114 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



STELLER'S JAY 



SCRUB JAY 



11^-12 



YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE 



16-18 



dant in the ^'osemite region. One of 

 the boldest and most conspicuous birds 

 of the floor of "\'oscmite Valley. 



SCRUB JAY (Aphelocoma calijor- 

 nica): 11/2-12 in. Head without crest; 

 upper parts blue except middle of back 

 grayish - brown; under parts grayish, 

 lightest on throat; blue-black band (of- 

 ten not complete) on breast; white line 

 over eye; sides of face blackish. 



Frequents chiefly the broken wood- 

 land and chaparral of the Upper So- 

 noran life-zone. Widespread R. in the 

 western foothills of the Sierra, includ- 

 ing the Yosemite region, but absent 

 from higher elevations. Occasional in 

 Yosemite Valley. 



BLACK -BILLED MAGPIE (Pica 

 pica): 17-22 in. Bill black, otherwise 

 resembles vcllow-billcd magpie, but is 

 slightly larger. 



Frequents chiefly open terrain with 

 clumps of willows, aspens, cottonwoods, 

 or other trees with nesting sites and 

 she'f^r. Water in the form of a stream, 

 wet meadow, or lake is often not far 

 removed. Breeds in the Upper Sonoran 

 and Transition life-zones. R. east of the 

 Cascade-Sierran divides south to the 

 upper part of the Owens Valley. Oc- 

 casionally enters the eastern part of 

 the Yosemite region. His been seen in 

 Lycll Canyon. 



YELLOW -BILLED MAGPIE (Pica 

 nuttalli): 16-18 in. Head, throat, 

 breast, back, and rump black; large bar 

 of white on shoulder; belly white; 

 large white patches toward tips of out- 

 spread wiiigs; bill yellow; long central 

 tail feathers. Omnivorous. Builds a 

 bulky nest of sticks and mud. 



Frequents broad expanses of open 

 ground where there is a scattering of 

 oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods, or other 

 trees. Found in the Lower and Upper 

 Sonoran life-zones, usually near water. 

 R. in the Great Valley and western 

 foothills of the Sierra as in the western 

 part of the Yosemite region. Rarely 

 observed in Yosemite Vallev. 



