The Green-backed Goldfinch 

 No. 30 



Green-backed Goldfinch 



A. O. U. No. 530a. Astragalinus psaltria hesperophilus Oberholser. 



Synonyms. — "Yellow-Bird." "Wild Canary." California Goldfinch. 



Description. — Adult male (no seasonal change): Pileum, broadly, glossy black; 

 sides of head and upperparts olive-green, or warbler-green, clearer, more yellow, on 

 rump, sometimes faintly streaked with darker, or blackish, on back; upper tail-coverts 

 chiefly black; wings black; the middle and greater coverts and tertials (variably) 

 tipped with white; both webs of inner primaries crossed about midway with white, 

 forming a conspicuous blotch in flight; tail black, the two or three outermost pairs 

 of feathers extensively white on inner web; underparts lemon-yellow, paling poster- 

 iori}-, shading on sides. Bill horn-color; feet and legs brownish. Adult female: Like 

 male but much paler and duller, without black. Above dull olive (citrine drab); below 

 olive-yellow, paling posteriorly. Immature males are like adult females but brighter, 

 with early indications of black cap. Length of adult about 127 (5.00); wing 65.5 

 (2.58); tail 43 (1.69); bill 9 (.35); tarsus 15 (.59). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size; black cap of male not sharply defined 

 against olive-green of upperparts; coloration not definitely gray, and chin not black, 

 as distinguished from A. lawrencei; the commonest yellow bird of California. 



Nesting. — Nest: Placed at almost any height but usually moderate, and in 

 almost any host, — tree or bush or even rank weeds; live oaks and sycamores favorites; 

 a rather careless affair of twisted grasses and weed fibers, deeply cupped, lined with 

 fine grasses or horsehair; settled firmly into concealing bunch of leaves or branching 

 twigs, or sometimes artfully incorporated with immediate setting. Measures 3 inches 

 wide (mm 76.2) by 2 deep (50.8) outside, 1% inches wide (mm 41.4) by i>£ inches 

 deep (mm 38.1) inside. Eggs: 4 or 5, ovate, pale bluish green, unmarked. Av. of 

 28 spec, in M. C. 0. coll.: 15.5 x 11. 4 (.61 x .45). Season: April to June, or occasion- 

 ally in autumn; two or three broods. 



Range of Astragalinus psaltria. — Southwestern United States from central 

 northern Texas, northern Colorado, southern Idaho, and southern Oregon, south 

 through Mexico to northern South America. 



Range of .4. p. hesperophilus. — Southwestern United States from Utah and 

 southern Oregon south to Cape San Lucas, Sonora, and the extreme southwestern 

 coast of Mexico; shows some altitudinal retirement in winter. 



Distribution in California. — An abundant breeder below the Transition zone 

 and locally within that zone; most abundant along the southern coasts and in the 

 central interior; rare or wanting in the humid Northwest; apparently absent from the 

 central region east of the Sierras, at least above the head of Owens Valley and its 

 tributaries (White Mountains above Bishop, May 26, 1919; Hilton Creek, Long Valley, 

 June 1, 1919; near Mammoth Camp, June 11, 1919), although reappearing in Lassen 

 and Humboldt counties (Goose Lake, June 24, 1912; Surprise Valley, June 29, 1912; 

 Eagleville, July 12, 1912); of local distribution in the deserts; of limited occurrence on 

 some of the Santa Barbara Islands (Santa Cruz Island, April 4-19, 1915); and casually 

 on the Farallons. 



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