62 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



ABERT'S TOWHEE 

 Pipilo aberti Baird 



A. O. U. Number 59J 



Other Name. — Gray Towhee. 



General Description. — Length, g'/z inches. Upper 

 parts, brown ; nndcr parts, brown and yellowish. 

 Wings, rather short and much rounded ; tail, longer 

 than wing, rounded, the feathers broad with compact 

 webs and rounded tips ; feet, stout. 



Color. — Adults: Above, uniform rather light 

 brown, becoming rather darker and somewhat grayer 

 on wings and tail, the primaries edged with pale brown- 

 ish gray ; beneath, pale wood-brown, paler on breast, 

 deeper and tinged with reddish cinnamon on throat 

 and chest, the lower abdomen yellowish-bufify, the under 

 tail-coverts still deeper, or reddish tawny ; chin and 

 throat, streaked with dusky. Young : Above, olive- 

 grayish streaked with dusky : under parts, grayish- 



white streaked on sides and chest with dusky; win.gs 

 and tail similar to adults. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : Usually, in dense chaparral 

 thickets, willow, canebrake or mesquite clumps near 

 streams, within five feet of ground, rarely in trees 

 thirty feet up ; rather large, carelessly made of bark 

 strips, weed stalks, grass, twigs, lined with fine inner 

 bark or horse-hair. Eggs : 2 to 4, pale blue, thinly 

 marked or spotted around large end, sometimes over 

 the entire surface, with dark umber-brown and 

 black. 



Distribution. — Arid division of Arizona, southern 

 Nevada (bend of Colorado River), southwestern Utah, 

 northwestern New Mexico and southeastern California; 

 south in winter to northern Lower California. 



Despite the fact that the Abert's Towhee is 

 the largest of the plain Towhees he is extremely 

 shy. He lives among the mesquites and cotton- 



woods of the desert region of Arizona, New 

 Mexico, and southeastern California. His note 

 of alarm is hnit hnit according to Bendire. 



GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE 

 Oreospiza chlorura (Audubon) 



A (>, V. Ni: 



Other Names. — Chestnut-crowned Towhee ; Green- 

 tailed Bunting; Blanding's Finch. 



General Description. — Length, 8 inches. Upper 

 parts, greenish ; under parts, white and gray. Bill, 

 small ; wings, long and pointed ; tail, long, equal to or 

 longer than wing, rounded. 



Color. — Adults: Crown and back of head, plain 

 rufous or cinnamon-rufous; forehead and sides of head, 

 deep gray or olive-gray ; hindneck, back, shoulders, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts, olive-grayish tinged with 

 yellowish olive-green ; wings and tail, mainly yellowish 

 olive-green, the greater wing-coverts and inner wing- 

 quills, duller and grayer; edge of wing, canary-yellow; 

 chin and throat, white forming a sharply defined patch ; 

 chest, sides of neck, and sides of breast, gray becoming 

 gradually paler on breast ; the abdomen, white ; sides 

 and flanks, bufify grayish ; under tail-coverts, light bufif ; 

 iris, cinnamon or reddish. Young: Crown, hindneck, 



back, and shoulders light olive or grayish brown, 

 streaked with dusky ; under parts dull whitish, the chest 

 and sides streaked with dusky ; wings and tail as in 

 adults, but middle and greater wing-coverts indistinctly 

 tipped with brownish butTy. 



Nest and Eggs. — Xest; Placed in bush, amid 

 shrubbery or on ground, sagebrush, chaparral, mesquite, 

 or cactus preferred; constructed of fine twigs, grass, 

 shreds of bark, lined with fine grass. Eggs: 4, white, 

 pale greenish or grayish white, freckled all over with 

 fine specks of bright chestnut. 



Distribution. — Mountain districts of western United 

 States, from more eastern Rocky Mountain ranges to 

 Coast range of California; north to central Montana 

 and Idaho and eastern Washington ; south to southern 

 California, southeastern New Mexico, western Texas, 

 and, at least in winter, to middle Mexico, and to south- 

 ern Lower California; accidental in \'irginia. 



The Green-tailed Towhee is a beautiful bird 

 with a soft glossy coat touched off with yellowish 

 green and his manners are so gentlemanly that 

 he quickly wins his way to our hearts. " He 

 may generally be found perched on top of a 

 btish and at sight of you will raise his rufous 

 cap inquiringly, turning to look down so that his 

 white chin shows to advantage. When seen 

 hopping over the grotmd he is as trim as a Song 



.Sj)arrow, looking about and flashing his green 

 tail till he disappears to scratch in the brush." 

 (Mrs. Bailey.) 



This Towhee has the peculiar trait of rtuining 

 along the grotmd when he is surprised instead 

 of taking wing. His song has many of the 

 characteristics of Finch songs but is phrased like 

 that of the Caiion Towhee. His call note is 

 very similar to that of the Chewink. 



