458 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YO SEMITE 



Black-chinned Sparrow. Spizella atrogularis (Cabanis) 



Field characters. — Size near that of Chipping Sparrow. Tail as long or longer than 

 body. Head and neck and most of under surface of body plain dark gray; middle of 

 back reddish brown, streaked with black; wings and tail plain blackish brown. Chin 

 black and bill reddish brown in male. Voice: Song of male a series of high-pitched 

 wiry notes, all on about the same key, beginning slowly but running together at the 

 end, tseey, tseey, tsey, tse, se-se-se ; call note a low sharp cMt. 



Occurrence. — One bird heard in song near Black's Creek, west of Coulterville, 

 May 11, 1919. Possibly present in small numbers as a summer visitant in Upper Sonoran 

 Zone on west side of mountains. Lives in greasewood chaparral. 



Our inclusion of the Black-chinned Sparrow as a member of the 

 Yosemite avifauna rests upon our hearing the characteristic song of the 

 male repeatedly on the one occasion instanced above. This sparrow is 

 moderately common on many of the chaparral covered hillsides of southern 

 California, but it has not previously been reported from any locality along 

 the west flank of the Sierra Nevada. Careful search of the greasewood 

 brush (Adenostoma) between Pleasant Valley and Coulterville would likely 

 reveal the presence of the species in small numbers. 



Slate-colored Junco. Junco hyemalis hyemalis (Linnaeus) 



Field characters. — As for Sierra Junco (which see), but coloration more slaty black, 

 the adult male being entirely without reddish brown on either sides or back. Female 

 much as in Sierra Junco, but less distinctly pinkish on sides and less brown on back. 

 Habits like those of Sierra Junco. 



Occurrence. — Irregular winter visitant. Definite records (specimens taken) are as 

 follows: Gentrys, on Big Oak Flat Road, December 30, 1914 (one); Yosemite Valley 

 near Rocky Point, November 12, 1915 (two individuals) ; Smith Creek, 6 miles east of 

 Coulterville, January 28, 1919, and March 9, 1919 (one in each. case). Most likely to 

 be associated as single individuals in flocks of Sierra Junco. 



Individuals of the Slate-colored or ' eastern ' Junco turn up almost every 

 year in different parts of California, so it was no great surprise to find 

 a few of this species in the Yosemite region. When this bird is found 

 within our boundaries it is usually only to the extent of an individual 

 or two in a large flock of the common wintering species, the Sierra Junco. 

 This was the case with the birds obtained by us and with those taken by 

 Mr. Donald D. McLean at his home east of Coulterville. When seen in 

 association with its relative, the Slate-colored Junco immediately impresses 

 the close observer as being darker, more slaty in color. Its habits do 

 not seem to differ in any appreciable way from those of the Sierra Junco. 



