Perching Birds Chiefly Brown or Streaked 



EASTERN SONG SPARROW GROUP. 

 581. Song Sparrow ( Melospi^a cinerea melodia) . L. 

 6.2. Ads. Above reddish brown and gray with black 

 streaks; tail with a decided rufous tinge; black streaks 

 below conspicuously margined with reddish brown, 

 those of center of breast forming a patch. Notes. 

 Call, a characteristic chimp or trink; song, too variable 

 in form to admit of brief description but unmistakable 

 in tone throughout the whole group. 



Range. — Eastern North America west to the Plains; breeds from 

 Virginia and northern Illinois north to Quebec and Manitoba; winters 

 from southern Illinois and Massachusetts to Gulf States. 



58 1b. Mountain Song Sparrow (A/, c. montana). 



Similar to No. 581, but grayer; reddish brown not so 

 bright; bill smaller. 



Range. — Rocky Mountain district of United States west to, and in- 

 cluding Sierra Nevada in California; north to eastern Oregon, south- 

 ern Idaho, and southern Montana; south in winter to western Texas 

 and northern Mexico. (Ridgw.) 



581k. Merrill Song Sparrow {M. c. merrilli). Sim- 

 ilar to No. 581b, but slightly darker and more uniform 

 above, with grayish edgings to interscapulars and 

 scapulars less strongly contrasted with the darker 

 mesial streaks, the latter usually with more brown 

 than black. (Rid?w.) 



Range. — Breeds from northern California (Shasta County) in 

 mountains and through Oregon and Washington east of Cascade 

 Mountains, to northwestern Idaho; winters south Into Mexico. 

 (Ridgw.) 



58 I j. Dakota Song Sparrow (M. c. juddi). Simi- 

 lar to No. 581, but above paler, especially line over 

 eye and sides of neck; white below clearer; interscap- 

 ulars with black center broader, reddish brown por- 

 tions narrower; dark markings on breast restricted and 

 more sharply denned. (Bishop.) 



Range. — "Turtle Mountains and vicinity, North Dakota." (A. O. 

 U.) 



DESERT SONG SPARROWS. 

 581a. Desert Song Sparrow (Melospi^a cinerea 

 fallax). W. 2.5. Above reddish brown and gray; 

 below white with reddish brown streaks; usually no 

 black in plumage. 



Range. — Lower Sonoran district of southwest Arizona, southern Ne- 

 vada, southeast California and northwest Lower California and Son- 

 ora. (Ridgw.) 



58 I g. Brown Song Sparrow (M. c. rivularis). Sim- 

 ilar to No. 581a, but larger, W. 2.7, with longer, more 

 slender and more compressed bill; still less strongly 

 contrasted markings, and duller, less rufescent colors. 

 (Ridgw.) 



Range. — Mountain districts of southern Lower California. (Ridgw.) 



CALIFORNIA SONG SPARROWS. 

 581c. Heermann Song Sparrow {Me lospi^a cinerea 

 heermanni). L. 6.5; W. 2.5. Ads. Above chestnut 

 olive-gray with usually distinct black streaks; tail 

 without a decided rufous tinge; black streaks below not 

 conspicuously bordered by rufous. 



Range. — Central valleys of California including lower levels of 

 Sacramento and San Joaquin basins. (Ridgw.) 



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