YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 



497. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. 10 inches. 



Male black with head and breast bright yellow; 

 female more brownish and with paler head mixed witL, 

 brown. 



These handsome birds are common locally on the 

 prairies, frequenting the sloughs and extensive 

 marshes and borders of lakes. -They are very sociable 

 birds and breed in large colonies sometimes composed 

 of thousands of birds. 



Notes. A harsh chack, and what is intended for a 

 song, consisting of numerous, queer sounding squeaks, 

 they being produced during seemingly painful contor- 

 tions of the singer. 



Nest. Of rushes woven around upright cane over 

 water in ponds and sloughs. The nest is placed at 

 from four inches to two feet from the water and is 

 quite deep inside. The four to six eggs are grayish, 

 profusely specked with pale brown (l.OOx.70). 



Range. U. S. chiefly west of the Mississippi, north 

 to British Columbia and Hudson Bay; winters on 

 southwestern border of the U. S. 



