BIRDS JF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



139 



9,000 feet at the head of Lycll Canyon. 

 Nests regularly in meadows of the up- 

 per Mariposa Grove. In winter and fall 

 at lower elevations, occasionally in- 

 cluding Yosemite Valley. 



SONG SPARROW (Melospiza 

 melodia): 5-6^4 in. Above varying from 

 brownish - gray to rusty with darker 

 streaks; tail dark brown to rusty; below 

 light gray streaked with dark brown 

 or rusty, most profusely on breast; 

 brown or rusty spots radiate from 

 larger breast spot; breast spot may be 

 poorly defined or absent in young; in- 

 distinct whitish stripe over eye with 

 black one on side of throat, setting ofT 

 white malar stripe. Many subspecies 

 differing in color and size. 



Frequents tangles of brush, weeds, 

 and other low growth, usually near 

 v^ater or over damp ground. Often be- 

 comes established in shrubberv about 



dwellings. Breeds over a wide zonal 

 range from the Lower Sonoran to the 

 Hudsonian life-zone. R. at lower ele- 

 vations in the Yosemite region, spar- 

 ingly including Yosemite Valley and 

 Wawona. W. V. largely below 4,500 

 feet on the west slope of the Sierra. In 

 the fall stragglers may reach 9,000 

 leet on the east slope. 



Species Recorded in Yosemite National 



Park but of Infrequent or 



Uncertain Occurrence 



Arctic loon, white-tailed kite, sora' 

 rail, solitary sandpiper, willet, black- 

 necked stilt, red phalaropc, barn owl, 

 barn swallo'^v, bohernian waxwing, blue 

 grosbeak, American goldfinch, Law- 

 rence's goldfinch. Brewer's sparrow, 

 Harris's sparrow, white-throated spar- 

 row. 



