Part 47

WESTERN WINTER WREN. 722a. Nannus hiemalis pacificus. 4 inches.

Range.—From Alaska to New Mexico, through North America. This is the smallest of the family, and is also one of the most quiet in song. They are active little fellows, just a bunch of feathers, with a short stub of a tail up over their backs when observed, and getting about the brush heaps and stone walls like little mice. They nest in walls or crevices of rocks, and stumps, building of twigs, leaves, grass and feathers, in which usually six or seven eggs, creamy white, finely specked with brown, are laid (.60 × .48).

ALASKA WREN. 723. Nannus alascensis. 4½ inches.

Range.—Aleutian Islands and Alaska. This is a somewhat larger variety of the preceding, and is found only in the far north. Its breeding habits are the same, as are also the eggs, which average a little larger (.65 × .51).

ALEUTIAN WREN. 723.1. Nannus meliger. 4½ inches.

Range.—Western Aleutian Islands to Alaska. Very similar to the above, both in song and general habits. They nest in the crevices of rocks or between boulders, making their nests of rootlets and grass, lining it with hair and feathers. Usually six eggs are laid, white with a few specks of brown (.58 × .46).

TULE WREN. 725a. Telmatodytes p. paludicola. 5½ inches.

Range.—Pacific coast, from British Columbia to southern California. This is a western form of the Long-billed Marsh Wren, found more east of the Rockies. They build a globular-shaped nest of grass and rushes, attached to upright rushes just above the water. Five eggs are laid, of a pale chestnut color, with darker markings (.64 × .45).

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CREEPER. 726b. Certhia familiaris montana. 5½ inches.

Range.—From Alaska, in the Rocky Mountains, to southern California and Mexico, breeding throughout its range. A quiet, small, brown colored bird of the deep woods, where its lisping note may be heard, if the air is very quiet, and one is looking for bird life. When found, it will generally be climbing up the trunk of some tall tree, searching the crevices of the bark for the small insect life on which it feeds; when near the top, a downward flight to the base of another tree. Always flying down, and climbing up. Their nest is placed in the loose bark, and is made of fiber, moss and grass. They lay from four to seven white eggs, spotted with chestnut (.58 × .48).

SLENDER-BILLED NUTHATCH. 727a. Sitta carolinensis aculeata. 6 inches.

Range.—Pacific coast region, from British Columbia to southern California. These are similar to the White-breasted bird of the east. Unlike the above, although these are tree climbers, they are as often found coming down the tree as climbing up. They build in cavities of various kinds of trees, laying five or six white eggs, quite heavily marked with brown and lilac (.80 × .60).

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 728. Sitta canadensis. 4½ inches.

Range.—North America, breeding in the northern part of the United States and northward. Like the former, these are great acrobats, looking into every crevice of the bark in search of their supply of food, caring little whether they are going up or down in their search. After the breeding season these birds are often found in flocks about the coniferous trees, and appear to be very sociable, keeping up a continuous “yank, yank,” among themselves. They have no other song.

Their nest is usually placed in a cavity of some tree at quite an elevation from the ground, being lined with strips of bark and feathers. They lay from four to six white eggs, thickly spotted with shades of brown (.60 × .50).

PYGMY NUTHATCH. 730. Sitta pygmæa. 4 inches.

Range.—West of the Rockies, from British Columbia to southern California and Mexico, breeding throughout its range. These are the smallest of the family, and their habits and nest and eggs are the same as the preceding. Their eggs being slightly smaller.

PLAIN TITMOUSE. 733. Bæolophus inornatus. 5½ inches.

Range.—California and Oregon, west of the Sierra Nevadas. These are quite common throughout their range; they are quite a little bird, with only a few “quit, quit” like notes, and in color they are as quiet as in habits. They build in cavities of trees or old stumps, their nest lined with grasses, hair and feathers. Their five to eight eggs are white, rarely with a few specks of brown (.70 × .50).

BLACK-CRESTED TITMOUSE. 732. Bæolophus astricristatus. 5½ inches.

Range.—Texas, south into Mexico. Similar to above, but darker and with the crest black and forehead white. Nesting habits same as the above (not illustrated).

BRIDLED TITMOUSE. 734. Bæolophus wollweberi. 5 inches.

Range.—Arizona and Texas into Mexico. This plain colored “tit,” with the only markings about the head, black crest and breast, with white above and below the eyes, is common in parts of Arizona, where it builds within a few feet of the ground in cavities of trees. Nest and eggs the same as the Plain Titmouse (.70 × .50).

OREGON CHICKADEE. 735b. Penthestes atricapillus occidentalis. 5 inches.

Range.—Northwest coast, from British Columbia to Oregon. These lively little birds are willing to make friends with almost anyone, and will get so tame that they will take pieces of suet from the hand. Their well known call of “dee, dee, dee” often repeated, is a cheerful sound, but their other note of “phoe-be,” or, as it seems to me they say “great-way,” is rather mournful and suggests that they are tired and have a “great-way” yet to go. They build in old stumps, usually near the ground, lining the cavity with grass, hair and plant down, in which they deposit from five to eight white eggs, spotted with brown (.60 × .45).

MEXICAN CHICKADEE. 737. Penthestes sclateri. 5 inches.

Range.—Arizona into Mexico. Has more black on the throat. Habits and their nest and eggs are much the same.

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE. 738. Penthestes gambeli. 5½ inches.