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YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



BIRD DESCRIPTIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 



GREBES: Order Colymbiformes 



GREBES: Family Colymbidae 



EARED GREBE (Colymbus cas- 

 picus): 12-14 in. In summer head, slen- 

 der neck, upper breast, and crest, black: 

 tufts of fan-shaped yellowish feathers 

 extend back from eye; rest of upper 

 parts blackish; sides brownish-red; un- 

 der parts white; bill slender; iris red. 

 Adult in winter: Cheek whitish; front 

 and sides of neck gray; under parts 

 white; top of head, back of neck, and 

 back black. Immature: More brown in 

 back. 



Breeds in summer on bodies of fresh 

 water. East of the Sierra breeds south 

 to Mono Lake. W.V. along the coast 

 and on inland bodies of water. Widely 

 distributed in the fall. R. in some areas. 

 C.V. to lakes in Yosemite region. Occa- 

 sionally on Mirror Lake in Yosemite 

 Vallcv but more frequent on higher 

 lakes up to 12,000 feet. 



PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilym- 

 bus podiceps): 12-15 in. Upper parts 

 brown, darker on top of head, back of 

 neck and upper back; under parts whit- 

 ish, marked with brown; bill short, 

 light - colored, and crossed by black 

 band; throat black; white under very 

 short tail. Adult in winter and imma- 

 ture: Generally brown; throat patch 

 absent or faint; band on bill absent. 

 Hatchlings blackish with whitish streaks 

 on head, neck, and back. When fright- 

 ened may dive or sink beneath the sur- 

 face with little rippling of water. 



Widely R. on bays and estuaries along 

 the coast and on inland ponds, sloughs, 

 and lakes. The principal breeding area 

 is the Great Valley of California. Wide- 

 ly distributed in winter. In the Yosem- 

 ite region most likely to be seen in 

 winter along the lower course of the 

 Merced River below Yosemite Valley. 



PELICAN-LIKE BIRDS: 



Order Peiecaniformes 



PELICANS: Family Pelecanidae 



WHirE PELICAN (Pelecanus eryth- 

 rorhynchos) : 55-70 in. Plumage gen- 

 erally ivhitc, except for brownish-white 

 primaries and tuft of yellowish feathers 

 at top of head; pouch largely yellow, 

 orange at base; bill and feet orange; 

 protuberance on upper mandible and 

 yellow on head absent in winter. Im- 

 mature: Bill yellow: top of head brown- 

 ish-gray. Flies with head back on 

 shoulders and long bill resting on neck. 

 Flock flies in "follow-the-lcader" fash- 

 ion in column or V, each bird, in turn, 

 doing same maneuvers as leader. 



Breeds principally on interior fresh- 

 water lakes, especially those with islets. 

 In winter, ranges widely over southern 

 and west central parts reaching bays 

 along the coast. May be seen flying at 

 considerable height almost anywhere 

 during migration. C.V. to Yosemite 

 Valley. 



CORMORANTS: Family 

 Phalacrocoracidae 



DOUBLE - CRESTED CORMO- 

 RANT (Phalacrocorax auritus): 30-36 

 in. Black with greenish iridescence on 

 head and neck; throat, pouch, and lores 

 yellowish-orange; delicate white feath- 

 ers, which are soon lost, above and be- 

 hind eye during late winter and early 

 spring; sides of bill yellow; bill usually 

 elevated at a slight angle when neck 

 held erect and bird resting or swim- 

 ming. Immature: Uniformly dark 

 brown above; whitish on belly. Usually 

 nests in colonics on islets or in tall trees 

 near lakes or reservoirs. 



R. and breeding along the coast as 

 well ar on larger inland bodies of water. 

 C.V. to the Yosemite region. 



