BIRDS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



129 



PILEOLATED WARBLER (Wil- 

 sonia pusilla): 4/2-5 in. Black "cap" 

 on head, less evident or missing on fe- 

 male; forehead yellow; below bright 

 yellow; back and wings greenish-yel- 

 low; prominent black eyes; no wing- 

 bars or belly-streaks. 



Frequents low, often shaded- plant 

 growth in moist areas. Breeds in the 

 mountains and foothills; widespread 

 during migration. S. V. to the Sierra 

 from the Upper Sonoran through the 

 Canadian life-zone, chiefly in Transi- 

 tion and Canadian. In Yosemite region 

 frequents boggy meadows bordered by 

 willow and dogwood. Also found in 

 spring along the eastern base of the 

 Sierra and as a M. in the western 

 X, foothills. 



WEAVER FINCHES: 

 Family Ploceidae 



ENGLISH SPARROW (Passer do- 

 mesticus): 5/2-654 in. Throat and up- 

 per breast black; crown gray; band 

 behind eye and on nape brown ; under 

 parts dirty white; back, wings, and 

 rump chestnut-brown, streaked with 

 dusky. Female: Upper parts and sides 

 brown, chestnut wanting; back, tail, 

 and wings blackish; breast not streaked; 

 no throat-patch. 



Widespread introduced exotic, com- 

 mon on streets and near buildings in 

 most towns and about farms. Highly 

 adaptable with respect to environment 

 and foraging method, but prefers asso- 

 ciation with civilization. Occasionally 

 wanders into Yosemite region in sum- 

 mer. Has been observed at El Portal 

 f , and Yosemite Valley in vicinity of 

 buildings. 



AMERICAN ORIOLES AND 

 BLACKBIRDS: Family Icteridae 



WESTERN MEADOWLARK 



(Sturnella neglecta): 8-10 in. Upper 



( parts brown, marked with dusky and 



— buff; under parts yellow with black 



crescent on breast; buflfy line through 



crown ; yellow or bufTy line over eye ; 



outer tail feathers white; short tail. 



WESTERN 

 MEADOWLARK 



R. in open grasslands, breeding in 

 the Lower Sonoran to the Transition 

 life-zone. Seen in the San Joaquin 

 Valley into the Sierran foothills. In 

 the Yosemite region after the breeding 

 season may be found to high altitudes 

 as on top of Half Dome and near Ten 

 Lakes, 9,700 feet. Occasionally seen in 

 Yosemite Valley. 



YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD 



(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) : 8- 

 11 in. Head, neck, and breast yellow; 

 rest of plumage black except large white 

 patch on black wing. Female: Smaller 

 than male; grayish-brown, faintly 

 streaked below; throat, upper chest, 

 and line over eye yellowish; no wing- 

 patch. 



Frequents tule marshes and adjacent 

 meadows or cultivated ground chiefly 

 in the Lower Sonoran to the Transition 

 life-zone. C. V. to the Yosemite region. 

 Has been recorded occasionally in Yo- 

 semite Valley. 



RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 



(Agelaius phoeniceus): 7-9/2 in. Entire 

 plumage black; wing-bend patch scar- 

 let, bordered by buffy or orange in all 

 except one subspecies; feathers of back 

 edged with rusty in winter. Female: 

 Crown dark brown with buffy streaks; 

 buflfy stripe over eye; back brown; un- 

 der parts streaked with dark brown, 

 tinged with buflfy in winter. 



