26 BIRDS OF THE PAP AGO SAGTJARO NATIONAL MONUMENT. 



ever, the Arizona bird nests upon the ground, building in the cut 

 bank of a road, at the entrance to some prospector's abandoned tun- 

 nel, or in some sheltered nook alongside a stream. 



The desert wren belies his name by residing in manzanita thickets 

 in the high mountains, not occurring at all (in summer, at least) on 

 the desert below. He is rare and extremely shy, so that special 

 search must be made to catch even a fleeting glimpse of him. The 

 male bird is an assiduous songster, however, and, by careful stalking, 

 may be caught unawares at his perch on some dead twig above the 

 bushes. 



The western house wren is everywhere in the mountains, bubbling 

 over with song, as usual. Every pile of brush seemed to have its 

 wren tenants. In the oak trees one occasionally runs across little 

 droves of the bridled titmouse, but not often, for the species is not 

 nearly as common here as in some of the more southern of the 

 Arizona mountain ranges. In fact, the Sierra Ancha must be at 

 nearly the northern limit of the range of this Mexican species, at 

 least in this part of the State. The pointed crest and the peculiar 

 head markings (from which the bird's common name is derived) 

 serve as unmistakable recognition marks. 



On the highest peaks there occurs another member of the family, 

 the mountain chickadee, quite scarce, and apparently not descending 

 to lower levels during the nesting season. A third titmouse, the 

 lead-colored bush-tit, is most numerous on the eastern slope of the 

 range, where the slightly different character of the forest, with 

 juniper and agaves among the conspicuous plants, apparently affords 

 more congenial surroundings than the denser pine forest. 



To most visitors to the mountains the Audubon hermit thrush will 

 be no more than a melodious voice, heard from dense fir woods or 

 thickly shaded canyons. The birds are not uncommon, and during 

 the summer months may be heard singing on all sides, especially 

 toward evening, but to catch sight of one of the songsters requires 

 the most cautious approach, with much patient waiting. 



Western robins and chestnut-backed bluebirds are both familiar 

 objects in the pine forests, the former by far the most abundant, and 

 through its loud song most constantly brought to notice. Robins' 

 nests with young were found during June in alders overhanging the 

 streams. 



