A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

White-crowned Bunting, Emberiza leucophrys, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iv. p. 49.

Fringilla leucophrys, Bonap. Syn. p. 479.

Fringilla (Zonotrichia) leucophrys, White-crowned Finch, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 255.

White-crowned Bunting or Finch, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 479.

White-crowned Sparrow, Fringilla leucophrys, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 88; v. v. p. 515.

193. 8. Fringilla atricapilla, Gmel. Black-and-yellow-crowned Finch.

Plate CCCXCIV. Fig. 3. Male.

Bill dusky above, reddish-brown beneath; upper part of head black, with a median longitudinal band of yellow, changing behind to grey; upper parts yellowish-brown, tinged with grey; the feathers of the fore part of the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, with a central dusky spot; quills and larger coverts dark brown, bordered with reddish-brown, paler on the primaries; the tips of the secondary coverts and first row of small coverts white, forming two bands across the wing; tail-feathers brown, edged with yellowish-grey; sides of the head, throat, fore part and sides of the neck, and breast, light grey, the sides and lower tail-coverts pale yellowish-brown, the abdomen brownish-white. Young with the upper parts dull yellowish-grey, streaked with dusky; wings and tail dusky brown, the primaries and tail-feathers edged with yellowish-green; the lower parts greyish-white, streaked with dusky, the throat white, with a dusky band on each side, the sides and lower tail-coverts tinged with light yellowish-brown.

Male, 8, wing 3⁵/₁₂.

Rocky Mountains and Columbia River. Rare. Migratory.

Emberiza atricapilla, Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 875.

Black-and-yellow-crowned Finch, Emberiza atricapilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 47.

GENUS X. PIPILO, Vieill. GROUND-FINCH.

Bill short, stout, narrower than the head, conical, somewhat compressed, acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly convex, the ridge narrow and distinct, the sides convex, the edges somewhat inflected, ascending for more than a third, then direct, with a slight festoon; notches very slight, tip declinate, narrow; lower mandible with the angle very short and broad, the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges involute, the point acute. Nostrils basal, roundish, partially concealed by the feathers. Tarsus of moderate length, compressed, with seven scutella; toes rather large, scutellate above, the first stronger, the lateral nearly equal. Claws rather long, moderately arched, slender, compressed, laterally grooved, acute. Small bristles at the base of the upper mandible. Plumage full, soft, and blended. Wings of ordinary length, much rounded, the fourth quill longest; tail long, rounded. Roof of upper mandible rather flat, with a narrow median and two broad lateral flattened ridges, tongue compressed, convex above, with a median groove, horny at the end, and pointed; œsophagus slightly dilated about the middle; stomach a strong muscular gizzard; intestine short; cœca small.