Key to the Species 



Order i. PASSERIFORMES. 

 Family i. Corvid^. Crows, Magpies, Jays. 



Chiefly large-sized Passeres having 10 primaries, the first (outermost) much shorter than second; bill stout, 

 about as long as head, the nostrils covered (except in Cyanocephalus) by a tuft of bristly feathers directed forward; 

 rictal bristles moderate; tarsus scutellate (with overlapping plates) in front separated from remaining portions by 

 groove on one or each side. Non-migratory. Eggs 3-7, chiefly niagara green, spotted. Nearly cosmopolitan; 

 upwards of 100 species (with subspecies 300), 11 Californian. 



I. Plumage entirely black. 



A. Larger, length about two feet. 



B. Smaller, length about 19 inches. 



II. Plumage chiefly gray, set off by black and white. 



III. Plumage black and white. 



A. Bill black. 



B. Bill yellow. 



IV. Extensively blue. 



A. With crest. 



B. Without crest. 



1. Chiefly blue throughout. 



2. Back gray; underparts chiefly white or whitish. 



a. Crissum white. 



b. Crissum tinged with blue. 

 (1). Larger; insular. 

 (2). Smaller; found on mainland. 



V. Plumage gray, darkening on head. 



1. Raven. 



2. Western Crow. 



3. Clark's Nutcracker. 



5. American Magpie. 



6. Yellow-billed Magpie. 



10. Steller's Jay. 



4. Pinyon Jay. 



7. California Jay. 



8. Santa Cruz Jay. 



9. Woodhouse Jay. 



11. Oregon Jay. 



Family 2. Icterid^e. Troupials, Orioles, Blackbirds, "American Starlings." 



Medium sized to large Passeres; having 9 primaries, the outermost usually the longest; bills "cultrirostral," 

 moderate, slender-conical, acute, rarely longer than head; angle of commissure bent or angled; nostrils not covered 

 with feathers; without obvious rictal bristles; tarsus scutellate. Plumage often highly colored, but blacks run strong 

 in family. Eggs 4 or 5, pale niagara green to white, often highly scrawled or variously pigmented. An American 

 family, chiefly tropical, of perhaps 150 species, 11 Californian. 



Key to ADULT MALES. 



I. Plumage chiefly black; no yellow. 



A. Shining black throughout. 



1. Greenish black throughout (in non-breeding plumage more or 



less tipped with rusty). 



2. Greenish black, but head with contrasting violet reflections. 



B. Black duller; head brown. 



C. Lesser wing-coverts scarlet. 



1. Scarlet area bordered posteriorly by white. 



2. Scarlet area bordered by warm buff (at least basally). 



II. Plumage black and yellow, touched with white. 



A. Foreparts cadmium yellow setting off black mask. 



B. Foreparts and back black; underparts pure yellow. 



C. Crown continuous with' black; underparts orange. 



D. Head, neck and breast chiefly yellow; a large white patch on 



wing; remaining plumage black. 



E. General plumage black; nape honey-yellow; rump, etc., pale 



white. 



III. Upperparts brownish-streaked; breast yellow with black cres- 



cent. 



13. Rusty Blackbird. 



14. Brewer's Blackbird. 

 12. Cowbird. 



18. Tricolored Redwing. 



19. Red-winged Blackbird. 



15. Arizona Hooded Oriole. 



16. Scott's Oriole. 



17. Bullock's Oriole. 



20. Yellow-headed Blackbird. 

 22. Bobolink. 



21. Western Meadowlark. 



Plumage chiefly streaked. 

 A. With much tawny yellow. 



Key to ADULT FEMALES AND YOUNG 



22. 



Bobolink (female and young, and 

 male in autumn). 



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