WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 293 



726 o. CALIFORNIAN CREEPER. — Certhia familiaris 

 occidentalis. 



Family : The Creepers. 



Length: About 5.00 or 6.00. 



Upper parts bright brown, reddest on rump ; line over eye, streaks 



on head, and back yellowish brown. 

 Geographical Distribution : Pacific "coast of North America from Alaska 



to Santa Cruz mountains, California. 

 California Breeding Range : Humid coast of Transition zone, south as far 



as Santa Cruz mountains. 

 Breeding Season : May. 

 Nest : Under loosened bark of redwood or cedar, within 5 feet of ground ; 



made of finely shredded cedar bark ; lined with plant down or 



feathers. 



The Californian Creeper is the Western representative 

 of the brown creeper. It is so like the sierra creeper in 

 form and habits that no separate description is necessary. 

 Its shrill, wiry note is heard in the redwoods of the humid 

 coast district, but the bird itself is so protectively col- 

 ored as to look like a large brown bug against the red- 

 brown trunks. Only a few nests have been recorded from 

 the Santa Cruz mountains, but the Creeper undoubtedly 

 breeds there quite commonly. 



726 d. SIERRA CREEPER. — Certhia familiaris selotes. 



Family : The Creepers. 



Length: About 5.00 or 6.00. 



Adults: Upper parts dark grayish brown, becoming tawny brown on 



rump ; line over eye, streaks on shoulders, and spot on wing white ; 



under parts white, washed with brown on sides. 

 Geographical Distribution: Cascade Mountains of Oregon and the 



Sierra Nevada, west to valleys in winter. 



