Color Key to North American Birds Part 77

Range.--"Western United States, except the Pacific coast; north to British Columbia and Alberta, east to the Rocky Mountains and Texas, south into Mexico." (Oberholser.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 725.1.]

=725.1. Marian Marsh Wren= (_Telmatodytes marianae_). Similar to No. 725, but upperparts darker; sides and flanks of about same color as rump; under tail-coverts and sometimes breast barred or spotted with black.

Range.--Gulf coast of Florida.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 726.]

=726. Brown Creeper= (_Certhia familiaris americana_). L. 5.6; B. .63.

Tail-feathers stiffened and pointed. _Ads._ Rump _rusty_; a _buffy white_ band in the wing; back and crown streaked with whitish, black and rusty; below white. _Notes._ Call, a faint, high, thin _tseep_; song, "an exquisitely pure, tender song of four notes." (Brewster.)

Range.--Eastern North America: breeds from Maine and Minnesota (casually Missouri) northward; winters from about the southern breeding limits to the Gulf States.

=726a. Mexican Creeper= (_C. f. albescens_). Similar to No. 726, but rump rich rusty brown, back black, crown _black_ streaked with white, band in wing white.

Range.--Mexican plateau region north to southern Arizona.

=726b. Rocky Mountain Creeper= (_C. f. montana_). Similar to No. 726, but bill longer, .7; band in wing averaging whiter.

Range.--Rocky Mountains from New Mexico and Arizona northward to Alaska.

=726c. Californian Creeper= (_C. f. occidentalis_). Similar to No. 726, but much rustier; prevailing color of upperparts yellowish rusty.

Range.--Pacific coast; breeds from Santa Cruz Mountains, California, northward to Alaska.

=726d. Sierra Creeper= (_C. f. zelotes_). Similar to No. 726c, but colors more dusky and less rufescent; similar to No. 726b, but much darker; light centers of feathers on head and back much reduced.

(Osgood.)

Range.--"Southern Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Sierra Nevada of California." (Osgood.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 756.]

=756. Wilson Thrush; Veery= (_Hylocichla fuscescens_). L. 7.5. _Ads._ Above, wings and tail, _uniform_ cinnamon brown; below white, sides grayish, breast and throat buff rather faintly marked with triangular spots the color of the back. _Notes._ Call, a clearly whistled _whee-you_ and a softer _too-whee_; song, a weird, _spiral_ of blended alto and soprano tones largely on one note.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds from northern New Jersey, the mountains of Pennsylvania, and northern Illinois north to Newfoundland and Manitoba; winters in Central America.

=756a. Willow Thrush= (_H. f. salicicola_). Similar to No. 756, but more olive above.

Range.--Rocky Mountains north to British Columbia, east to Dakota; in migration, casually to Illinois and South Carolina; winters as far south as southern Brazil.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 759.]

=759. Alaskan Hermit Thrush= (_Hylocichla guttata_), L. 6.5. W. 3.5; tail _rufous_, _much_ brighter than back. _Ads._ Eye-ring whitish, not deep buff; back olive-brown; breast tinged with buff and heavily spotted with large, wedge-shaped marks.

Range.--Breeds in northwest coast region from British Columbia to Alaska; in winter south to Mexico.

=759a. Audubon Hermit Thrush= (_H. g. auduboni_). Similar to No. 759, but larger, W. 4; back grayer, tail paler, flanks less heavily washed with gray.

Range.--Rocky Mountain region of United States south to Guatemala.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 759b.]

=759b. Hermit Thrush= (_H. g. pallasii_). Similar to No. 759, but back and sides browner. _Notes._ Call, a low _chuck_; song, highly musical and probably exceeding in spiritual quality that of any of our birds.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds from Michigan, Alleghanies in Pennsylvania, Catskills, higher mountains of Ma.s.sachusetts (rarely at sea level), north to Labrador; winters from New Jersey to Gulf States.

=759c. Dwarf Hermit Thrush= (_H. g. nana_). Similar to No. 759, but smaller, W. 3.2, back slightly browner.

Range.--Pacific coast; breeds from Washington south through Sierra Nevadas; east, in migrations, to Nevada and Arizona; south to Lower California and western Mexico. (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 757.]

=757. Gray-cheeked Thrush= (_Hylocichla aliciae_). L. 7.5; W. 4. _Ads._ Tail and back the _same_ color, olive without brownish tinge; eye-ring and lores _whitish_, cheeks and breast only _slightly_ tinged with buff, breast with wedge-shaped spots. _Notes._ Doubtless like those of No. 757a.

Range.--Breeds in Labrador and west to Alaska: migrates through eastern North America and winters in Central America.

=757a. Bicknell Thrush= (_H. a. bicknelli_). Similar to No. 757, but smaller, L. 7; W. 3.5. _Notes._ Calls, _pheu_ like that of Veery; a low _cluck_ like that of Hermit Thrush, and rarely, a pip or _peenk_ like that of Olive-backed Thrush; song, like that of Veery but more interrupted. (Brewster.)

Range.--Breeds in the high parts of the Catskills and north to White Mountains and Nova Scotia; winters in tropics.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 758.]

=758. Russet-backed Thrush= (_Hylocichla ustulata_). L. 7.2; W. 4.

Tail _not_ decidedly more rufous than back. _Ads._ Eye-ring, cheeks, sides of neck and breast _distinctly buffy_; breast with wedge-shaped spots; back and _flanks_ olive-brown; tail slightly browner. The most deeply colored bird of the _ustulata_ group.

Range.--Pacific coast; breeds from Oregon to Alaska; winters south to Guatemala.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 758a.]

=758a. Olive-backed Thrush= (_H. u. swainsonii_). Similar to No. 758, but back, tail, and flanks without brownish or rufescent tinge.

_Notes._ Call, a liquid _puit_; song, suggesting both that of Hermit Thrush and the Veery.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds in Alleghanies from Pennsylvania and the Catskills, north to New Brunswick and Manitoba; winters in Central and South America.

=758b. California Olive-backed Thrush= (_H. u. ?dica_). Differs from 758 and 758a, in more rufescent coloration on the flanks; sides and upper surface usually paler than No. 758. (Oberholser.)

Range.--California, except north coast; north in interior to southern Oregon; south, in winter to Arizona and southern Mexico. (Oberholser.)