300 
599. Lazuli Bunting. Passerina amoena. L, 5-50. Plate LXI A. A small 
Sparrow, about the size of the Chipping or Clay-coloured Sparrow. Male: of striking 
bright blue ? ruddy buff, and white. Female and juvenile: even, dull, rusty-olive above, 
slightly blumg on rump; white below, with soft, warm, tawny suffusion across breast. 
Distinctions. The male, with its strongly contrasted brilliant coloration, is unmistak- 
able. The female and juvenile are recognizable by their evident sparrow-like bill, dull 
even coloration, and usually the soft suggestion of blue on rump and the outer webs of tail 
and wing feathers. The only practically unstreaked, small, dull, earth-coloured Sparrow. 
Likely to be confused only with the Indigo Bunting, but bo far separated in range from it 
as seldom to require comparison. 
Field Marks. The adult male is unmistakable. The juvenile and female are recog- 
nized by small size and soft, even, earthy or slightly ruddy coloration. 
Nesting. Generally in bushes. Nest of grasses, dead leaves, and strips of bark, lined 
with fine grasses, rootlets, and long hair. 
Distribution. Western North America. In Canada; southern British Columbia and 
adjoining parts of Alberta, north to Jasper park. Occasional records for southern Saskat- 
chewan and Great Slave lake. 
The male is a veritable living jewel, that flashes in the sun. The 
female, as is the case with many bright species, is duller coloured. It is a 
bird of brushy wastes, and sings a sustained little warble that is very pleas- 
ing. In general habits and song, quite similar to the Indigo Bunting of the 
east. 
604. Dickcissel. little meadowlark. Spiza americana. L, 6. About the 
size of a House Sparrow. Male: back striped with dark brown and dull red, changing to 
solid dull red on wing-coverts; hindneck, slate-grey to crown, where it is strongly tinged 
with yellow; cheeks, grey, with pure yellow eyebrow line. Below, white; breast pure 
yellow with a sharply defined black throat patch or bib. The female has a very close 
general resemblance to a female House Sparrow, but is paler, has sharper back streaks, and 
usually a suggestion of yellow in centre of breast and over eye. 
Distinctions. The Dickcissel, with its yellow breast and black bib, slightly suggestive 
of the much larger Meadowlark, is very distinctive. The female might be mistaken for 
the female Bobolink, but is much less sharply marked and without any general ochre colora- 
tion. Differs from the female House Sparrow in its paler coloration, and suggestion of 
lemon-yellow on centre of breast and over eye. 
Field Marks. A medium-sized Sparrow, with yellow breast and black bib. Female 
is much too grey to be often confused, even in life, with the Bobolink, but, unless its associate 
male is present, the voice recognized, or the yellow on the breast visible, it may be difficult 
to separate it from the House Sparrow. The song of the male is very distinctive, the notes 
being a loud, clear “Chup-chup-klip-klip-klip” 
Nesting. On the ground, or in low bushes. Bulky nest of coarse grass and leases, 
lined with finer grasses and hairs. 
Distribution. Eastern North America. In western Canada, noted only occasionally 
from southern Manitoba and in single occurrences for southern Saskatchewan and 
Okanagan valley, British Columbia. A frequenter of open fields or shrubby wastes, and is 
very rare in Canada. 
605. Lark Bunting. C alamo spiza melanocorys. L, 7-2. Plate LXI B. About the 
size of a House Sparrow. The spring male is a very conspicuous bird, solid black, with 
a large white patch on the wings. The female, and male in autumn, and the juvenile are 
dull-coloured birds, striped above in light, dull, earthy browns; below, white, sharply striped 
on breast and flanks. 
Distinctions. The spring male, black and with conspicuous white wing patches, is 
unmistakable. Other plumages resemble that of the female House Sparrow, except for 
the stripes on breast, or those of dull-coloured Purple Finches, but are earthy in tone rather 
than olive. From all comparable species they may be known by the white, in young 
birds cream, upperwing-coverts. 
Field Marks. Spring male, like a small Blackbird with white patches on wings. Females 
are likely to look like female House Sparrows with a striped breast and white spots on the 
end of the tail feathers. Being an open-field bird, it is not often to be confused with the 
Purple Finch, which is essentially a tree-inhabiting species. 
Nesting. On the ground; nest of grasses and fine roots. 
