BREWER BLACKBIRD. 



510. Scolecophagus cyanocephalus. 10 inches. 



Male with head violet purple and rest of the body 

 greenish black; female grayish brown. 



This is the western representative of the preceding, 

 the two species being found together on the Plains; it 

 is, however, much more common in the west than is 

 our Rusty Grackle in the east, and breeds much far- 

 ther south. 



They travel and also breed in large numbers to- 

 gether and are said to be one of the tamest of the fam- 

 ily. 



Notes. A chack like that of the Rusty Grackle, and 

 also a Spring song very similar to that of that species. 



Nest. A large platform of sticks and twigs, grass 

 and weeds and often mud, placed at low elevations in 

 bushes or upon the ground. The four to six eggs are 

 dull white color, spotted, clouded and blotched with 

 brown and gray (l.OOx.75). 



Range. Western N. A. from the Plains to the Pa- 

 cific, breeding from southern U. S. north to British 

 Columbia and Saskatchewan. Winters in southern 

 U. S. 



