GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.
Emberiza coronata, Pallas, Zoög. Rosso-Asiat. II, 1811, 44, plate. Zonotrichia c., Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 461.—Heerm. X, S, 48 (nest).—Cooper & Suckley, 201.—Dall & Bannister, Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 1869, 284 (Alaska).—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 197. Emberiza atricapilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 47, pl. cccxciv (not of Gmelin). Fringilla atricapilla, Aud. Synopsis, 1839, 122.—Ib. Birds Am. III, 1841, 162, pl. cxciii. Fringilla aurocapilla, Nuttall, Man. I, (2d. ed.,) 1840, 555. Zonotrichia aurocapilla, Bon. Consp. 1850, 478.—Newberry, Zoöl. Cal. & Or. Route, Rep. P. R. R. VI, IV. 1857, 88. Emberiza atricapilla, Gm. I, 1788, 875 (in part only).—Lath. Ind. 415. Black-crowned Bunting, Pennant, Arc. Zoöl. II, 364.—Lath. II, I, 202, 49, tab. lv.
Sp. Char. Hood, from bill to upper part of nape, pure black, the middle longitudinal third occupied by yellow on the anterior half, and pale ash on the posterior. Sides and under parts of head and neck, with upper part of breast, ash-color, passing insensibly into whitish on the middle of the body; sides and under tail-coverts tinged with brownish. A yellowish spot above the eye, bounded anteriorly by a short black line from the eye to the black of the forehead. This yellow spot, however, reduced to a few feathers in spring dress. Interscapular region, with the feathers, streaked with dark brown, suffused with dark rufous externally. Two narrow white bands on the wings. Bill dusky above, paler beneath; legs flesh-color.
Autumnal specimens have more or less of the whole top of head greenish-yellow; the feathers somewhat spotted with dusky; the black stripe of the hood reduced to a narrow superciliary line, or else to a spot anterior to the eye. Length about 7 inches; wing, 3.30.
Hab. Pacific coast from Russian America to Southern California; West Humboldt Mountains, Nev. Black Hills of Rocky Mountains?
Habits. This species, described and figured by Mr. Audubon as the Fringilla atricapilla, is found in western North America, from Alaska to Southern California and Cape St. Lucas, and is almost entirely confined to the Pacific Province, being known east of the Cascade Mountains and Sierra Nevada only as stragglers. In its general habits it is said to greatly resemble the Z. gambeli. In the vicinity of Fort Dalles, and also in the neighborhood of Fort Steilacoom, Dr. Suckley found it quite abundant in the summer.
Dr. Cooper says that it is only a straggler in the forest regions west of the Cascade Mountains, but that it probably migrates more abundantly to the open plains eastward of them. He met with them but once near Puget Sound, May 10, when they were apparently migrating. Dr. Cooper found a few of this species wintering as far south as San Diego, associating with Z. gambeli. They were much less familiar, did not come about the houses, but kept among the dense thickets. They were then silent, nor has he ever heard them utter any song. He met with none near the summit of the Sierra Nevada.
Dr. Newberry found these birds abundant in the vicinity of San Francisco in winter.
Mr. Nuttall met with the young birds of this species on the central tablelands
of the Rocky Mountains, in the prairies. They were running on the ground. He heard no note from them. He afterwards saw a few stragglers, in the early part of winter, in the thickets of the forests of the Columbia River, near Fort Vancouver. He also met with them, in the winter and until late in the spring, in the woods and thickets of California.