The Western Chat 



No. 99 



Western Chat 



A. O. U. No. 683a. Icteria virens longicauda Lawrence. 



Synonym. — Long-tailed Chat. 



Description. — Adult male: Upperparts deep mouse-gray, usually lightly 

 glossed with olive-green; wings and tail brownish fuscous on exposed inner webs; 

 a broad line above lores and eye, a short maxillary stripe, extreme chin, and eye-ring, 

 white; enclosed area blackish mouse-gray, shading on cheeks into color of upperparts; 

 chin, throat, and breast, broadly, axillars and wing-linings, rich yellow, the color 

 abruptly defined on middle of breast from pure white of remaining underparts; flanks 

 shaded with brownish gray. Bill black; feet blackish. Male in autumn: As in 

 summer, with slight increase of olive-green above, and a suffusion of brownish across 

 crissum. Bill dark brown above, lighter below. Adult female: Like male in autumn 

 but somewhat duller; upperparts olive-brown rather than mouse-gray; pattern of head 

 less distinct; sides of breast tinged with olive-yellow; flanks more broadly olive-buffy. 

 Immature birds closely resemble the parents. Young birds are chiefly brownish olive 

 above, and white or smoky white below, with patchy irruptions of yellow. Length 

 171. 5-184. 2 (6.75-7.25); av. of 23 males (Ridgway): wing 79.1 (3.1 1); tail 81.4 (3.20); 

 bill 14.5 (.57); tarsus 26.5 (1.04). Females a little smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Strictly "Sparrow" size; but because of bright color 

 having nearly size value of Towhee, — the largest of the warblers. Bright yellow breast 

 with contrasting white below, distinctive for size. 



Nesting. — Nest: A bulky and often careless structure of coiled or interlaced 

 plant-stems and grasses, lined with finer grass or weed-bark or horsehair; set rather 

 carelessly in thick bush or small tree; averages 6 or 7 inches wide by 4 deep outside; 

 3 to 3>£ wide and l}4 to 2 deep inside. Eggs: 3 or 4; white with a slight gloss, finely 

 sprinkled or boldly spotted, uniformly or with wreathed confluence, with reddish 

 brown (vinaceous russet to deep vinaceous brown) and vinaceous gray. Av. of 20 

 eggs in M. C. O. Coll. : 21.3 x 16.3 (.84 x .64). Season: First week in June; one brood. 



Range of Icteria virens. — United States and Mexico, south in winter to Central 

 America. 



Range of I. v. longicauda. — Western LTnited States and Mexico; breeding from 

 southern British Columbia, Montana, and North Dakota, south to Jalisco and Mexico; 

 winters on the tableland and west coast of Mexico from Chihuahua to Oaxaca. 



Distribution in California. — Common migrant at lower levels practically 

 throughout the State, summer resident of riparian associations in Lower and Upper 

 Sonoran and Lower Transition zones, on both sides of the Sierras, and practically 

 throughout the State, save as locally irregular or restricted. 



Authorities. — Gambel {Icteria viridis), Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. iii., 

 1847, p. 157 (Calif.); Lawrence (Icteria longicauda) , Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol. vi., 

 T 853, p. 4 (orig. desc. ; from "California") ; Coues, Birds Col. Val., 1878, p. 316 (structural 

 characters, habits, song, etc.) ; Grinnell, Condor, vol. xiv., 1912, p. 106 (song). 



STRUCTURALLY allied to the Wood Warblers, the Chat has yet 

 such a temperamental affinity with the Catbird, that it is difficult, for me 



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