EVENING GBOSBEAK 417 



California Evening Grosbeak 

 Hesperiphona vespertina calif ornica Grinnell 



Field characters. — Size large for a Sparrow, but less than that of Robin. Body 

 chunky, tail short and indented at end; bill very large and conical (fig. 52b). Male: 

 Body coloration brownish yellow; tail and wings black, each wing with a large white 

 patch (mostly on innermost secondaries) ; top of head black; forehead and stripe over 

 eye clear yellow. Female: Body coloration grayish brown; wings and tail black, much 

 spotted with white. Voice: Song of male three loud high-pitched notes uttered slowly: 

 zer-r-p, sir-r-p, prilip; call note a shrill quer-up or Icillip, or plee-ek. 



Occurrence. — Irregular, usually sparse, summer visitant to Transition and Canadian 

 zones on west slope of Sierra Nevada. Observed from Crane Flat, Hazel Green, and 

 Chinquapin east to Mono Meadow; also in Yosemite Valley. Irregular winter visitant 

 to foothills, as at Smith Creek. Inhabits forest trees, foraging in crown foliage; less 

 often in shrubs or on ground. Usually in small flocks of loose formation, or in pairs. 



The California Evening Grosbeak is so irre^ilar as to its seasonal 

 behavior in the Yosemite region that no prediction can be made concerning 

 its occurrence in any stated locality at any given time of the year. In 

 1915, when field work was diligently prosecuted by our party in the 

 mountains from June until November, the species came to attention only 

 four times; while during a two weeks' visit to the Yosemite Valley and 

 its environs in May, 1919, the birds proved relatively common. Generally 

 speaking, this grosbeak does not appear to be really common anywhere 

 in the Sierra Nevada. 



Early on the morning of June 15, 1915, at Crane Flat, two large 

 mustard colored finches having short black tails and showing much white 

 on their wings were seen to fly into a willow thicket in a meadow. These 

 birds proved to be evening grosbeaks. They flitted about the thicket, 

 e\'idently foraging, and by their close association with one another were 

 believed to be a pair that was established for nesting in the vicinity. 

 Near Mono Meadow on June 16, at Chinquapin on June 18, and near 

 Yosemite Point on October 30, the same year, birds of this species were 

 observed, three being the most seen at any one time. 



In 1919 our first contact with evening grosbeaks came early on the 

 morning of May 14 when several were seen feeding in the chaff at the 

 side of an old barn at Hazel Green. Others were seen later the same day 

 at the same place, and on subsequent days, in Yosemite Valley, at Chin- 

 quapin, and at Tamarack Flat. In Yosemite Valley 6 were seen together 

 on May 16, and at Artist Point a flock of 8 or more was observed on May 19. 



The California Evening Grosbeak is a finch of very distinctive features, 

 not therefore likely to be confused with any other bird. It has a relatively 

 huge conical bill (fig. 52&) of greenish yellow color, a big head set rather 



