Color Key to North American Birds / with bibliographical appendix

by Frank M. Chapman

615a. St. Lucas Swallow (T. t. brachyptera). Similar to [No. 615], but wing shorter, ♂, 4.1, ♀, 4. (Brewster.) Range.—Lower California. 458. Black Phœbe (Sayornis nigricans). L. 7.2. Ads. Breast and head black, back grayer; outer web of outer tail-feather white; belly black, under tail-coverts white streaked with dusky. Notes. A liquid hip, a rising kee-ree, and a falling kee-wray. (Bailey.) Range.—Mexico, except Yucatan and Pacific coast from Colima northward, north into Texas, New Mexico, and southeastern Arizona. 458a. Western Black Phœbe (S. n. semiatra). Similar to [No. 458], but under tail-coverts white without dusky streaks. Range—Pacific coast of Mexico and United States, from Colima to Oregon, including most of Arizona. (Nelson.) 494. Bobolink; Reed bird (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). Ad. ♂, summer. Black; nape buffy, lower back, scapulars and upper tail-coverts white. Ad. ♀. Above yellowish brown streaked with buff, and black. below yellowish white, sides streaked with black. Winter plumage, Ads and Yng. Like ♀ but yellower. Notes. Song, an irrepressible bubbling outburst of "mad music" often given on the wing; calls, a blackbird-like chuck and a metallic, far carrying, chink. Range.—Eastern North America, west to Utah; breeds from northern New Jersey, Illinois and Kansas, north to Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Montana; migrates south through Florida and West Indies, and winters south of Amazon. 534. Snowflake (Passerina nivalis). L. 6.9. Hind toe-nail twice as long as shortest toe-nail. Ad. ♂, summer. Head, rump, secondaries, outer tail-feathers and below white; rest of plumage largely black. Ad. ♀, summer. Similar, but crown blackish, back edged with rusty or grayish. Winter. Above rusty and black, below white, breast tinged with rusty. Notes. Calls, a clearly piped whistle, and a peculiar chirr, often uttered when taking wing; song, short, simple, but rather sweet. (Minot.) Range.—Breeds in northern parts of northern hemisphere; in winter south to northern states; irregularly to Georgia, southern Indiana, Kansas, Colorado, and eastern Oregon. 534a. Pribilof Snowflake (P. n. townsendi). Similar to [No. 534], but larger, with relatively longer bill; ♂, W. 4.7; B. .5. (Ridgw.). Range.—Aleutian and Commander Islands, Pribilof Islands, Shumagin Islands. (Ridgw.). 535. McKay Snowflake (Passerina hyperborea). L. 7.5; W. 4.6; B .4. Similar to [No. 534], but with more white. Ad. ♂, summer. Back and scapulars entirely white. Ad. ♀, summer. Crown and hindneck white. Yng. Not certainly distinguishable from Yng. of [No. 534]. (Ridgw.) Range.—Breeds on Hall and St. Mathews Islands, Bering Sea; in winter west coast of Alaska.

605. Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys). L. 7.2. Ad. ♂. Black, patch in wing white, outer tail-feathers tipped, tertials margined with white. Ad. ♀. Above grayish brown streaked with blackish; below white conspicuously streaked with black; all but central tail-feathers with white tips; broad wing-bars buff. Yng. ♂. Variously intermediate between Ad. ♂ and ♀. (See [page 251]). Range.—Western United States, chiefly east of Rockies; breeds from western Kansas and eastern Colorado, north to western Minnesota and Assiniboia; winters in Mexico; irregular west in migrations to Idaho and southern California. 484. Canada Jay; Whiskey Jack (Perisoreus canadensis). L. 11.5. Ads. Black of hindhead reaching to back of eye; back, wings, and tail gray, belly lighter, throat white; forehead buffy white. Notes. ca-ca-ca and a number of peculiar sounds impossible to reproduce on paper. (Bendire.) Range.—Eastern North America; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, northern New England, northern New York, northern Michigan; northern Minnesota, north to Newfoundland and Hudson Bay region, west to the Rockies in Alberta. 484a. Rocky Mountain Jay (P. c. capitalis). Similar to [No. 484], but head white, black of hindhead grayer and not reaching to eye. Range.—Rocky Mountain region from New Mexico and Arizona north to Montana and Idaho. 484b. Alaskan Jay (P. c. fumifrons). Very near to [No. 484], but forehead averaging more yellowish. Range.—Alaska; interior and west to Cook Inlet, north of southern coast region. 484c. Labrador Jay (P. c. nigricapillus). Similar to [No. 484], but black of hindhead deeper and reaching forward as a well defined ring around the eye; below browner. Range.—Labrador. 485. Oregon Jay (Perisoreus obscurus). Similar to [No. 484], but back feathers with light shaft streaks, forehead less white, underparts nearly uniform white. Range.—Pacific coast from northern California to southern British Columbia. 485a. Gray Jay (P. o. griseus). Similar to [No. 485], but larger and grayer; back, etc., deep mouse gray, instead of brown; below grayish white instead of brownish white. (Ridgw.) Range.—British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and northern California, east of Coast and Cascade Ranges. (Ridgw.) 491. Clarke Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana). L. 12. Ads. Gray; wings and middle tail-feathers black, tips of secondaries and outer tail-feathers white. Notes. A loud, harsh, car-r-car-r. Range.—Mountains of western North America, from northern Lower California, Arizona and New Mexico, north to northern Alaska: casually east to Mississippi Valley.

475. American Magpie (Pica pica hudsonia). L. 20. Ads. Bill black; scapulars, belly and most of inner margins of primaries white; wings glossy blue black, tail externally greenish; back and breast velvety black. Notes. Cack, cack, also garrulous gabble intermixed with whistling notes. (Bendire.) Range.—Western North America, east to the Plains, west to Cascade and Sierra Ranges; breeds from northern New Mexico and northern Arizona north to Alaska strays farther east in winter. 476. Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli). Similar to [No. 475], but bill and eye-space yellow; smaller, L. 18. Notes. A harsh, rasping, cac-cac-cac; and a low, rich whistle, audible only at a short distance. Range.—California, west of Sierra Nevada, "north to Red Bluff and south to Santa Paula." (Grinnell.) 493. Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). L. 8.5; T. 2.5. Ad. summer, Metallic green and purple spotted above with buffy; bill yellow. Ad. winter. Similar, but above heavily spotted with brownish buff; below heavily spotted with white; bill blackish. Notes. A long-drawn, two-noted whistle, the second lower; and a chattering, metallic call when in flocks. Range.—Europe and northern Asia; accidental in Greenland; introduced into New York City in 1890; now common, extending east to New Haven, Connecticut, north to Ossining, New York, south to Staten Island and Plainfield, New Jersey. 495. Cowbird (Molothrus ater). L. 7.9; W. 4.2. Ad. ♂. Head and neck coffee-brown, body greenish black. Ad. ♀. Brownish gray, throat lighter. Yng. Like ♀. Notes. A metallic twitter, and by the male, a long-drawn, glassy kluck-tse-e-e; and watery gurgling notes uttered with spread wings and tail. Range.—United States: rare west of Rockies; breeds from Florida and Texas north to New Brunswick and Little Slave Lake; west to eastern Oregon, Nevada, and southeastern California; winters from southern New Jersey, southern Illinois, Indian Territory, northern Texas, and southeastern California, southward. 495a. Dwarf Cowbird (M. a. obscurus). Similar to [No. 495], but smaller, L. 7.5; W. 4. Range.—Southwestern United States; from Gulf Coast of Texas west along Mexican boundary to Arizona and Lower California; winters south of United States. 496. Red-eyed Cowbird (Callothrus robustus). L. 9. Ad. ♂. Velvety bronze-black; wings and tail shining blue-black. Ad. ♀. Dull black, wings and tail with slight greenish reflections. Range.—Southern and eastern Mexico north, in spring, to Lower Rio Grande, Texas. 620. Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens). L. 7.5. Crested. Ad. ♂. Shining black; inner vanes of primaries largely white, showing in flight. Ad. ♀. Dark gray, tail blacker, wing-coverts and quills narrowly margined with whitish. Yng. Like ♀. Notes. Calls, commonest, like call of young Robin; male has also a scold, a Meadowlark-like note and a harsh ca-rack or ca-racack; song, a jumble of flute-like tones and weak, squeaky notes. (Bailey.) Range.—Mexico north to western Texas, southern Utah and southern California; winters from Mexican border southward.

509. Rusty Blackbird (Scolecophagus carolinus). L. 9.5. Ad. ♂. Nearly uniform greenish black, sometimes with rusty edgings. Ad. ♀. Slaty gray, generally with some rusty edgings. Winter plumage of both sexes similar to summer but widely tipped with rusty above and yellowish rusty below. Notes. More musical than those of other Blackbirds; calls, tcback or turalee repeated several times. (Bendire.) Range.—Eastern North America west to the Plains; breeds from New Brunswick, northern New England, northern New York, and Manitoba, north to Labrador and Alaska; winters from Virginia, southern Illinois, and Kansas, southward. 510. Brewer Blackbird (Scolecophagus cyanocephalus). L. 10. Ad. ♂. Whole head violet-purple, rest of plumage bright greenish black. Ad. ♀. Grayish brown, throat paler, wings and tail greenish black, no rusty. Winter plumage with light grayish brown edgings to the feathers of the anterior part of the body. Notes. Chack and a loud, shrill whistle. (Bailey.) Range.—Western North America from the Plains to the Pacific; breeds from Texas and northern Lower California north to the Saskatchewan and British Columbia; winters in the southern parts of its range; casually east to Mississippi River states. 511. Purple Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula). L. ♂, 12. Ad. ♂. Head, purple, steel-green or steel-blue; back purple, brassy green or greenish; the feathers always with iridescent bars. Notes. Tchak and a short unmusical call uttered with spread wings and tail. Range.—Eastern United States; breeds in lower Mississippi Valley and east of Alleghanies, from Georgia to Massachusetts; winters from Virginia southward through its breeding range. 511a. Florida Grackle (Q. q. aglæus). Similar to 511, but slightly smaller, head always violet purple; back always bottle-green, with iridescent bars. Range.—Florida, north on the Atlantic coast to Virginia, west on the Gulf Coast to Texas. 511b. Bronzed Grackle (Q. q. æneus). Head as in [No. 511], back and belly bronze, the feathers wholly without iridescent bars. Range.—Eastern United States west to the Rockies; breeds from southern Texas to Great Slave Lake, east to Alleghanies, and, in New York, east and northeast to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Labrador; winters chiefly in lower Mississippi valley; migrates in part east of the Alleghanies. 513. Boat-tailed Grackle (Megaquiscalus major). L. ♂, 16; W. 7.5; T. 7. Ad. ♂. Head and neck glossy purple; back and belly glossy greenish blue. Ad. ♀. Much smaller, T. 5.2; above blackish brown; below soiled rusty buff. Notes. Tchack, a variety of hoarse, rather forced whistles and a gurgling roll as of a Coot pattering over the water. Range.—Florida, north along the coast to Virginia; west along coast to Texas. 513a. Great-tailed Grackle (M. m. macrourus). Similar to [No. 513], but larger, ♂, L. 18; T. 9. Foreback and breast, as well as head and neck, purple, only rump and lower belly greenish blue; ♀ blacker both above and below than ♂ of [513]. Notes. Tchack, and a greater variety of squeaky calls and hoarse whistles than are uttered by [No. 513]. Range.—Eastern Texas and south into Mexico.

486. American Raven (Corvus corax sinuatus). L. 24; W. 16; B. 2.7. Ads. Resembling [No. 488], in color but glossier below and with the feathers of throat narrow and lengthened; nape feathers gray at base. Notes. A hoarse, croaking, craack-craack, sometimes a deep, grunting koeer-koeer; a clucking, and a metallic klunk. (Bendire.) Range.—Western North America, from Guatemala north to British Columbia; east to the Rockies, west to Pacific. 486a. Northern Raven (C. c. principalis). Similar to [No. 486], but larger, L. 25; W. 17; B. 3. Range.—Eastern North America, from mountains of northern Georgia and coast of Maine, north to Greenland; west to the Rocky Mountains. 487. White-necked Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus). L. 18.5. Ads. Blue-black; feathers of throat narrow and lengthened and with feathers of neck all around, white at the base. Notes. Kwank-kwank, less loud and penetrating than those of [No. 486]. (Bendire.) Range.—Northern Mexico, north to western Kansas, eastern Colorado (rarely), and southern California; east to western Texas. 488. American Crow (Corvus americanus). L. 19.3; W. 12.1; B. 2.00. Black with steel-blue or deep, purplish reflections; below duller, neck feathers not lengthened. Notes. Caw, caw, with many variations; song, car-r-r-uck, oo-oo-oo-oo-ah. Range.—North America, north to Arctic Circle; winters from northern United States southward; local in west. 488a. Florida Crow (C. a. pascuus). Similar to [No. 488], but wings and tail somewhat shorter, bill and feet slightly larger, W. 12; T. 7.3; B. 2.1. Range.—Florida. 489. Northwest Crow (Corvus caurinus). Similar to [No. 488] in color but smaller; L. 16; W. 11; B. 1.7. Range.—Northwest coast, from Oregon to Kadiak Island, Alaska. 490. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus). L. 16; W. 11; B. 1.5. Ads. Resemble [No. 488], in color, but back feathers are uniform blue-black without dull margins; underparts are nearly as bright as upperparts. Notes. A hoarse, nasal, reedy car resembling the call of the young of [No. 488]. Range.—Atlantic coast north to Connecticut, (casually Massachusetts), west along Gulf coast to Louisiana; resident, except at northern limit of range.