A FIRST GLANCE AT THE BIRDS 



variations of the same bird, is common in all of our moun- 

 tains. Its range is coincident with the conifers, among which 

 it is always present and abundant. This bird is a large, 

 showy fellow with a conspicuous crest, an ornament wholly 

 absent in the California jay, which is the common species of 

 the valley region. The latter is as characteristic an inhabitant 

 of the oaks as the former is of the pines, and is probably one of 

 our best-known California birds. 



In the starling family I need scarcely remind you of our 

 meadow-lark, with golden throat and silver voice, which we 

 are exterminating with so ruthless a hand in order that our 

 gourmands may have a mouthful of the dainty breast. Bul- 

 lock's oriole, a loud, inspiring songster, flashes in coat of black 

 and golden orange among our trees all summer, while in the 

 southern part of the state the Arizona hooded oriole is like- 

 wise common. The red-winged blackbirds also belong to the 

 starling family. A flock of these coal-black fellows, with 

 their scarlet shoulder patches, is a beautiful sight indeed, and 

 their sweet twiddle diddle diddle from the swamp of tules is 

 one of the delights of early spring. 



The great finch family is represented in North America by 

 some thirty-four genera, nearly all of which are present in 

 California. It includes the sparrows, linnets, goldfinches, 

 crossbills, grosbeaks — in fact all the thick -billed seed eaters, 

 among them being many of our best-known birds. The song- 

 sparrow is perhaps the most generally distributed North Amer- 

 ican member of the group and one of the most popular of our 

 song birds. Its song is a humble lay, sweet and confiding in 

 spirit, which seems to accord well with the simple singer. The 

 song-sparrows are subdivided into a number of race forms, 



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