BIRDS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



115 



AMERICAN CROW (Corvus 

 brachyrhynchos): 17-21 in. Whole bird 

 glossy black; tip of tail rounded when 

 spread. Often seen in fiocks. Call, fa- 

 miliar caw, caw. Omnivorous. 



Frequents areas with a broad ex- 

 panse of open ground, in valleys and 

 in rolling hills, but trees are requisite 

 for nesting and roosting. Breeds in the 

 Lower Sonoran to the Transition life- 

 zones. R. throughout the Great Val- 

 ley. Absent or C. V. in heavily forested 

 or mountainous country and in the des- 

 erts. Occasional at lower elevations in 

 the western part of the Yoscrnitc region. 

 C. V. to Yosemite Valley. 



PIN ON JAY (Cyanocephalus cyano- 

 cephalus): 10-12 in. Whole body dull 

 blue, more vivid on head; streaks of 

 whitish on throat; tail relatively short; 

 bill long' and slender. Crow-like in 

 flight. Often seen in flocks. Omnivorous 

 but feeds to a considerable extent on 

 pinon nuts. 



Frequently associated with pinon and 

 juniper but ranges into grasslands and 

 open forests of other types. Breeds in 

 the arid Upper Sonoran and Transi- 

 tion life-zones. R. cast of the Cascade- 

 Sierran divides, but in fall and winter 

 may wander far to the west. C. V. to 

 Yosemite region where occasionally 

 seen in Tuolumne Meadows and above 

 the rim of Yosemite Valley. 



CLARK'S NUTCRACKER (Nuci- 

 jraga Columbiana): 12-13 in. Body light 

 gray; black wings with white - tipped 

 secondary feathers forming conspicuous 

 white patch at rear edge of wing; most 

 outer tail feathers white, central tail 

 feathers black. Flarsh call. Omnivor- 

 ous but feeds to a large extent on pine 

 nuts. 



R. chiefly in the Canadian and Hud- 

 sonian life-zones in areas usually char- 

 acterized by meadows, rocky slopes, 

 and trees of relatively small stature. 

 Frequents most of the higher mountain 

 masses, generally from 8,000 feet up to T" 

 timberline. In the Yosemite region ^ 

 common in the Hudsonian zone but 

 may be seen at lower elevations as at 

 Glacier Point and at other localities on 

 the rim of Yosemite Valley, especially 

 in late summer and fall. 



TITS: Family Paridae 



MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE (Par us 

 gambeli): 5-534 in. Upper parts gray, 

 tinged with brown; top of head and 

 throat black; white line over eye; black 

 line through eye; cheeks and belly 

 white, sides tinged with brown. Call a 

 lisping chick-a-dee-dee or a sweet, clear, 

 high-pitched, plaintive song, phee-dee- 

 dee, the first note considerably higher 

 than the last two. Characteristic of — 

 chickadees is the habit of clinging with ' 



CLARK'S NUTCRACKER MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE 



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