204 PASSERES: Perching Birds 



COOPER TANAGER 



(610a. Piranga rubra cooperi) 8i in. 



Male: Wholly red; dull on upper parts; vermilion or poppy- 

 red below; no crest. 



Female: Olive-green above; yellowish green below. 



Compare Hepatic Tanager, which occupies an entirely 

 different habitat. 



FAMILY SWALLOWS 



Birds of small size, best characterized by their proverbial 

 flight. Wings long; tail various, short or long and deeply forked; 

 feet small; bill very short, and gape wide. 



WESTERN MARTIN 



(61 la. Progne subis hesperia) 7| in. 



Male: Wholly shining blue-black, except wings and tail. 



Female and immature male: Upper parts dusky, more or less 

 mixed with blue-black; forehead and under parts gray, whitish 

 on belly. 



Males are distinctive in their unicolor dress, in appearance 

 a big, black Swallow with forked tail. (All our other Swallows 

 have definite, distinguishing marks.) 



Noisiest of its tribe; its call is a harsh scream. It has also a 

 low, musical, confidential chatter. 



CLIFF SWALLOW 



(612. Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons) 5 in. 



Crown and back shining blue-black, the latter gray-streaked; 

 forehead buffy or white; rump pale chestnut; throat and sides of 

 head chestnut; breast-patch of blue-black; belly white. 



Most valuable economically of our swallows, because most 

 numerous. Lives entirely on insects, taken on the wing. 



Its bottle-necked, mud-built nests, snuggled in groups under 

 eaves or gable, are marvels of the bird builder's art. 



