Color Key to North American Birds Part 70

Range.--Texas and southern Kansas west to southern Nevada and Arizona south into Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 559.]

=559. Tree Sparrow= (_Spizella monticola_). L. 6.3. A black spot in the center of the breast. _Ads._ Cap reddish brown, no black on head; two white wing-bars, back streaked black, reddish brown and buff; below whitish; upper mandible black, lower yellowish. _Notes._ Call, a musical, tinkling, _too-lay-it_, song, "a loud, clear and powerful chant."

Range.--Eastern North America, west to the Plains; breeds in Labrador and region west of Hudson Bay; winters south to South Carolina, Tennessee and Indian Territory.

=559a. Western Tree Sparrow= (_S. m. ochracea_). Similar to No. 559, but back with much less reddish brown, largely brownish buff streaked with black.

Range.--Western North America east to the Plains; breeds in Alaska; winters south to Mexican border.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 560.]

=560. Chipping Sparrow= (_Spizella socialis_). L. 5.3. _Ads._ Crown reddish chestnut, forehead _blackish_; a black line from eye to nape; back streaked with black, _reddish brown_ and grayish brown; wing-bars not conspicuous; below grayish white; bill largely black. _Yng._ Crown like back; cheeks brownish. _Notes._ Call, _chip_; song, an unmusical _chippy_, _chippy_, _chippy_, repeated.

Range.--Eastern North America, west to the Plains; breeds from Gulf States to Newfoundland and Great Slave Lake; winters in the Gulf States and Mexico.

=560a. Western Chipping Sparrow= (_S. s. arizonae_). Similar to No. 560, but much grayer above; back with little or no reddish brown.

Range.--Western North America; breeds from Mexican border states to Alaska; winters from California and Mexican border states to southern Mexico.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 563.]

=563. Field Sparrow= (_Spizella pusilla_). L. 5.6; T. 2.5. Bill entirely pinkish brown. _Ads._ Crown _reddish_ brown, a gray line over the eye, a reddish brown stripe from behind it to nape; back _reddish_ brown streaked with black; below whitish, _no_ streaks, breast washed with buffy; two white wing-bars. _Notes._ Call, _chip_; song, a musical whistle, _cher-wee_, _cher-wee-cher-wee_, _chee-o_, _dee-e-e-e-e_; with many variations but usually ending in a trill.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds from South Carolina, Alabama and central Texas north to Quebec and Manitoba; winters from Virginia and Illinois to Gulf States.

=563a. Western Field Sparrow= (_S. p. arenacea_). Similar to No. 563, but much paler above; crown largely grayish; back with but little reddish brown, breast with little or no buff; tail longer, 2.7.

Range.--Great Plains of interior; breeds from Nebraska and South Dakota to eastern Montana; winters south to northeastern Mexico; casually to Louisiana. (Ridgw.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 584.]

=584. Swamp Sparrow= (_Melospiza georgiana_). L. 5.8. _Ads._ Forehead black with a gray median line; crown bright chestnut; below grayish white; _sides brownish_, nape gray; back grayish, black, and buff.

Yng. Crown streaked chestnut and black; gray line over the eye sometimes tinged with yellow; other parts deeper in color. _Notes._ Call, a sharp _cheep_; song, a simple _tweet-tweet-tweet_, etc., all on one note.

Range.--Eastern North America, west to the Plains; breeds from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and northern Illinois, north to Labrador and Manitoba; winters from Kansas, southern Illinois, and Ma.s.sachusetts to Gulf States.

=542. Sandwich Sparrow= (_Pa.s.serculus sandwichensis_). L. 5.7; W. 2.9 A yellow line from the bill pa.s.sing _over_ the eye; bend of wing usually tinged with yellow. _Ads._ Above streaked with black, chestnut and brownish gray; below white, (buffy in fall and winter), breast and sides streaked with black, the streaks narrowly margined with chestnut. _Notes._ Doubtless resemble those of No. 542a.

Range.--Northwest coast; breeds in western Alaska; winters south to northern California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 542a.]

=542a. Savannah Sparrow= (_P. s. savanna_). Similar to No. 542, but smaller, W. 2.7; yellow line over eye shorter and less p.r.o.nounced; bill smaller. _Notes._ Call a sharp _tsip_, frequently uttered; song, a weak, musical little trill following a gra.s.shopperlike introduction, _tsip_, _tsip_, _tsip_, _s?-e-e-s'r-r-r_. (Dwight.)

Range.--Eastern North America, west to the Plains; breeds from northern New Jersey (rarely), eastern Long Island, and Missouri north to Labrador and western Hudson Bay; winters from Virginia and southern Illinois to Cuba and Mexico.

=542b. Western Savannah Sparrow= (_P. s. alaudinus_). Similar to No.

542a, but bill more slender, color averaging paler, the yellow line not pa.s.sing _over_ the eye, less evident before it and often wholly wanting.

Range.--Western North America from the Plains west to the Sierra; breeds from Mexico City north to Alaska; winters from southern California southward.

=542c. Bryant Marsh Sparrow= (_P. s. bryanti_). Similar to No. 542b, but smaller, W. 2.6; colors much darker, streaks below heavier; yellow over eye more p.r.o.nounced. A darker bird even than No. 542a, but with the bill slender as in No. 542b.

Range.--Resident in salt marshes about San Francisco and Monterey Bay; winters south to San Pedro (Grinnell); casually to Mexico City.

(Ridgw.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 543.]

=543. Belding Sparrow= (_Pa.s.serculus beldingi_). L. 5; W. 2.5.

_Ads._ Similar to No. 542c, but somewhat smaller, above darker and with a slight olive caste; underparts more heavily streaked.

Range.--Pacific Coast; salt marshes from Todos Santos Island, Lower California, north to Santa Barbara.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 544.]

=544. Large-billed Sparrow= (_Pa.s.serculus rostratus_). L. 5.5; W. 2.6.

Bill stout, upper mandible _curved_; no yellow before eye or on bend of wing. _Ads._ Above grayish brown marked with brown and blackish but _without_ well-defined streaks; below white, breast and sides streaked with grayish brown, the streaked feathers centrally blackish.

Range.--Coast of southern California north to Santa Barbara; winters south to Cape St. Lucas and northwestern Mexico.

=544a. St. Lucas Sparrow= (_P. r. guttatus_). Similar to No. 544, but smaller, W. 2.5; bill more slender; upperparts brownish gray with an _olive tint_ and streaked with darker; similar to No. 544c, but smaller, upperparts more olive and more widely, but less sharply streaked.

Range.--Cape Region of Lower California in winter; breeding range unknown.

=544b. Lagoon Sparrow= (_P. r. halophilus_). Similar to No. 544a, but larger, W. 2.7, and darker; streaks on chest with little if any brown edging; differing from No. 543, in more uniform coloration of upperparts, in less narrow and decidedly blackish streaks on chest, etc.

Range.--Salt marshes, Abreojos Point, Lower California.

=544c. San Benito Sparrow= (_P. r. sanctorum_). Similar to No. 544, but bill more slender; above grayer (brownish _gray_) distinctly streaked with blackish, the streaks margined with brown; below streaked with _black_, the streaks narrowly margined with brownish.

Range.--Breeds on San Benito Island, Lower California; in winter to Cape Region of Lower California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 545.]

=545. Baird Sparrow= (_Coturniculus bairdii_). L. 5.7. Tail-feathers pointed, middle ones shortest. _Ads._ Crown yellowish brown, streaked with black; back black margined with chestnut and grayish; below whitish, breast and sides streaked with black. In fall and winter, colors richer. _Notes._ Song, "_trick-e-trik-eeeee-chiky-le-roit_, with a peculiar tinkling utterance."

Range.--Great Plains; breeds from western Minnesota, North Dakota, eastern Montana, north to Manitoba and a.s.siniboia; winters south to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. (Ridgw.)