572 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



Plain Titmouse. Baeolophus inornatus inornatus (Gambel) 



Field characters. — Size somewhat less than that of Junco or Linnet. Coloration 

 everywhere plain, grayish brown above, pale gray beneath; no contrasted markings 

 of any sort. Head with a tapered crest, which is habitually kept erect. Manners, flight 

 and notes resembling those of Chickadees. Voice: Commonest spring call a sharp 

 whistled peet'-o, given several (3-5) times in quick succession; also various other notes 

 not readily transcribed. Ordinary call-note wheezy, chickadee-like. 



Occurrence. — Common resident of Upper Sonoran Zone on west slope of Sierra 

 Nevada. Eecorded from near Lagrange (at 400 feet altitude), and from Pleasant 

 Valley, eastward to Smith Creek (six miles east of Coulterville), to El Portal, and to 

 Feliciana Mountain (4000 feet). Eeported once in Yosemite Valley (C. W. Michael, 

 MS). Lives chiefly in foliage of oak trees. In pairs, except when broods are in care 

 of parents. 



The word 'plain' in the name of the Plain Titmouse refers to the 

 exceedingly somber garb of the bird. Even its crest, which is a character 

 so prominent as to serve as a good field identification mark, is uniform 

 grayish brown. But the lively notes and vivacious behavior of the bird, 

 in such decided contrast to its scheme of coloration, easily lead one to 

 guess the rather close relationship of the titmouse to the chickadee. Once 

 within the range of the species the traveler cannot long remain ignorant 

 of the presence of titmouses (the correct plural), for one or more pairs 

 of the birds are likely to be in hearing if not in sight at any locality in the 

 foothill oak belt. 



Little or no difficulty need be experienced in identifying this species. 

 The features mentioned in the preceding paragraph are usually sufficient 

 to make the bird known. Its notes, until one has learned their many 

 variations, are less dependable for this purpose than the crest and color- 

 ation. The Plain Titmouse is much larger than the bush-tit. As compared 

 with the wren-tit the plain tit is of more chunky build. Moreover, its 

 tail, which is not longer than its body, is seldom or never cocked up at 

 an angle with the back. 



The Plain Titmouse is an example of a species that is strictly resident 

 within one zone, winter as well as summer. Individuals of several of the 

 foothill birds such as the bush-tit and wren-tit move up-slope with the close 

 of the nesting season. We have only one record of the Plain Titmouse 

 leaving the Upper Sonoran Zone: A pair was noted near the mouth of 

 Indian Caiion in Yosemite Valley on November 21 and 30, 1920, by Mr. 

 C. W. Michael (MS). The oak foliage about which the species lives so 

 much of the time evidently provides adequate forage not only for the 

 adults at all seasons but for the broods of five or six young which appear 

 at the end of spring. Even at El Portal where two different zones are 

 accessible on the opposing sides of the canon the titmouses keep to the 



