THE HARRIS'S SPARROW. 



(Zonotrichia querula.) 



Dr. Coues has said of the Harris's 

 Sparrow that it may be regarded as the 

 most characteristic bird of the Missouri 

 region. Its range is mainly confined to the 

 central United States, reaching from Illi- 

 nois on the east to Middle Kansas and the 

 Dakotas on the west. North and south 

 its range extends from the interior of 

 British America to Texas. During its 

 migrations it travels in small flocks which 

 suddenly appear in patches of shrubbery 

 where it feeds for a time and soon disap- 

 pears as quietly and suddenly as it came. 

 It enjoys the undergrowth and shrubs 

 that are found in ravines and along the 

 banks of streams. An interesting habit, 

 that does not fail to make Harris's Spar- 

 row a conspicuous object, is that of 

 perching, when disturbed, on some high 

 branch of a shrub in order that it may ob- 

 tain an uninterrupted view of its sur- 

 roundings and of the intruder. 



An observer, who has studied the hab- 

 its of the species as it passes through the 

 state of Iowa during its migrations, says : 

 "This beautiful Sparrow is one of the 

 commonest of the Fringillida^ that pass 

 through the State in spring and fall, 

 associating at such times with the other 

 sparrows and finches and frequenting sim- 

 ilar haunts. Its notes in the fall are a 

 simple, loud chirp, not distinguishable 

 from that of the white-throated sparrow 

 and occasionally a low sweet warble. 

 In the spring it has a curious song, be- 

 ginning very much like that of the latter 

 bird but ending in a few harsh, drawling 



notes, sounding like a faint mimicry of 

 the scream of the night hawk and totally 

 unlike the first part of the song." 



This Sparrow seems to have a happy 

 disposition. Colonel Goss says : "They 

 commence singing early in the spring, 

 and upon warm, sunshiny days their song 

 can be heard almost continually, as one 

 after the other pours forth its pleasing, 

 plaintive, whistling notes, in musical tone 

 much like the white-throated sparrow, 

 but delivered in a widely dififerent song." 



Mr. Nehrling observed it in Texas, 

 during the month of November, where it 

 was associated with juncos, white- 

 crowned and field sparrows, in flocks con- 

 sisting of thousands of individuals. He 

 caught several of the Harris's Sparrows 

 and confined them in cages. They be- 

 came tame and he fed them on various 

 insects, kaffir corn and canary seed. 



This Sparorw is of large size and when 

 dressed in its summer plumage it is a strik- 

 ingly beautiful bird. The glossy black of 

 its crown and throat are made prominent 

 by the "bright coat of the usual sparrow 

 mixture of colors" that covers the re- 

 mainder of the body. 



But little is known of the breeding hab- 

 its of this Sparrow. Its nests are built 

 in the northern part of its range, probably 

 only in the interior of British America. 

 The only authentic record of its breeding 

 range is that of Mr. Edward A. Preble, 

 who found an adult male and female in 

 company with young just from the nest, 

 at Fort Churchill. 



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