Bird-Lore Part 3

I heard the young Owl's last 'rasp' on October 16; it was full of the weird power which thrills one in the dark hours. A few minutes later, a big bird flew low toward the orchard--the young Owls had taken to hunting at last.

[Ill.u.s.tration: In Again

On Again

Gone Again!

Photographs of a Flicker by A. A. Allen]

=The Migration of North American Birds=

Compiled by Prof. W. W. Cooke, Chiefly from Data in the Biological Survey

With a drawing by LOUIS AGa.s.sIZ FUERTES

(See Frontispiece)

THE BUSH-t.i.t

All of the forms of Bush-t.i.ts in the United States are non-migratory.

The present species, which is better known by the name of the Least Bush-t.i.t, is confined to the Pacific Coast, where it ranges from northern Lower California to southern British Columbia. This is the range of the typical form (_Psaltriparus minimus minimus_), while a subspecies called the California Bush-t.i.t (_Psaltriparus minimus californicus_) occurs over much of eastern California east of the Sacramento Valley, from the southern end of the Sierras nearly to the Oregon line. A third form, or subspecies, the Grinda Bush-t.i.t (_Psaltriparus minimus grindae_), is confined to the southern end of Lower California.

THE LEAD-COLORED BUSH-t.i.t

The southern boundary of the range of the Lead-colored Bush-t.i.t (_Psaltriparus plumbeus_) is found in western Texas, northern Mexico, southeastern to northwestern Arizona, and the Providence Mountains, California. Thence it occurs north to central and northwestern Colorado, northern Utah and northwestern Nevada. A few individuals have been noted in southwestern Wyoming and southeastern Oregon.

LLOYD'S BUSH-t.i.t

Scarcely coming across the boundary from its real home in northern Mexico, the Lloyd Bush-t.i.t (_Psaltriparus melanotis lloydi_) occurs in the southern part of the mountains of western Texas and barely crosses the line in southwestern New Mexico.

THE VERDIN

Confined to the borderland of the southwestern United States, the Verdin in its typical form (_Auriparus flaviceps flaviceps_) is one of the most interesting birds of the desert and semi-arid districts, and is non-migratory. It ranges north to southeastern California, southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona (and extreme southwestern Utah), southwestern and southeastern New Mexico, western and southern Texas, and south into northern Mexico and the northern half of Lower California. The southern half of Lower California is occupied by a subspecies called the Cape Verdin (_Auriparus flaviceps lamprocephalus_).

THE WREN-t.i.t

The known ranges of the various forms, or subspecies of the Wren-t.i.t are given in the following paper. All the forms are non-migratory.

=Notes on the Plumage of North American Birds=

THIRTY-SEVENTH PAPER

By FRANK M. CHAPMAN

(See Frontispiece)

=Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus minimus_ and races. Fig. 1). The Bush-t.i.ts of this group may be known by their brownish crown. The male and female are alike in color; the young bird closely resembles them but has the crown somewhat darker, and the winter plumage differs from that worn in summer only in being slightly deeper in tone. Three races of this species are known: The Bush-t.i.t (_P. m. minimus_) of the Pacific coast from northern Lower California to Was.h.i.+ngton, in which the crown is sooty brown; the California Bush-t.i.t (_P. m. californicus_), which occupies the interior of California and Oregon, and has the crown much brighter than in the coast form; and Grinda's Bush-t.i.t (_P. m. grindae_), a form of the Cape Region of Lower California with a grayer back.

=Lead-colored Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus plumbeus._ Fig. 2). The gray crown, of the same color as the back distinguishes this species from the Bush-t.i.ts living west of the Sierras. The male and the female are alike in color; the young is essentially like them, but has less brownish on the sides of the head, and there are no seasonal changes in color.

=Lloyd's Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus melanotis lloydi._ Figs. 3, 4).

Lloyd's Bush-t.i.t is a northern form of the Black-eared Bush-t.i.t of the Mexican tableland. Occurring over our border only in western Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona, it is rarely observed by the field ornithologist. The adult male may always be known by its black cheeks; and when the female has any black on the sides of the head (as in Fig. 4), no difficulty is experienced in identifying her. But immature males and often some apparently adult females are without black, and they then so closely resemble the Lead-colored Bush-t.i.t that it is impossible to distinguish them by color alone.

=Verdin= (_Auriparus flaviceps._ Fig. 5). When it leaves the nest, the young Verdin is a gray bird with no yellow on its head or chestnut on its wing-coverts, but at the postjuvenal molt both yellow head and chestnut patch are acquired, and the bird, now in its first winter plumage, cannot be distinguished from its parents. These closely resemble each other, but the female sometimes has less yellow on the head. After the colors of maturity are acquired, they are retained, and thereafter there is essentially no change in the Verdin's appearance throughout the year.

There are but two races of the Verdin. One (_A. f. flaviceps_) occupies our Mexican border from coast to coast. The other, the Cape Verdin (_A.

f. lamprocephalus_), a smaller bird with a brighter yellow head, is found only in the Cape Region of Lower California.

=Wren-t.i.t= (_Chamaea fasciata._ Fig. 6). The Wren-t.i.t enjoys the distinction of being the only species in the only family of birds peculiar to North America. It is restricted to the Pacific coast region from northern Lower California north to Oregon. While it presents practically no variation in color with age, s.e.x, or season, it varies considerably with locality, four races of it being recognized. Since they are non-migratory, the purposes of field identification will best be served by outlining their distribution as it is given in Dr.

Grinnell's recent, authoritative 'Distributional List of the Birds of California' as follows:

=Pallid Wren-t.i.t= (_Chamaea fasciata henshawi_). Common resident of the Upper Sonoran Zone west of the deserts and Great Basin drainage from the Mexican line through the San Diegan district, northward coastwise to San Luis Obispo and San Benito counties, and interiorly along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the lower McCloud River, in Shasta County; also along the inner northern coast ranges from Helena, Trinity County, and Scott River, Siskiyou County, south to Covelo, Mendocino County, and Vacaville, Solano County. The easternmost stations for this form are: vicinity of Walker Pa.s.s, Kern County, and Campo, San Diego County.

=Intermediate Wren-t.i.t= (_Chamaea fasciata fasciata_). Common resident of the coast region south of San Francis...o...b..y, from the Golden Gate to southern Monterey County; east to include the Berkeley hills and at least the west slopes of the Mount Hamilton range.

=Ruddy Wren-t.i.t= (_Chamaea fasciata rufula_). Common resident of the humid coast belt immediately north of San Francis...o...b..y, in Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. Northernmost station for this form: Mendocino City.

=Coast Wren-t.i.t= (_Chamaea fasciata phaea_). Fairly common resident locally in the extreme northern humid coast belt. Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.

[Ill.u.s.tration (birds on branch)]

=Notes from Field and Study=

A Correction

Through a typographical error the Tree Sparrow was included in the Census of Mrs. Herbert R. Mills of Tampa, Florida, published in the January-February, 1916, issue of BIRD-LORE. The record should have read Tree Swallow.--EDITOR.

Hints for Bird Clubs

The greatest problem with most of our bird clubs seems to be: What can we do to make our meetings interesting, so that all the members, especially the younger ones, will be anxious to come?

In planning for parties, picnics, or other entertainments of that sort, we usually expect to have everyone present take a part in whatever games or sports there are, and, no matter how often we have them, there is never any question but that all who can do so will be there. I believe that bird-club meetings can be made equally attractive if we go about them in the same way, rather than to plan some sort of entertainment where only a few are to have a part, as is usually the case.