Color Key to North American Birds / with bibliographical appendix

by Frank M. Chapman

659. Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica). L. 5. Ad. ♂. Sides chestnut, crown yellow; back streaked black and greenish yellow; cheek-patch and sides of throat black. Ad. ♀. Crown duller; chestnut and black reduced. Yng. Above bright yellow-green, back with or without black spots; below grayish white, sides sometimes with traces of chestnut; wing-bars yellowish white. Notes. Song, resembles that of Yellow Warbler. (See [page 197].) Range.—Eastern North America; breeds from northern New Jersey and Central Illinois north to Newfoundland and Manitoba (and south in the Alleghanies to South Carolina); winters in Central America. 604. Dickcissel (Spiza americana). L. 6.2. Ad. ♂. Breast, bend of wing, line over eye and at side of throat yellow; throat-patch black; lesser wing-coverts reddish chestnut; no white in tail. Ad. ♀. Less yellow and chestnut, no black on throat. Notes. Song, an earnest, but unmusical dick, dick, che-che-che, che. Range.—Middle United States east of the Rockies, west of Alleghanies, breeds from Alabama and Texas to Minnesota; casual in Atlantic States; winters in Central and northern South America. 618. Bohemian Waxwing (Ampelis garrulus). L. 8. Crested. Ads. Brownish gray; under tail-coverts, forecrown and sides of throat chestnut-rufous; throat and eye-stripe black; wing-quills and primary coverts tipped with white or yellow; secondaries usually with red tips; tail tipped with yellow. Range.—Northern parts of northern hemisphere; breeds in far north; winters south irregularly to northern United States, casually to Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas, and northern California. 619. Cedar Waxwing (Ampelis cedrorum). L. 7. Crested. Ads. Grayish brown; belly yellowish; under tail-coverts white; no white tips on wing-quills; secondaries with red tips; tail tipped with yellow and rarely with red tips. Notes. A fine, lisping note; a string of notes usually uttered when taking flight. Range.—North America: breeds from Virginia and the highlands of South Carolina, Kansas, and Oregon, north to Labrador and southern Alaska (?); winters from northern United States to Central America. 628. Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons). L. 5.5. Ads. Throat and breast bright yellow, belly white; above bright olive-green, rump gray; two white wing-bars. Notes. Call, a scolding cack; song like Red-eye's but richer, more deliberate, see me; I'm here; where are you? in varying forms; also a mellow trill. Range.—Eastern United States; breeds from Florida and Texas to Newfoundland and Manitoba; winters in tropics. 683. Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens). L. 7.5; T. 3.07. Ads. Throat and breast bright yellow; lower belly white; above olive-green; line over eye and at side of throat white. Notes. Call, a gasping, mewing keè-yuck and chut, chut; song, of whistles, caws and chucks, sometimes uttered in flight. Range.—Eastern United States; breeds from northeastern Mexico (but not in Florida?) north to South Dakota, southern Minnesota, and Massachusetts (locally); winters in Mexico and Central America. 683a. Long-tailed Chat (I. v. longicauda). Similar to No. 683, but grayer above; tail slightly longer. Range.—Western United States, east to Plains; breeds from Mexico north to North Dakota and British Columbia; winters in Mexico.

497. Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus). L. 10. Ad. ♂. Black; head and breast orange yellow; outer wing-coverts white, black tipped. Ad. ♀. Brownish, line over eye, throat and breast dull yellow, lower breast streaked with white; ear-coverts rusty. Notes. Call, a hoarse chuck; song, a variety of hoarse grunting, guttural whistles; usually uttered with apparent great effort and bodily contortion. The young utter a rolling, whistling call. Range.—Western North America, east to Kansas, northern Illinois, and northwestern Indiana; west to the Pacific coast ranges; breeds locally from Texas (?), New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California north to the Hudson Bay region, and southern British Columbia; winters from southwestern Louisiana, and California southward. 501. Meadowlark (Sturnella magna). L. 10.7; W. 4.8. Ads. Above black varied with chestnut and buff; below yellow, a black breast-crescent; bars on middle tail-feathers fused along shaft, yellow of throat not spreading on to its sides. Notes. Calls, a nasal note and a rolling twitter; song, a high fife like whistle of rarely more than eight or ten notes; without gurgles or grace notes. Range.—Eastern North America west to about Long. 100°, north to New Brunswick and Minnesota; winters from Massachusetts and Illinois southward. 501a. Texas Meadowlark (S. m. hoopesi). Similar to [No. 501b], but yellow not spreading on to sides of the throat. Notes. Resemble in character those of [No. 501]. Range.—Not well determined; known from Corpus Christi, Texas, west along Mexican boundary to southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. 501b. Western Meadowlark (S. m. neglecta). Similar to [No. 501], but bars on middle tail-feathers usually distinct, not confluent along shaft; yellow of throat spreading on to its sides; general color paler. Notes. Calls, a liquid chûck and a wooden, rolling b-r-r-r-r-r-r-r; song, rich, musical, flute-like with intricate gurgles and grace notes; wholly unlike that of [No. 501]. 501c. Florida Meadowlark (S. m. argutula). Similar to [No. 501], but smaller and darker; W. 4.4. Range.—Florida and Gulf coast to Louisiana. 514. Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina). L. 8. Ad. ♂. Brownish yellow; wings, tail, and crown black; exposed part of tertials white. Ad. ♀. Dingy brownish gray, more or less tinged with yellowish; throat and belly whitish; tail-coverts and tail-feathers, on inner web, tipped with white. Notes. Call, loud; song, short, but melodious, resembling that of Robin or Black-headed Grosbeak. (Cooper.) Range.—Rocky Mountain region of British America, south, in winter, to the upper Mississippi Valley, rarely to Ohio and casually through New York to New England. 514a. Western Evening Grosbeak (H. v. montana). ♂ not distinguishable from ♀ of [No. 514]; ♀ more buffy, especially below. Range.—Mountains of western United States from New Mexico north to British Columbia.

EASTERN HORNED LARKS. 474 [A]. Horned Lark (Otocoris alpestris). L. 7.7, W. ♂, 4.3; ♀, 4.1. Hind toe-nail much the longest. Ad. ♂, winter. Throat and line over eye distinctly yellow; black feathers over eye lengthened, forming when raised little tufts; breast-patch, sides of throat, line over eye and forecrown black, more or less tipped, especially on head, with yellowish or brownish; back brownish indistinctly streaked with blackish; nape, wing and tail-coverts pinkish brown; belly white, lower breast dusky, sides pinkish brown; tail mostly black, outer margin of outer feathers white. ♂, summer. Yellow areas whiter; black areas more distinct; back pinker. Ad. ♀, winter. Similar to ♂, but throat and line over eye less yellow; black areas smaller; back more distinctly streaked. ♀, summer. More distinctly streaked above. Notes. Call, a tseep, tseep; song, an unmusical, twittering warble sung during soaring flight. [A] Fourteen subspecies of this wide-ranging, variable form are now recognized in America, north of Mexico. Many of them are too closely related to be distinguished even by detailed descriptions. When breeding, they may be identified, in life, by a knowledge of the area which each form alone inhabits at this season. But during their migrations, and in winter, when several forms may be associated, it is usually not possible to identify them in the field. The reader is referred to admirable monographs of this group by J. Dwight, Jr. (The Auk, vii, 1890, pp. 138-150), and H. C. Oberholser (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxiv, 1902, pp. 801-884). Range.—Eastern North America; breeds in Labrador and region east of Hudson Bay; winters south to South Carolina (chiefly on coast) and in the Mississippi Valley to Illinois. 474b. Prairie Horned Lark (O. a. praticola). W. ♂ 4; ♀, 3.8. Line over eye white. Similar to [No. 474], but smaller, line over eye and forehead generally white, the throat often white and never so yellow as in winter specimens of [No. 474]. Range.—Breeds in the Mississippi Valley, south to southern Illinois and Missouri west to eastern Nebraska and Assiniboia; east through northwestern Pennsylvania and central New York to western and northern New England; north to Quebec and Ontario; winters south to South Carolina, Kentucky, and Texas. 474d. Texan Horned Lark (O. a. giraudi). W. ♂ 3.9; ♀, 3.6. Similar to [No. 474b], but somewhat smaller and paler; throat, forehead and line over eye yellow; breast, in males, generally tinged with yellow. Range.—Coast of Texas from Galveston to the Rio Grande. NORTHERN HORNED LARKS. 474a. Pallid Horned Lark (O. a. arcticola). W. ♂, 4.4; ♀, 4.2. Largest of our Horned Larks; no yellow in plumage; throat, forehead and line over eye white; back brown with grayish edgings. Range.—"In summer, Alaska (chiefly in the interior) with the Valley of the Upper Yukon River; in winter south to Oregon, Utah, and Montana." (Oberholser.) 474k. Hoyt Horned Lark (O. a. hoyti). W. ♂, 4.4; ♀, 4.2. Throat tinged with yellow; line over eye white; back darker, pink areas richer than in 474a. An intermediate form between Nos. 474 and 474a. Range.—"In summer, British America from the west shore of Hudson Bay to the Valley of the Mackenzie River, north to the Arctic Coast, south to Lake Athabasca; in winter, southward to Nevada, Utah, Kansas, and Michigan, casually to Ohio and New York (Long Island)." (Oberholser.)

WESTERN HORNED LARKS. 474c. Desert Horned Lark (O. a. leucolæma). W. ♂, 4.1; ♀, 3.8. Forehead and line over eye very slightly, often not at all, tinged with yellow; throat yellow; back brown edged with pinkish gray; resembles [No. 474b], but is paler and less distinctly streaked above. Range.—"In summer, western United States from central Dakota, western Kansas and western Nebraska to Idaho and Nevada, north on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains to Alberta; in winter, south to Texas, Chihuahua, Sonora, and southeastern California." (Oberholser.) 474e. California Horned Lark (O. a. actia). W. ♂, 3.9; ♀, 3.6. ♂, summer. Back of head and nape, spreading on to sides of breast, pinkish cinnamon; back distinctly streaked with brownish black; throat always, forehead and line over eye usually tinged with yellow. ♂, winter. Less distinctly streaked above; cinnamon areas paler and with grayish tips; black areas more or less tipped with yellowish. ♀, summer. Crown and back uniformly streaked with blackish margined with pinkish gray. ♀, winter. Less distinctly streaked; black areas tipped with whitish. Range.—Northern Lower California north, west of the Sierra, to Marin and San Joaquin Counties, California. 474f. Ruddy Horned Lark (O. a. rubea). Similar to [No. 474e], but nape region, sides of breast, etc., much deeper in color, deeper than in any other of our Horned Larks; back less distinctly streaked with blackish and more ruddy in tone, not sharply defined from nape; yellow areas richer in color. Range.—Sacramento County, California. 474g. Streaked Horned Lark (O. a. strigata). Cinnamon areas less extensive but nearly as deeply colored as in [No. 474f]; back distinctly and widely streaked with blackish; forehead, line over eye, throat and breast washed with yellow. Range—"In summer, the states of Oregon and Washington west of the Cascade Mountains; in winter, to eastern Oregon and Washington, south to northern California." (Oberholser.) 474h. Scorched Horned Lark (O. a. adusta). W. ♂, 4; ♀, 3.8. Nearest to [No. 474l], but the male differs in being nearly uniform pinkish brown above, back with only a few indistinct brownish streaks; color deeper, browner, more ruddy. Range.—"In summer, the central part of extreme southern Arizona; in winter, northern Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico." (Oberholser.) 474i. Dusky Horned Lark (O. a. merrilli). W. ♂, 4; ♀, 3.8. Similar to [No. 474b], but somewhat darker above, the line over the eye usually tinged with yellow. Range.—"In summer, northwestern United States, and southern British Columbia, from northeastern California and northwestern Nevada, northward through Oregon and Washington east of the Cascade Mountains to British Columbia and extreme northern Idaho; in winter, south to central California." (Oberholser.)

474j. Sonoran Horned Lark (O. a. pallida). W. ♂, 3.8; ♀, 3.6. Nape very pale pinkish; back pale grayish brown edged with grayish; forehead, line over eye, and throat tinged with yellowish. Resembles [No. 474l], but is still paler. Range,—"Region immediately adjacent to the head of the Gulf of California, Mexico." (Oberholser.) 474l. Montezuma Horned Lark (O. a. occidentalis). W. ♂, 4; ♀, 3.8. No distinct blackish streaks above; back pale brownish edged with pinkish gray; throat yellow, forehead and line over eye tinged with yellow. Similar to [No. 474h], but paler, less ruddy above; differs from [No. 474c] in being browner and less streaked above. Range.—In summer, central New Mexico, west to central Arizona; in winter, south to northern Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico and southeast Texas." (Oberholser.) 474m. Island Horned Lark (O. a. insularis). Similar to [No. 474g], but slightly darker above, breast usually without a yellow tinge. Range.—Santa Barbara Islands, California. 446. Couch Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus couchii). L. 9.5. Ads. Throat white, breast and belly yellow, tail dark brown; crown gray with an orange patch, back grayish green; Yng. Similar, but no crown-patch. Range.—Guatemala, north in spring as far as Lower Rio Grande, Texas. 447. Arkansas Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis). L. 9. Ads. Throat light gray spreading over breast to yellow belly; tail black, outer margin of outer feather wholly white; above resembling [No. 446]. Yng. With no crown-patch. Notes. Squeaky, rattling, rolling notes; a noisy bird. Range.—Western United States; breeds east to about Long. 100°, north to Assiniboia, southern Alberta, southern British Columbia, west to the Pacific; winters south of United States; to Central America. 448. Cassin Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans). L. 9. Ads. Throat and breast dark gray, belly yellow; tail black, outer web of outer feather not wholly white; above as in [No. 447]. Yng. With no crown-patch. Notes. Less noisy than [No. 447]. (Bendire.) Range.—Western United States, northwestern Mexico and north through Rockies, from western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, to southern Wyoming; in California north to San Benito County; winters south of United States to Central America. 449. Derby Flycatcher (Pitangus derbianus). L. 11. Ads. Back brown, wings and tail externally rusty; a yellow crown-patch; forehead, line over eye and across nape white; throat white, below yellow. Notes. Kiskadee, repeated. (Richmond.) Range.—Northern South America; breeds north as far as Lower Rio Grande, Texas.