BAIRD SPARROW. 



545. Coturniculus bairdii. 5f4 inches. 



Crown and nape brownish yellow streaked with 

 black; underparts white streaked on the throat, breast 

 and sides with blackish; tail slightly forked and the 

 feathers pointed. 



In summer the western plains and prairie ring with 

 the tinkling songs of these little Sparrows; they are 

 especially abundant in Dakota and Montana, spending 

 nearly all their time on the ground, where they feed 

 upon insects and weed seeds. 



Song. A mellow, tinkling zeep, zeep, zeep, zr-r-r. 



Nest. A slight affair of grasses arranged in concen- 

 tric layers about a hollow in the ground, usually under 

 a tuft of grass or weeds where it is fairly well con- 

 cealed from view. In June and July they lay from 

 three to five whitish eggs, specked and blotched with 

 brown (.80 x .65). 



Range. Breeds in the Great Plains from Dakota 

 and Minnesota north to Manitoba; winters in southern 

 U. S. 



