54 THE COLUMBIAN RED-WING. 



W'K accept this bird as a resident (jf this State cliiefly on the testimony 

 of W'ilHam H. Kobbe, who listed it^ as a breeding bird of Cape Disappoint- 

 ment. He fiiund it closely associated with the Northwestern Red-wing (A. 

 /^luviiicciis caiiriiiiis) altho' the latter frequently pursued it in the attempt 

 to expel it from the small swamp which buth were compelled to occupy. 

 This probably represents the northernmost extension of this species, the Grav's 

 Harbor record of Mr. Lawrence'' being at least open to cjuestion in the matter 

 of identification. 



The habits of the Bicolored Blackbird do not differ in any knoAvii 

 particular from those of the familiar Red-wing, of which it is a discontinuous 

 offshoot. 



No. 19. 



COLUMBIAN RED-WING. 



A. O. U. No. 498. Agelaius phceniceus neutralis Ridgway. 



Synonyms. — San Diego Red-wing. Interior Red-wing. Red-winged 

 Black luKii. Red-shouldered Blackbird. Swamp Blackbird. 



Description. — .-idiilt male in suimncr: Glossy black; lesser wing-coverts 

 bright red (poppy-red, vermilion or scarlet) ; middle coverts huffy or ochraceous- 

 buff' — the two forming thus a conspicuous epaulet, or shoulder patch. Bill, legs, 

 and feet horn black ; irides brown. Adult male in winter: Middle wing-coverts 

 more deeply buffy ; scapulars and feathers of black more or less edged with 

 rusty. In immature males the black of the plumage is more or less extensively 

 margined with rusty-buffy or whitish ; the wing-coverts have an admixture of 

 black and the "red" of the lesser coverts is of a sickly hue (orange-tawny, etc.). 

 Adult female in summer: Brownish gray, everywhere mottled and streaked, or 

 striped, with dusky, tinely on chin, cheeks, and superciliaries, where also more or 

 less rubescent, heavil_v below, less distinctly above; lesser coverts brownish-gray 

 or dull red ; middle coverts black edged with bulTy. Bill dusky lightening below ; 

 feet and legs dusky. Adult female in tvintcr: Plumage of upperparts more or 

 less margined with rusty or ochraceous ; sides of head and underparts tinged with 

 bufly. Length of adult males (skins) : 8.39 (213. i) ; wing 4.84 ( 122.9) ; tail 3.57 

 (Q0.7) ; bill .90 (23.1 ) ; tarsus 1.19 (30.2). Adult females (skins) : 7. 11 (181.9) ; 

 wing 3.98 (101.3) ; tail 2.85 (72.4) ; bill .j"/ { 19.6) ; tarsus 1.06 (26.9). 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink to Robin size; bright red epaulets of male; 

 general streakiness of female. Female lighter-colored and not so heavily streaked 

 as in A. p. cauriuus. 



Nesting. — Nest: a neatly woven but rather bulky basket of grasses, cat-tail 

 leaves or hemp, usually lashed to upright stalks of cat-tail, occasionally on bushes, 



a. The Auk, Vol. XVII., Oct. 1900, p. 354. 



b. The Auk, Vol. IX., Jan. 1892. p- 45- 



