314 Birds of Colorado 



The female is dull g^eyish-bro^vn above, the head and base of the tail 

 washed with yellow ; wings dusky, the middle coverts tipped with 

 white forming a wing-band, the greater coverts and secondaries edged 

 with white ; below, the sides of the head and chest are bright yellow, 

 paling slightly on the throat, the rest of the under-parts whitish, 

 'tinged with dusky on the flanks, and yellow on the under tail- 

 coverts ; wing 3-80. 



A young male of the year (July 15th) is like the female ; one of the 

 second year (June 25th) is intermediate, with a black throat and patch 

 on the crown, but mostly greenish-yellow above, and yellow, not 

 orange, below. 



Distribution. — Breeding throughout western North America from 

 southern British Columbia to northern Mexico, and east to the middle 

 portions of South Dakota, Kansas and Texas ; in winter to central and 

 southern Mexico. 



Bullock's Oriole is a very common sunamer resident in Colorado, 

 especially in the plains and along the eastern and western bases of the 

 mountains. It is stated by Drew to breed up to 10,000 feet, but thero 

 seems no authority for this. It is rare at Estes Park (Kellogg), and 

 this and Middle Park, where it was seen by Carter, seem to be the 

 highest recorded localities. It arrives from the south at the end of 

 April (Pueblo 27th April, Lowe) or beginning of May (May 10th 

 earliest in El Paso co., Aiken, and for Salida, Frey), breeds in June and 

 leaves again at the end of August or beginning of September. 



The following are additional recorded localities : Boulder co. (Hender- 

 son), Weld CO. (Markman), Denver (Henshaw), El Paso and Lincoln cos. 

 (Aiken), Baca co. (Warren), Steamboat Springs (Warren), Mesa co., May 

 10th, August 7th (Rockwell) ; La Plata co. (Morrison & Oilman). 



Habits. — Bullock's Oriole is one of the most 

 conspicuous and bright- coloured of our summer birds. 

 They are chiefly to be met with in open, rolling or prairie 

 country, along the streams where there are cotton-wood 

 and other trees, and they may often be seen in the 

 suburbs of towns where there are plenty of high trees to 

 perch in and hang their nests from ; they are not usually 

 met with in thickly- wooded or mountainous country, 

 or far from water. Their food consists chiefly of berries 

 and insects, the latter being eaten in very large quantities 

 in the breeding season ; the call-note is like that of the 

 Baltimore Oriole, but the song is not so melodious. 



