WESTERN BIRDS Grosbeak 



Like the other members of this group, the birds nest 

 on the ground, or a few feet from it, in the low bushes, 

 using twigs for a foundation and finer material for the 

 lining. 



GENUS ZAMELODIA: BLACK- 

 HEADED GROSBEAK. 



Black-Headed Grosbeak: Zamelodia metanocaphala. 

 FAMILY— FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



While the Rose-breasted Grosbeak lives in the east- 

 ern part of our country, on the western coast extending 

 east to western North Dakota and northeastern 

 Nebraska, slightly overlapping the range of its eastern 

 cousin, is found a bird that is quite similar in size and 

 habits, but entirely different in coloring. 



This is the Black-headed Grosbeak, which is a summer 

 resident, only. In California, where it is very common, 

 it appears early in April and stays until September. One 

 winter on February 15th, there appeared at my window- 

 shelf a gorgeous male. This is the earliest record for 

 these birds. 



The male has a black head and neck which is some- 

 times striped back of the eye and middle of head with a 

 buff line; the breast, broad collar, and rump are a bright 

 cinnamon-orange which becomes almost as bright as the 

 plumage of an Oriole in some cases; in others, however, 

 the color is very pale and is probably that of an imma- 

 ture male, this western bird resembling its eastern cousin 

 in the matter of attaining adult plumage. The tail is 

 black with white corners, the back is black, as are also 

 the wings which are relieved by white bars and markings. 



The bill is horn colored and very big and clumsy. 

 The female resembles the Rose-breasted having, however, 



211 



