BIRD NOTES AFIELD 



of throat and a small irregular black patch on the breast. Otherwise, 

 under parts white. A generally distributed summer resident of Cali- 

 fornia, wintering in the interior valleys and in the southern parts of the 

 State. 



125. White-crowned Sparrow; Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.). 

 This species is the first of a restricted group of rather large sparrows, 



all with distinctive head markings. Length nearly seven inches. The 

 adult birds have a clear white crown-patch, bordered by distinct bands 

 of black. A second line of white bounds the black, starting back from 

 the eye, while below this is another narrow line of black. Coloration in 

 general ashy, darker above, brownish on rump, and middle of the back 

 streaked with brown; below whitish ash, paler on throat, browner on 

 sides. The immature birds have the black replaced by brown. 



There are three race forms of the white-crowned sparrow, all of 

 which are found in California. The typical bird of the eastern states is 

 as described above. It is a summer resident of the high Sierras, migrating 

 southward chiefly on the eastern slope. The Intermediate Sparrow 

 {Zonotrichia hucophrys gambelii Nutt.) is practically identical with 

 the preceding, save for the marking of the lores. The lores are thai 

 portion of a bird's face between the eye and the upper mandible. This 

 spot is black in the typical eastern bird and whitish or grayish in the 

 intermediate sparrow. It requires a close observer to detect a difference 

 so trivial. Breeding north of California, south in autumn through the 

 Sierras, chiefly to the interior valleys. 



Nuttall's Sparrow; Zonotrichia leucophr^s nuttalli Ridgw. 



The lores are as in the preceding species, but the ashy tone of the 

 back is replaced by olive-brownish, streaked with brown and blackish 

 markings. The under parts are brownish gray instead of ashy. Inner 

 edge of wing yellow. This is the common variety of the coast valleys 

 and mountains. In winter it is one of the most abundant birds about 

 San Francisco Bay, although comparatively few remain to breed. 



126. Golden-crowned Sparrow; Zonotrichia coronata (Pall.). 

 Forehead and stripes on sides of head black ; top of head dull yellow, 



bordered by ashy behind. (These colors become more brilliant yellow 

 and almost pure white at the commencement of the breeding season, 

 while in immature birds the black of the crown is replaced by brown- 

 ish, and the ashy is wanting or obscure.) In other respects the coloring 

 of this species is practically the same as of the preceding bird. The 

 two species associate in flocks during the winter and can only be dis- 

 tinguished by close attention to their head markings and songs. Com- 

 mon winter resident in the valleys and foothills, becoming rare in the 

 extreme southern part of the State. 



[188] 



