Chapter 22

This variety is like the Aleutian Leucosticte but the brown is a great deal paler. The nesting habits and eggs are, in all probability, like those of the last.

525. BLACK ROSY FINCH. _Leucosticte atrata._

Range.--Rocky Mountain region of northern United States; known to breed in Idaho.

This species is black in place of the brown of the others; the gray is restricted to the hind part of the head and the rosy is rather more extensive on the wings. Their eggs probably cannot be distinguished from those of the Gray-crowned variety.

526. BROWN-CAPPED ROSY FINCH. _Leucosticte australis_.

Range.--Breeds at high altitudes in the Rockies in Colorado; south to New Mexico in winter.

A similar bird to the Gray-crowned Leucosticte but with no gray on the head. They nest on the ground above timber line on the higher ranges of the Rockies.

527. GREENLAND REDPOLL. _Acanthis hornemanni hornemanni._

Range.--Greenland and northern Europe; south in winter to Labrador.

This large Redpoll nests at low elevations in trees and bushes, its habits and eggs being similar to the more common American species.

527a. HOARY REDPOLL. _Acanthis hornemanni exilipes._

Range.--Breeds in the Arctic regions and winters south to the northern parts of the United States.

This variety is smaller than the last and is considerably darker but still retains the white rump of the Greenland Redpoll. Its nesting habits are the same as those of the next.

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528. REDPOLL. _Acanthis linaria linaria._

Range.--Breeds within the Arctic Circle; winters south to New York, Kansas and northern California and casually farther.

This species is similar to the last but much darker, and the rump is also streaked with blackish. These handsome birds are often met with in winter, feeding on seeds of the weed stems that project above the snow. Their flight and song is similar to that of the Goldfinch or Pine Siskin. They nest at low elevations, either in trees or bushes. The eggs number from three to six and are pale bluish, sparingly specked with reddish brown. Size .65 × .50. Data.--Mouth of Great Whale River, Hudson Bay, May 16, 1899. Nest in a willow 4 feet from the ground; made of fine rootlets and grass, lined with feathers. Collector, A. P. Lowe.

528a. HOLBOLL'S REDPOLL. _Acanthis linaria holbœlli._

Range.--Arctic regions; south casually to the border of the United States.

A slightly larger variety of the common Redpoll. Eggs probably not distinguished.

528b. GREATER REDPOLL. _Acanthis linaria rostrata._

Range.--Breeds in southern Greenland; in winter south through Labrador to the northern border of the United States.

This variety is larger and darker than the common Redpoll. It has been found breeding abundantly in southern Greenland, where its nesting habits are the same as those of the Redpoll and the eggs similar but averaging a trifle larger.

529. GOLDFINCH. _Astragalinus tristis tristis_.

Range.--North America east of the Rockies, and from Labrador and Manitoba southward.

These beautiful birds are among our sweetest songsters from May until September. They are resident throughout their United States range, where they breed in August or early in September, being one of the latest nesting birds that we have. Their nests are located in bushes, at a height of generally below fifteen feet above the ground, being placed in upright forks, and made of plant fibres and thistle down, firmly woven together. They lay from three to six plain bluish white eggs. Size .65 × .50. The majority of nests that I have found have been in alders over small streams.

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529a. PALE GOLDFINCH. _Astragalinus tristis pallidus._

Range.--Rocky Mountains from Mexico to British Columbia.

This variety is slightly larger and (in winter) paler than the last.

529b. WILLOW GOLDFINCH. _Astragalinus tristis salicamans._

Range.--Pacific coast from Washington to Lower California.

Similar to the eastern Goldfinch but back said to be slightly greenish yellow.

530. ARKANSAS GOLDFINCH. _Astragalinus psaltria psaltria._

Range.--United States, west of the Plains and from Oregon to Mexico.

This species has greenish upper parts and yellow below; the crown, wings and tail are black, the bases of the lateral tail feathers and primaries being whitish. They are common in portions of their range, nesting in similar locations to those chosen by the common Goldfinch and laying from three to five eggs which are similar but slightly smaller. Size .60 × .45. Data.--Riverside, California, May 20, 1891. 5 eggs. Nest made of fine grasses lined with cotton; 5 feet from the ground in a small tree.

530a. GREEN-BACKED GOLDFINCH. _Astragalinus hesperophilus._

Range.--Mexico north to the Lower Rio Grande in southern Texas.

A similar bird to the last but with the entire upper parts and cheeks, black. The habits, nests and eggs are identical with those of the Arkansas Goldfinch.

531. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH. _Astragalinus lawrencei._

Range.--Pacific coast of California, wintering along the Mexican border.

This grayish colored Goldfinch has a black face and yellow breast, rump, wing coverts and edges of the primaries. They are quite common in their restricted range, nesting either in upright crotches or in the forks of horizontal limbs. The four or five eggs which they lay are pure white; size .60 × .45. Data.--Santa Monica Canyon, Cal., April 26, 1903. Nest in a cypress tree 12 feet up; composed of grasses, feathers, etc. Collector, W. Lee Chambers.

532. BLACK-HEADED GOLDFINCH. _Spinus notatus._

Range.--Mountainous regions of Central America and southern Mexico; accidental in the United States.

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533. PINE SISKIN. _Spinus pinus._

Range.--Breeds from northern United States northward, in the Alleghanies and in the Rockies south to New Mexico. Winters throughout the United States.

Siskins are of the size of the Goldfinch (5 inches long), and their calls, songs and habits are similar to those of this bird. Their plumage is grayish brown, streaked with dusky and the bases of the wings and tail feathers are yellow. Like the Crossbills, they frequently feed along our northern borders, but very sporadically. Their nests are built on horizontal branches of pines or cedars at any elevation from the ground, being made of grasses and rootlets lined with hair or pine needles, and of rather frail and flat construction. Their eggs are laid during May or June and are greenish white, specked with reddish brown; size .68 × .48. Data.--Hamilton Inlet, Labrador, June 17, 1898. Nest on branch of a spruce, 10 feet from the ground; made of grass, lined with moss and feathers. Collector, L. Dicks.

534. Snow Bunting. _Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis._

Range.--Breeds in the Arctic regions, and winters irregularly in large flocks through the United States to Oregon, Kansas and Georgia.

These birds are only seen in the United States in large roving flocks, during the winter when they feed on weed seeds on side hills. Their nests are built on the ground, being sunk into the sphagnum moss, and made of grasses lined with feathers. Their four or five eggs are a light greenish white, spotted and splashed with yellowish brown and lilac. Size .90 × .65.

534a. PRIBILOF SNOW BUNTING. _Plectrophenax nivalis townsendi._

Range.--Pribilof and Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

A slightly larger variety which is resident on the islands in its range. Eggs like those of the preceding; laid from May to July.

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535. MCKAY'S SNOW BUNTING. _Pletrophenax hyperboreus._

Range.--Western Alaska; known to breed on Hall's Island.

This beautiful species is, in summer, entirely white except for the tips of the primaries and a black spot on end of central tail feathers, thus being very distinct from the preceding, which has the back and the wings to a greater extent black, at this season. Their eggs probably very closely resemble those of the last species.

536. LAPLAND LONGSPUR. _Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus._

Range.--Breeds in northern North America; winters south casually to New York, Ohio and Oregon and occasionally farther.

These sparrow-like birds are 6.5 inches long and have a black crown, cheeks and throat, and chestnut band on nape. Like the Snowflakes they nest on the ground in moss, but the four to six eggs that they lay are grayish, heavily mottled and blotched with chocolate brown; size .80 × .60.

536a. ALASKA LONGSPUR. _Calcarius lapponicus alascensis._

Range.--Northwest North America, breeding in Alaska; winter south to Oregon. This sub-species is like the last but slightly paler. Eggs indistinguishable.

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537. SMITH'S LONGSPUR. _Calcarius pictus._

Range.--Breeds in Hudson Bay and Mackenzie River districts and winters south to Texas chiefly on the Plains.

This species is of the size of the last but is a rich buff color below, and the other markings are very different. These birds together with the next species are very common on the prairies in central United States in winter. They nest on the ground like the preceding species but the nests are scantily made of grasses and not warmly lined like those of the last. The eggs are similar but paler; size .80 × .60. Data.--Herschell Island, Arctic Ocean, June 10, 1901. Nest built in a tuft of grass; made of fine roots and grass, lined with feathers.

538. CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR. _Calcarius ornatus._

Range.--Plains in the interior of North America, breeding from Kansas north to Saskatchewan; very abundant in the Dakotas and Montana.

This handsome species in the breeding plumage has the throat white, breast and belly black, and a chestnut collar on the nape. They are one of the most abundant breeding birds on the prairies, nesting in hollows on the ground either in the open or protected by a tuft of grass. The nests are made of grasses and sometimes moss; three or four eggs laid in June or July; white, blotched, lined and obscurely marked with brown and purplish; size .75 x .55.

539. MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR. _Rhynchophanes mccowni._

Range.--Great Plains, breeding from Kansas to the Saskatchewan.

This Longspur which breeds in company with the preceding, throughout its range, can be distinguished from it by the small black patch on the breast, the black crown, and chestnut wing coverts. Their nesting habits are the same, and at this season all the Longspurs have a sweet song often uttered during flight, like that of the Bobolink. Their eggs are of the same size and similarly marked as the last, but the ground color is more gray or olive.

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540. VESPER SPARROW. _Poœcetes gramineus gramineus._

Range.--Eastern United States, breeding from Virginia and Missouri north to Manitoba and New Brunswick; winters in the southern half of the United States.

A streaked grayish, buffy and white bird distinguished by its chestnut shoulders and white outer tail feathers. They are abundant birds in eastern fields where their loud piping whistle is known to many frequenters of weedy pastures. They build on the ground, either in grassy or cultivated fields, lining the hollow scantily with grasses. Their four or five eggs are usually laid in May or June; they are dull whitish, blotched and splashed with light brown and lavender tints; size .80 × .60.

540a. WESTERN VESPER SPARROW. _Poœcetes gramineus confinis._

Range.--This paler variety is found in North America west of the Plains and south of Saskatchewan.

Its nesting habits are like those of the preceding and the eggs are indistinguishable.

540b. OREGON VESPER SPARROW. _Poœcetes gramineus affinis._

A browner variety found on the coast of Oregon and northern California.

Its nesting habits are like those of the eastern bird and the eggs similar but averaging a trifle smaller.

* * * ENGLISH SPARROW. _Passer domesticus._

These birds, which were imported from Europe, have increased so rapidly that they have overrun the cities and villages of the country and are doing inestimable damage both by driving out native insect eating birds and by their own destructiveness. They nest in all sorts of places but preferably behind blinds, where their unsightly masses of straw protrude from between the slats, and their droppings besmirch the buildings below; they breed at all seasons of the year, eggs having often been found in January, with several feet of snow on the ground and the mercury below zero. The eggs number from four to eight in a set and from four to eight sets a season; the eggs are whitish, spotted and blotched with shades of gray and black. Size .88 × .60.

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541. IPSWICH SPARROW. _Passerculus princeps._

Range.--Breeds on Sable Island, off Nova Scotia; winters on coast of South Atlantic States. This a large and pale colored form of the common Savannah Sparrow. Its nesting habits are similar to those of the latter and the eggs are marked the same but average larger. Size .80 × .60.

542. ALEUTIAN SAVANNAH SPARROW. _Passerculus sandwichensis sandwichensis._

Range.--Breeds on the Alaskan coast; winters south to northern California.

A streaked Sparrow like the next but with the yellow superciliary line brighter and more extended. Its nesting habits are precisely like those of the next variety which is common and well known; the eggs are indistinguishable.

542a. SAVANNAH SPARROW. _Passerculus sandwichensis savanna._

Range.--North America east of the Plains, breeding from the Middle States north to Labrador and the Hudson Bay region.

Similar to the last but with the superciliary line paler and the yellow reduced to a spot on the lores. Their nests are hollows in the ground, lined with grasses and generally concealed by tufts of grass or weeds. Their three to five eggs vary greatly in markings from finely and evenly dotted all over to very heavily blotched, the ground color being grayish white. Size .75 × .55

542b. WESTERN SAVANNAH SPARROW. _Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus._

Range.--Western North America from Alaska to Mexico.

A slightly paler form whose nesting habits and eggs do not differ from those of the last.

542c. BRYANT'S SPARROW. _Passerculus sandwichensis bryanti._

Range.--Salt marshes of California from San Francisco Bay south to Mexico.

Slightly darker and brighter than the eastern Savannah Sparrow and with a more slender bill. The eggs are not different from many specimens of savanna; they are light greenish white heavily blotched with various shades of brown and lavender. Size .75 × .55.

543. Belding's Sparrow. _Passerculus beldingi._

Range.--Pacific coast marshes of southern California and southward.

This species is similar to the last but darker and more heavily streaked below. They breed abundantly in salt marshes, building their nests in the grass or patches of seaweed barely above the water, and making them of grass and weeds, lined with hair; the eggs are dull grayish white, boldly splashed, spotted and clouded with brown and lavender. Size .78 × .55.

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544. LARGE-BILLED SPARROW. _Passerculus rostratus rostratus._

Range.--Coast of southern and Lower California.

Similar to the Savannah Sparrow but paler and grayer, without yellow lores and a larger and stouter bill. They are common in salt marshes, often in company with the last species and their nesting habits are similar to and the eggs not distinguished with certainty from those of the latter.

544a. SAN LUCAS SPARROW. _Passerculus rostratus guttatus._

Range.--Southern Lower California.

A slightly darker form of the preceding, having identical habits, and probably, eggs.

544c. SAN BENITO SPARROW. _Passerculus rostratus sanctorum._

Range.--Breeds on San Benito Islands; winters in southern Lower California.

The nesting habits and eggs of these very similar subspecies are identical.

545. BAIRD'S SPARROW. _Ammodramus bairdi_.

Range.--Plains, breeding from northern United States to the Saskatchewan; south in winter to the Mexican border.

These Sparrows breed abundantly on the plains of Dakota and northward, placing their nest in hollows on the ground in fields and along road sides. During June or July, they lay three to five dull whitish eggs, blotched, splashed and spotted with light shades of brown and gray. Size .80 × .60.

546. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. _Ammodramus savannarum australis._

Range.--United States east of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf to Canada.

A stoutly built Sparrow marked on the upper parts peculiarly, like a quail; nape grayish and chestnut. These birds are common in dry fields and pastures, where their scarcely audible, grasshopper-like song is heard during the heat of the day. Their nests are sunken in the ground and

arched over so that they are very difficult to find, especially as the bird will not flush until nearly trod upon. The four or five eggs, laid in June, are white, specked with reddish brown. Size .72 × .55.

546a. WESTERN GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. _Ammodramus savannarum bimaculatus_

Range.--West of the Plains from British Columbia to Mexico.

Slightly paler than the last; has the same nesting habits; eggs indistinguishable.

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546b. FLORIDA GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. _Ammodramus savannarum floridanus._

Range.--Central Florida.

A local form, darker above and paler below than the common species. Eggs not different in any particular.

547. HENSLOW'S SPARROW. _Passerherbulus henslowi henslowi._

Range.--United States east of the Plains, breeding locally from Maryland and Missouri north to Massachusetts and Minnesota.

This species is similar in form and marking to the last, but is olive green on the nape, and the breast and sides are streaked with blackish. Their nesting habits are very similar to those of the Grasshopper Sparrow, the nests being difficult to find. The eggs are greenish white, spotted with reddish brown. Size .75 × .55.

547a. WESTERN HENSLOW'S SPARROW. _Passerherbulus henslowi occidentalis._

Range.--A paler and very local form found in the Plains in South Dakota and probably, adjoining states. Eggs not apt to differ from those of the preceding.

548. LECONTE'S SPARROW. _Passerherbulus lecontei._

Range.--Great Plains, breeding from northern United States to Assiniboia; winters south to Texas and the Gulf States.

A bird of more slender form than the preceding, and with a long, graduated tail, the feathers of which are very narrow and pointed. They nest on the ground in damp meadows, but the eggs are difficult to find because the bird is flushed from the nest with great difficulty. The eggs are white and are freely specked with brown. Size .70 × .52.

549. SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. _Passerherbulus caudacutus._

Range.--Breeds in marshes along the Atlantic coast from Maine to South Carolina and winters farther south.

These birds are very common in nearly all the salt marshes of the coast, nesting in the marsh grass. I have nearly always found their nests attached to the coarse marsh grass a few inches above water at high tide, and generally under apiece of drifted seaweed. The nests are made of grasses, and the four or five eggs are whitish, thickly specked with reddish brown. Size .75 × .55. The birds are hard to flush and then fly but a few feet and quickly drop into the grass again.

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549.1. Nelson's Sparrow. _Passerherbulus nelsoni nelsoni._

Range.--Breeds in the fresh water marshes of the Mississippi valley from Illinois to Manitoba.

This species is similar to the Sharp-tailed Finch but more buffy on the breast and generally without streaks. The nesting habits are the same and the eggs indistinguishable.

549.1a. ACADIAN SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. _Passerherbulus nelsoni subvirgatus._

Range.--Breeds in the marshes on the coast of New England and New Brunswick; winters south to the South Atlantic States.

This paler variety of Nelson's Sparrow nests like the Sharp-tailed species and the eggs are the same as those of that bird.

550. SEASIDE SPARROW. _Passerherbulus maritimus maritimus._

Range.--Atlantic coast, breeding from southern New England to Carolina and wintering farther south.

This sharp-tailed Finch is uniform grayish above and light streaked with dusky, below. They are very abundant in the breeding range, where they nest in marshes in company with caudacutus. Their nests are the same as those of that species and the eggs similar but slightly larger. Size .80 x .60. Data.--Smith Island, Va., May 20, 1900. Nest situated in tall grass near shore; made of dried grass and seaweed. Collector, H. W. Bailey.

All the members of this genus have a habit of fluttering out over the water, and then gliding back to their perch on the grass, on set wings, meanwhile uttering a strange rasping song. The nesting habits and eggs of all the subspecies are precisely like those of this variety, and they all occasionally arch their nests over, leaving an entrance on the side.

550a. SCOTT'S SEASIDE SPARROW. _Passerherbulus maritimus peninsulœ._

Range.--Coasts of Florida and north to South Carolina. Above blackish streaked with brownish gray; below heavily streaked with black.

550b. TEXAS SEASIDE SPARROW. _Passerherbulus maritimus sennetti._

Range.--Coast of Texas. Similar to maritimus, but streaked above.

550c. LOUISIANA SEASIDE SPARROW. _Passerherbulus maritimus fisheri._

Range.--Gulf coast. This form is similar to peninsulœ, but darker and more brownish.

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550d. MACGILLIVRAY'S SEASIDE SPARROW. _Passerherbulus maritimus macgillivrai._

Range.--Coast of South Carolina. Like fisheri but grayer.

551. DUSKY SEASIDE SPARROW. _Passerherbulus nigrescens._

Range.--Marshes of Indian River near Titusville, Florida.

This species is the darkest of the genus, both above and below, being nearly black on the upperparts. Their habits are like those of the others and the eggs are not likely to differ.

552. LARK SPARROW. _Chondestes grammacus grammacus._

Range.--Mississippi Valley from the Plains to Illinois and casually farther east, and from Manitoba to Texas; winters in Mexico.