There are but two races of the Verdin. One (A. f. flaviceps) occupies our Mexican border from coast to coast. The other, the Cape Verdin (A. f. lamprocephalus), a smaller bird with a brighter yellow head, is found only in the Cape Region of Lower California.
Wren-Tit (Chamæa fasciata. Fig. 6). The Wren-Tit enjoys the distinction of being the only species in the only family of birds peculiar to North America. It is restricted to the Pacific coast region from northern Lower California north to Oregon. While it presents practically no variation in color with age, sex, or season, it varies considerably with locality, four races of it being recognized. Since they are non-migratory, the purposes of field identification will best be served by outlining their distribution as it is given in Dr. Grinnell’s recent, authoritative ‘Distributional List of the Birds of California’ as follows:
Pallid Wren-Tit (Chamæa fasciata henshawi). Common resident of the Upper Sonoran Zone west of the deserts and Great Basin drainage from the Mexican line through the San Diegan district, northward coastwise to San Luis Obispo and San Benito counties, and interiorly along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the lower McCloud River, in Shasta County; also along the inner northern coast ranges from Helena, Trinity County, and Scott River, Siskiyou County, south to Covelo, Mendocino County, and Vacaville, Solano County. The easternmost stations for this form are: vicinity of Walker Pass, Kern County, and Campo, San Diego County.
Intermediate Wren-Tit (Chamæa fasciata fasciata). Common resident of the coast region south of San Francisco Bay, from the Golden Gate to southern Monterey County; east to include the Berkeley hills and at least the west slopes of the Mount Hamilton range.
Ruddy Wren-Tit (Chamæa fasciata rufula). Common resident of the humid coast belt immediately north of San Francisco Bay, in Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. Northernmost station for this form: Mendocino City.
Coast Wren-Tit (Chamæa fasciata phæa). Fairly common resident locally in the extreme northern humid coast belt. Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.
