372 Birds of Colorado 



have no details as to their nesting habits in Colorado but 

 Elliott Coues found them breeding in large numbers 

 on the Red River in Dakota, in June. Nests were placed 

 in -willow bushes within a few inches of the ground, and 

 the eggs, three or four in number, were hght greenish, 

 scantily but sharply speckled with various shades of 

 broMai, and measured '62 x "50. The note of this bird 

 is described by Beckham as a wheezy rattle, while Coues 

 states that : "I know of no more assiduous and persistent 

 songster than this little bird is, although his vocal efforts 

 are of a humble sort." 



Brewer's Sparrow. Spizella hreweri. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 562 — Colorado Records — Ridgway 73, p. 182 

 Henshaw 75, p. 279 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 191 ; Drew 85, p. 16 

 Morrison 89, p. 38 ; Cooke 97, p. 104 ; Henderson 03, p. 108 ; 09, p. 237 

 Warren 06, p. 23 ; 08, p. 23 ; 09, p. 16 ; Markman 07, p. 157. 



Description. — Very similar to S. pallida, but the striping of the 

 crown and back quite uniform throughout, and of a narrower character 

 than that of S. pallida ; the grey nape-collar, the white superciUum 

 and the dusky postocular stripes are hardly to be distinguished, and 

 the general colour is duller throughout ; bill brownish, liliaceoios-brown 

 in life, lower mandible paler. Length 5-10; wing 2-53; tail 248; 

 culmen -35 ; tarsus -60. 



The sexes are alike ; the young closely resemble the adults, but have 

 the breast streaked with dusky at first. 



Distribution. — Western North America, breeding from British 

 Columbia southwards to the southern limits of the United States ; 

 in winter south through north-western Mexico to Jalisco. 



In Colorado Brewer's Sparrow is a summer resident most abundant 

 in the sage-brush country of the south and west of the State, though 

 far from uncommon in the eastern grassy plains as well. It does not 

 appear to range up to any great elevation as a rule, but Henderson took 

 two and saw several others at Silver Lake in Boulder co., at 10,000, in 

 September. Brewer's Sparrow is a late migrant, reaching central 

 Colorado early in May (earliest date for El Paso co, April 30th) and 

 leaving again in early October. Other recorded localities are : Weld co. 

 (Markman), Boulder co. (Henderson), Denver (Henshaw), Lincoln co. 

 (Aiken coll.). Fort Lyon (Thome apud Cooke), Baca co., after April 

 29th, Routt and Rio Blanco cos. (Warren 06, 08). 



