130 YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 



BULLOCK'S ORIOLE 



BREWER'S BLACKBIRD 



Frequents marshes, moist fields, and 

 margins of ponds, lakes, and slowly 

 flowing streams where grown to tules, 

 sedges, and willows. Inhabits the Lower 

 Sonoran to the Transition life-zone dur- 

 ing the breeding season. Found locally 

 in the Yoscmite region below the Ca- 

 nadian life-zone. Common in open wet 

 meadows of Yosemite Valley in spring 

 and early summer, where they nest, the 

 males to be seen conspicuously guard- 

 ing the nests. 



BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (Icterus 

 bullocki): 7/2-8/2 in. Forehead, line 

 over eye, cheeks, and most of under 

 parts orange running to yellowish on 

 belly and outer tail feathers; rump yel- 

 lowish; top of head, upper back, much 

 of wings, and central area in tail black; 

 wing marked with broad patch of 

 white; black stripe on throat extends 

 down from bill; black line runs from 

 bill through eye to occiput. Female: 

 Upper parts gray, washed on head with 

 yellow; tail yellowish - brown ; wings 

 brown with whitish bars; sides of throat 

 and breast yellowish, remaining under 

 parts whitish except yellow beneath tail. 



Frequents streamside and oak wood- 

 land in the Lower Sonoran to the 

 Transition life-zone. Common S. V. at 

 lower elevations on the west side of the 

 Sierra. C. V. to Yosemite Valley. 



BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (Eupha- 

 gus cyanocephalus) : 8-9^2 in. Whole 

 plumage glossy black; iris white. Fe- 

 male : Head and neck grayish-brown ; 

 remainder of plumage dark brown to 

 blackish; iris brown. Usually seen in 

 flocks. 



Frequents grasslands, meadows, 

 stream and lake borders, lawns, and 

 cultivated fields, usually where there 

 are scattered trees for roosting and 

 nesting. Inhabits the Lower Sonoran 

 to the Canadian life-zone. In the Yo- 

 semite region nests as high as the floor 

 of ^'osemitc Valley and in summer and 

 fall ranges upward nearly to timberline. 

 Migrates to lowlands in winter. One 

 of the most abundant birds in Yosemite 

 Valley in spring and summer. 



