INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea) LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina amoena) 



I,engtli, about 5^-2 inclics. The male is easily 

 identified by tiie rich lilue color, with black 

 wings and tail. The female is warm brown. 



Range : Breeds from eastern North Dakota, 

 central ]\linnesota, northwestern Michigan, 

 southern Ontario, and southern New Bruns- 

 wick to central Texas, southern Louisiana, 

 central Alabama, and central Georgia : winters 

 from southern Mexico to Panama. 



The indigo bird is the brightest colored spar- 

 row that visits the north, but one can hardly 

 believe that the sprightly dandy, clad in his 

 rich blue suit, is the mate of the inconspicuous 

 brown bird that seeks assiduously to conceal 

 herself in the leafy cover, as though a bit 

 ashamed of the contrast between her working 

 suit and the holiday garb of her spouse. The 

 indigo is a frequenter of sprout land, of 

 brushy thickets, and of open woodland, and the 

 male is fond of singing his cheerful lay from 

 the topmost twng of a tall shrub or tree, as 

 though challenging the world to produce his 

 equal. For such a dainty bird, the nest is a 

 singularly inartistic structure and very care- 

 lessly built. It is placed in the crotch of some 

 low leafy bush and is not at all difficult to find. 



The fine feathers of the male are not the 

 rnly claim of the indigo bird to our interest. 

 Its food consists largely of weed seed, but it 

 eats many insects, including a goodly propor- 

 tion of grasshoppers and caterpillars. 



Length, from 5>:| to 5>4 inches. Male blue 

 above, breast browmish ; wing bars white. Fe- 

 male brownish. 



i^ange : Breeds from southern British Co- 

 lumbia, soutiiern Alberta, southeastern Sas- 

 katchewan, and western North Dakota to 

 southern California and southwestern Texas; 

 winters in Mexico. 



The lazuli finch is a near relative of the in- 

 digo bunting and the nonpareil, and its habits 

 are in a general way very similar. There is 

 the same disparity between the dress of the 

 se.xes, the color of the female being compara- 

 tively dull and homely. The male, however, is 

 a gay plumaged dandy in his suit of turquoise 

 blue, and is likely to surprise the stranger who 

 meets him for the first time, since his colors 

 suggest a tropical setting and are somewhat 

 out of keeping with his surroundings. Not- 

 withstanding his fine feathers, he is not so 

 fond of displaying himself as is his cousin, the 

 indigo bird, but seems to think that the cover 

 of brush and chaparral is essential to his 

 safety. This song is vivacious and pleasing and 

 the Easterner who hears it for the first time 

 will have no difficulty in guessing at the iden- 

 tity of the chorister, from the resemblance of 

 his lay to the ditty of the indigo bird. 



WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 

 (Zonotrichia albiccUis) 



Length, about 6ji inches. The white throat 

 and yellow before the eye are its distinguish- 

 ing colors. 



Range; Over most of eastern North Amer- 

 ica. Breeds in much of Canada south to south- 

 ern ]\Iontana, central Minnesota, central Wis- 

 consin, and in the mountains of northern Penn- 

 sylvania, New York, and Massachusetts ; win- 

 ters south of the Ohio. 



This is one of the l)ird lovers' favorites, as 

 well it may be. Its beautifully variegated plu- 

 mage, its jaunty ways, its familiarity, and its 

 sweet and plaintive whistle all combine to 

 cnmmend the bird to our interest. In the fall 

 it comes to us in large flocks associated with 

 other species, especially juncos and various 

 other sparrows. The "peabody bird" is singu- 

 larly prodigal of its sweet song, and the young 

 white-throats begin to try their voices in the 

 fall as if practicing for the more exacting de- 

 mands of spring. When a number join in the 

 fall chorus the result is singularly sweet and 

 inspiring. Many a camper in the north woods, 

 as he lies in his blanket under tiie stars, pays 

 tribute to the sweet voice of this songster, as 

 it is borne on the niidniglit air to his cars from 

 some leafy retreat. 



The food halr!ts of this sparrow give it a 

 place among the farmers' friends. It is a great 

 destroyer of weed seed and is especially fond 

 of those of ragweed and bindweed. In the 

 cotton belt, where many white-throats winter, 

 it includes among its insect food the boll 

 weevil. 



SLATE-COLORED JUNCO (Junco 

 hyemalis) 



Length, about 6J4 inches. Prevailing color 

 grayish slate, belly white ; outer tail feathers 

 tipped with white. 



Range: Breeds in much of Alaska and Can- 

 ada and in the mountains of New York, Penn- 

 sylvania, and Massachusetts, wdiile a nearly re- 

 lated form (the Carolina junco) breeds in the 

 southern Alleghenies ; winters throughout the 

 Eastern States to the Gulf. 



Only one junco inhabits the eastern United 

 States, Init several species live in the west. All 

 of the members of the group resemble each 

 other in a general way and all have similar 

 habits. Most of us know the junco only in the 

 fall and when, after having summered in the 

 mountains of the more northern districts, the 

 l)irds gather in large flocks and forsake high 

 altitudes for more congenial surroundings. 

 The junco associates with other sparrows, 

 usually far outnumbering them, but its slate- 

 colored plumage and white tail feathers reveal 

 its presence unmistakably. Its familiar "tsip" 

 may l)e easily recognized among the medley of 

 notes, but its low sweet song is to be heard at 

 its best only in its alpine home. When snow 

 is on the ground, the juncos are often hard 

 pushed for food, and on such occasions a flock 

 will readily respond to an invitation to visit 

 the dooryard and dine on table crum!)S or 

 small seeds of any kind. 



Tiie junco is one of our most persistent 

 grass and weed seed eaters and in winter and 

 spring seeds constitute much the greater part 

 of its fare. 



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