246 KEY TO FINCHES AND SPARROWS 



scratching on the ground for its food, and its rus- 

 set sides match the dead leaves about it, while 

 its black back is inconspicuous from above. The 

 Goldfinch (Frontispiece) and Indigo Bunting 

 carry their names in their colors, as do the Car- 

 dinal (see Fig. 155, p. 253) and the Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak (see Fig. 151, p. 252). The rest of the 

 Finches we have looked at are winter visitors, 

 including the two Snowbirds, the Slate-colored 

 Junco and the Snowflake (see Figs. 156 and 

 158, p. 253), the Redpoll (Fig. 157, p. 253), 

 Crossbill (Fig. 145, p. 234), Streaked Pine Finch 

 (Fig. 144, p. 233) and large, rosy Pine Grosbeak 

 (Fig. 117, p. 193). 



Key to Adult Male Finches and Sparrows. 



Common Characters. Bill stout and conical. 



I. STRIKINGLY-COLORED BIRDS. 



A. BLUE CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 



B. YELLOW CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 



C. BLACK OR SLATE-GRAY CONSPICUOUS IN PLU- 



MAGE. 



D. RED CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 



II. DULL-COLORED STREAKED BIRDS. 



A. UNIFORMLY STREAKED ABOVE AND BELOW. 



B. NOT UNIFORMLY STREAKED ABOVE AND BE- 



LOW. 



I. STRIKINGLY-COLORED BIRDS. 

 A. BLUE CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE. 



Entire body indigo blue. Call cheep, accompanied by 



twitching of tail from side to side. Female brownish. 



p. 149. INDIGO BUNTING. 



