Color Key to North American Birds Part 71

[Ill.u.s.tration: 546.]

=546. Gra.s.shopper Sparrow= (_Coturniculus savannarum pa.s.serinus_).

L. 5.3. Line before eye orange; bend of wing yellow; tail-feathers pointed. _Ads._ Crown black with a buffy central stripe; nape _chestnut and gray_; back black, chestnut buff and gray; below buffy, unstreaked, belly whiter. _Notes._ Call, a sharp _chip_; song, a weak, insect-like _pit-tuck_, _zee-e-e-e-e-e-e_.

Range.--Eastern North America, west to the Plains; breeds from the Gulf States to Ma.s.sachusetts, Vermont, and Minnesota; winters from North Carolina to Cuba and Mexico.

=546a. Western Gra.s.shopper Sparrow= (_C. s. bimaculatus_). Similar to No. 546, but paler below and with less black and more chestnut above.

Range.--Western United States from the Plains to the Pacific; breeds from Mexican border states north to Montana and British Columbia; winters south into Mexico.

=546b. Florida Gra.s.shopper Sparrow= (_C. s. florida.n.u.s_). Similar to No. 546, but smaller, W. 3; darker above, paler below; sides of crown almost solid black; chestnut above largely replaced by black.

Range.--Kissimmee Prairies, Florida.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 547.]

=547. Henslow Sparrow= (_Ammodramus henslowii_). L. 5. Bend of wing yellow; tail-feathers pointed, the outer ones much the shortest.

_Ads._ Crown and nape pale _olive-green_ streaked with blackish; back bright reddish brown streaked with black and gray; below white; breast and sides washed with buff and streaked with black. _Notes._ Call, _tee-wick_; song, _sis-r-r-rit-srit-srit_. (Jouy.)

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds locally, from Virginia and Missouri, north to New Hamps.h.i.+re, southern Ontario and Minnesota; winters from Virginia and Missouri south to the Gulf of Mexico.

=547a. Western Henslow Sparrow= (_A. h. occidentalis_). Similar to No. 547, but paler, in summer little or no buff below.

Range.--Central western states; breeding, so far as known, in South Dakota; in winter south to Texas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 548.]

=548. Leconte Sparrow= (_Ammodramus lecontei_), L. 5. No yellow on wing; tail-feathers pointed, outer ones much the shortest. _Ads._ Broad line over eye, throat, breast and sides rich buff; nape chestnut and gray; back black narrowly margined with chestnut and, at the sides, broadly with buff; sides streaked; breast rarely with a few streaks. _Notes._ Call, a thin, sharp, _tweet_, and a long-drawn _bizz_; song, a tiny, husky, _reese_, _reese_. (Seton.)

Range.--"Great Plains and more western prairies; breeding from Dakota, Minnesota, etc., to Manitoba, migrating south and east, in winter, through Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, etc., to South Carolina and Gulf States from Florida to Texas." (Ridgw.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 533.]

=533. Pine Finch= (_Spinus pinus_). L. 5. Bill sharply pointed; a tuft of bristly feathers over the nostril; tail slightly forked. _Ads._ Base of tail, of inner wing-feathers and outer edges of primaries yellow; above brownish; below whitish streaked with black. _Notes._ Call, a metallic note; song, tinkling and musical often sung on the wing as with No. 529, the song of which it resembles.

Range.--North America; breeds from northern boundary states to Alaska; in the Alleghanies south to North Carolina; and in the Rockies and Sierra south to Mexico; winters from the northern states to Gulf states and Lower California.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 541.]

=541. Ipswich Sparrow= (_Pa.s.serculus princeps_). L. 6.2. _Ads._ Above _pale_ brownish gray streaked with brown; below white, breast and sides streaked with _brownish_; spot above eye and bend of wing often pale sulphur yellow. _Notes._ Resemble those of No. 542a.

Range.--Breeds on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, winters south along coast, regularly to Virginia, rarely to Georgia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 549.]

=549. Sharp-tailed Sparrow= (_Ammodramus caudacutus_). L. 5.8.

Tail-feathers sharply pointed, outer ones shortest. _Ads._ Below white, breast and sides washed with buff and distinctly _streaked with black_; nape olive-green; cheeks orange-buff; ear-coverts gray; crown olive-chocolate with a blue-gray central line; back olive, buff, black and gray. _Notes._ Call, _chip_; song, an unmusical, short, "husky,"

"gasping" effort, uttered from a perch or on fluttering wings above the reeds.

Range.--Atlantic coast; breeds from South Carolina to New Hamps.h.i.+re; winters from North Carolina to Florida.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 549.1.]

=549.1. Nelson Sparrow= (_Ammodramus nelsoni_). L. 5.5. Tail-feathers pointed, outer ones shortest. _Ads._ Similar to No. 549, but breast and sides much deeper buff, the former with few or no streaks; upperparts more richly colored. _Notes._ Resemble those of No. 549.

Range.--Breeds in interior from northern Illinois to Manitoba and South Dakota; migrates east to New York and winters south to South Carolina and Texas; accidental in California.

=549.1a. Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow= (_A. n. subvirgatus_). Similar to No. 549.1, but breast and sides paler, the former lightly but distinctly streaked with grayish; upperparts less richly colored.

Range.--Atlantic coast; breeds in marshes of eastern Maine, southern New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island; winters south to South Carolina.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 550.]

=550. Seaside Sparrow= (_Ammodramus maritimus_). L. 6: W. 2.5.

Tail-feathers pointed, the outer ones shortest; spot before eye and bend of wing yellow. _Ads._ Above olive-green and gray (no black); below white, breast and sides grayish and, in first plumage, streaked with buff. _Notes._ Similar in character to those of No. 549.

Range.--Atlantic coast; breeds in salt marshes from North Carolina to southern Ma.s.sachusetts; winters from Virginia to Georgia.

=550a. Scott Seaside Sparrow= (_A. m. peninsulae_). Similar to No. 550, but smaller, W. 2.3; above black margined by olive-brown and olive-green; below whitish, breast and sides heavily streaked with blackish.

Range.--Atlantic coast from northeastern Florida to South Carolina; Gulf Coast of Florida.

=550b. Texas Seaside Sparrow= (_A. m. sennetti_). Similar to No. 550, but greener above; the feathers of head and back usually, those of nape always, with black centres.

Range.--Coast of Texas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 550c.]

=550c. Fisher Seaside Sparrow= (_A. m. fisheri_). Similar to No. 550a, but darker above, the breast and sides heavily washed with rusty buff and streaked with black.

Range.--Coast of Louisiana, south in winter, at least as far as Corpus Christi, Texas; casual on Gulf coast of Florida.

=550d. Macgillivray Seaside Sparrow= (_A. m. macgillivraii_). Similar to No. 550c, but above grayer, less black, breast and flanks but faintly washed with buff and streaked with dusky grayish. Grayer above than No. 550a, and less heavily streaked below.

Range.--Local on coast of South Carolina.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 551.]

=551. Dusky Seaside Sparrow= (_Ammodramus nigrescens_). L. 5.9. Above _black_ lightly margined with gray; below white heavily streaked with black; spot before eye and bend of wing yellow. _Notes._ Similar in character to those of No. 550.

Range.--Marshes at head of Indian River, Florida, from Banana River to Haulover Ca.n.a.l.