Perching Birds Chiefly Gray, Black, or Black and White. 
475. American Magpie (Pica pica hudsonia). L. 
20. Ads. Bill black; scapulars, belly and most of 
inner margins of primaries white; wings glossy blue 
black, tail externally greenish; back and breast vel- 
vety black. Notes. Cack, cack, also garrulous gabble 
intermixed with whistling notes. (Bendire.) 
Range.— Western North America, east to the Plains, west to Cas- 
cade and Sierra Ranges; breeds from northern New Mexico and 
northern Arizona north to Alaska strays farther east in winter. 
476. Yellow-bellied Magpie (Pica nuttal’). Simi- 
lar to No. 475, but bill and eye-space yellow; smaller, 
L. 18. Notes. A harsh, rasping, cac-cac-cac; and a 
low, rich whistle, audible only at a short distance. 
Range. California, west of Sierra Nevada, ‘north to Red Bluff 
and south to Santa Paula.”’ (Grinnell.) 
493. Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). L. 8.5; T. 2.5. 
Ad. summer, Metallic green and purple spotted above 
with buffy; bill yellow. Ad. winter. Similar, but 
above heavily spotted with brownish buff; below 
heavily spotted with white; bill blackish. Notes. A 
long-drawn, two-noted whistle, the second lower; and 
a chattering, metallic call when in flocks. 
Range.— Europe and northern Asia; accidental. in Greenland; !n- 
troduced into New York City in 1890; now common, extending east 
to New Haven, Connecticut, north to Ossining, New York, south to 
Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey. 
495. Cowbird (Molothrus ater). L. 7.9; W. 4.2. 
Ad. 3. Head and neck coffee-brown, body greenish 
black. Ad. 9. Brownish gray, throat lighter. Yung. 
Like 2. Notes. A metallic twitter,and by the male, 
along-drawn, glassy Aluck-tse-e-e; and watery gurg- 
ling notes uttered with spread wings and tail. 
Range.— United States: rare west of Rockies; breeds from Florida 
and Texas north to New Brunswick and Little Slave Lake; west to 
eastern Oregon, Nevada, and southeastern California; winters from 
southern New Jersey, scuthern Illinois, Indian Territory, northern 
Texas, and southeastern California, southward. 
495a. Dwarf Cowbird (M. a. obscurus). Similar to 
No. 495, but smaller, L. 7.5; W. 4. 
Range.—Southwestern United States; from Gulf Coast of Texas 
west along Mexican boundary to Arizona and Lower California; win- 
ters south of United States. 
496. Red-eyed Cowbird (Callothrus robustus). 
L.9. Ad. &. Velvety bronze-black; wings and tail 
shining blue-black. Ad. 9. Dull black, wings and 
tail with slight greenish reflections. 
Range.—Southern and eastern Mexico north, in spring, to Lower 
Rio Grande, Texas. 
620. Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens). _L. 7... 
Crested. 4d. 9’. Shining black; inner vanes of 
rimaries largely white, showing. in flight. Ad. 9. 
Dark gray, tail blacker, wing-coverts and quills nar- 
rowly margined with whitish. Yung. Like 2. Notes. 
Calls, commonest, like call of young Robin; male 
has also a scold, a Meadowlark-like note and a 
harsh ca-rack or ca-racack; song, ajumble of flute: 
like tones and weak, squeaky notes. (Bailey.) 
Range.—Mexico north to western Texas, southern Utah and south- 
ern California; winters from Mexican border southward. 
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