SPARROWS 
383 
Distribution. Eastern North /America. In Canada, west to southern Manitoba. 
One record for southwestern Saskatchewan, and one for Alberta. 
The Indigo Bunting commonly frequents brushy, overgrown wastes, 
burnt land, or slashes. It has a pleasing song. 
Economic Status. Our knowledge of the food of the Indigo Bunting 
is not complete. There is little doubt that it has the usual food habits 
of its family; in the east it is credited with doing good work against the 
brown-tailed moth. 
599. Lazuli Bunting, le bruant lazuli. Passerina amoena. L, 5*50. Plate 
LXXVII B. 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 bluing 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 
in the west. Likely to be confused only with the Indigo Bunting, but so 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. Cenerally 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 
pleasing. In general habits and song quite similar to the Indigo Bunting 
of the east. 
604. Dickcissel. little meadowlark, le dickcissel. Spiza americana. L, 6. 
About the size of an English 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 (Figure 470). 
The female has a very close gen- 
eral resemblance to a female 
English 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 coloration. Differs from the female I nglish Sparrow in its paler color- 
ation, 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 verv distinctive, 
the notes being a loud, clear “Chup-chup-klip-klip-klip.” 
76916 — 254 
Figure 470 
Dickcissel (male); natural size. 
