Perching Birds Chiefly Gray, Black, or Black and White 



475. American Magpie (Pica pica hudsonia}. L. 

 20. Ads. Bill black-, scapulars, belly and most of 

 inner margins of primaries white; wings glossy blue 

 black, tail externally greenish; back and breast vel- 

 vety black. Notes. Cock, cack, also garrulous gabble 

 intermixed with whistling notes. (Bendire.) 



Range. Western North America, east to the Plains, west to Cas- 

 cade and Sierra Ranges; breeds from northern New Mexico and 

 northern Arizona north to Alaska. strays farther east in winter. 



476. Yellow-bi lied Magpie (Pica nuttalli}. Similar 

 to No. 475, but bill and eye-space yellow, smaller, L. 

 18. Notes. A harsh, rasping, cac-cac-cac, and a low, 

 rich whistle, audible only at a short distance. 



Range. California, west of Sierra Nevada, "north to Red Bluff 

 and south to Santa Paula." (Grinnell.) 



493. Starling (Sturnus vulgar is) . L. 8.5; T. 2.5. 

 Ad. summer, Metallic green and purple spotted above 

 with buffy; bill yellow. Ad. winter. Similar, but 

 above heavily spotted with brownish buff; below 

 heavily spotted with white; bill blackish. Notes. A 

 long-drawn, two-noted whistle, the second lower; and 

 a chattering, metallic call when in flocks. 



Range. Europe and northern Asia; accidental in Greenland; In- 

 troduced Into New York City in 1890; now common, extending east 

 to New Haven, Connecticut, north. to Ossining, New York, south to 

 Staten Island and"Plainfield, New Jersey. 



495. Cowbird (Molothrus ater). L. 7.9; W. 4.2. 

 Ad. c?. Head and neck coffee-brown, body greenish 

 black. Ad. 9- Brownish gray, throat lighter. Yng. 

 Like 9- Notes. A metallic twitter, and by the male, 

 a long-drawn, glassy kluck-tse-e-e\ and watery gurg- 

 ling notes uttered with spread wings and tail. 



Range. United States: rare west of Rockies; breeds from Florida 

 and Texas north to New Brunswick and Little Slave Lake; west to 

 eastern Oregon, Nevada, and southeastern California; winters from 

 southern New Jersey, southern Illinois, Indian Territory, northern 

 Texas, and southeastern California, southward. 



495a. Dwarf Cowbird (M. a. obscurus}. Similar to 

 No. 495, but smaller, L. 7.5; W. 4. 



Range. Southwestern United States; from Gulf Coast of Texas 

 west along Mexican boundary to Arizona and Lower California; win- 

 ters south of United States. 



496. Red-eyed Cowbird (Callothrus robustus}. 

 L. 9. Ad. tf. Velvety bronze-black; wings and tail 

 shining blue-black. Ad. 9. Dull black, wings and 

 tail with slight greenish reflections. 



Range. Southern and eastern Mexico north, in spring, to Lower 

 Rio Grande, Texas. 



620. Phainopepla (Pbainopepla nitens}. L. 7.5. 

 Crested. Ad. <j\ Shining black; inner vanes of 

 primaries largely white, showing in flight. Ad. 9- 

 Dark gray, tail blacker, wing-coverts and quills nar- 

 rowly margined with whitish. Yng. Like 9 Notes. 

 Calls, commonest, like call of young Robin; male 

 has also a scold, a Meadowlark-like note and a 

 harsh ca-rack or ca-racack; song, a jumble of flute- 

 like tones and weak, squeaky notes. (Bailey.) 



Range. Mexico north to western Texas, southern Utah and south- 

 ern California; winters from Mexican border southward. 



253 



475. 



620. 



