WESTERN BIRDS Lari^s 



WESTERN HORNED LARKS. 



On the western coast are so many subspecies of these 

 interesting birds, that the ordinary bird student will be 

 wise not to undertake to definitely name them. Though 

 in many cases the yellow is paler than in the case of the 

 eastern Horned Lark, the birds all have the distinctive 

 head marking that gives them their names and cannot 

 be mistaken for anything else. In habits they are, also, 

 similar. 



The Pallid Horned Lark (0. a. arcticola) breeds north 

 but winters south to Oregon, Utah, and Montana. 



The Streaked Horned Lark (O. a. strigata) breeds in 

 Washington and Oregon west of the Cascades; east in 

 winter to eastern Washington and Oregon, south to 

 northern California. 



The Dusky Horned Lark (0. a. merrilli) ranges in the 

 northwestern semi-arid districts, breeding in northwest- 

 ern Idaho to northeastern California east of the Cas- 

 cades and northwestern Nevada, wintering south to 

 central California. 



The California Horned Lark (0. a. actia) is found 

 from the San Francisco Bay, the San Joaquin Valley, 

 to southern California. 



In the southern part of its range it is an abundant 

 resident from the coast to the base of the mountains, 

 occurring in summer up to about 7,000 feet, and even 

 higher after the nesting season. 



In the coast regions they occur on the tablelands above 

 the low marshy portions near the ocean, and in the fall 

 are seen in small flocks along the beach, and a short 

 distance back. 



On the Santa Barbara Islands a resident bird is called 

 the Island Horned Lark (P. a. insularis). 



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