BIRDS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



113 



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SWALLOWS: Family Hirundinidae 



VIOLET -GREEN SWALLOW 



(Tachycineta thalassina) : 5/2 in. 

 Above greenish with purplish cast; top 

 of head dark brownish - green with 

 bronze tinge; wings and tail dusky; 

 rump purplish tending to blue-green 

 over tail; below white; sides of head 

 white; sides of rump white, showing 

 plainly in flight. 



Frequents the vicinity of cliffs and 

 rocky canyon walls and broken woods 

 and forest margins. Breeds chiefly in 

 the Upper Sonoran and Transition life- 

 zones. S. V. in the Yoscmite region in 

 the zones mentioned; most common 

 swallow in Yosemite Valley. 



TREE SWALLOW (Iridopro<ne 

 bicolor): 5-6 in. Above bluish tinged 

 with green, or black with steel-blue iri- 

 descence; below white. Nests in aban- 

 doned woodpecker holes in trees near 

 water. 



Frequents streams, sloughs, ponds, 

 lakes, and wet meadows where it for- 

 ages chiefly above water. Breeds chiefly 

 in the Upper Sonoran and Transition 

 life-zones. C. V. to lower elevations 

 in the Yosemite region. Has nested in 

 Yosemite Valley. 



ROUGH -WINGED SWALLOW 

 (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis): 5-5% in. 

 Upper parts brown; chin, throat, and 

 breast grayish-brown, belly and under 

 tail coverts white; no iridescent colors. 

 Nests in crevices or holes in bank, often 

 those dug by rodents or kingfishers. 



Frequents low earthen banks along 

 slowly flowing streams or even along 

 dry gullies. Breeds chiefly in the Lower 

 and Upper Sonoran life-zones. Of local 

 occurrence as S. V. in the lower, west- 

 ern part of the Yosemite region. Occa- 

 sional in Yosemite Valley. 



CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon 

 albifrons): 5-6 in. Forehead creamy 

 white; crown and back blue-black; 

 nape gray; wings and tail dark browTi; 

 throat and side of head reddish-brown ; 

 spot of blue on throat; rump pale rust 



CLIFF SWALLOW 



\ 



5-6 



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or tan; tail tip nearly straight; belly 

 light gray. The light under parts and 

 forehead and the tan rump aid in iden- 

 tifying the bird in flight. Often pro- 

 duces a grating noise in flight. Nest 

 gourd-shaped, composed of mud pel- 

 lets, often attached to a niche in a 

 cliff or beneath the eaves of a build- 

 ing. Of San Juan Capistrano fame. 



Attracted to cliffs, high banks, and 

 the walls of buildings, usually not far 

 from a source of mud for nest building 

 and quiet water for drinking. Nests 

 chiefly from the Lower Sonoran to the 

 Transition life-zone. S. V. to the west- 

 ern part of the Yosemite region. Has 

 been observed in the Hetch Hetchy 



JAYS, MAGPIES, AND CROWS: 



Family Corvidae 



STELLER'S JAY (Cyanocitta stel- -7- 

 leri): 12-13/2 in. Forepart of body I' 

 black; head strongly crested; often "" 

 some light blue streaks on forehead 

 which may extend to crest; under parts 

 light blue; wings and tail deep blue 

 crossbarrcd with black. Capable of a 

 great variety of sounds, suggesting that 

 it has a well-developed "language." 



Inhabits chiefly coniferous forests of 

 the Transition and Canadian life-zones, 

 occasionally invading the lowlands in 

 winter. Essentially R. with some down- 

 mountain movement in winter. Abun- 



