The Bird Book Part 83

588b. OREGON TOWHEE. _Pipilo maculatus oregonus._

Range.--Pacific coast from California to British Columbia; winters to Mexico. Similar to the last but with still fewer white markings on the back and the chestnut flanks brighter. The nesting habits and eggs of this variety differ in no essential particular from those of the preceding Towhees.

588c. SAN CLEMENTE TOWHEE. _Pipilo maculatus clementae._

Range.--San Clemente Is. and other of the Santa Barbara group.

Black of male said to be duller. Probably no difference between the eggs and others.

588d. SAN DIEGO TOWHEE. _Pipilo maculatus megalonyx._

Range.--Coast of southern California and Lower California. Said to be darker than _megalonyx._

588e. LARGE-BILLED TOWHEE. _Pipilo maculatus magnirostris._

Range.--Southern Lower California. Similar to _arcticus_; bill said to be larger.

589. GUADALUPE TOWHEE. _Pipilo consobrinus._

Range.--Guadalupe Island, Lower California.

Similar to _oregonus_ but smaller and with a relatively shorter tail.

The nesting habits and eggs of this species will not likely be found to differ essentially from those of others of the genus.

591. CANON TOWHEE. _Pipilo fuscus mesoleucus._

Range.--Mexico and north to Arizona and New Mexico and casually farther to Colorado.

A common species in the valleys and on the side hills, nesting in bushes near the ground, and sometimes on the ground; the nests are made of gra.s.ses, weeds and twigs lined with rootlets, and the three or four eggs are greenish blue sparingly spotted or scrawled with blackish brown, the markings being similar to those on many Red-winged Blackbirds' eggs.

Size 1.00 .70.

591a. SAN LUCAS TOWHEE. _Pipilo fuscus albigula._

Range.--Southern Lower California.

This variety is like the last but is usually paler below. It is abundant in the region about the cape where they nest in thickets, either in the bushes or on the ground. The eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the Canon Towhee.

591b. CALIFORNIA TOWHEE. _Pipilo crissalis crissalis._

Range.--Pacific coast of California.

This variety is similar to the Canon Towhee but is browner, both above and below. They are one of the most common of California birds, frequenting scrubby thickets, both on mountain sides and in valleys and canons, from which their harsh scolding voice always greets intruders.

They place their nests in bushes at low elevations from the ground and sometimes on the ground;

[Ill.u.s.tration 362: 588b--591.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Greenish blue.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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they are made of twigs, strips of bark, weeds and coa.r.s.e gra.s.ses, lined with fine rootlets. Their three or four eggs are laid in April or May; they are light bluish green marked like the others with purplish or brownish black. Size .95 .72.

591.1a. ANTHONY'S TOWHEE. _Pipilo crissalis senicula._

Range.--Southern California and south through Lower California.

A very similar bird to the last but sightly smaller and lighter below.

The habits and nesting habits of these birds are in every way identical with those of the California Towhee and the eggs cannot be distinguished from those of that variety. They are fully as abundant in the southern parts of California as the others are in the northern.

592. ABERT'S TOWHEE. _Pipilo aberti._

Range.--Arizona and New Mexico north to Colorado and Nevada and east to southeastern California.

This bird is wholly brownish gray both above and below shading into reddish brown on the under tail coverts; the face is black. They are abundant in the valleys of Arizona and New Mexico, but unlike the preceding species, they are generally wild and shy. They nest in chaparral thickets along streams, the nests being constructed similarly to those of the California Towhee, and the eggs are not easily distinguishable from those of that species, but they are usually more spa.r.s.ely specked and the markings more distinct. Size 1.00 .75.

592.1. GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE. _Oreospiza chlorura._

Range.--Western United States, chiefly west of the Rockies from Montana and Washington south to Mexico; wintering in southwestern United States.

This handsome and entirely different plumaged species from any of the preceding would, from appearance, be better placed in the group with the White-throated Sparrow than its present position. It has a reddish brown crown, the remainder of the upper parts, wings and tail being greenish yellow; the throat is white, bordered abruptly with gray on the breast and sides of head. These birds place their nests on the ground. The nests are built similarly to those of the eastern Towhee, and the eggs, too, are similar, being whitish, finely dotted and specked with reddish brown, the markings being most numerous around the larger end. Size .85 .65.

[Ill.u.s.tration 363: Greenish blue.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 591.1--592--592.1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Greenish blue.]

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

[Ill.u.s.tration: Green-tailed Towhee.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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[Ill.u.s.tration 364: CARDINAL.]

Page 363

593. CARDINAL. _Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis._

Range.--Eastern United States, north to New York and Illinois, west to the Plains and Texas. Resident in most of its range.

These beautiful fiery red and crested songsters are one of the most attractive of our birds, and in their range, nest about habitations as freely as among the thickets and scrubby brush of wood or hillside.