CHAPTER XVI 



FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



The family Fringilladce includes sparrows, various finches, 

 crossbills, dickcissels, etc. This is the largest family of birds 

 and contains some of our most sociable species. Most birds 

 of the family feed on the ground. The beak is strong, as 

 most birds of the family feed on seeds. Some are migra- 

 tory, while many of them are resident throughout the year. 

 Many of them are noted songsters. They vary in plumage 

 from the beautiful cardinal to the dull-colored sparrow; the 

 bright-colored grosbeaks and finches are usually arboreal. 



EVENING GROSBEAK 



The Evening Grosbeak is a rather heavy-set bird with 

 large head and powerful beak. This form occurs from 

 Maine, New Brunswick, and Labrador west to JNIanitoba 

 and Alaska; south in winter to northern United States. 

 The Western evening grosbeak is a species of lighter col- 

 oration, and occurs in the Rocky JVIountains and Sierra 

 Nevadas. Grosbeaks winter in Alpine regions bordering 

 on the plains and in Canada south to northern United 

 States into New York, Ohio, and Illinois at irregular inter- 

 vals from October to ^lay. 



Evening grosbeaks are very sociable fellows, often asso- 

 ciating with pine finches, crossbills, and Avaxwings. They 



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