Pacific Coast, and from British Columbia
to Mexico. Wintering from central Califor-
nia and southern Arizona south over the
Mexican plateau.
The Cassin purple finch is practically
unknown west of the Cascades, in the interior
valleys in the more northern parts of its
range, although common in eastern Washing-
90
FINCHES
ton and Oregon, and throughout California in
the mountains and foothills country. Id
habits and nesting it is the same as the Cali-
fornia purple finch but its song is said to be
even finer.
The Cassin purple finch differs con-
siderably from the California in its coloration.
The squarish crown patch is crimson and the
wash on breast and sides is decidedly pink
instead of purplish.
It is reported that the Cassin purple finch is
met with along the entire high Sierras from
Mt. Shasta southwards. The winter storms
only drive them a little lower down to the
shelter of the brush, or in severe seasons to
the foothills. With the return of spring the
flocks go back to their pine-covered haunts in
the higher altitudes. They breed north to
the Spokane country where they are com-
monly found in the foothills, and in the
Wallowa country of eastern Oregon.
Hepburn rosy finch, Leucosticte tephro-
cotis littoralis. 6.50
Distribution: High mountain districts of
northwestern North America, from Alaska
south through the interior mountain ranges
of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon;
straggling eastward to the Rocky Mountains;
91
FAMILY FringillidcB
rare and irregular in the southern part of its
range. Two closely allied species are the
gray-crowned rosy finch, found in the interior
of British Columbia, wintering in the Rocky
Mountains, and the black rosy finch of the
high mountains of Idaho, Colorado and
Utah.
The rosy finches are birds of the high
mountains, living far above the timber line
among the snow-clad peaks. They seem
fearless in the face of the storms that sweep
over the mountain tops, huddling together on
the sheltered sides of snowbank or boulder
until the sun comes out again.
Their food consists of small insects and
beetles that are blown up the mountains by
the winter storms and scattered in a be-
numbed condition over the surface of the
snow. Only the severest w^eather w^ill drive
the rosy finches down into the timber below,
where they may seek shelter for the night in
dense clumps of spruce and pine.
The rosy finches are singularly tame in the
presence of those who visit their haunts,
feeding about on the snow close to one's camp
or flitting from crag to crag in small flocks
uttering a low churring note as they fly.
The nest of the rosy finch is hidden in the
cleft of a rock or underneath the edge of an
FINCHES
ovorlianging crafj:. It is made of small weed
stalks, moss, fine grass and feathers.
^ Redpoll Acanthis linaria inaria.
^^ 4.90
Distribution: More northern portions of
northern hemisphere. In North America
breeding from Greenland to Alaska and
southward to the northern border of the
United States. In winter south to northern
United States generally, irregularly and more
rarely to Virginia, northern Alabama, Ohio,
Indiana, Kansas, Colorado, Washington and
Oregon.
Redpolls are circumpolar in their distri-
bution, living as they do in the region of ice
and snow. They nest in the stunted cedars
about Hudson Bay and south and w^est to
the northern border of the United States.
In severe winters they drift south to middle
United States, and along the Pacific Coast
may often be found as far south as California
in the Sierra Nevadas. In exceptional cases
they have been found in the valleys in small
flocks visiting weed patches and old gardens
for the lettuce and turnip seed to be found
there. They are also fond of the seeds of the
alder and birch, and have the curious and
interesting habit of following the crossbill to
93
FAMILY FringillidcB
feed upon the pine seeds which they drop as
they tear at the pine and fir cones.
They remind one of the goldfinch and siskin
in their manner of flight and querulous call
notes and soft warbling song, and in feeding
habits they resemble the chickadee in their
manner of hanging back downwards at the
ends of the tree branches while they peck at
the seeds.
The redpoll migrates in winter more from
want of food supply than on account of the
temperature, often appearing in the United
States in open winters and being found in the
far north in the most severe weather, seem-
ingly immune to bitter cold. The nest is
built in low trees, bushes or on the ground
as circumstances permit. It is composed of
moss and fine grass, lined with hair and
feathers.
Western evening grosbeak, Hesperi-
phona vespertina montana. 7.00
Distribution: Western North America
from British Columbia to northern Mexico,
and from the Rocky Mountains to the
Pacific Coast.
The western evening grosbeak is a bird of
irregular distribution. Its summer home
seems to be in the heavy coniferous timber
94
- M^ ' St-
i
V^
FINCHES
of the big hills and mountains, although it is
found sporadically at various points in the
valleys the year around. Often in midsum-
mer one may hear the beady call note of the
evening grosbeak high overhead as it flies
across the valley from one high point to
another. It is a more famihar bird in the
fall when it visits the towns to feed upon the
crop of seeds that lie thick upon the ground
under the maples in the parks and along quiet
side streets. At such times the grosbeaks
may often be seen festooned over the top of
some large maple picking at the leaf buds or
winged seeds that may still be hanging on the
trees, or on the ground underneath walking
about, crackling the seeds with their queer,
thick flesh-colored bills. They are very
sociable birds and not only keep close to-
gether but carry on a continual twittering
conversation that sounds like the peeping of a
flock of young chickens just out of the shell.
When suddenly startled on the ground they
will often resort to *' freezing" tactics instead
of flying, and when in such an attitude fade
almost imperceptibly into the background,
the white and black, and gold, blending per-
fectly with their surroundings. When once
they have found plenty of seed they are loath
to leave the spot and though frightened away
95
FAMILY FringillidcB
will return again and again to the same place.
The evening grosbeak has two or three
distinct call notes in addition to the con-
versational notes referred to, and one ob-
server from eastern Oregon claims to have
heard the grosbeak sing a pleasing warbling
song.
When sitting still the evening grosbeak is
easily recognized by its unusual looking bill
and striking plumage, while it may be readily
distinguished in flight by its short wings and
rapid wing beat, together with the showing of
conspicuous white wing patches and its pecu-
liar whistled call note. It is seldom alone,
except during the breeding season, and even
then likes to be within call of its fellows.
The nest is described as being largely
composed of the yellow lichen of the moun-
tain pine forests where it usually spends the
breeding season, but if the nest is built in
other than conifers it will be made of bark
and rootlets. The writer once saw a pair of
evening grosbeaks carrying nesting material
in the hills back of Portland but was unable
to trace the birds to their nest. One bird,
probably the female, had a mouthful of
fibrous material and the male was following
close behind as they darted up a canyon.
The presence and call notes of a flock of
96
1^
i
s^"
m^
J^^
BLACKBIRDS. ORIOLES
gi'osbeaks bring up memories of a wild free
life in the out-of-doors, of the mountains, and
the singing of the wind through the tops of
fir and spruce, as one listens in the hush of the
big woods.
FAMILY ICTERID/E: BLACKBIRDS,
ORIOLES
^ ullock oxiole, Icterus bullocki. 7.25
Distribution : Western North Amer-
ica from British Provinces south to the
plateau of Mexico; east to the eastern border
of the Great Plains, south in winter to
southern Mexico.
The Bullock oriole belongs to a family
group of about one hundred and fifty species
whose center of distribution is in tropical
America, and it bears the distinction of being
the only one of the number that is found in
all the northwestern part of the North Ameri-
can continent.
While they are found generally in all parts
of the West, the orioles seem to prefer the
interior valleys for their summer home.
Alders and cottonwoods along water
courses are their favorite haunts. Here they
build their nests, often returning to the same
tree year after year. In cities and about farm
» 97
FAMILY IcteridcE
dwellings they live in the maples where they
may be heard singing in the peculiar oriole
fashion, a series of gurgles and chuckles, re-
minding one of their blackbird relationship.
Their nest is a well-woven basket of plant
fibers, wiry grass, wool, horsehair and string,
lined with plant down and other soft sub-
stances. It is hung from the tip of some
slender branch and is swayed by every pass-
ing breeze. East of the mountains in the arid
plains country, where trees are scarce, every
poplar or cottonwood near a bit of w^ater is
festooned with these nests.
The food of the Bullock oriole is said to be
chiefly insects and injurious caterpillars. The
birds are often seen in the berry patches but
are searching for insects rather than fruit.
^. Northwestern red-wing, Agelaius
phoeniceus caurinus. 9.00
Distribution: North w^est coast district
from British Columbia south through w^estern
Washington and Oregon to northern Cali-
fornia. The bi-colored red-wing of Oregon,
Washington and California, and the tri-
colored red-wing of the central valleys of
California, north into southwestern Oregon,
are closely allied species.
Blackbirds are inseparably associated with
98
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES
lowland meadows, ponds, sloughs and
marshes. The red-wing carries its field mark
on its shoulders and needs no other badge of
identification. No marsh is complete with-
out one or more pairs of red-wings clinging
to the tules or cat-tails, sounding their
o-ka-Iee or cong-ga-ree music, dear to every
bird-lover. The favorite perch of the red-
wing is the top of some small tree where it can
get a good view of the marsh, some old
veteran usually acting as lookout while the
rest of the flock are feeding on the ground in
the grass.
The nest is placed in a bush or in reeds over
water. It is made of wide bladed grasses and
strips of bark fastened to several upright
stems, a well-woven basket-like structure,
deeply cupped and warmly lined with feathers
and hair. The blackbirds are sociable fellows,
even in the nesting season, and like to build
close together in the marsh where they
keep up a continual conversation among
themselves.
In the fall the red-wings collect in large
flocks to wander about the country in search
of food. At such times they may often be
found associating together with the Brewer
black})ir(ls, crows and robins, walking about
over freshly ploughed ground picking up
99
FAMILY IcteridcB
insects and grubs, or in stubble-fields looking
for fallen grain.
Brewer blackbird, Euphagus cyano-
cephalus. 9.00
Distribution: Western United States,
British Provinces and greater part of Mexico,
and from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific
Coast. In winter south over most of its
range to Mexico (except on the Pacific Coast
where it is practically resident).
The Brewer blackbird is found everywhere
from sea level to high mountain districts,
and is equally common in marshes and the
drier parts of its range. It is a more sedate
bird than the red-wing, walking about on the
ground with long strides in a very independ-
ent manner looking for food, and uttering a
coarse chack from time to time. During the
breeding season it has a curious squeaky
little song which it gurgles to its mate as it
sits perched on some convenient telegraph
wire, or housetop in the city. If it comes to
the feeding stations in the winter every other
bird will stand aside, for it has a very
aggressive manner and will greedily clean the
board of all edibles.
The Brewer blackbird places its nest
indiscriminately in bushes or trees, often to
100
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES
the height of one hundred feet in the giant
firs, or sometimes in an old woodpecker's hole,
or crevice about a building. The nest is
made of sticks, weed stalks, grass and rootlets
cemented with mud or manure.
Although accused of doing some damage to
crops, the Brew^er blackbird consumes great
numbers of worms and grubs, crickets and
grasshoppers, and it is a common sight in the
spring and fall following the plow to snap up
the wriggling insects in the furrow.
Bobolink, DoUclionyx oryzivorus. 7.00
Distribution: Eastern and central
North America in general. Occurring in the
west sparingly in British Columbia and south
through eastern Washington and Oregon, and
in Idaho and Nevada. Wintering in Brazil
and Paraguay.
The bobolink lives in the open country
away from timber. It is found in the farming
districts and prairies of the eastern United
States in great abundance, ranging northwest
into eastern British Columbia and southward
very sparingly through eastern W^ashington
and Oregon, and rarely into California during
migrations. Only within recent years, how-
ever, has it appeared in any numbers west of
the Rockies. The bobolink is highly migra-
101
FAMILY Icteridce
tory, leaving the United States entirely in the
winter and retiring almost in a body to South
America, centering there in southeastern
Brazil. In the spring it swarms north
through the eastern states in untold thou-
sands, nesting all the way from Florida to
British Columbia.
It builds its nest in hay or grain fields or in
grassy meadows, well hidden in thick grass,
in fact its nest is one of the most difiicult to
find. The parents will resort to every artifice
known to them to draw one away from the
vicinity of the nest.
The male bobolink undergoes a complete
change of plumage twice a year and during
migration south in the fall the males, females
and young have much the same appearance.
In different parts of the country the bobolink
goes under the different common names of
meadow-wink, skunk blackbird, reed-bird
and rice-bird. The song of the bobolink is a
very pleasing one, of a bubbling, tinkling
quality hard to describe.
Yellow-headed blackbird, Xantho-
Cephalus xa?ithocephalus. 9.30
Distribution : More open districts of west-
ern and central North America generally,
from British Columbia east to Manitoba,
102
'$»
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES
Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, and south to
northern Mexico. Breeding throughout its
range in suitable localities.
The yellow-headed blackbird is common in
eastern Washington and Oregon, and in the
central valleys of California, rarely coming
west of the mountains in the northern parts of
its range. It is partial to the reedy borders
of alkaline lakes or the edges of the big ditches
in the irrigated country where it builds its
nest in the tules over water. The nest is a
deeply cupped, well-made structure woven of
the wet leaves of tule and marsh grass lined
with fine grass, soft weed stems and plant
down. In the fall the yellow-heads gather in
flocks with other blackbirds and wander
south in their annual migration.
Vernon Bailey speaks of finding "flocks by
themselves in fields and meadows, along the
roadsides, often in barnyards and corrals, and
sometimes in city streets, flocks with pom-
pous, yellow-capped males strutting about
among the dull-colored females and young,
talking in harsh, guttural tones. Noisy at
all times, they are doubly so at the breeding
grounds, where they try to sing, and their
hoarse voices come up from the tule borders
like the croaking of frogs and creaking of
unoiled gates."
103
FAMILY Icteridce
Western meadowlark, Sturnella
SOI. I
negiecta. 9.50
Distribution: Western United States from
the Mississippi valley to the Pacific, and from
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
and western Manitoba south to northern
Mexico and Lower California.
The meadowlark is a bird of the wide, open
country. It is a feature of every grain or
stubble-field, and when not engaged in look-
ing for food may be heard whistling its clarion
song as it sits perched on fence or bush along
the road. While it is a bird of the ground it
may sometimes be seen perched on the top
of a tree where it watches the passerby,
nervously jerking its tail and uttering its
sharp alarm note to warn its mate on the
ground in the adjoining field.
The nest is hidden under a thick bunch of
grass in a meadow or field. It is usually
arched over by pulling the nearby grass down
to form the cover.
The song of the western meadowlark has a
greater variety of notes than that of the
eastern species. It has been known to
change its song two or three times while one
listened to it, some thirty or more variations
being recorded. It is a constant singer and
can be heard at any season of the year.
104
LARKS
When other birds are silent its melody greets
the ear as the sun breaks through the rift
in the clouds in the winter sky, and brings up
visions of summer, and waving grain fields
and green meadows. The western meadow-
lark is practically a permanent resident along
the Pacific Coast west of the Cascades.
During severe winters it will come to the feed-
ing stations with other birds, but ordinarily
it is well able to find a living for itself under
even very hard conditions.
FAMILY ALAUDIDM: LARKS
r. Streaked horned lark, Otocoris alpes-
tris strigata. 7.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
British Columbia to California; migrating to
eastern Washington and Oregon, and south-
ward.
The horned lark is the only representative
found in North America of a world-wide
family; the one species, with about a dozen
geographical races, being scattered from Hud-
son Bay to Mexico. Those birds living in
desert areas are lighter in coloration than
those inhabiting the more humid districts.
In the Pacific Coast districts the dusky
horned lark is found from British Columbia
105
FAMILY AlaudidcB
south between the Cascades and the Rockies,
wintering to Nevada and California; paUid
horned lark, breeding in Alaska and migrating
southward to Oregon, Utah and Montana;
and the California and ruddy horned larks,
and a half dozen other varieties found in
California and the Southwest
Horned larks are ground birds, gleaning a
living from the stubble-fields and along road-
sides. They are often seen perched on fence
posts along country thoroughfares and have
the curious habit of crouching low when
alarmed by any passerby, as if to hide them-
selves. They fly with a sudden jerky motion,
usually going only a short distance to drop
into the grass, and running along a few feet
they will mount an upturned furrow to watch
the wayfarer disappear down the road. One
must look for horned larks in flat open
country away from timber, along dusty
roads when the heat is dancing in the
air and the purple hills look hazy in the
distance.
The nest of the horned lark is a frail
structure placed on the ground in an open
field. The horned lark has a weak song
which is uttered as it sits perched on the
ground or fence, or as it goes darting across a
field.
106
^ I
KINGFISHERS
FAMILY ALCEDINID.E: KINGFISHERS
Belted kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon.
■^^^ 13.00
Distribution: North America and north-
em South America. Breeds from north-
western Alaska, and northern Quebec and
Newfoundland, south to the southern border
of the United States. Wintering on the Pacific
Coast from British Columbia southwards.
The kingfishers are cosmopolitan in their
distribution, the center of their abundance
lying in the Malay Peninsula. Nearly two
hundred species are known, only about a
dozen of which are found in the western
hemisphere. They are divided into two
general groups, those that are found in the
vicinity of water and catch fish by plunging
in after them, and those that live in the
woods or desert places and feed on insects
and small animal life.
The water loving species dig their nesting
burrows in the banks of ponds or streams,
while the wood dwelling group nest in natural
cavities in trees.
The belted kingfisher is one of our best
known birds and is generally distributed in
suitable localities throughout its range,
though seldom common anywhere. AI-
107
FAMILY AlcedinidcB
though a summer resident only in the more
northern parts of its range, it is practically
resident in the United States along the
Pacific Slope. It is commonly found along
salt water and in the mountains up to ten
thousand feet where it may be seen about the
mountain torrents and glacial lakes. The
kingfisher frequents the shores of clear ponds,
lakes or streams, bordered with brush or
trees, and may often be seen perched on
some half-submerged snag or fallen tree top
or dead branch overhanging the water,
watching for fish. There seem to be certain
places where it will sit by the hour in silent
meditation, its only movement being a
quick turning of the head from side to side as
if watching for some danger that might
threaten. When it spies a fish it springs
into the air, hovering over the spot for a few
moments like a sparrowhawk, and then, if not
certain, rising higher to hover again for a
moment and then plunge boldly into the
water. On emerging with its prey it flies to
some favorite perch, beats the fish against a
limb to make sure that it is dead and swallows
it head foremost at a gulp. Although fish con-
stitutes the major part of its food it also cap-
tures various kinds of insects, frogs, lizards,
small crustaceans, mice and even small birds.
108
-^^
v."
\
\
CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES
I'he kingfisher digs its nesting burrow in
the hanks of streams, railroad cuts and
ai)andoned gravel pits. The hole is from
three to eight feet deep, usually straight
hut sometimes turned at an angle, and nearly
ahvays slanting upwards. The end of the
burrow is enlarged making a dome shaped
chamber where the eggs are laid on the bare
ground or pile of crawfish shells, though
sometimes a scant nest of grass is made.
The male kingfisher will sometimes dig a
burrow nearby, about three feet deep, in
which to sleep at night.
The glint of blue and white, the long
sword-like bill, the rattling call note and the
energetic flight of the kingfisher are char-
acteristic sights and sounds of every water-
course. As long as there is open water the
kingfisher will find a living and will stay
about its accustomed haunts, and if, as in the
mountains, the water freezes over, it simply
moves down into the valleys.
FAMILY CORVIDJ:.- CROWS, JAYS,
MAGPIES
^ Steller jay, Cyanocitta stelleri
^^ Hielleri. 12.50
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
southern Alaska to middle California, east to,
109
FAMILY CorvidcE
and including, the Cascades and Sierra
Nevadas. Closely allied species include the
blue-fronted jay of California; Coast jay, of
the Coast counties of California and Oregon
from Monterey Bay north to the Columbia
River; and the black-headed jay found from
eastern British Columbia and the northern
parts of the Rocky Mountain regions gener-
ally, south through eastern Washington and
Oregon, and eastward to Wyoming, Utah
and western Nebraska.
The Steller jay, blue jay or jaybird is found
everywhere from the thick brush of the Coast
counties to the tall timber of the high Cas-
cades and Sierra Nevadas. It is common in
the valleys about the farms where it picks up
a living around the barn and chicken yard,
in old pastures and stubble fields where grain
has been scattered, and comes into the out-
skirts of the cities to skulk in the underbrush
and snatch up any stray eatables that may be
found within reach of its long black bill. The
large size of the Steller jay together with its
jaunty crest and deep blue dress make it a
conspicuous object as it sits in a fir or hem-
lock, working upward from limb to limb by
short leaps, until, reaching the top, it sails
downward again with outstretched wings,
showing to advantage the beautiful color of
110
CROWS, JAYS. MAGPIES
Its plumage. Its call and scolding notes are
harsh and rasping, and when suddenly dis-
turbed, its squawking sets all the woods
astir. Its nest is a wide, flat structure made
of twigs and grass lined with rootlets. It is
usually placed in small firs from eight to
twenty feet from the ground, and rarely in the
taller firs. There is no prettier sight than a
nestful of nearly full grown young jays wdth
their wide open yellow mouths begging for
food.
r, Oregon jay, Perisoreus obscurus
obscurus. 10.25
Distribution: Mountain districts and fir
clad hills of northern California, Oregon,
Washington and southern British Columbia.
Two closely allied species are the white-
headed jay found in the coniferous timber of
the Rocky Mountain region west to eastern
British Columbia, ^Yashington, Oregon and
south to Arizona; and the gray jay found in
the interior districts of British Columbia south
through Washington, Oregon and California.
The Oregon jay, camp robber or meat bird
is only seen in heavy coniferous timber where
it flits silently from tree to tree in search of
food, which consists of whatever ofi'ers itself
in the shape of insects, acorns and many a
111
FAMILY CorvidcB
nestful of other birds' eggs. The Oregon jay
is a long lean looking bird, with loose plumage
that looks unkempt at all seasons. It is a
somber bird of black and white and brownish
gray, with no suggestion of blue anywhere.
It is the little camp robber in hunters' par-
lance, a name earned by its boldness in
coming about the camp and stealing from
pot, kettle or table what it can carry away.
The nest of the Oregon jay is usually
placed in a bushy fir well up from the ground
and is hard to find. It is bulky, of the usual
jay type, wide and flat, lined with moss and
rootlets.
^ California jay, Aphelocoma cali-
fornica calif ornica. 11.75
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
the Columbia River south to Lower Cali-
fornia, and east to, and including, the Sierra
Nevada and Cascades. Rare in the north-
ern parts of its range. A few seen in the
Willamette valley north to Salem, and rarely
to the vicinity of Portland.
The California jay, or blue squawker,
belongs to a genus including eight or ten
closely allied species of crestless jays that
strongly resemble each other in the field, but
which when examined in the hand are found
112
h-
CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES
to show interesting difPerences in shades of
hhie and gray, and in the pencilings about the
head and throat. They are all birds that are
found mostly in mountainous country or in
the high plateaus, being frequenters of pine
and fir and the oak timber of the south-
west.
Although common in California, the Cali-
fornia jay thins out northerly through the
interior valleys, and for some unknown
reason it is now rare in districts where
formerly it was common. It is usually found
in oak woods where a large part of its food
consists of acorns. In common with most
jays it is very destructive of the eggs and
young of other small birds. It is also a
destroyer of a vast number of injurious
insects.
The nest of the California jay is usually
found in low bushes or thickets near the
ground, or more rarely in trees. It is a noisy
bird and will often fill the woods with its
jmj, jay, jay, or quay, quay, quay, and some-
times hoy-ee, or kay-kee.
Pinon jay, Cyanocephalus cyano-
cephalus. 11.00
Distribution: Pinon and juniper woods of
the western United States from British
8 113
FAMILY CorvidcB
Columbia south to Mexico, and from the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast;
casually east to Kansas and Arkansas.
The pinon jay, blue crow, or pine jay, as
noted in the distribution, is a bird of the
pinon and juniper woods of the mountainous
and plateau districts of the west. It fre-
quents the belts of pine timber in the foot-
hills from California northward through
eastern Oregon and Washington to southern
British Columbia. Unlike most jays, it is
often found in large flocks after the breeding
season, swarming through the woods like a
flock of blackbirds and feeding on the
ground. It may often be seen pursuing
grasshoppers and other insects on the wing
after the manner of the flycatchers.
The pinon jay seems to be an exception to
the rule among its kind in that it is a sociable
bird, being on good terms with other small
birds, nesting near them without harming
either eggs or young. And to prove its good
intentions it often builds its own nest in plain
sight on the lower branch of some tree, often
in small colonies. Its nest is a bulky affair,
composed of pinon needles, bits of sage brush
and shreds of bark, lined with rootlets and
dry grass well woven together. In the fall
when the young are full grown they may be
114
•^^
^ I
tf.-
^1,
CROWS. JAYS, MAGPIES
seen following the parents about teasing for
food, which is always willingly supplied.
The pinon jay closely resembles the Cali-
fornia jay at a distance, but at close range
the latter bird is found to have grayish-white
under-parts and bluish streakings on the
throat, while the piiion jay is almost uniform
grayish-blue with white streakings on the
throat.
^Magpie, Pica 'pica hudsonia.
^'^^ 19.50
Distribution: Treeless or more sparsely
wooded districts of western North America,
except coast and interior valleys of California
from Alaska to Arizona, New Mexico and
western Texas. A rare straggler eastward
to Ontario, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and
Nebraska. The yellow-billed magpie, a some-
w^hat smaller bird, is found only in the interior
valleys of California.
The magpie, American magpie, or black-
billed magpie with its striking black and
white plumage, long wedge-shaped tail and
peculiar flight will attract instant attention
whether seen from the window of a moving
train as one speeds across the wide dusty
plains or from one's seat in an automobile in
the cattle country. The magpie is a bird of
115
FAMILY CorvidcE
the arid plains, being common along willow
bordered streams or about the irrigated dis-
tricts from Montana to California. It rarely
straggles over into the valleys west of the
mountains, although occasionally follow-
ing the Columbia River down to the
Willamette.
The magpie builds its nest in a scrubby
tree or bush, a mud cup lined with grass, hair
and pine needles, surrounded by a mass of
coarse sticks built in a globular form with an
opening at the side. The nest is often as
large as a bushel basket. In manners and
food habits the magpie strongly resembles
the crow.
Western crow, Corvus brachyrhyn-
ckos hesperis. 19.00
Distribution: Western North America
from northern British Columbia south to
Mexican border, and from the Rocky Moun-
tains to the Pacific Coast, except the coast
district from the Columbia River northward,
which is the home of the northwestern crow.
The western crow in every way resembles
the other members of the family, differing
from its eastern relative only in its smaller
size. It does not collect in the great roosts
so common in the eastern states but lives in
116
CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES
comparatively smaller groups. Although on
the blacklist in many states because of the
damage it does to crops, a recent announce-
ment from the Agricultural Department
would indicate that it does not do the amount
of harm imputed to it. In all events it is one
of the most interesting birds that we have,
and a pet crow will keep one busy w^ith its sly
tricks and knowing ways.
Clarke nutcracker, Nucifraga colum-
^^^ biana. 12.50
Distribution : Coniferous forests of western
North America from Alaska to Mexico,
casually eastward to the states of Kansas,
Missouri and Arkansas.
The Clarke nutcracker, Clarke crow, pine
crow, gray crow or big camp robber lives
along the crests of the ranges in the high
mountains. It is a frequenter of stunted
pine and fir and a characteristic feature of
mountain scenery. It is a combination of all
the traits of both crow and jay, and in size
and color is between the two. It is an in-
dei)endent and positive bird, and with its
clear-cut plumage of ashy gray, and the con-
trast of black and white in wings and tail it
makes a fine picture as it sails along or pitches
headlong down a thousand feet or more
117
FAMILY Picidce
uttering a harsh karr\ kar'rr' as it goes.
Mountain climbers report it as a very tame
bird, following along in the trees as they toil
upward, and visiting camp on occasion, to
pick up what it can for food. It is reported to
be a sly rascal about these mountain camps
and is in habits a first cousin to that other
little rascal in feathers, the Oregon jay. The
Clarke nutcracker builds a bulky nest in
evergreen trees often when the snow is still on
the ground. Its food in winter is mainly pine
nuts which are hammered from the cones
with much labor. In summer it feeds mainly
on insects, beetles, grasshoppers and various
wild fruits.
FAMILY PICIDM: WOODPECKERS
Red-shafted flicker, Colaptes cafer
collaris, 13.25
Distribution: Western United States and
southw^estern British Provinces (except coast
district from northern California northward),
east to the Great Plains, and south to Mexico.
The northwestern flicker, a closely allied spe-
cies, is found from northern California, north
to Alaska, west of the Coast Range Mountains.
The red-shafted flicker is so well known,
even to the most casual bird student, that any
118
^^^i^<2i
^ A
fi
*f ^
f
u
^ ^
/
f"
WOODPECKERS
(letailcMl description of its plumago or habits
seems superfluous. It is a common bird
everywhere. It hops about on the hiwu with
tht robins, digging in ant liills or prol)ing
under the grass roots with its long bill in
search of any worm or cricket that may be
hidden there. It may be seen perched on
telegraph poles, peaks of houses, and, on rare
occasions, even on the coping of a business
block in the downtown district. It is a
familiar sight in the country about orchards
and fields, digging a hole for its nest in any
old stump or dead tree that may be handy
to its feeding grounds.
The large white rump patch, which shows
distinctly as it flies, is the positive field mark
of this species. Its characteristic call notes
sound like ivicker-wicker-wicker, or yuclxer-
yucker-yuckery and again it shouts heigh-ho!
or warrup! as it sits in the top of a tree.
Northern red-breasted sapsucker,
Sphyrapicus ruber notkensis. 9.00
Distribution: Northwest coast district;
breeding from western Oregon northward
through western Washington and British
Columbia to southern Alaska. Closely allied
species include the red-breasted sapsucker of
California and south central Oregon, east of
119
. FAMILY PicidcB
the Cascades; red-naped sapsucker, found in
western North America from British Colum-
bia south to Mexico, and from the Rocky
Mountains west to the Cascades and the
Sierra Nevadas, sparingly west of the moun-
tains in Oregon and Washington.
The red-breasted sapsucker is found in
coniferous timber and mixed woods from sea
level to high mountains. It is common in
parts of its range and rare in others. One
never sees more than one or two pairs at a
time. It is a shy bird, keeping behind the
trunk of a tree as you approach it, all the
while peering at you cautiously from first one
side of the tree, and then the other. Some-
times it is seen clinging to a rail fence, or in
small trees, but more often in tall firs or
cedars in heavy timber.
The all-red head, neck and breast of this
bird make its identification easy, since no
other woodpecker on the Pacific Coast is like
it in appearance.
The call notes of the red-breasted sap-
sucker are varied and unusual for a wood-
pecker. One of its calls sounds more like a
squirrel than a bird, while another reminds
one of a hawk. The latter is unique as com-
ing from a woodpecker, it is so loud and
unexpected.
120
r^
I-
'^ V^
A
I M
^JL A.
WOODPECKERS
* The nest is built in both live and dead
trees, and the eggs are white, in common with
all woodpeckers.
Harris woodpecker, Dryohates villosus
^^^^ harrisi. 9.50
Distribution : Humid Pacific Coast district
from northern California, north through
Oregon and Washington to British Columbia
and southeastern Alaska. Three other
closely allied varieties found on the Pacific
Coast are the Rocky Mountain hairy w^ood-
pecker of the Rocky Mountain region, west to
the eastern slope of the Cascades; Cabanis
woodpecker of the Southwest and California,
and the Queen Charlotte woodpecker of the
Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia.
The home of the Harris woodpecker is in
the deep woods where it lives a more or less
solitary life. It is found everywhere from
sea level to high mountains, seeming to prefer
coniferous timber rather than mixed woods,
though it is occasionally seen in heavy tim-
ber along streams and on the crests of the big
wooded hills. It is the counterpart in color-
pattern of its smaller cousin the Gairdner
woodpecker, though much larger in size.
The Harris w^oodpecker is a forest preserver,
spending much of its time ridding the trees
121
FAMILY PicidcB
of the wood-borers that destroy them. In
common with many of the family it enjoys
drumming on some resonant limb when not
otherwise engaged in seeking its food.
The call note of the Harris woodpecker is a
sharp "peek, or eek, which is usually answered
by its mate from some other part of the woods.
Its nest is dug in some dead tree from twenty
to fifty feet from the ground.
Gairdner woodpecker, Dryohates pubes-
cens gairdner I. 7.00
Distribution: Humid northwest coast dis-
trict from southern British Columbia south
through Washington and Oregon to northern
California. Two other closely allied varie-
ties are the Batchelder woodpecker of the
Rocky Mountain region west to eastern
Washington and Oregon and California, and
the willow woodpecker of southern California.
The Gairdner woodpecker is a friendly
little fellow that comes boldly into the door-
yard to make a survey of the tree trunks, or
to take an occasional mouthful of fruit from
dogwood or wild cherry. It goes rapidly up
a tree, making side excursions to all of the
big limbs and then flies on to the next tree in
a nervous, restless manner to repeat the per-
formance.
122
WOODPECKERS
The GairdiRT woodpeckcT is found ovcry-
where both in open country and timbered
areas. It makes itself at home in fruit or-
chards, in the wood-lot and in clumps of trees
about the farmsteads. It is commonly seen
in vacant lots and parks about the cities
where it gleans larvae and spiders from every
tree and shrub. It is the counterpart of its
cousin, the downy woodpecker of the eastern
states, building its home in a dead limb of
some orchard tree or in a stub in field
or wood-lot. Its call note is a shrill eek,
and occasionally it utters a rapid, rattling
cry.
California w^oodpecker, Melanerpesfor-
micivorus bairdi. 9.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast region from
southern Oregon (Eugene), south to northern
Lower California, west of the Cascades and
Sierra Nevadas.
The California woodpecker haunts the oak
belts of the Southw^est, its favorite food being
acorns. It is a rare bird in the northern part
of its range and is seen only occasionally as
far north as Eugene, Oregon. In habits and
characteristics the California woodpecker is
very much like the red-headed woodpecker
of the eastern states.
123
FAMILY Picidce
Northern pileated woodpecker, Phlceo-
tomus pileatus ahieticola. 17.00
Distribution: Heavily wooded regions of
North America from the southwestern Alle-
ghanies northward to about latitude 63, and
westward to the Pacific Coast. The western
pileated woodpecker is a new sub-species
found in the humid northwest coast district
from British Columbia south through Wash-
ington, Oregon, and California to Mendicino
county on the coast, and southern Sierra
Nevadas in the interior (Sequoia National
Park) ; east to Idaho and Western Montana.
The pileated woodpecker, log-cock, or
cock-of-the-woods lives in the big woods, in
the broken hill country and the mountains.
It has become one of the rarer species, for its
large size and handsome appearance has been
its undoing, the so-called scientist, the collector
and the idle gunner having shot it out to
such an extent that it has become exceedingly
wary of the settlements.
These woodpeckers may be found occa-
sionally in the valleys by twos and threes but
one must go to the mountains to find them in
their real hunting grounds. Here they may
often be heard knocking on the trees with
sledge-hammer blows as they dig into the
rotten wood for grubs. Their loud call, cuk,
124
V
* ^Jl
•r- c
t % -^
4
♦* A * t*-C "
J *^.
W&:^' -,"^^^
WOODPECKERS
ciili'y cuL\ cuky cull', rings through \\\v tinihcr as
they fly back and forth from ridge to ridge.
When flying the pileated woodpecker has a
spread of wings of over two feet. It goes
with long sweeping strokes in the undulating
manner of its kind and makes a grand picture
that matches well its usual wild surroundings.
Its large size, together with its flaming red
crest and conspicuously black and white plu-
mage make its identification certain. Its
nest is usually excavated in living trees well
up from the ground but occasionally in dead
trees or stubs at low elevations. Its power-
ful })lows cut out unbelievable chunks of wood
and the ground below plainly shows the
amount of chips removed. Its nesting hole
is about fifteen inches deep and the glossy
white eggs are laid on a bed of clean chips.
o Lewis woodpecker, Asyndesmus lewisi.
4°^ 11.00
Distribution : From the Rocky Mountains to
the Pacific Coast, and from British Columbia
and Alberta south to Arizona and California.
The Lewis woodpecker is unique among the
family. At a distance it looks and flies like
a small crow, with steady straight-away wing
beats, and one might think it a crow until it
lights on the side of a stub in characteristic
125
FAMILY PicidcE
woodpecker fashion. The Lewis woodpecker
may be found everywhere from sea level to
high mountains, frequenting the stretches of
dead timber where it may be seen flying from
stub to stub, or perched in flicker-like atti-
tude on the top of a broken-off tree or length-
wise on a limb.
It is also found throughout the valleys
about the farming districts especially where
there are numerous dead and blackened stubs
suitable for nesting holes. It is a familiar
figure perched on fence posts along country
roads on the lookout for grasshoppers and
crickets, or darting into the air to snap up a
passing winged insect. This habit is often
indulged from the top of a high stub, the bird
returning again and again to the same perch
unless its excursion takes it far afield, when it
will stop on some other tree to repeat the per-
formance. The iridescent greenish black of the
upper-parts, crimson face, grayish breast, and
rose pink belly make the Lewis wood pecker
distinctive in coloration and easily identified.
FAMILY ODONTOPHORIDM: BOB-
WHITES, QUAILS
^ Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus vir-
ginianus. 10.00
Distribution: Resident in eastern United
126
..*^^^3?»ier
?*.
k\
^'^■^V;^^^^^
BOBWHITES. QUAILS
States, and spreading from Nebraska and
Texas westward; also since intnxluction, in
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Cali-
fornia, Oregon and Washington.
The bobwhite, or bobwhite quail, is found
in several varieties in different parts of tlie
United States. Those on the Pacific Coast
are the offspring of the original stock from the
northeastern part of the United States.
Another slightly smaller and darker sub-
species is found in Florida, and still another
in Texas, and the masked bobwhite is found
in the extreme southwest.
Since introduction on the Pacific Slope the
bobwhite has increased rapidly and is now as
common as the native quail. It is found in
the open country away from timber, in old
fields, pastures, grain fields and slashings where
the cover i? good. It likes to follow the fence
rows that are grown up to brush and weeds or
the dusty country roads where it loves to take
dust baths during the hot summer days.
Some old bird, the chosen leader of the
flock, will mount a fence post and be on guard
while the rest of the flock is feeding in the
edge of a nearby field. If one comes too near
it will })egin nervously to walk back and forth,
jerking its head and clucking to its conu'ades
below. Then with a startled alarm note it
127
FAMILY Odontophondce
will dart across the field with a rush of wings,
to drop out of sight in the grass, the rest of
the flock skulking through the field to join
him, or taking wing by twos and threes to go
in the same direction. Presently the old
scout will mount a fence rail and begin his
call, I want you, I want you, I want you,
emphasis being placed on the you. In a few
minutes the clan will be united and the leader
will probably call hohwhite, hob, hobwhite,
in triumph across the field. When surprised
in the tall grass bobw^hites wdll sometimes
"freeze" instead of flying and it is interesting
to see how much they depend on their color-
ation for protection. At such a time they
will almost allow one to step on them before
taking flight. Again the sudden rush of
wrings as they fly up from almost under foot is
disconcerting when unexpected.
Bob whites are among the most domestic of
birds. Both parents brood the eggs and
share alike in caring for the young. The
nest is usually placed in the corner of an old
rail fence or near a stump or under a fallen
tree top. It is built of grass neatly arched
over with the same material and carefully
hidden from view. Twelve to twenty eggs
are laid, pure white and sharply pointed at
one end. It is said that the male bobwhite
128
BOBWHITES, QUAILS
will sometimes incubate the first clutch while
the female is bringing off a second brood,
thus accounting for the large number of
young often seen trailing after one pair of
bobwhites. The young are little balls of
fuzzy brown, striped on the back w^ith darker
brown and buff. As soon as they are out of
the shell and have dried off they are ready to
leave the nest and follow their parents out
into the world. Bobwhites watch their
young with jealous care, giving the alarm at
the slightest approach of danger.
In the more settled parts of the country
bol) whites spend most of their time in grain
and potato fields where they consume great
numbers of potato bugs and other insects
which are injurious to field crops.
They are not know^i to injure grain or field
crops of any kind, and wherever you go, east
or west, the bobwhite is one of the favorite
birds of farmer and bird-lover alike; his
cheery call bringing up recollections of days
on the farm, of waving grain and rustling
corn, of peace and contentment.
IVIountain quail, Oreoriyx picia picta.
^^" 11.00
Distribution: Humid Pacific Coast dis-
tricts from middle California north to Puget
9 li^9
FAMILY Odontophoridce
Sound, rare in the northern parts of its range.
The plumed quail, a closely related form, is
found from the Columbia River south to
Lower California in the more arid districts
east of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada
Mountains.
The mountain quail and the plumed quail
are so nearly alike that the slight differences
will be overlooked in the field. It is well to
keep in mind that the former is found in the
deep wooded humid districts in the hills and
valleys while the latter species keeps more to
the drier parts west of the Cascades in Oregon
and on both sides of the Sierra Nevadas in
California. The mountain quail, or moun-
tain partridge frequents the wooded hills
throughout the interior valleys where its loud
clear whistle may be heard all summer as it
calls to its mate or young. Mrs. Bailey gives
a splendid rendition of its call in the words,
hah, hah, hah, there's danger ne-ar, there's dan-
ger ne-ar. Its whistle has a peculiarly pene-
trating and ventriloquial quality.
The long straight plume on its head, and
its larger size will readily distinguish the
mountain quail from the California quail, the
latter having a shorter crest which curves
forward. The nest of the mountain quail is
placed on the ground in a thick clump of
130
I
'ommmmm'
m
BOBWHITES, QUAILS
grass, or beside a log or under a fallen tree
top. It is made of leaves and fine grass.
The eggs are from eight to fifteen in number,
creamy white and unspotted. When sur-
prised in the woods with their brood of half-
grown young the old birds will dash into the
underbrush with wild duckings while the
young will hide in the grass until the danger is
over. One can almost pick them up before
they will scamper away. The young birds
are very pretty in their brown streaked
plumage and short erect crests as they go run-
ning ahead of one in single file, weaving back
and forth as they watch for some opening
into which they can dart to safety.
California quail, Lophortyx califor-
nica californica. 9.50
Distribution: Resident along the Pacific
Coast from middle California north to the
Columbia River, and sparingly northward
west of the Cascades in Washington (except
in the region of Seattle where it is abundant
in the reserve about Lake Washington).
The valley quail, a closely related form, is
found in the more arid interior districts of
Oregon and California and south to Lower
California.
The California quail, California partridge,
131
FAMILY PhasianidcB
top-knot quail, or valley quail, as it is va-
riously called, is the commoner of the two
species about the farms and in the valleys
generally. It may be seen in the parks and
vacant lots about the cities, often becoming
so tame as to be a menace to tender garden
truck of which it is very fond. Little coveys
of these quail may be seen along country
roads in the edges of wood lots, or perched
on fences whistling their sit-right-down, sit-
right-down, sit-right-down .
The California quail builds its nest like all
others of the family in clumps of grass at the
foot of a tree, or under the edge of a log or
fallen tree top. The eggs, twelve to sixteen
in number, are white or buffy, thickly
spotted with shades of brown.
FAMILY PHASIANID^: PHEASANTS
AND TURKEYS
^ Ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus tor-
^ quatus, Male, 30.00: Female 22.00
Distribution : Southern Siberia, Corea and
northeastern China. Now found in many
states of the Union, principally on private
game farms, though in a wild state in some
sections, being particularly abundant in
California, Oregon and Washington. It is
in
PHEASANTS AND TURKEYS
one of the commonest of the game birds of
Oregon where it was introduced from China
by Judge Denny in 1880. It is now abundant
everywhere in the valleys west of the Cas-
cades and in the irrigated districts east of
the mountains.
On account of the protection afforded the
pheasant by the game laws it is now one of
the main sources of sport open to the gunner
in the short open season each year. It has
increased so rapidly in the farming districts
as to be a serious menace to growling crops
in some sections, and it has become so tame
in its constant association with man that it is
a frequent visitor to towns and cities where it
is a common nester in vacant lots under the
protection of brush piles and tall weeds.
In the farming districts the China pheas-
ants may be seen in small flocks feeding in the
grain fields and potato rows. It naturally
keeps near the protection of thick brush
along the edges of woodland into which it
dives at the approach of danger, trusting
to its strong legs for safety rather than to
flight, except when surprised at close quarters
when it darts to cover with a whirr of wings
in a straight-away flight of astonishing
swiftness.
While the male pheasant is conspicuous in
133
FAMILY PhasianidcB
its variegated plumage the female and young
of the year are dull colored in their pale
browns and blacks, spotted and length-
wise streaked in many shades, blending
with their environment so well as to make
them hard to see as they crouch down in the
cover of grass or weeds. The pheasant is
rarely found perched above the ground except
at night when it will often frequent trees 10
to 30 feet from the ground where it is safe
from prowling enemies.
The nest of the China pheasant is hidden in
thick grass in grain or pasture fields, or under
brush piles in slashings or vacant lots. Like
all of the game birds, the young are able to
take care of themselves within a few hours
after hatching out. While small the young
pheasants are fed on insects but upon attain-
ing the half grown stage they are gross
feeders on vegetable matter, parents ar\d
young often consuming great quantities of
grain and garden crops. The male pheas-
ants are very noisy during the breeding sea-
son, giving vent to a peculiar cackling crow
which may be heard both day and night and
often at other time^ during the year.
Although an introduced species the ring-
necked pheasant has become one of the
best known birds of the Pacific Coast, a beau-
134
i
I
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GROUSE, SPRUCE PARTRIDGES
tiful and interesting member of the game bird
gi'oup, liiglily esteemed by sportsmen and
bird-lovers alike, a welcome addition to our
shores.
FA:\nLY TETRAONID/E: GROUSE,
SPRUCE PARTRIDGES, PTARMIGAN
Sooty grouse, Dendragapus ohscurus
fuUginosus. 17.50
Distribution: Northwest coast region in
mountain and heavy timbered districts from
Alaska south to California and Nevada.
Two closely aUied species are Richardson's
grouse of the Rocky Mountain region, west
to eastern Washington and Oregon; and the
Sierra grouse of southern Oregon and the
mountains of California; and another species,
the Franklin grouse, or "fool hen," of the
genus canachites, found from southern Alaska
to northern Oregon in mountainous districts.
The sooty grouse, blue grouse, wood grouse,
mountain grouse or hooter, is a denizen of the
mountains, the adjoining foothills and the
big wooded hills that are scattered through
the valleys of the Northwest. Although often
found in the deep woods, where it habitually
roosts in the tall firs and spruces, it is more
common along the edges of the timber in the
135
FAMILY TetraonidcB
open spaces where wild berries abound, and
where the mixed woods are interspersed with
pines and other conifers. It frequents the
sides of deep canyons and the edges of the
streams in the willow thickets where it re-
sorts to drink and to bathe in the backwater of
the pools. The sooty grouse is commonly
found about the ranches in the hill country,
frequently coming into the orchards to pick
at the prunes and plums in midsummer. The
hooting of the sooty grouse is one of the
familiar sounds of the deep woods throughout
the year. Although supposed to be a call to
its mate it is often heard in the dead of winter
when the snow is deep in the hills and the
weather at zero point. While hooting it hides
in the top of a tall fir or spruce, and the ven-
triloquial quality of the notes makes it almost
impossible to locate the bird. It sounds like
oomp, oomp, oomp, oo, oo, oo, oo, oo, beginning
slowly and ending rapidly. In the summer
the food of the sooty grouse is composed of
the various wild fruits and berries to be found
in the wooded districts where it lives, to-
gether with crickets, grasshoppers and grubs,
and in the winter it is said to live almost ex-
clusively on the tender buds of fir and spruce
which it gathers from the tops of the trees.
Its nest is placed on the ground in a thick
136
GROUSE, SPRUCE PARTRIDGES
])unc'li of fprass near the foot of a tree or under
a fallen tree top. The eggs are seven to ten
in number, ereamy white, spotted with brown
over the entire surface.
Oregon ruffed grouse, Bonasa umhellus
sabini. \1 .o\)
Distribution: Resident in Pacific Coast
districts from British Columbia south to
northern California west of the Cascade
]\ Fountains. Two closely allied species are
the Canadian ruffed grouse of northeastern
British Columbia and the eastern parts of
Washington and Oregon ; and the gray ruffed
grouse of the central Rocky INIountain dis-
trict of the United States, British America
and Alaska.
The Oregon ruffed grouse, native pheasant,
bush pheasant, partridge, or drummer, is a
bird of the forest like the sooty grouse, with
similar food and nesting habits. When sud-
denly flushed its brown mottled plumage and
long black-l)anded tail will distinguish it from
all others of the family. It is a commoner
l)ird a})out the settlements than the sooty
grouse, being often met with in the mixed
woods in the valleys and along streams. Its
scanty nest is hidden under a fallen tree top
or in a thick clump of brush at the foot of a
137
FAMILY ColumhidcB
tree. The eggs are seven to thirteen in
number, varying from white to buff in color,
stained with brown.
FAMILY COLUMBIDM; PIGEONS AND
DOVES
Band-tailed pigeon, Columba fasciata
fasciata 15.50
Distribution: Western North America
from British Columbia south over the United
States and most of Mexico, and from the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. It is
common in the coast counties of California,
Oregon and Washington and in the interior
valleys west of the Cascades.
The band-tailed pigeon is the "wild
pigeon " of the west, and with the exception of
the mourning dove is the only representative
found in northwestern North America of
about eighty species that are found in the
western hemisphere. It is often reported by
amateurs as the passenger pigeon, which has
been extinct for many years. The latter had
a wedged-shaped tail and the underparts
were a rich reddish chestnut. In appearance
it strongly resembled the mourning dove,
especially in its rapid whistling flight. The
band-tailed pigeon strongly resembles the
138
1
PIGEONS AXD DOVES
tame pigeon in its manner of flight and habits.
It has a square tail, and the white crescent on
the back of the neck is a distinctive field
mark. It usually goes about in small flocks
and may often be seen in the region of farms
and orchards perched on the tops of tall
trees, from which vantage point it makes
raids on young fruit and berries of which it is
very fond. When alighting in a tree it does
so with a noisy flapping of wings, a character-
istic of the species. This is especially notice-
able at its roosting place, usually in some
dead tree situated in a deep canyon, where it
makes a great fuss as it restlessly flies from
limb to limb before settling down for the night.
The nest of the band-tailed pigeon is a
frail platform of sticks placed in trees or
bushes, or on the ground as reported from
various places in California. The eggs are
two in number, white and equal ended.
^ ]\rourning dove, Zenaidura macroiira
caroUnensis. 13.00
Distribution : North America; breeding on
the Pacific Coast from British Columbia
south to ^lexico. Wintering from southern
Oregon to Panama.
The mourning dove, or turtle dove, is a
common bird in the cultivated areas of the
139
FAMILY CoJumbidce
Pacific Slope where it may be seen by twos
and threes, or in small flocks, feeding in the
grain fields and pastures, or gleaning the
scattered grain in the stubblefields in the fall,
its bobbing head and dainty step making an
attractive picture. It may be easily dis-
tinguished at sight from the band-tailed
pigeon by its smaller size, wedge-shaped tail
and rapid whistling flight. The mourning
dove is far more common in the southern
parts of its range where it may be seen in
flocks of hundreds in the central valleys of
California or about the large ranches of eastern
Washington and Oregon.
Its nest is a frail structure made of tw^igs,
placed indifferently in trees, bushes or on the
ground; and is often placed on the top of rail
fences, posts and stumps. When the eggs
are laid on the ground they are usually placed
in any slight depression with only a few bits
of dry grass for lining. Its mournful note is
a coo, TOO, 00, 00, oo.
Pigeons are almost always monogamous
and their devotion to each other is well known.
They may often be seen sitting side by side
on the cross arm of a telephone pole along
country roads and are rarely found alone at
any time. Both parents take turns in
incubation and in feeding the young.
140
<*.-
\ ^
<*/■".
t
"*»«>
SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.
FAMILY SCOLOPACID.E: SNIPES, SAND-
PIPERS, ETC.
Spotted sandpiper, Actiiis macidaria.
'"' 7.00
Distribution: Whole of North America,
breeding from the Arctic Circle to the Gulf of
]\Iexico; migrating southward over the whole
of Mexico, Central America, West Indies and
South America to southern Brazil.
The spotted sandpiper, peet-weet, tip-up,
or teeter-tail is found along the shores and
beaches of lakes, ponds and streams where it
seeks its living picking up the tiny forms of
marine life to be found there. Except during
the nesting season it usually goes about in
small rlocks. When disturbed it darts out
over the water with a startled peet-iceet, the
wings moving so rapidly that the tips seem to
be always pointing downward. When it
alights it stops so suddenly that it is almost
bowled over by the shock. Its dainty
dipping motion as it steps along has given
it the nick-names of tip-up and teeter-tail.
The small size of the spotted sandpiper,
together with its grayish- white underparts,
spotted throat and breast and white wing
bars, which show plainly when it is flying,
make its identification easy. In its winter
141
FAMILY CharadriidcB
plumage, however, the underparts are
unmarked.
The nest of the spotted sandpiper is a
shght depression in the ground lined with
fine grasses. It is usually placed near the
protection of a bunch of grass or at the foot
of a small bush, though sometimes in the
open among the pebbles and driftwood on
the beach. The three or four pear-shaped,
sharply pointed eggs, thickly mottled with
all shades of gray, olive-green and black, look
very much like a part of their surroundings.
FAMILY CHARADRIIDM: PLOVERS
^73 Killdeer, Oxyechus vociferous, 10.75
Distribution: Whole of temperate North
America from southern Canada south to the
Gulf of Mexico. Breeding throughout its
range. In winter from the southern border of
the United States to northern South America.
The killdeer, killdee, or killdee plover is a
bird of fresh rather than salt water and may be
found about the shores of streams, lakes and
ponds from sea level to high mountains. It
is also common throughout the country in
wet meadows, stubble fields and old pastures
where it is a conspicuous figure as it probes
for food in the soft ground, and even chases
142
-^ 1
1
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mi
W«
,4
^^
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'^^^^
M
PLOVERS
small grasshoppers and crickets after the man-
ner of other non-aquatic birds. The kill-
deer is robin size with a conspicuous black
band across both breast and neck, and reddish
brown upper tail coverts, the latter showing
plainly when the bird is flying, or as it alights
and daintily lifts its wings for a moment be-
fore settling down. When standing motion-
less, which it does for minutes at a time when
it discovers that it is being watched, the bird
is almost invisible, its variegated plumage
blending with its surroundings to a remark-
able degree.
The song or call note of the killdeer is a
rapidly uttered kill-dee, kill-dee, given on the
wing or when standing still. It also has
other notes of alarm and contentment of a
peculiar churring quality.
During the breeding season it is a noisy
bird calling or scolding incessantly as it circles
about over the field where its nest may be
located. The nest is placed indiscriminately
about the shores of streams and ponds or in
fields far from water. It is a slight depres-
sion in the ground lined with bits of dry
grass. The three or four eggs are sharply
pointed and heavily mottled with varying
shades of gray, olive-green and black to match
the de})ris among which they are laid.
143
FAMILY ColymhidcB
FAMILY COLYMBIDM: GREBES
^ Pied-billed grebe, Podilymhus podiceps.
13.50
Distribution: North and South America
except extreme northern and southern parts.
Common resident and migrant in Pacific
Coast states.
The home of the pied-billed grebe is in
shallow ponds full of tall water grass and tules
and in the larger lakes and sloughs with reed
bordered shores. While many grebes may
be found inhabiting the same body of water
it is rare to find them nesting near each other
as they seem to require more territory than
most water birds.
Along with the coot and great blue heron
the pied-billed grebe is known to every
country boy in America, going under the
common names of hell-diver, water- witch and
dab-chick in different parts of the country.
The peculiar yelping, hollow cry of the grebe
is one of the characteristic sounds of the
marsh, and when it is taken up and repeated
by a dozen other birds at the same time it is a
weird sound.
The grebe looks like an almost tail-less
duck of a sooty brown color, with yellowish
bill encircled with a black band. It will be
144
I\
RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS
seen swimming along the edge of the reeds
when it will begin to slowly sink and disap-
pear entirely, to reappear a hundred feet
away. Or it will dive suddenly if frightened,
coming up in the cover of the grass and tules.
The grebe makes a semi-floating nest of
dead tules and marsh gi'ass which are beaten
down to form a platform only a few inches
above the water. The eggs, three to five in
number, are dirty white in color and become
much discolored as incubation advances.
When the bird leaves the nest it pulls the
loose nesting material over to the eggs to
hide it during its absence. When surprised
on its nest it makes desperate efforts to cover
it before slipping into the water and some-
times makes a poor job of it.
FAMILY RALLID^: RAILS, GAL-
LINULES, COOTS
2^^ Coot, Fulica americana. 14.00
Distribution: Whole of North America
from Alaska to Greenland, south to W'est In-
dies, Bermudas and northern South America.
Breeding from Texas northward. Resident
and migrant in the Pacific Coast states.
The coot or mudhen is one of the common
denizens of every marsh bordered pond and
lake in the west. It lives in the cover of the
14o
FAMILY ArdeidcB
tall marsh grass and tules, feeding along the
edges in the mud and slime, probing for the
small marine life to be found there. Though
shy at times, it may usually be seen swim-
ming about in the open water in small flocks,
or standing on a log sunning itself. If
frightened, it takes a running start with much
pattering of feet along the surface of the
water but when once in the air makes good
progress. It may be identified at a distance
by the bobbing motion of its head as it swims,
and its distinctly whitish bill in contrast
with its blackish plumage.
Coots are noisy birds and keep the marsh
ringing with their cries, especially towards
evening or early in the morning. They build
their nests in the thick cover of the marsh,
more elevated than those of the grebe, and
better built of grass and reeds. They lay
from five to ten whitish eggs thickly spotted
with fine black or brownish dots. The young
are black when first hatched and have red bills.
FAMILY ARDEID.E: HERONS AND
EGRETS
Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
^^^ herodias, 46.00
Distribution: North America in general
from Hudson Bay south to northern South
146
HERONS AND EGRETS
America. The great blue heron is divided
into nearly a dozen geographical varieties
scattered over the United States and south-
ward. The northwest coast heron, a dark
variety, is found on the coast of British
Columbia and on the Queen Charlotte and
Vancouver Islands ; the California blue heron
on the Pacific Coast of Oregon and California,
and the Tryganza blue heron in the Great
Plains country from the w^estern part of the
Mississippi Valley west to eastern Washing-
ton, Oregon and California.
The great blue heron, or blue crane, is a
common sight along the shores of ponds, lakes
and streams in all parts of the United States
and almost seems a part of the landscape as
one glances across open shallow water in search
of the water birds that may be found there.
The great blue heron frequents salt as w^ell
as fresh water and is found in large numbers
about the bays and estuaries along the coast.
Here it may be seen wading in shallow water
or standing in its statuesque pose as it
w^atches for fish or other small marine life.
It usually fishes in the morning or evening,
though at times it may be found standing
about in the moonlight or in the middle of
the day watching patiently for its prey. It
seizes its victim with a sudden thrust of its
147
FAMILY Ardeidce
sword-like bill, swallowing it head down-
wards. The heron often captures fish so
large that it has diflSculty in getting them
ashore, and in rare instances has almost lost
its life in the struggle with some very large fish.
Although fish is its principal food it also
captures meadow mice, frogs, grasshoppers
and even small birds. Its flight is rapid and
graceful, and when migrating is sometimes
very high, but it usually keeps near the ground
or water. The heron is at all times vigilant
and hard to approach. When wounded it
defends itself with its sharp bill and can in-
flict a dangerous wound. In flying it doubles
the neck back between the wings allowing the
legs to stick out straight behind. A hoarse
croak is the only sound it utters except during
the nesting season when its squawking and
raucous bellowing is beyond description.
It begins nesting early in April and the
young are not fully matured and capable of
flying until July. In the treeless parts of its
range it nests in bushes about water, and in
the absence of these it will build its nest on
the ground in a marsh, as in the alkaline lake
districts of eastern Washington and Oregon.
Along the Pacific Coast and in the valleys
the great blue heron nests in colonies in tall
trees, usually in firs at a great height. One
148
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FALCONS
such rookory known to tlie writer has been
occupied by several hundred herons for a
number of years. Over one hundred and
fifty nests are included in the nesting area,
several trees containing from ten to seven-
teen nests each. They are wide flat struc-
tures made of sticks and marsh grass which is
carried several miles to the nest. The large
gi'eenish-blue eggs are three or four in num-
ber. Both parents take part in incubation,
which lasts nearly thirty days, and both
feed the young.
FAMILY FALCONIDJE: FALCONS
Desert sparrow hawk, Falco sparverius
^ phalcena. 11.00
Distribution: Western United States and
British Columbia from the Rocky Mountains
to the Pacific, south to Guatemala. Com-
mon summer resident on the Pacific Coast.
The sparrow hawk, killy hawk, mouse
hawk, or grasshopper hawk is the familiar
little falcon of the whole of the United States,
and although found in several geographical
varieties it is easily recognized in any plumage
by its peculiar markings, differing in this re-
spect from all other of the smaller hawks.
One strong field mark, or habit, is its charac-
teristic manner of hovering or poising in the
149
FAMILY ButeonidcB
air over some object which seems to promise
a meal, and then dropping lightly down upon
its prey.
Sparrow hawks are found in open country
away from heavy timber, more especially
about cultivated fields which offer them a
food supply in the shape of mice, grass-
hoppers and other vermin so closely identi-
fied with farming operations. They may be
seen perched on dead trees and telephone
poles along country roads watching intently
for any movement in the grass that may indi-
cate possible quarry. When disturbed they
fly leisurely across a field to perch on tree or
bush in plain sight, seemingly unafraid of man.
The eggs of the sparrow hawk are laid in
natural cavities in trees, but preferably in
old woodpecker's holes which are occupied
for many years in succession if undisturbed.
The eggs are almost round, three or four in
number, dull white and thickly spotted with
reddish brown.
FAMILY BUTEONID/E: HAWKS, EAGLES,
KITES
Western red-tailed hawk, Buteo horealis
^^^ calurus. 22.50
Distribution: Western North America
from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific
150
r
HAWTCS. EAGLES, KITES
Coast, south to Guatemala. Common sum-
mer resident on the Pacific Slope, casual in
winter.
The western red-tailed hawk, chicken
hawk, or hen hawk is the largest member of
the family that frequents the coast valleys on
the Pacific Slope. It is common from sea
level to high mountains and may be seen
slowly winging its way overhead in ever widen-
ing circles as it watches for its prey below.
It has none of the dash of the smaller
hawks, nor does it attack birds as do the
sharp-shinned, the Cooper or the rare
goshawk, but lives mostly on small rodents
and snakes which it captures by quietly
dropping down on them unawares. The red-
tailed hawk will sit for hours at a time on
some favorite perch, usually a tall tree along a
stream, perhaps in the vicinity of its nest, and
make short excursions back and forth across
the valley returning to the same spot to eat its
captured prey.
As it slowly circles above the tree tops it
displays its fan-shaped tail which is colored a
rich reddish bro^Ti, crossed by several narrow
black bands. The bird itself will look al-
most blackish but varies greatly in the adult
plumage, the females and young of the year
lacking the reddish tail.
151
FAMILY Buteonidcs
The favorite nesting site of the red-tailed
hawk in the Northwest is in a tall cotton-
wood or alder tree along river bottoms,
though it is found in many situations from
the flat valley to well up in the mountains.
In the drier parts of California it places its
nest in the sycamores growing along the hill-
sides. Its nest is made of large sticks and
smaller twigs, mixed towards the center with
grass, moss, green leaves and other soft ma-
terials, and sometimes a few feathers. The
eggs are usually three in number, dull white,
boldly spotted with varying shades of reddish
brown. The young are slow to acquire their
perfect plumage, being long full grown before
the red appears upon the tail.
Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter velox.
^^^ 12.00
Distribution: North America in general,
south to Panama. Breeds throughout its
range.
The sharp-shinned hawk, or bird hawk, is
not common along the Pacific Coast. It
frequents mixed woods and open farming dis-
tricts where it may be seen skimming along
only a few feet from the gi'ound, or just over
the tops of bushes and low trees along the
edges of open woods and clearings in search
152
HAWKS, EAGLES. KITES
of its prey. Ordinarily its flight is leisurely
but once in pursuit of a bird it dashes in and
out tlirough the densest thickets with the
greatest ease and swiftness. No matter
how its intended victim doubles and twists
in its efforts to escape, the sharp-shinned
hawk is ecjually quick to follow and rarely
fails to capture its quarry.
It may easily be distinguished from the
sparrow hawk by its manner of flight and
entirely different coloration. The sparrow
hawk is a common sight hovering over its
prey in the open field, or sitting on trees and
bushes watching for any movement in the
grass that may betray a field mouse, lizard or
grasshopper which are its favorite foods. On
the other hand, the sharp-shinned hawk is
never seen hunting in this manner but de-
pends on surprising its prey by a sudden
dash into the midst of a flock of small birds,
})earing one to the ground before it can
escape.
Its color is bluish gray above w^ith the
underparts white, heavily barred and spotted
with reddish l)rown. Its tail is long and
narrow with three or four blackish bands and
a white tip.
'I'he sharp-shinned hawk builds its nest
indiscriminately in the old nests of crow,
153
FAMILY ButeonidcB
magpie or squirrel and the natural cavities
in trees and cliffs. When it builds for itself
the nest is made of sticks with a lining of grass,
moss, leaves and bark, placed at all ele-
vations in conifers.
333 Cooper hawk, Accipiter cooperi. 17.00
Distribution: Temperate North America
at large and southward. Wintering from
about latitude 40 south to southern Mexico.
The Cooper hawk, chicken hawk, hen
hawk, or blue darter in colors and changes of
plumage is practically the same as the sharp-
shinned, differing only in size, averaging
about three inches longer. It is the common
"chicken hawk" of the United States, a
hawk of great audacity, preying on birds up
to the size of grouse and poultry. Once it
gets a taste of a farmer's chickens it will re-
turn again and again with the greatest
boldness and must be shot to stop its
depredations.
Its medium size, long slender build and
swift flight will mark the Cooper hawk so
that its identification should be compara-
tively easy. The Cooper hawk builds its
nest in tall forest trees from twenty-five to
fifty feet from the ground. The nest is used
from year to year and becomes a large pile of
154
I
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v^^^ji^^'-'
\
HORNED OWLS
sticks and rubbish. In many cases tlie bird
remodels a nest built by another hawk, a
crow or squirrel.
The favorite haunts of the Cooper hawk
are moderately timbered districts inter-
spersed with cultivated fields and meadows,
but it is also found in the more extensive and
heavily wooded mountain regions, and on
the open treeless plains of the West where its
nest may be found placed in low willows
along streams and in rare instances on the
ground.
The Cooper hawk is never a common bird
in the West, being far more abundant east of
the Rockies.
FAMILY STRIGID^: HORNED OWLS
3^^ Long-eared owl, Asio wilsonianus.
14.50
Distribution: Temperate North America
from Newfoundland to southern Alaska, and
south to the southern border of the United
States. Winters over the greater part of its
range and southward into Mexico.
The long-eared owl lives in dense woods
where it hides in the day and hunts at night.
Because of its habits it is seldom seen. Its
food consists of rats and mice and other
155
FAMILY StrigidcB
small animal life, with an occasional bird to
vary its diet. Its nest is placed in hollow
trees, cavities in rocks and in old hawks' or
crows' nests.
^67 Short-eared owl, Asioflammeus. 15.50
Distribution: Entire western hemisphere
except the Galapagos Islands and part of the
West Indies, and also throughout the eastern
hemisphere excepting Australia. Practically
resident wherever found and breeding
throughout its range.
The short-eared owl, or marsh owl, differs
from all others of the family in its habits of
living. It is a marsh bird, hiding in the tall
grass during bright days but at dusk or
during cloudy w^eather it hawks about over the
marshes for its food, which consists of mice
and rats and other small rodents. It also
catches grasshoppers and large crickets. Its
nest is built of sticks lined with grass and
feathers and is placed on the ground in a
marsh or wet meadow.
Dusky horned owl, Bubo virginianus
^'^^^ saturatus. 22.00
Distribution: Pacific Coast district from
northern California through western Ore-
gon, Washington and British Columbia to
southern Alaska. Four closely allied species
156
IIORXED OWLS
arc tlio western liorned owl, found from the
Mississippi Valley west to Nevada, south-
eastern Oregon, Wyoming and IMontana to
central Alberta; California horned owl of
California north to south central Oregon;
coast horned owl of the coast counties of
northern California, and the northwestern
horned owl of Idaho, eastern Oregon, ^Yash-
ington and central British Columbia to
southern Alaska.
The big horned owl, hoot owl, or cat owl
frequents heavy timber, hiding during the
day in dense thickets away from sunlight,
and coming out at dusk to beat over the open
spaces on hillside and valley in search of its
prey which consists of animals and birds up
to the size of rabbits, ground squirrels and
skunks, and game birds, smaller land birds and
poultry. In spite of the fact that it does con-
siderable damage to bird life it is highly bene-
ficial as a destroyer of rodent pests and for
tills reason should })e protected.
The horned owl begins laying in January
even in the colder parts of its range. Its
nest is placed indifferently in hollow trees, in
an old hawk's or crow's nest and sometimes
in a crevice in a cliff, or in a cave. Horned
owls are much less in evidence on the Pacific
Coast than they are east of the Rockies,
157
FAMILY Strigidce
probably because of the denser timber in the
mountains of the West rather than disparity
of numbers. In the thick timber along river
bottoms a few pairs of horned owls may be
found nesting, and it is no doubt these few
individuals that are found raiding the chicken
yards in the dead of night. In disposition
the big horned owl is fierce and untamable,
striking savagely at its captor when taken
and refusing to be on friendly terms even
after long captivity. In this respect it differs
from nearly all others of the family.
, Kennicott screech owl, Otus asio ken-
^^^ nicotti. 9.00
Distribution: Northwest coast region in-
cluding Oregon, Washington and British
Columbia north to Sitka. Closely allied
species include the Macfarlane screech owl,
found from western Montana west through
Idaho to southern British Columbia, eastern
W^ashington, Oregon and northeastern Cali-
fornia; and the California screech owl of
California and north to south central Oregon.
The screech owl is divided into thirteen
geographical varieties scattered from Maine
to California and from Alaska to the Gulf
of Mexico. The Kennicott screech owl is
the northwestern form and is identical with
158
I
HORNED OWLS
all of the olluTs in food and nesting liabits.
It is a bird of great economic value living al-
most entirely on vermin of all kinds, rats,
mice, roaches and other noxious pests, rarely
attacking birds of any kind. Its peculiar
tremulous and barking call notes are among
the familiar sounds of warm summer nights
in both city and country. It lays its eggs in
old woodpeckers' holes and in natural cavities
in trees and dead stubs from ten to fifty feet
from the ground.
California pygmy owl, Glaucidium
gnoma californicum. 7.00
Distribution: From southern California
north through eastern Oregon, Washington
and Idaho to southern British Columbia.
Two closely allied species are the coast pygmy
owl of the humid coast districts of California,
Oregon, Washington and British Columbia,
and the Vancouver pygmy owl of Vancouver
Island.
The pygmy owl is often found flying about
in the daylight hours preying upon small birds
among whom it is very destructive. It is
about half the size of the screech owl, being
the smallest of the northwestern owls and on
this account may be easily identified at sight.
The pygmy owl lays its eggs in old wood-
159
FAMILY AluconidcB
peckers' holes or in natural cavities in trees
like its larger cousin the screech owl.
FAMILY ALU CON ID M: BARN OWLS
3^5 Barn owl, Aluco pratincola. 17.00
Distribution: Cosmopolitan. Found in
the greater part of the United States and
Mexico, more common in the southern parts
of its range.
The barn owl is the only member of its
family that is found in the United States.
In plumage it is distinct in appearance from
all our owls. The general color is a tawny
or orange brown, clouded or marbled with
ashy white. The underparts vary all the
way from tawny to almost pure w^hite. The
feathers are soft and downy. The triangular
facial disk is unusual, and the eyes are com-
paratively small and black.
The barn owl is so strictly a bird of the
night, and keeps so well hidden during the
day, that it may be fairly common in dis-
tricts where it is rarely seen or reported. It
is fairly common in California in certain dis-
tricts but thins out northerly until it becomes
rare in northern Oregon and southern Wash-
ington. It inhabits wooded settled districts
and is resident wherever found. It breeds
160
ANIS. ROAD-RUNNERS, CUCKOOS
naturally in hollow trees but is also found
occupying barn lofts, belfrys, towers and
caves. Three to nine eggs are laid, at vary-
ing intervals, so that a brood of young when
hatched out will show a great variation in size
according to age, as much as a week or ten days
intervening between the eldest and youngest.
The barn owl is the most important
economically to the farmer of any of the
family. Its food consists of rats, mice,
gophers, ground squirrels and insects of all
kinds, and rarely a rabbit or bird. The
amount of vermin it will dispose of in a
season is out of all proportion to its size and
in common with most of the family it should
be protected by the farmer for the good it
does. A pair of barn owls about the farm-
stead are worth a dozen cats. They spend the
night silently flitting about the farm buildings
or over the fields picking up great numbers of
the little rodents so destructive to farm crops
and asking no pay but a chance to live.
FAMILY CUCULID.E: ANIS, ROAD-
RUNNERS, CUCKOOS
j.^ Road-runner, Geococcy calif ornianus.
^ ^ 22.00
Distribution: From Brownsville, Texas,
to San Diego, California, and from Central
'' ICl
FAMILY CuculidcB
California, Nevada and Kansas south across
the tablelands of Mexico.
The road-runner, chaparral cock, snake-
killer, ground cuckoo, or lizard bird is a re-
markable bird belonging to the cuckoo family.
It is generally resident and breeds wherever
found, except in the extreme northern parts of
its range. It spends most of its time on the
ground in search of food, and it frequents the
drier desert tracts along river valleys and low
foothills covered by cactus, yuccas and thorny
underbrush. Its food consists almost entirely
of animal matter such as lizards, beetles,
grasshoppers, small snakes, the smaller
rodents and sometimes young birds. The
road-runner builds its nest in April; a large
flat structure about twelve inches in diameter
and six inches deep, made of sticks lined
with grass, feathers, bark, snake skins and
roots. The nest is placed variously in mes-
quite, cactus and other thorny brush that may
be available. Road-runners are rather shy
and suspicious birds and may not often be seen
even where comparatively common. They
are rarely seen in large numbers, one or two
pairs with their young being the usual num-
ber found together at any one time.
The road-runner has an interesting number
of call notes, one of which sounds like the
162
AXIS. ROAD-RUNNERS, CUCKOOS
cooing of a dove, another like the hen calh'ng
her chickens together where some food has
been discovered, the rapidly uttered clack,
(Iach\ (lack, repeated several times. It also
makes a peculiar sound by snapping its bill
together rapidly. AVhen suddenly alarmed
it trusts to its legs to escape, running sur-
prisingly fast but when about to be overtaken
it will double on its tracks and dive into the
underbrush and disappear. It flies with
ease and swiftness considering its short
wings, its long tail acting as a rudder when it
makes a sudden turn.
The road-runner is most abundant along
the southern border of the United States,
thinning out northward. It is almost two
feet in length, one half of which is tail. It is
one of the most remarkable and interesting
birds imaginable with its many unusual
traits and its grotesque appearance. Coues
calls it a combination of chicken and magpie.
The young can be easily domesticated and
make interesting pets, having many of the
uncanny tricks of a crow. Although usually
shy it will sometimes become a regular visi-
tor to the chicken yard to i)ick up the scraj)s
of animal matter and destroy all sorts of
vermin about the ranch.
The road-runner belongs to a family of
IG.S
FAMILY CuculidcB
over two hundred species that are scattered
all over the world, only half a dozen of which
belong to North America north of the Mexi-
can border. It is closely related to the tree
cuckoos, the yellow-billed and the black-
billed cuckoos of the whole of the United
States. In the March- April Bird-Lore for
1915 Finley tells of his many interesting
experiences with the road-runner. He found
it one of the wariest and wisest of birds and a
never ending source of interest and enjoy-
ment.
164
SYSTEMATIC SYXOPSI^^ OF LIVIXG NORTH
AMERICAN BIRDS TO AND INCLUDING
THE FAMILIES
Class Aves: Birds.
Sub-Class Carinate: (Embracing all living birds except
Ratita.)
Order Pygopodes. Diving Birds.
Suborder Colymbi. Grebes.
Family Colymhidop. Grebes.
Suborder Cepphi. Loons and Auks.
Family Gaviidop. Loons.
Family Alcidoe. Auks, Murres and Puffins.
Order Longipennes. Long-winged Swimmers.
Family Stercorariidce. Skuas and Jaegers.
Family Laridoe. Gulls and Terns.
Family Rynchopidop. Skimmers.
Order Tubinares. Tube-nosed Swimmers.
Family Diomedcidce. Albatrosses.
Family Procellariidae. Fulmars, Shearwaters and
Petrels.
Order Steganopodes. Totipalmate Swimmers.
Family PhoEthontidac. Tropic Birds.
Family Sulidop. Gannets.
Family Anhingidce. Darters.
Family Phalacrocoracidoe. Cormorants.
Family Pclccariidop. Pelicans.
Family Frcgatidcp. Man-o' -war-birds.
Order Ansercs. Lamellirostral Swimmers.
Family Anatidtr. Ducks, Geese and Swans.
Order Odontoglossw. Lamellirostral Grallatores.
Family Phoenicopteridcp. Flamingoes.
165
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS
Order Hcrodiones. Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc.
Suborder Ibides. Spoonbills and Ibises.
Family Ihididcc. Ibises.
Suborder Ciconioe. Storks, etc.
Family Ciconiidw. Storks and Wood Ibises.
Suborder Herodii. Herons, Egrets and Bitterns.
Family Ardeidoe. Herons, Bitterns, etc.
Order PaludicolcB. Cranes, Rails, etc.
Suborder Grues. Cranes, Courlans, etc.
Family Gruidoe. Cranes.
Family Aramidce. Courlans.
Suborder Ralli. Rails, Gallinules, Coots, etc.
Family Rallidas. Rails, Gallinules and Coots.
Order Limicolce. Shore Birds.
Family Phalaropodidoe. Phalaropes.
Family RecurvirostridoB. Avocets and Stilts.
Family Scolopacidce. Snipes, Sandpipers, etc.
Family Charadriidce. Plovers.
Family Aphnzidce. Surf-birds and Turnstones.
Family H CBmatopodidoe . Oyster-catchers.
Family Jacanidae. Jacanas.
Order GallinoB. Gallinaceous Birds.
Suborder Phasiani. Pheasants, Grouse, Partridges,
Quails, etc.
Family OdontophoridcB. Bobwhites, Quails, etc.
Family TetraonidoB. Grouse, Spruce Partridges,
Ptarmigans, etc.
Family Meleagridoe. Turkeys.
Suborder Penelopes. Curassows and Guans.
Family Gracidoe. Curassows and Guans.
Order Columhoe. Pigeons and Doves.
Family Columbidoe. Pigeons and Doves.
Order Raptores. Birds of Prey.
Suborder Sar cor ham phi. American Vultures.
Family Cathartidas. American Vultures.
Suborder Falcones. Vultures, Falcons, Hawks, Buz-
zards, Eagles, Kites, Harriers, etc.
Family Buteonidae. Hawks, Eagles, Kites, etc.
166
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS
Family Falconidcr. Falcons, Caracaras, etc.
Family Pandionidce. Ospreys.
Suborder Striges. Owls.
Family Aluconidce. Barn Owls.
Family Strigidoe. Horned Owls, etc.
Order Psittaci. Parrots, Macaws, Paroquets, etc.
Family Psittacidco. Parrots, Macaws and Paro-
quets.
Order Coccyges. Cuckoos, etc.
Suborder Cuculi. Cuckoos, etc.
Family Cuculidce. Cuckoos, Anis, etc.
Suborder Trogones. Trogons.
Family Trogonidae. Trogons.
Suborder Alcyones. Kingfishers.
Family AlcedinidoB. Kingfishers.
Order Pici. Woodpeckers, Wrynecks, etc.
Family Picidoe. Woodpeckers.
Order Macrochires. Goatsuckers, Swifts, etc.
Suborder Caprimulgi. Goatsuckers, etc.
Family CaprimulgidcE. Goatsuckers, etc.
Suborder Cypseli. Swifts.
Family Micropodidoe. Swifts.
Suborder Trochili. Hummingbirds.
Family Trochilidoe. Hummingbirds.
Order Passeres. Perching Birds.
Suborder Clamatores. Songless Perching Birds.
Family Cotingidce. Cotingas.
Family Tyrannidcr. Tyrant Flycatchers.
Suborder Oscines. Song Birds.
Family Alaudidoe. Larks.
Family CorvidoB. Crows, Jays, Magpies, etc.
Family Sturnidce. Starlings.
Family Ictcridce. Blackbirds, Orioles, etc.
Family Fringillid(r. Finches, Si)arrows etc.
Family Tangaridw. Tanagcrs.
Family JHrundinid(r. Swallows.
Family BnmhycUUdw. Waxwings.
Family Ptilogonatidcr. Silky Flycatchers.
1G7
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS
Family Laniidoe. Shrikes.
Family Vireonidce. Vireos.
Family Coerehidce. Honey Creepers.
Family MniotiUidoE. Wood Warblers.
Family Motacillidce. Wagtails.
Family CinclidcB. Dippers.
Family Mimidce. Thrashers, Mockingbirds, etc.
Family Troglodytidce. Wrens.
Family Certhiidce. Creepers.
Family Sittidae. Nuthatches.
Family Paridce. Titmice.
Family ChamcddcB. Wren-Tits.
Family Sylviidae. Warblers, Kinglets, Gnat-
catchers, etc.
Family Turdidce. Thrushes, Solitaires, Stone-
chats, Bluebirds, etc.
168
LIST OF BIRDS FOUND IX BRITISH
COLUMBIA, WASHINGTON, OREGON
AND CALIFORNIA
This list is based upon the 1910 Check-List of
the American Ornithologists' Union, modified in
some instances by later information in more up-
to-date lists for British Columbia and Oregon
generously furnished by Mr. Francis Kermode,
Director of the Provincial Museum, Victoria,
B. C, and Mr. Stanley G. Jewett of the United
States Biological Survey, Portland, Oregon.
It is not possible with so long a list to give any
data on the range, comparative abundance or
seasonal status of the species. In numbers they
vary all the way from very rare to abundant.
The occurrence of some species is irregular in
any given locality and the absolute range of
many species is still to be worked out by further
observation and reports.
The much hoped for new edition of the A. O.
U. Check-List will undoubtedly reveal many
new sub-species and changes in the distribution
of western birds. In the meantime the author
trusts the list of Pacific Coast birds herein con-
tained will prove of help to the bird student. It
IGO
LIST OF BIRDS
must be remembered, however, that this list is
only intended for amateurs and others who will
welcome such a condensed list for quick reference.
The numbers are the n'jmbers of the A. O. U. Check-
List.
The common names are given in roman type.
The scientific names in italics.
These are followed by the abbreviations of the states
where the birds are f oimd.
(1) Western grebe, ^Echmophorus occiden-
talism B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(2) Holboell grebe, Colymbus holboelli, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(3) Horned grebe, Colymbus auritus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(4) Eared grebe, Colymbus nigricollis cali-
fornicus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(6) Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(7) Loon, Gavia immer, B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(8) Yellow-billed loon, Gavia adamsi, B. C.
(9) Black-throated loon, Gavia arctica,
B. C.
(10) Pacific loon, Gavia pacifica, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(11) Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(12) Tufted puflBn, Lunda cirrhata, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
170
LIST OF BIRDS
(14) Horned puffin, Fratercula cornicidaia,
B. C, Cal.
(1.5) Rhinoceros auklet, Cerorhinca mono-
cerata, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(16) Cassin auklet, Ptychoramphus aleuiicus,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(17) Paroquet auklet, Phaleris psittaculay
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(20) Least auklet, Mthia pusilla, B. C, Wash.
(21) Ancient murrelet, Synthliboramphus
antiquus, B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(23) Marbled murrelet, Brachyramphus mar-
moratiis, B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(25) Xantus murrelet, Brachyramphus hypo-
leucuSy Cal.
(29) Pigeon guillemot, Cepphus Columbia,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(30a) California murre, Uria troille call-
Jornica, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(35) Skua, Megalestris skua, Cal.
(36) Pomarine jaeger, Stercorarius poma-
rinus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(37) Parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(38) Long-tailed jaeger, Stercorarius longi-
caudus, B. C, Ore., Cal.
(39) Ivory gull, Pagophila alba, B. C.
(•tOa) Pacific kittiwake, Rissa tridaciyla pol-
licaris, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(42) Glaucous gull, Larus hyperboreus. Ore.,
Cal.
171
LIST OF BIRDS
(44) Glaucous-winged gull, Larus glauces-
cens, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(49) Western gull, Larus occidentalism B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(51) Herring gull, Larus argentatus, B, C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(53) California gull, Larus calif ornicus, B. C.
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(54) Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(55) Short-billed gull, Larus brachyrhynchuSy
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(57) Heermann gull, Larus heermanni, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(59) Franklin gull, Larus franklini, Cal.
(60) Bonaparte gull, Larus Philadelphia,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(62) Sabine gull, Xema sabini, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(64) Caspian tern, Sterna caspia. Ore., Cal.
{Q5) Royal tern, Sterna maximay Cal.
(66) Elegant tern. Sterna elegans, Cal.
(69) Forster tern. Sterna forsteri. Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(70) Common tern, Sterna hirundo, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(71) Arctic tern. Sterna paradiscea, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(74) Least tern, Sterna antillarumy Cal.
(77) Black tern, Hydrochelidon nigra surina-
mensisy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
172
LIST OF BIRDS
(81) Black-footed albatross, Diomcdea ni-
gripes, ^Yash., Ore., Cal.
(82) Short-tailed albatross, Diomedea alba-
trus. B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(83) Yellow-nosed albatross, Thalassogeron
culminatuSy Ore.
(84) Sooty albatross, Phoehetria palpebrata.
Ore.
(85) Giant fulmar, Macronectes giganteus.
Ore.
(86b) Pacific fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis
glupischoy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(86. 1) Rodgers fulmar, Fulmarus rodgersi,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(87) Slender-billed fulmar, Priocella glacia-
loidesy Ore., Cal.
(91) Pink-footed shearwater, Puffinus
creatopus. Ore., Cal.
(93) Black-vented shearwater, Puffinus opis-
thomelaSy B. C, Wash., Cal.
(95) Sooty shearwater, Puffinus griseus.
Ore.
(96) Slender-billed shearwater, Puffinus
tenuirostrisy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(96.2) New Zealand shearwater, Puffinus
hulleriy Cal.
(102) Pintado petrel, Daption capense^ Cal.
(105) Forked-tailed petrel, Occanodroma
furcatOy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(105.2) Kaeding petrel, Occanodroma kac-
diruji. Wash., Ore., Cal.
173
LIST OF BIRDS
(106) Leach petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa,
B.C.
(107) Black petrel, Oceanodroma melania,
Cal.
(108) Ashy petrel, Oceanodroma homochroa,
Cal.
(108.1) Socorro petrel, Oceanodroma socor-
roensis, Cal.
(120b) White-crested cormorant, Phalacro-
corax auritus cincinatus, B. C, Wash.
(120c) Farallon cormorant, Phalacrocorax
auritus albociliatus, Ore., Cal.
(122) Brandt cormorant, Phalacrocorax
penicillatus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(123a) Violet-green cormorant, Phalacro-
corax pelagicus robustus, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(123b) Baird cormorant, Phalacrocorax
pelagicus resplendens. Wash., Ore., Cal.
(125) White pelican, Pelecanus erythro-
rhynchoSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(127) California brown pelican, Pelecanus
californicuSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(128) Man-o'-war bird, Fregata aquila, Cal.
(129) Merganser, Mergus americanus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(130) Red-breasted merganser, Mergus ser-
rator, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(131) Hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucul-
latus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(132) Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
174
LIST OF BIRDS
(135) Gadwall, Chaulelasmus streperus, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(136) European widgeon, Mareca penelope,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(137) Baldpate, Mareca americana, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(138) European teal Nettion crecca, Cal.
(139) Green-winged teal, Nettion carolinense,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(140) Blue-winged teal, Querquedula discorSy
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(141) Cinnamon teal, Querquedula cyanop-
tera, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(142) Shoveller, Spatula clypeata^ B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(143) Pintail, Dafila acuta, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(144) Wood duck, Aix sponsa, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(146) Redhead, Marila americana, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(147) Canvas-back, Marila valisineria, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(148) Scaup duck, Marila marila, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(149) Lesser scaup duck, Marila affinis, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(150) Ring-necked duck, Marila collarisy
B. C, Wash., Ore., CaL
(151) Golden-eye, Clangula clangula ameri-
cana, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
175
LIST OF BIRDS
(152) Barrow golden-eye, Clangula islandica,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(153) Buffle-head, Charitonetta albeola, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(154) Old-squaw, Harelda hyemalis, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(155) Harlequin duck, Histrionicus histrioni-
cus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal,
(162) King eider, Somateria spedabilis, Cal.
(163) Scoter, Oidemia americana, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(165) White-winged scoter, Oidemia deglandi,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(166) Surf scoter, Oidemia perspicillatay B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(167) Ruddy duck, Erismatura jamaicensisy
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(169) Snow goose, Chen hyperboreus hyper-
boreus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(170) Ross goose, Chen rossi, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(171a) White-fronted goose, Anser albifrons
gambeliy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(172) Canada goose, Branta canadensis cana-
densis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(172a) Hutchins goose, Branta canadensis
hutchinsi, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(172b) White-cheeked goose, Branta cana-
densis occidentalism B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(172c) Cackling goose, Branta canadensis
minimayB. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
176
LIST OF BIRDS
(174) Black brant, Branta nigricans, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(176) Emperor goose, Philade canagica, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(177) Black-bellied tree duck, Dendrocygna
autumnal is, Cal.
(178) Fulvous tree duck, Dendrocygna bi-
color, B. C, Wash., Cal.
(180) Wliistling swan, Olor columbianus, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(181) Trumpeter swan, Olor buccinator, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(183) Roseate spoonbill, Ajaia ajaja, Cal.
(187) White-faced glossy ibis, Plegadis
guarauna, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(188) Wood ibis, Mycteria americana, Cal.
(190) Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(191) Least bittern, Ixobrychus exilis. Ore.,
Cal.
(194) Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
Jierodias, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(194a) Northwestern coast heron, Ardea
herodias fannini, B. C, W'ash., Ore.
(190) Egret, //ero(/m6'^^re/<a, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(197) Snowy heron, Egretta candidissima
candidissima. Ore., Cal.
(201c) Anthony green heron, Buiorides
virescens anthonyi. Ore., Cal.
(202) Black-crowned night heron, Nyciicorax
nycticorax naevius. Wash., Ore., Cal.
177
LIST OF BIRDS
(205) Little brown crane, Grus canadensisy
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(206) Sandhill crane, Grus mexicana, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(210) California clapper rail, Rallus obsoletus.
Wash., Cal.
(210.1) Light-footed rail, Rallus levipes, Cal.
(212) Virginia rail, Rallus virginianus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(214) Sora rail, Porzana Carolina, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(215) Yellow rail, Coturnicops novehoracensis.
Ore., Cal.
(216.1) Farallon rail, Creciscus coturniculus.
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(219) Florida gallinule, Gallinula galeata,
Cal.
(221) Coot, Fulica americana, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(222) Red phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(223) Northern phalarope, Lobipes lohatus,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(224) Wilson phalarope, Steganopus tricolor,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(225) Avocet, Recurvirostra americana.
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(226) Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexi-
canus. Ore., Cal.
(230) Wilson snipe, Gallinago delicata, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
178
LIST OF BIRDS
('-23'2) Long-hilled dowitcher, Macrorhamphus
griscua scolopacciis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(•234) Knot, Tringa canuius, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
('23oa) Aleutian sandpiper, Arquatella mari-
tinia couesi. Ore.
(238) Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Pisobia aurita,
B. C.
(239) Pectoral sandpiper, Pisobia maculata,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(241) Baird sandpiper, Pisobia bairdi, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(242) Least sandpiper, Pisobia miriKtilla,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(243a) Red-backed sandpiper, Pelidna alpina
sakhalina, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(246) Semipalmated sandpiper, Er-'unetes
pusilluSy B. C, Wash.
(247) Western sandpiper, Ereunetes mauri,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(248) Sanderling, Calidris leucophwa, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(249) Marbled godwit, Limosa fedoa, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(2.54) Greater yellow-legs, Totanus melano-
leucus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(2.5.5) Yellow-legs, Totanus flavipes, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(256a) Western solitary sandpiper, Ilelo-
dromas solitarius cinnamomeusy B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
179
LIST OF BIRDS
(258a) Western willet, Catoptrophorus semi-
palmatus inoniatiis, B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(259) Wandering tattler, Heteractitis incanus,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(261) Upland plover, Bartramia longicauda,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(262) Buff-breasted sandpiper, Tryngites
subruficollisy B. C, Wash.
(263) Spotted sandpiper, Actitis maculariay
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(264) Long-billed curlew, Numenius ameri-
canus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(265) Hudsonian curlew, Numenius hudsoni-
cus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(270) Black-bellied plover, Squatarola squata-
rola, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(272) Golden plover, Charadrius dominicus
dominicuSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(272a) Pacific golden plover, Charadrius
dominicus fulvus, B. C.
(273) Killdeer, Oxyechus vociferuSy B. C,
W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(274) Semipalmated plover, ^gialitis semi-
palmata, B. C, W'ash., Ore., Cal.
(278) Snowy plover, ^gialitis nivosa. Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(280) Wilson plover, Ochthodromus wilsonius,
Cal.
(281) Mountain plover, Podasocys montanus,
Cal.
180
LIST OF BIRDS
('■2i^'-2) Surf-hird, Aphriza virgata, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(283a) Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria inter pres
morincUa, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
('■284) Black turnstone, Arenaria melano-
cephahy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(•^SCl) Frazar oyster-catcher, Hoematopus
frazari, Cal.
("287) Black oyster-catcher, Ilcematopus
bachmani, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(•289) Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus virgini-
anuSy Wash., Ore., Cal.
(292) Mountain quail, Oreortyx picta picta,
B. C, W'ash., Ore., Cal.
(292a) Plumed quail, Oreortyx picta plumi-
fera. Wash, Ore., Cal.
(292b) San Pedro quail, Oreortyx picta con-
finis, Cal.
(294) California quail, LopJiortyx californica
californica, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(294a) Valley quail, Lophortyx californica
vallicolay W^ash., Ore,, Cal.
(295) Gambel quail, Lophortyx gamheliy Cal.
(297a) Sooty grouse, Dendragapus obscurus
fidiginosusy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(2971)) Richardson grouse, Dendragapus ob-
scurus richardsoniy B. C, Ore.
(297c) Sierra grouse, Dendragapus obscurus
sierrTy Ore., Cal.
(298b) Alaska spruce partridge, Canachites
canadensis osgoodi, B. C.
181
LIST OF BIRDS
(299) Franklin grouse, Canachites franklini,
B. C, Wash., Ore.
(300a) Canada ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbel-
lus togata, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(300b) Gray ruffed grouse, Bonasa umhellus
umbelloideSy B. C.
(300c) Oregon ruffed grouse, Bonasa umhellus
sabini, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(301) Willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus
lagopus, B. C.
(304) White-tailed ptarmigan, Lagopus
leucurus leucurus, B. C, Wash.
(308) Sharp-tailed grouse, Pedicecetes phasi-
anellus phasianellus, B. C.
(308a) Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, Pedi-
cecetes phasianellus columbianusy B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(309) Sage hen, Centrocercusu rophasianus,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(312) Band-tailed pigeon, Columba fasciata
fasciata, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(316) Mourning dove, Zenaidura macroura
carolinensis, B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(319) White-winged dove, Melopelia asiatica.
Wash., Cal.
(320a) Mexican ground dove, Choemepelia
passerina pallescens, Cal.
(324) California vulture, Gymnogyps cali-
fornianus. Ore., Cal.
(325) Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura septen-
trionalis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
182
LIST OF BIRDS
(3^28) White-tailed kite, Elanus leucurus,
Cal.
(331) Marsh hawk, Circus hudsonius, B. C,
\Yash., Ore., Cal.
(33*2) Sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter veloXy
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(333) Cooper hawk, Accipiter cooperi, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(334) Goshawk, Astur atricapillus atricapil-
lus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(334a) Western goshawk, Astur atricapillus
siriatulusy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(335) Harris hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus
harrisi, Cal.
(337b) Western red-tailed hawk, Buteo
borealis calurus, B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(339b) Red-bellied hawk, Buteo lineatus
elegans, B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(342) Swainson hawk, Buteo swainsoni, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(347a) Rough-legged hawk, Archibuteo
lagopus sancti-johannis, B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(348) Ferruginous rough-legged hawk, Arch-
ituteo ferrug incus, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(349) Golden eagle, Aquila chryscptos, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(352) Bald eagle, Ilaliocetus leucoccphalus
leucocephalus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(352a) Northern bald eagle, Ilalio'ctus
leucoccphalus alascanus, B. C.
183
LIST OF BIRDS
(353) White gyrfalcon, Falco islandus, B. C.
(354) Gray gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus rusti-
coins y Wash., Ore.
(355) Prairie falcon, Falco mexicanus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(356a) Duck hawk, Falco peregrinus anatum,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(356b) Peale falcon, Falco peregrinus pealeiy
B. C, Wash., Ore.
(357) Pigeon hawk, Falco columbarius
columbarius, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(357a) Black pigeon hawk, Falco columbarius
suckleyi, B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(357b) Richardson pigeon hawk, Falco
columbarius richardsoni, B. C.
(360) Sparrow hawk, Falco sparverius spar-
verius, B. C.
(360a) Desert sparrow hawk, Falco spar-
verius phalcena, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(364) Osprey, Pandion halicetus carolinensis,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(365) Barn owl, Aluco pratincola. Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(366) Long-eared owl, Asio wilsonianuSy B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(367) Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(369) Spotted owl, Strix occidentalis oc-
cidentalism Cal.
(369a) Northern spotted owl, Strix oc-
cidentalis caurina^ B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
184
LIST OF BIRDS
(370) Great gray owl, Scotiaptex nchulosa
nebulosay B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(371) Richardson owl, Cryptoglaux funerea
richardsoniy B. C, Wash., Ore.
(372) Saw-whet owl, Crypioglaux acadica
acadica, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(37'-2a) Northwestern saw-whet owl, Crypiog-
laux acadica scotooa, B. C, Wash.
(373c) California screech owl, Otus asio
beiidirei, Ore., Cal.
(373d) Kennicott screech owl, Otus asio
kennicotti, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(373h) MacFarlane screech owl, Otus asio
macfarlanei, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(374a) Dwarf screech ow^l, Otus flammeolus
idahoensis, B. C, Wash.
(37oa) Western horned owl. Bubo virginianus
pallescens, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(375b) Arctic horned owl. Bubo virginianus
subarcticus, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(375c) Dusky horned owl, Bubo virginianus
saturatus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(375d) Pacific horned owl. Bubo virginianus
pacificus. Ore., Cal.
(376) Snowy owl, Nydea nyctea, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(377a) Hawk owl, Siirnia idula caparoch,
B. C, Wash.
(378) Burrowing owl, Speofyto ciinicularia
hypogway B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
185
LIST OF BIRDS
(379) Pygmy owl, Glaucidium gnoma gnoma,
B. C, Wash., Ore,, Cal.
(379a) California pygmy owl, Glaucidium
gnoma californicum, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(381) Elf owl, Micropallas whitneyiy Cal.
(385) Road-runner, Geococcyx calif or nianuSy
Cal.
(387a) California cuckoo, Coccyzus ameri-
canus occidentalism B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(390) Belted kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(393c) Harris woodpecker, Dryohates villosus
harrisi, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(393d) Cabanis woodpecker, Dryohates vil-
losus hyloscopuSy Cal.
(393e) Rocky mountain hairy w^oodpecker,
Dryohates Villosus monticola. Wash., Ore.
(393f) Queen Charlotte woodpecker, Dryo-
hates villosus picoideus, B. C.
(394a) Gairdner woodpecker, Dryohates
puhescens gairdneri, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(394b) Batchelder woodpecker, Dryohates
puhescens homorus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(394e) Willow woodpecker, Dryohates puhes-
cens turatiy Cal.
(396a) San Lucas Woodpecker, Dryohates
scalaris lucasanus, Cal.
(397) Nuttall woodpecker, Dryohates nut-
talli. Ore., Cal.
(399) White-headed woodpecker, Xenopicus
alholarvatus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
186
LIST OF BIRDS
(400) Arctic three-toed woodpecker, Picoides
arcticu^-, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(401a) Ahiska three-toed woodpecker,
Picoides americanus fasciatus, B. C, Wash.
(401b) Alpine three-toed woodpecker,
Picoides americanus dorsalisy B. C, Wash., Ore.
(402a) Red-naped sapsucker, Sphyrapicus
varius nuchalis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(403) Red-breasted sapsucker, Sphyrapicus
ruber ruber, Cal.
(403a) Northern red-breasted sapsucker,
Sphyrapicus ruber notkensis, B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(404) Williamson sapsucker, Sphyrapicus
thyroideus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(405a) Northern pileated woodpecker,
Phlwotomus pileatus abieticola, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(407a) California woodpecker, Melanerpes
formicivorus bairdi. Ore., Cal.
(408) Lewis woodpecker, Asyndesmus lewisi,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(411) Gila woodpecker, Centurus uropygialis,
Cal.
(412a) Northern flicker, Colaptes auratus
luteusy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(413) Red-shafted flicker, Co plates cafer
collaris, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(413a) Northwestern flicker, Colaptes cafer
saturatior, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(414) Gilded flicker, Colaptes chrysoides, Cal.
187
LIST OF BIRDS
(418) Poor- will, PhaloBUoptilus nuttalli nut-
talli B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(418b) Dusky poor-will, Phalcenoptilus nvt-
talli californicusy Cal.
(420a) Western nighthawk, Chordeiles vir-
ginianus lienryi, B. C, Wash.
(420d) Pacific nighthawk, Chordeiles vir-
ginianus hesperis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(421) Texas nighthawk, Chordeiles acuti-
pennis texensisy Cal.
(422) Black swift, Cypseloides niger borealis,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(424) Vaux swift, Choetura vauxi, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(425) White-throated swift, Mronautes
melanoleucus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(429) Black-chinned hummingbird, Archi-
lochus alexandri, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(430) Costa hummingbird, Calypte costae,
Cal.
(431) Anna hummingbird, Calypte anna, Cal.
(432) Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selas-
phorus platycercus. Ore.
(433) Rufous hummingbird, Selasphorus
rufus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(434) Allen hummingbird, Selasphorus alleni,
Cal.
(436) Calliope hummingbird, Stellula cal-
liope, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(444) Kingbird, Tyr annus tyr annus, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
188
LIST OF BIRDS
(447) Western king])ird, Tijrayinus vcrticalisy
B. C, Wash., Ore., (\il.
(448) Cassin kingbird, Tyranniis vociferanSy
Ore., Cal.
(454) Ash-throated flycatcher, Myiarchus
cinerascens cinerasceiis. Wash., Ore., Cal.
(457) Say phcebe, Sayornis sayus, B. C,
W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(458) Black phoebe, Sayoryiis nigricans, Ore.,
Cal.
(459) Olive-sided flycatcher, Nuttallornis
horealis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(462) Western wood pewee, Myiockanes
ricliardsoni richardsoni, B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(464) Western flycatcher, Empidonax dif-
ficilis difficilis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(464a) San Lucas flycatcher, Empidonax
difficilis cineritiusy Cal.
(466) Traill flycatcher, Empidonax trailli
irailli, B. C, W\ash., Ore., Cal.
(468) Hammond flycatcher, Empidonax
hammondiy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(469) Weight flycatcher, Empidonax wrightiy
B. C.y Wash., Ore., Cal.
(469.1) Gray flycatcher, Empidonax griseuSy
Ore., Cal.
(474a) Pallid horned lark, Otocoris alpestris
arcticola, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(474c) Desert horned lark, Otocoris alpestris
leucolwmay Cal.
189
LIST OF BIRDS
(474e) California horned lark, Otocoris al-
pestris actiay Cal.
(474f) Ruddy horned lark, Otocoris alpestris
ruhea, Cal.
(474g) Streaked horned lark, Otocoris al-
pestris strigata. Wash., Ore., Cal.
(474i) Dusky horned lark, Otocoris alpestris
merrilli, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(474m) Island horned lark, Otocoris alpestris
insularisy Cal.
(475) Magpie, Pica pica hudsonia, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(476) Yellow-billed magpie. Pica nuttalli, Cal.
(478) Steller jay, Cyanocitta stelleri stelleri,
B. C, Wash., Ore.
(478a) Blue-fronted jay, Cyanocitta stelleri
frontalis y Ore., Cal.
(478c) Black-headed jay, Cyanocitta stelleri
annectenSy B. C, Wash., Ore.
(478d) Queen Charlotte jay, Cyanocitta
stelleri carlottoB, B. C.
(478e) Coast jay, Cyanocitta stelleri car-
bonacea, Ore., Cal.
(480) Woodhouse jay, Apheloconia wood-
houseiy Ore., Cal.
(481) California jay, Aphelocoma californica
californicay Wash., Ore., Cal.
(481b) Belding jay, Aphelocoma californica
ohscuray Cal.
(481.1) Santa Cruz jay, Aphelocoma in-
sularisy Cal.
190
LIST OF BIRDS
(484) Canada jay, Perisoreus canadensis
canadensis, B. C.
(484a) Rocky Mountain jay, Perisoreus
canadensis capitalis, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(485) Oregon jay, Perisoreus obscurus oh-
scums, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(48oa) Gray jay, Perisoreus obscurus griseus.
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(486) Raven, Corvus corax sinuatus. Ore., Cal.
(486a) Northern raven, Corvus corax prin-
hipalis, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(488b) Western crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
cesperis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(489) Northwestern crow, Corvus caurinus,
B. C, Wash., Ore.
(491) Clarke nutcracker, Nucifraga columbi-
autty B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(492) Pinon jay, Cyanocephalus cyano-
cephalus. Wash., Ore., Cal.
(494) Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, B. C,
Ore., Cal.
(495) Cowbird, Moloihrus ater ater, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(495a) Dwarf cowbird, Moloihrus ater ob-
scurus, Cal.
(497) Yellow-headed blackbird, Xantho-
cephalus xanthocephalus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(498a) Sonora red-wing, Agelaius phwniceus
sonoriensisy Cal.
(498e) San Diego red-wing, Agelaius phwni-
ceus neutralisy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
191
LIST OF BIRDS
(498f) Northwestern red-wing, Agelaius
phopniceus caurinus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(499) Bicolored red-winged, Agelaius guherna-
tor calif ornicus. Ore., Cal.
(500) Tricolored red-wing, Agelaius tricolor,
Cal.
(501.1) Western meadowlark, Sturnella
neglecta, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(504) Scott oriole. Icterus parisorum, Cal.
(505a) Arizona hooded oriole. Icterus cucul-
latus nelsoni, Cal.
(508) Bullock oriole. Icterus bullocki, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(509) Rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus,
B. C.
(510) Brewer blackbird, Euphagus cyano-
cephalus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(514a) Western evening grosbeak, Hesperi-
phonavespertinamontana, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(515b) California pine grosbeak, Pinicola
enucleator calif ornica, Cal.
(515c) Alaska pine grosbeak, Pinicola
enucleator alascensis, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(517a) California purple finch, Carpodacus
purpureus calif ornicus. Wash., Ore., Cal.
(518) Cassin purple finch, Carpodacus
cassiniy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(519) House finch, Carpodacus mexicanus
frontalis. Wash., Ore., Cal.
(519c) San Clemente house finch, Carpodacus
mexicanus dementis^ Cal.
192
LIST OF BIRDS
(521) Crossbill, Loxia curvirosira minora B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
{5'i'i) White-winged crossbill, Loxia leiicop-
tera, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(524) Gray-crowned rosy finch, Leucosticte
tephrocotis tephrocotisy B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(524a) Hepburn rosy finch, Leucosticte
tephrocotis littoralisy B. C, Wash., Ore.
(527a) Hoary redpoll, Acanthis hornemanni
exilipesy B. C.
(528) Redpoll, Acanthis linaria linariay B.
C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(529a) Pale goldfinch, Astragalinus tristis
pallidus, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(529b) Willow goldfinch, Astragalinus tristis
salicamanSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(530a) Green-backed goldfinch, Astragalinus
psaltria hesperophiluSy Ore., Cal.
(531) Lawrence goldfinch, Astragalinus
lau)renceiy Cal.
(533) Pine siskin, Spinus jnnuSy B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(534) Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
nivalis y B. C, Wash., Ore.
(536) Lapland longspur, Calcarius lapponi-
cus lapponicuSy B. C.
(536a) Alaska longspur, Calcarius lapponi-
cus alascensisy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(539) McCown longspur, Rhynchophanes
mccowniy B. C.
'3 193
LIST OF BIRDS
(540a) Western vesper sparrow, Pooecetes
gramineus conjinisy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(540b) Oregon vesper sparrow, Pooecetes
gramineus affinisy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(542) iElutian savannah sparrow. Passer-
cuius sandwichensis sandwichensisy B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(542b) Western savannah sparrow, Passer-
culus sandwichensis alaudinus, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(542c) Bryant sparrow, Passerculus sand-
wichensis bryantiy Cal.
(543) Belding sparrow, Passerculus beldingiy
Cal.
(544) Large-billed sparrow, Passerculus
rostratus rostratus, Cal.
(546a) Western grasshopper sparrow, .4m-
modramus savannarum bimaculatus, B. C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(552a) Western lark sparrow, Chondestes
grammacus strigatuSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(553) Harris sparrow, Zonotrichia querula,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(554) White-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia
leucophrys leucophrySy Ore., Cal.
(554a) Gambel sparrow, Zonotrichia leu-
cophrys gambeliy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(554b) Nuttall sparrow, Zonotrichia leu-
cophrys nuttalli, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(557) Golden-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia
coronata, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
194
LIST OF BIRDS
(558) White-throated sparrow, Zonoirichia
albicollis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(559a) Western tree sparrow, Spizella monii-
cola ochracea, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(560a) Western chipping sparrow, Spizella
passerina arizoncBy B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(561) Clay-colored sparrow, Spizella pallida,
B.C.
(562) Brewer sparrow, Spizella breweri, B.
C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(565) Black-chinned sparrow, Spizella
atrogularis, Cal.
(567) Slate-colored junco, Junco hyemalis
hyemalis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(567a) Oregon junco, Junco hyemalis
oreganuSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(567b) Shufeldt junco, Junco hyemalis con-
nectens, B. C, W^ash., Ore.
(567c) Thurber junco, Junco hyemalis
thurberiy Ore., Cal.
(567d) Point Pinos junco, Junco hyemalis
pinosus, Cal.
(570b) Gray-headed junco, Junco phceonotus
canicepsy Cal.
(573a) Desert sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata
deserticolay Wash., Ore., Cal.
(574) Bell sparrow, Amphispiza belli, Cal.
(574.1) Sage sparrow, Amphispiza nevadensis
nevadensisy W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(574.1b) California sage sparrow, Am-
phispiza nevadensis canescensy Cal.
195
LIST OF BIRDS
(580) Rufous-crowned sparrow, Aimophila
ruficeps ruficepsy Cal.
(581a) Desert song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia fallaxy Cal.
(581b) Mountain song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia montanay Ore., Cal.
(581c) Heermann song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia heermanni, Cal.
(581d) Samuels song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia samuelisy Cal.
(581e) Rusty song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia morphna, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(581f) Sooty song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia rufinay B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(581h) Santa Barbara song sparrow, Melo-
spiza melodia gramineay Cal.
(581i) San Clemente song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia clementcBy Cal.
(581k) Merrill song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia merrilliy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(5811) Alameda song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia pusillulay Cal.
(581m) San Diego song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia cooperiy Cal.
(581p) Mendocino song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia cleonensisy Ore., Cal.
(581s) Suisun song sparrow, Melospiza
melodia maxillarisy Cal.
(583) Lincoln sparrow, Melospiza lincolni
lincolniy Wash., Ore., Cal.
196
LIST OF BIRDS
(588a) Forlnish sparrow, Melospiza lincolni
iftriata, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(585a) Shumagin fox sparrow, Passerella
iliaca U7ialaf>chcen.s{s, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(585b) Thick-billed fox sparrow, Passerella
iliaca megarhyncha, Cal.
(585c) Slate-colored fox sparrow, Passerella
iliaca schistacea, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(585d) Stephens fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca
stephensiy Cal.
(585e) Sooty fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca
fuliginosa, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(585f) Kadiak fox sparrow, Passerella iliaca
insularis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(585g) Townsend fox sparrow, Passerella
iliaca iownsendi, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(588a) Spurred towhee, Pipilo maculatus
monianuSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(588b) Oregon towhee, Pipilo maculatus
oregonus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(588c) San Clemente towhee, Pipilo macula-
tus elements, Cal.
(588d) San Diego towhee, Pipilo maculatus
megalonyXy Cal.
(591.1) California towhee, Pipilo crissalis
crissalis. Ore., Cal.
(591.1a) Anthony towhee, Pipilo crissalis
seniculoy Cal.
(592) Abert twohee, Pipilo abertiy Cal.
(592.1) Green-tailed towhee, Oreospiza
cfilorura. Wash., Ore., Cal.
197
LIST OF BIRDS
(596) Black-headed grosbeak, Zamelodia
melanocephalay B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(597a) Western blue grosbeak, Guiraca
ccBTulea lazultty Cal.
(599) Lazuli bunting, Passerina amcena,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(605) Lark bunting, Calamospiza melano-
corysy B. C, Cal.
(607) Western tanager, Piranga ludoviciana,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(611a) Western martin, Progne subis
hesperiay B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(612) Cliff swallow, Petrochelidon lunifrons
lunifronSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(613) Barn swallow, Hirundo erythrogastray
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(614) Tree swallow, Iridoprocne bicolor, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(615) Northern violet-green swallow, Tachy-
cineta thalassina lepida^ B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(616) Bank swallow, Riparia riparia, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(617) Rough- winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx
serripennis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(618) Bohemian waxwing, Bomby cilia gar-
rultty B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(619) Cedar waxwing, Bomby cilia cedrorum^
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(620) Phainopepla, Phainopepla nitens, Cal.
(621) Northern shrike, Lanius borealisy B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
198
LIST OF BIRDS
(622a) White-rumped shrike, Lanius ludo-
vicianus excuhitorides^ Wash,, Ore., Cal.
(622b) CaUfornia shrike, Lanius ludovicianus
gamheli, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(622c) Island shrike, Lanius ludovicianus
anthonyi, Cal.
(624) Red-eyed vireo, Vireosylva olivacea,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(627a) Western warbling vireo, Vireosylva
gilva swainsoni, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(629a) Cassin vireo, Lanivireo solitarius cas-
siniy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(632) Hutton vireo, Vireo huttoni huttoni,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(633a) Least vireo, Vireo belli yusillus,
Cal.
(634) Gray vireo, Vireo viciniory Cal.
(645a) Calaveras warbler, Vermivora rubri-
capilla gutturalis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(646) Orange-crowned warbler, Vermivora
celata celatay B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(646a) Lutescent warbler, Vermivora celata
lutescensy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(646b) Dusky warbler, Vermivora celata
sordid a, Cal.
(647) Tennessee warbler, Vermivora pere-
grinoy B. C.
(652b) Alaska yellow warbler, Dendroica
CBstiva rubiginosa, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(652c) California yellow warbler, Dendroica
CBstiva brewsteri, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
199
LIST OF BIRDS
(655) Myrtle warbler, Dendroica coronatay
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(656) Audubon warbler, Dendroica auduboni
avduboniy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(657) Magnolia warbler, Dendroica magnolia,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(661) Black-poll warbler, Dendroica striata,
B.C.
(665) Black-throated gray warbler, Den-
droica nigrescens, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(668) Townsend warbler, Dendroica town-
sendiy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(669) Hermit warbler, Dendroica occidentalis,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(675a) Grinnell water-thrush, Seiurus nove-
boracensis notabilis, B. C, Wash.
(680) Macgillivray warbler, Oporornis tol-
miei, B, C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(681a) Western yellow-throat, Geothlyjris
trichas occidentalis, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(681c) Pacific yellow-throat, Geothlypis
trichas arizela, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(68 le) Salt marsh yellow-throat, Geothlypis
trichas sinuosa, Cal.
(683a) Long-tailed chat, Ideria virens longi-
cauda, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(685a) Pileolated warbler, Wilsonia pusilla
pileolata, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(685b) Golden pileolated warbler, Wil-
sonia pusilla chryseola, B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
200
LIST OF BIRDS
(687) Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla, B. C,
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(697) Pipit, Anthus rubescens, B, C, Wash.,
Ore., Cal.
(701) Dipper, Cinclus mexicanus unicolor,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(702) Sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus.
Wash., Ore., Cal.
(703a) Western mockingbird, Mimus poly-
glottos leucopteruSy Cal.
(704) Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, B. C,
Wash., Ore.
(708) Bendire thrasher, Toxostoma bendireiy
Cal.
(710) California thrasher, Toxostoma redivi-
vunty Cal.
(711) Leconte thrasher, Toxostoma lecontei
leconteiy Cal.
(712) Crissal thrasher, Toxostoma crissale, Cal.
(713) Cactus wren, Heleodytes brunneicapil-
lus couesiy Cal.
(713a) Bryant cactus wren, Heleodytes brun-
neicapillus bryantiy Cal.
(715) Rock wren, Salpinctes obsoletus obso-
letusy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(715a) San Nicolas rock wren. Salpinctes
obsoletus pulveriusy Cal.
(717a) Cafion wren, Catherpes mexicanus
conspersus, Cal.
(7171)) Dotted cafion wren, Catherpes mexi-
canus punctulatuSy Wash., Ore., Cal.
201
LIST OF BIRDS
(719a) Vigors wren, Thryomanes bewicki
spiluruSy Cal.
(719b) Baird wren, Thryomanes bevncki
bairdi, Cal.
(71 9d) San Diego wren, Thryomanes bewicki
charienturuSf Cal.
(71 9e) Seattle wren, Thryomanes bevncki
calophonus, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(719.1) San Clemente wren, Thryomanes
leucophrysy Cal.
(721a) Western house wren. Troglodytes cedon
parkmani, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(722a) Western winter wren, Nannus
hiemalis pacificus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(725a) Tule wren, Telmatodytes palustris palu-
dicola, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(725c) Western marsh wren, Telmatodytes
palustris plesius, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(726b) Rocky mountain creeper, Certhia
familiaris montana, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(726c) California creeper, Certhia famil-
iaris occidentalism B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(726d) Sierra creeper, Certhia familiaris
zelotesy Wash., Ore., Cal.
(727a) Slender-billed nuthatch, Sitta carolin-
ensis aculeata^ B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(727c) Rocky mountain nuthatch, Sitta
carolinensis nelsoni. Ore., Cal.
(728) Red-breasted nuthatch, Sitta canaden-
sis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
202
LIST OF BIRDS
(730) Pygmy nuthatch, Sitta pygmwa pygmoBay
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(730a) White-naped nuthatch, Sitta pyg-
mora leuconucha, Cal.
(733) Plain titmouse, Bceolophua inornatus
inornatus. Ore., Cal.
(733a) Gray titmouse, Baeolophiis inornatus
griseus, Cal.
(735a) Long-tailed chickadee, Penthestes
atricapillu.'i' septentrionalis, B. C, Wash., Ore.
(735b) Oregon chickadee, Penthestes atrica-
pillns occidentalism B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(738) Mountain chickadee, Penthestes gam-
beli gambeliy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(738a) Bailey mountain chickadee, Pen-
thestes gambeli bailey ce^ Ore., Cal.
(740) Hudsonian chickadee, Penthestes
hudsonicus hudsonicuSy B. C.
(741) Chestnut-backed chickadee, Penthestes
rufescens rufescens^ B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(741a) California chickadee, Penthestes
rufescens neglectuSy Cal.
(741b) Barlow chickadee, Penthestes rufes-
cens barloiviy Cal.
(74*2) Wren-tit, Chamceafasciatafasciata, Cal.
(742a) Pallid wren-tit, Chamooa fasciata
henshaiidy Cal.
(7421)) Coast wren-tit, Chamcea fasciata
phccay Ore., Cal.
(742c) Ruddy wren-tit, Chamaea fasciata
rufulay Cal.
203
LIST OF BIRDS
(743) Bush-tit, Psaltriparus minimus mini-
musy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(743a) California bush-tit, Psaltriparus mini-
mus calif ornicusy Ore., Cal.
(744) Lead-colored bush-tit, Psaltriparus
plumbeusy Ore., Cal.
(746) Verdin, Auriparus flaviceps flavicepSy
Cal.
(748a) Western golden-crowned kinglet,
Regulus satrapa olivaceuSy B. C, Wash., Ore.,
Cal.
(749) Ruby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calen-
dula calendula, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(749a) Sitka kinglet, Regulus calendula grin-
nelliy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(751a) Western gnatcatcher, Polioptila
coerulea obscuray Cal.
(752) Plumbeous gnatcatcher, Polioptila
plumbeay Cal.
(753) Black-tailed gnatcatcher, Polioptila
calif ornica, Cal.
(754) Townsend solitaire, Myadestes town-
sendiy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(756a) Willow thrush, Hylocichla fuscescens
salicicolay B. C, Wash., Ore.
(757) Gray-cheeked thrush, Hylocichla
alicias alicicB, B. C.
(758) Russet-backed thrush, Hylocichla
ustulata ustulatay B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(758a) Olive-backed thrush, Hylocichla
ustulata swainsoniy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
204
LIST OF BIRDS
(7.59) Alaska hermit thrush, Hylocichla
guttata guttata, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(759a) Audubon hermit thrush, Hylocichla
guttata auduboni. Wash., Ore.
(7.59h) Hermit thrush, Hylocichla guttata
pallasi, B. C.
(7o9c) Dwarf hermit thrush, Hylocichla
guttata nanus, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(759d) Monterey hermit thrush, Hylocichla
guttata slevini, Cal.
(759e) Sierra hermit thrush, Hylocichla
guttata sequoiensis, B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(761) Robin, Planesticus migratorius migra-
toriuSy B. C.
(761a) Western robin, Planesticus migra-
torius propinquuSy B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(763) Varied thrush, Ixoreus ncevius ncBvius,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(763a) Northern varied thrush, Ixoreus
noBvius meruloidesy B. C, W^ash., Ore., Cal.
(767) Western bluebird, Sialia mexicana
occidentalism B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
(767b) San Pedro bluebird, Sialia mexicana
anabelcp, Cal.
(768) Mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides,
B. C, Wash., Ore., Cal.
205
INDEX
Alaska Robin (Varied
Thrush), 7-9
Arkansas Kingbird, 60
Audubon Warbler, 26-8
Band-tailed Pigeon, 138-9
Barn Owl, 160-1
Barn Swallow, 57-8
Belted Kingfisher, 107-9
Blackbird, Brewer, 100-1
Northwestern Red-
winged, 98-100
Yellow-headed, 102-3
Black-headedGrosbeak, 68-
70
Black-throated Gray War-
bler, 24-5
Bluebird, Mountain, 4-6
Western, 3-4
Bobolink, 101-2
Bobwhite, 126-9
Bohemian Waxwing, 64-5
Brewer Blackbird, 100-1
Bullock Oriole, 97-8
Bunting, Lazuli, 70-1
Bush-tit, 38-9
California Creeper, 41
Jay, 112-13
Purple Finch,
Pygmy Owl,
Quail, 131-2
Woodpecker,
Yellow Warbler, 20-1
(assin Purple Finch, 90-
Cassin Vireo, 33-5
88-90
159-00
123
Odar Waxwing, 65-7
Chat, long-tailed, 28-9
Chestnut-backed Chicka-
dee, 37-8
Chickadee, Chestnut-
backed, 37-8
Oregon, 35-6
Chipping Sparrow, Western,
82—3
Clarke Nutcracker, 117-18
Cliff Swallow, 53-4
Coast Wren-tit, 39-40
Cooper Hawk, 154-5
Coot, 145-6
Creeper, California, 41
Crossbill, 86-7
Crow, Western, 116-17
Desert Sparrowhawk, 149-
50
Dipper (W^ater Ouzel), 45-7
Dove, Mourning, 139-40
Evening Grosbeak, W^est-
ern, 94-7
Finch, California Purple,
88-90
Cassin Purple, 90-1
Hepburn Rosy, 91-3
Finches:
Black-headed Grosbeak,
68-70
Calirornia Purple Finch,
88-90
Cassin Purple Finch, 90-1
207
INDEX
Finches — Continued
Crossbill, 86-7
Golden Crowned Spar-
row, 74-5
Green-backed Goldfinch,
85-6
Hepburn Rosy Finch,
91-3
Lazuli Bunting, 70-1
Nuttall White-crowned
Sparrow, 76-7
Oregon Junco, 71-2
Oregon Towhee, 73-4
Oregon Vesper Sparrow,
80-1
Pine Siskin, 87-8
Redpoll, 93-4
Rusty Song Sparrow, 77-
8
Townsend Fox Sparrow,
78-9
Western Chipping Spar-
row, 82-3
Western Evening Gros-
beak, 94-7
Western LarkSparrow,80
Western Savannah
Sparrow, 81-2
Willow Goldfinch, 83-5
Flicker, Red-shafted, 118-
19
Flycatcher, Olive-sided, 61-
2
Traill, 62-3
Flycatchers :
Arkansas Kingbird, 60
Kingbird, 59-60
Olive-sided Flycatcher,
61-2
Say Phoebe, 63-4
Traill Flycatcher, 62-3
Western Wood Pewee, 62
Fox Sparrow, Townsend,
78-9
Gairdner Woodpecker, 122-
3
Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Western, 12-13
Golden-crowned Sparrow,
74-5
Goldfinch, Green-backed,
85-6
Willow, 83-5
Great Blue Heron, 146-9
Grebe, Pied-billed, 144-5
Green-backed Goldfinch,
85-6
Grosbeak, Black-headed,
68-70
Western Evening, 94-7
Grouse, Oregon Ruffed,
137-8
Sooty, 135-7
Harris Woodpecker, 121-2
Hawk, Cooper, 154-5
Sharp-shinned, 152-4
Sparrow, Desert, 149-50
Western Red-tailed, 150-
2
Hepburn Rosy Finch, 91-8
Hermit Thrush, Sierra, 11-
12
Hermit Warbler, 30-2
Heron, Great Blue, 146-9
Horned Lark, Streaked,
105-6
Horned Owl, Dusky, 156-8
House Wren, Western, 16-17
Hummingbird, Rufous, 47-
50
Jay, California, 112-13
Oregon, 111-12
Pinyon, 113-15
Steller, 109-11
Junco, Oregon, 71-2
Kennicott Screech
158-9
Killdeer, 142-3
Kingbird, 59-60
Arkansas, 60
Owl.
208
INDEX
Kingfisher. Belted, 107-9
Kinglet, Uuby-crowned,
14-15
Western Golden-crowned,
U-V3
Lark Sparrow, Western, 80
Lark, Streaked Horned,
105-6
Lazuli Bunting, 70-1
Lewis Woodpecker, 125-G
Long-eared Owl, 155-G
Long-tailed Chat, 28-9
Lutescent Warbler, 23-4
Macgillivray Warbler, 25-6
Magpie, 115-16
Martin, Western, 56-7
Meadowlark, Western, 104-
5
Mountain Bluebird, 4-6
Mountain Quail, 129-31
Mourning Dove, 139-40
Nighthawk, Pacific, 50-1
Northern Violet-green Swal-
low, 55-6
Northwestern Red- winged
Blackbird. 98-100
Nutcracker, Clarke, 117-18
Nuthatch, Pygmy, 43-4
Red- breasted, 42-3
Slender-billed, 42
\ u 1 1 a 1 1 White-crowned
Sparrow, 76-7
Olive-sided Flycatcher, 01-
2
Oregon Chickadee, 35-6
Jay, 111-12
Junco, 71-2
Huffed Grouse, 137-8
Towhee, 73-4
X'esper Sparrow, 80-1
Oriole, Bullock, 97-8
Ouzel, Water (I)ij)per), 45-
7
Owl, Barn, 160-1
California Pygmy, 159-
60
Dusky Horned, 156-8
Kennicott Screech, 158-9
Long-eared, 155-6
Short-eared, 156
Pacific Nighthawk, 50-1
Pacific Yellow-throat War-
bler, 21-2
Pewee, Western Wood, 62
Pheasant, Ring-necked
(China), 132-5
Phoebe, Say, 63-4
Pied-billed Grebe, 144-5
Pigeon, Band-tailed, 138-9
Pileated Woodpecker, 124-
5
Pileolated Warbler, 22-3
Pine Siskin, 87-8
Pinyon Jay, 113-15
Purple Finch, California,
88-90
Cassin, 90-1
Pygmy Nuthatch, 43-4
Owl, California, 159-60
Quail:
Bob white, 126-9
California, 131-2
Mountain, 129-31
Red-breasted Nuthatch,
42-3
Sapsucker, 119-21
Redpoll, 93-4
Red-shafted Flicker. 118-19
Red-tailed Hawk. 150-2
Red- winged Blackbird,
Northwestern. 98-100
Ring- necked Pheasant
(China), 132-5
Road-runner. 161-4
Robin. Alaska (Varied
Thrush), 7-9
Western, 0-7
209
INDEX
Rosy Finch, Hepburn, 91-3
Rough-winged Swallow, 58-
9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 14-
15
Ruffed Grouse, Oregon,
137-8
Rufous Hummingbird, 47-
50
Russet-backed Thrush, 9-
10
Rusty Song Sparrow, 77-8
Sandpiper, Spotted, 141-2
Sapsucker, Red-breasted,
119-21
Savanna Sparrow, West-
ern, 81-2
Say Phoebe, 63-4
Screech Owl, Kennicott,
158-9
Seattle Wren, 15-16
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 152-4
Short-eared Owl, 156
Sierra Hermit Thrush, 11-
12
Siskin, Pine, 87-8
Slender-billed Nuthatch, 42
Sooty Grouse, 135-7
Sparrow, Golden-crowned,
74-5
Nuttall White-crowned,
76-7
Oregon Vesper, 80-1
Rusty Song, 77-8
Townsend Fox, 78-9
Western Chipping, 82-3
Western Lark, 80
Western Savanna, 81-2
Sparrowhawk, Desert, 149-
50
Steller Jay, 109-11
Streaked Horned Lark,
105-6
Swallows:
Barn Swallow, 57-8
Cliff Swallow, 53-4
Swallows — Coniinved
Northern Violet-green
Swallow, 55-6
Rough-winged Swallow,
58-9
Tree Swallow, 54
Western Martin, 56-7
Swift, Vaux, 51-3
Tanager, Western, 67-8
Thrush, Russet- backed, 9-
10
Sierra Hermit, 11-12
Varied (Alaska Robin),
7-9
Towhee, Oregon, 73-4
Townsend Warbler, 29-30
Traill Flycatcher, 62-3
Tree Swallow, 54
Tule W^ren, 19-20
Varied Thrush, (Alaska
Robin), 7-9
Vaux Swift, 51-3
Vesper Sparrow, Oregon,
80-1
Violet-green Swallow,
Northern, 55-6
Vireo, Cassin, 33-5
Western Warbling, 32-3
Warblers :
Audubon Warbler, 26-8
Black- throated Gray
Warbler, 24-5
California Yellow War-
bler, 20-1
Hermit Warbler, 30-2
Long-tailed Chat, 28-9
Lutescent Warbler, 23-4
Macgillivray Warbler,
25-6
Pacific Yellow-throat
Warbler, 21-2
Pileolated Warbler, 22-3
Townsend Warbler, 29-
30
210
INDEX
Warbling Vireo, Western,
32-3
Water Ouzel (Dipper), 45-
7
Waxwing, Bohemian. G4-5
Cedar, 65-7
Western Bluebird. 3-4
Chipping Sparrow, 82-3
Crow, 116-17
Evening Grosbeak, 94-
7
Golden-crowned Kinglet,
12-13
House Wren, 16-17
Lark Sparrow, 80
Martin, 56-7
Meadowlark, 104-5
Red-tailed Hawk, 150-2
Robin, 6-7
Savanna Sparrow, 81-2
Tanager, 67-8
Warbling Vireo, 32-3
Winter Wren, 18-19
Wood Pewee, 62
White-crowned Sparrow,
Nuttall, 76-7
Willow Goldfinch, 83-5
Winter Wren, Western, 18-
19
Wood Pewee, Western, 62
Woodpeckers:
California Woodpecker,
123
Gairdner Woodpecker,
122-3
Harris Woodpecker, 121-
2
Lewis Woodpecker, 125-6
Pileated Woodpecker,
124-5
Red-breasted Sapsucker,
119-21
Red-shafted Flicker,
118-19
Wren, Seattle, 15-16
Tule, 19-20
Western House, 16-17
Western Winter, 18-19
Wren-tit, Coast, 39-40
Yellow Warbler, California,
20-21
Yellow-headed Blackbird,
102-3
211
The
Mathews Field Books
BY F. SCHUYLER MATHEWS
Though these volumes will grace any library table, they
are built primarily to take on your expeditions into the
country. They measure 434 ' 7 inches, and are prettily
and substantially bound.
In suggesting the Mathews Field Books, the pub-
lishers are sure of their ground. Their judgment
has the backing of eminent naturalists and scientists,
and thousands of nature lovers, the country over.
The Mathews books are standard and their in-
formation is sure. Their simplicity and directness
of vision is amazing.
Their companionship opjens vistas that bring a new
and lasting pleasure to your walks in wood and
field. Also, an excellent accessory to your motor
equipment.
The editions are kept to date.
FIELD BOOK OF AMERICAN WILD
FLOWERS
610 Pages. 24 Color Plates, and Over 300 Other Ulustra-
tions from Studies from Nature by the Author.
FIELD BOOK OF AMERICAN TREES
AND SHRUBS
480 Pages. 16 Color Plates, 3 Pages of Half-Tones, 61
Line Drawings, 50 Crayon Drawings, 43 Maps, by the
Author.
FIELD BOOK OF WILD BIRDS AND
THEIR MUSIC
Revised and Enlarged Edition. 370 Pages. C2 Color
Plates, and 19 Other Full-Page Illustrations, niumi&atiog
Musical Notations Throughout Text.
The
Book of Wild Flowers
for Young People
By Fe Schuyler Mathews
Mr. Mathews is a sympathetic natural-
ist himself, and his children's nature books,
even though completely accurate, are
written so simply that they cannot fail to
stimulate a youngster's ever-present curi-
osity about the out-of-doors. The color
illustrations are not only beautiful but
authentic, and admirably calculated to
instil a love of flowers in many a child's
impressionable mind.
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York London
THE
BOOK OF BIRDS
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
By
F. SCHUYLER MATHEWS
Cr. 8\ A Handsome Volume of 340 Pages.
66 Color Plates and 29 Illustrations
in Black and White
MR. MATHEWS, who needs no introduc-
tion to many thousands of nature lovers,
has written a book so sympathetic, so simple, so
direct, that it will make an instant appeal to
Young People — all of those who are still young
at five or fifty, including the wiser ones of High
School age.
The text is in narrative form, and the volume
is beautifully illustrated in color by the author,
as well as by charming photographs, maps, and
musical notations.
Children are by nature endowed with a love
for the birds, and this book with its lightness
of touch and deep understanding is sure to
stimulate and broaden their interest, and will
prove to be a potent factor in their more liberal
education.
G. p. PUTNAM'S SONS
New York Loadoa
The
Field Book of Insects
With Special Reference to Those of the North-
eastern United States, Aiming to
Answer Common Questions
by Frank E. Lutz
Associate Curator, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology,
American Museum of Natural History
/5^ About 600 Illustrations, Many in
Color, by Edna F, BeutcnmuUcr
Flex. do. Flex, lea,
Hints concerning collecting, breeding, preserv-
ing, and classifying insects; ''catch characters,"
rather than lengthy descriptions, by which com-
monly observed insects, and insects which would
repay observation, may be recognized ; outlines
of interesting or economically important insect
life histories ; and an untechnical but scientifi-
cally accurate text.
Uniform with Schuyler Mathews's books of
Birds, Flowers, and Trees.
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York London
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AMNH LIBRARY
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