The Calaveras Warbler 



the island stay (some birds stay there all the time). I venture the guess 

 that some Dusky Warblers, which have been successful with the early 

 nesting, come ashore as early as late April (we have found nests with 

 young on Santa Cruz as early as April 6th) . What becomes of these early, 

 dark remigres we do not know, for undoubtedly the only breeders of the 

 Santa Barbara mainland are of the lutescens type. 



The winter residence of this species is probably quite as definitely 

 localized as is that of the breeding season. I have watched birds month 

 after month at Los Colibris which I felt reasonably sure must be the same. 

 This is shaky "science," but the author offers no apologies for the lack of 

 shot-gun testimony. One may take toll of the migrant hosts on occasion 

 — some are bound to fall by the wayside anyhow — and there will be no 

 vacancies to reproach us; but resident birds become in so far forth person- 

 alized, that we hesitate to disarrange the established order of things. 

 The shot-gun is all too rude a questioner. The bird himself could tell 

 us if we would only learn his language. 



No. 80 



Calaveras Warbler 



A. O. U. No. 645a. Vermivora ruficapilla gutturalis (Ridgway). 



Description. — Adult male: Head above and on sides, broadly, neutral gray; 

 a broad crown-patch of chestnut veiled anteriorly by gray tips of feathers; eye-ring 

 white; remaining upperparts warbler green, clearing and brightening on rump and 

 upper tail-coverts; abdomen narrowly white; remaining underparts bright yellow 

 (lemon-chrome). Bill and feet horn-color. Adult female: Like male, but somewhat 

 duller; gray of head less pure, glossed with olivaceous; chestnut of crown reduced or 

 wanting; flanks and thighs tinged with buffy (sordid chamois). Immature: Like 

 adults, but without crown-patch; head and neck on sides deep grayish olive, shading 

 on back into warbler green, and on sides into olive ochraceous and sordid buff; yellow 

 of underparts clearing on breast and crissum, elsewhere shading into buffy and ochra- 

 ceous. Av. of 10 males in Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: length (skins) 109.4 

 (4.31); wing 59.4 (2.34); tail 57.8 (2.275); bill 10.8 (.425); tarsus 17. 1 (.67). Females 

 average smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller; bright yellow of throat (and underparts) con- 

 trasting with gray of head distinctive. 



Nesting. — Nest: Usually sunk well into ground or moss at base of bush- 

 clump or rank herbage; well made of fine bark-strips and grasses, lined with finer 

 grasses, horsehair and, occasionally, feathers; outside, 3 in. wide by 2 in. deep; inside 

 I J<4 wide by t% deep. Eggs: 3 to 5, usually 4; dull white as to ground color, but show- 

 ing two distinct types of markings rone heavily sprinkled with fine dots of reddish brown, 

 nearly uniform in distribution, or gathered more thickly about larger end; the other 

 sparingly dotted, and with large blotches or "flowers" of the same pigment. Av. 

 size 16.3 x 12.5 (.64 x .49). Season: May 20-July 20, according to altitude; two 

 broods. 



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