Color Key to North American Birds Part 84

[Ill.u.s.tration: 485.]

=485. Oregon Jay= (_Perisoreus obscurus_). Similar to No. 484, but back feathers with _light shaft streaks_, forehead less white, underparts nearly uniform white.

Range.--Pacific coast from northern California to southern British Columbia.

=485a. Gray Jay= (_P. o. griseus_). Similar to No. 485, but larger and grayer; back, etc., deep mouse gray, instead of brown; below grayish white instead of brownish white. (Ridgw.)

Range.--British Columbia, Was.h.i.+ngton, Oregon, and northern California, east of Coast and Cascade Ranges. (Ridgw.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 491.]

=491. Clarke Nutcracker= (_Nucifraga columbiana_). L. 12. _Ads._ Gray; wings and middle tail-feathers black, tips of secondaries and outer tail-feathers white. _Notes._ A loud, harsh, _car-r-car-r_.

Range.--Mountains of western North America, from northern Lower California, Arizona and New Mexico, north to northern Alaska: casually east to Mississippi Valley.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 475.]

=475. American Magpie= (_Pica pica hudsonia_). L. 20. _Ads._ Bill _black_; scapulars, belly and most of inner margins of primaries white; wings glossy blue black, tail externally greenish; back and breast velvety black. _Notes._ _Cack_, _cack_, also garrulous gabble intermixed with whistling notes. (Bendire.)

Range.--Western North America, east to the Plains, west to Cascade and Sierra Ranges; breeds from northern New Mexico and northern Arizona north to Alaska strays farther east in winter.

=476. Yellow-billed Magpie= (_Pica nuttalli_). Similar to No. 475, but bill and eye-s.p.a.ce _yellow_; smaller, L. 18. _Notes._ A harsh, rasping, _cac-cac-cac_; and a low, rich whistle, audible only at a short distance.

Range.--California, west of Sierra Nevada, "north to Red Bluff and south to Santa Paula." (Grinnell.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 493.]

=493. Starling= (_Sturnus vulgaris_). L. 8.5; T. 2.5. _Ad. summer_, Metallic green and purple spotted above with buffy; bill _yellow_.

_Ad. winter._ Similar, but above heavily spotted with brownish buff; below heavily spotted with white; bill blackish. _Notes._ A long-drawn, two-noted whistle, the second lower; and a chattering, metallic call when in flocks.

Range.--Europe and northern Asia; accidental in Greenland; introduced into New York City in 1890; now common, extending east to New Haven, Connecticut, north to Ossining, New York, south to Staten Island and Plainfield, New Jersey.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 495.]

=495. Cowbird= (_Molothrus ater_). L. 7.9; W. 4.2. _Ad._ [Male]. Head and neck coffee-brown, body greenish black. _Ad._ [Female]. Brownish gray, throat lighter. _Yng._ Like [Female]. _Notes._ A metallic twitter, and by the male, a long-drawn, gla.s.sy _kluck-tse-e-e_; and watery gurgling notes uttered with spread wings and tail.

Range.--United States: rare west of Rockies; breeds from Florida and Texas north to New Brunswick and Little Slave Lake; west to eastern Oregon, Nevada, and southeastern California; winters from southern New Jersey, southern Illinois, Indian Territory, northern Texas, and southeastern California, southward.

=495a. Dwarf Cowbird= (_M. a. obscurus_). Similar to No. 495, but smaller, L. 7.5; W. 4.

Range.--Southwestern United States; from Gulf Coast of Texas west along Mexican boundary to Arizona and Lower California; winters south of United States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 496.]

=496. Red-eyed Cowbird= (_Callothrus robustus_). L. 9. _Ad._ [Male].

Velvety bronze-black; wings and tail s.h.i.+ning blue-black. _Ad._ [Female]. Dull black, wings and tail with slight greenish reflections.

Range.--Southern and eastern Mexico north, in spring, to Lower Rio Grande, Texas.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 620.]

=620. Phainopepla= (_Phainopepla nitens_). L. 7.5. Crested. _Ad._ [Male]. s.h.i.+ning black; inner vanes of primaries largely white, showing in flight. _Ad._ [Female]. Dark gray, tail blacker, wing-coverts and quills narrowly margined with whitish. _Yng._ Like [Female]. _Notes._ Calls, commonest, like call of young Robin; male has also a scold, a Meadowlark-like note and a harsh _ca-rack_ or _ca-racack_; song, a jumble of flute-like tones and weak, squeaky notes. (Bailey.)

Range.--Mexico north to western Texas, southern Utah and southern California; winters from Mexican border southward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 509.]

=509. Rusty Blackbird= (_Scolecophagus carolinus_). L. 9.5. _Ad._ [Male]. Nearly uniform greenish black, sometimes with rusty edgings.

_Ad._ [Female]. Slaty gray, generally with some rusty edgings. Winter plumage of both s.e.xes similar to summer but widely tipped with rusty above and yellowish rusty below. _Notes._ More musical than those of other Blackbirds; calls, _tcback_ or _turalee_ repeated several times.

(Bendire.)

Range.--Eastern North America west to the Plains; breeds from New Brunswick, northern New England, northern New York, and Manitoba, north to Labrador and Alaska; winters from Virginia, southern Illinois, and Kansas, southward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 510.]

=510. Brewer Blackbird= (_Scolecophagus cyanocephalus_). L. 10. _Ad._ [Male]. Whole head violet-purple, rest of plumage bright greenish black. _Ad._ [Female]. Grayish brown, throat paler, wings and tail greenish black, no rusty. Winter plumage with light grayish brown edgings to the feathers of the anterior part of the body.

_Notes._ _Chack_ and a loud, shrill whistle. (Bailey.)

Range.--Western North America from the Plains to the Pacific; breeds from Texas and northern Lower California north to the Saskatchewan and British Columbia; winters in the southern parts of its range; casually east to Mississippi River states.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 511.]

=511. Purple Grackle= (_Quiscalus quiscula_). L. [Male], 12. _Ad._ [Male]. Head, purple, steel-green or steel-blue; back purple, bra.s.sy green or greenish; the feathers _always_ with _iridescent_ bars.

_Notes._ _Tchak_ and a short unmusical call uttered with spread wings and tail.

Range.--Eastern United States; breeds in lower Mississippi Valley and east of Alleghanies, from Georgia to Ma.s.sachusetts; winters from Virginia southward through its breeding range.

=511a. Florida Grackle= (_Q. q. aglaeus_). Similar to 511, but slightly smaller, head always violet purple; back always bottle-green, with iridescent bars.

Range.--Florida, north on the Atlantic coast to Virginia, west on the Gulf Coast to Texas.

=511b. Bronzed Grackle = (_Q. q. aeneus_). Head as in No. 511, back and belly bronze, the feathers _wholly without_ iridescent bars.

Range.--Eastern United States west to the Rockies; breeds from southern Texas to Great Slave Lake, east to Alleghanies, and, in New York, east and northeast to Connecticut, Ma.s.sachusetts, and Labrador; winters chiefly in lower Mississippi valley; migrates in part east of the Alleghanies.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 513.]

=513. Boat-tailed Grackle= (_Megaquiscalus major_). L. [Male], 16; W. 7.5; T. 7. _Ad._ [Male]. Head and neck glossy purple; back and belly glossy greenish blue. _Ad._ [Female]. Much smaller, T. 5.2; above blackish brown; below soiled rusty buff. _Notes._ _Tchack_, a variety of hoa.r.s.e, rather forced whistles and a gurgling roll as of a Coot pattering over the water.

Range.--Florida, north along the coast to Virginia; west along coast to Texas.