Color Key to North American Birds Part 79

Range.--Breeds in mountains from southern Oregon south to southern California; east to western Nevada.

=567d. Point Pinos Junco= (_J. o. pinosus_). Similar to No. 567c, but throat and breast slate-color.

Range.--Santa Cruz district of California; breeds from King Mountain, south at least to Point Sur, County; wanders eastward in winter into Santa Clara and San Benito Valleys. (Grinnell.)

=733. Plain t.i.tmouse= (_Baeolophus inornatus_). L. 5.5. _Ads._ Head crested; above grayish _brown_; below grayish _white_, belly white, sides often buffy. _Notes._ Similar to those of the Tufted t.i.tmouse, but weaker and less varied. (Ridgw.)

Range.--California, west of the Sierra; north to Oregon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 733a.]

=733a. Gray t.i.tmouse= (_B. i. griseus_). Similar to No. 733, but above _gray_, below whitish _gray_, no buff on sides.

Range.--Southwestern United States: from southeastern California and Nevada to Colorado and New Mexico.

=733b. Ashy t.i.tmouse= (_B. i. cineraceus_). Similar to No. 733a, but underparts grayish _white_, not whitish _gray_.

Range.--Cape Region of Lower California.

=743. Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus minimus_). L, 4.2; T. 2.1. _Ads._ Crown _sooty_ brown; back grayish brown; below brownish white, sides darker.

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: 743a.]

=743a. California Bush-t.i.t= (_P. m. californicus_). Similar to No.

743, but crown much lighter, brighter brown, quite different from the brownish gray back; underparts paler. _Notes._ When feeding, a faint _tsit_, _tsit_, _tsit_, _tsit_, when moving about, _tsit_, _tsit_, _tsit_, _sre-e-e-e_; _tsit_, sre-e-e-e; when a bird is separated from its companions, same as last but uttered more hurriedly; alarm note, a greatly intensified _tsit"_; _tsit'_; _tsit'_; _tsit'_: in presence of Hawk or Owl a shrill, quavering trill, _sre-e-e-e-e-e_.

(Grinnell.)

Range.--California, except the north coast region.

=743b. Grinda Bush-t.i.t= (_P. m. grindae_). Similar to No. 743, but back bluish ash-gray. (Ridgw.)

Range.--Cape Region of Lower California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 744.]

=744. Lead-colored Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus plumbeus_). L. 4.5. _Ads._ _Crown_ and back bluish gray, sides of head brownish; below dingy white with a buffy tint on belly.

Range.--Western United States from eastern Oregon and eastern California east to Wyoming, Colorado, and western Texas.

=744.1. Santa Rita Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus santaritae_). Similar to No. 744, but smaller, sides of head paler, male with a more or less distinct blackish line along sides of head as in female of No. 745.

(Ridgw.) (Now considered the same as 745.)

Range.--Santa Rita Mountains, southern Arizona.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 745.]

=745. Lloyd Bush-t.i.t= (_Psaltriparus lloydi_). L. 4.2. _Ad._ [Male].

Sides of head shining black, crown blue-gray, back browner; chin blackish, underparts whitish, the belly and sides buffy. _Ad._ [Female]. Sides of head brownish, ear-coverts bordered above by a narrow black line; no black on chin. _Yng._ Similar to [Female], but no black in head.

Range.--"Mountains of western Texas, between the Pecos and Rio Grande Rivers" (Sennett), south into Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 731.]

=731. Tufted t.i.tmouse= (_Baeolophus bicolor_). L. 6. _Ads._ Head crested; forehead _black_; above gray; below whitish, sides rusty.

_Notes._ A clearly whistled _peto_, _peto_, and a hoa.r.s.e _de-de-de_.

Range.--Eastern United States; resident from the Gulf States north to northern New Jersey and southern Iowa; straying somewhat further north in summer after breeding.

=731a. Texan Tufted t.i.tmouse= (_B. b. texensis_). Similar to No. 731, but forehead rusty, upperparts paler.

Range.--Southeastern Texas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 732.]

=732. Black-crested t.i.tmouse= (_Baeolophus atricristatus_). L. 6.1.

_Ads._ Head with a _black_ crest; forehead white or tinged with rusty; back gray; below whitish, sides rusty. _Notes._ An abbreviation of the call of No. 731, _pete-pete-pete-pete_. (Bailey.)

Range.--"From southeastern Texas west to El Paso, south to eastern Mexico." (Bailey.)

=751. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher= (_Polioptila caerulea_). L. 4.5; T. 2.

Outer tail-feathers with white, white tip of next to outer one at least 1.00 long. _Ad._ [Male]. Above bluish gray, forehead narrowly black; below grayish white. _Ad._ [Female]. Similar, but lighter gray; no black on forehead. _Notes._ Call, a tw.a.n.ging _ting_; song, sweet and varied but of small volume.

Range.--Eastern United States, west to Colorado; breeds from the Gulf States north to southern New Jersey, and Ontario; wanders casually as far north as Maine and Minnesota; winters from the Gulf States southward.

=751a. Western Gnatcatcher= (_P. c. obscura_). Similar to No.. 751, but slightly grayer above; white tip to next to outer tail-feather _less_ than 1.00 long.

Range.--Western United States from western Texas west to California and Lower California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 752.]

=752. Plumbeous Gnatcatcher= (_Polioptila plumbea_). L. 4.4. Outer web of outer tail-feather _wholly_ white, inner web black except at tip.

_Ad._ [Male]. Crown shining black, back blue-gray; underparts grayish white. _Ad._ [Female] _and Yng_. [Male]. Similar, but no black on head. Yng. [Female]. Back and sides with a brownish wash. _Notes._ Call, a faint mew; song, "a harsh ditty of five notes, something like a Wren's song with notes like those of a Swallow." (Cooper.)

Range.--Mexican boundary region, from western Texas to southeastern California and Lower California.

=753. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher= (_Polioptila californica_). L. 4.5; T. 2.1. Similar to No. 752, but outer vane of outer tail-feather _black_ margined with white; back darker, underparts much grayer, flanks brownish.