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Painted

1911

Published

1929

Volume

12

Plate

743-743a-743b

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Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus minimus

DESCRIPTION

In CALIFORNIA, south of the dividing Tehachapi mountains from 2000 feet elevation in the coastal ranges to willow groves bordering the sea, the incessant chip-chip-chip of the little BUSHTITS will be heard as they ceaselessly explore trunks and limbs of trees. In coniferous slopes and in that sage-grown sand area lying between the mountains and flats they are seldom seen.

Willows and oaks are their favorite trees. In southern California hills a straight, tall sycamore will rise above the oaks. In these the Bushtits seek their food of gnats, flies and bugs in crevices of the curling bark but never hang their homes on the limbs. Even in Winter when branches are quite bare and Orioles' nests are plainly revealed, no pendulous Bushtit nests are seen altho among the oaks they are noted, still intact, from season to season.

Even in their favorite haunts where tree trunk, leaf and shadow conspire to afford protection, the birds — silly little elfs — make no effort to hide. On the contrary, with noisy chattering and open flights they seem determined to make themselves as conspicuous as possible.

Strangely enuf, the woven home — bulky and large — is one of the most difficult for human eyes to locate. In Spring, wherever a pair of these birds is heard chirping, you may be sure a nest is nearby — but where? Made of gray down, half dead leaves and tied with cobwebs the same shade, it matches under side of oak leaves so well, or blends into willow trunks so perfectly, that if the eye leaves it for an instant its location is lost and only recovered by renewed search.

In oak trees, nests are always hung on tips of limbs; in willows they are invariably placed on a stub close to large branches or to main trunk. The thickest foliage is at end of limbs which overlap and form practically a rain-proof roof. Hung next to an oak trunk the color difference would be apparent at once: placement in leaf clusters conceals them so well that I believe a searcher would find no more than one nest in ten.

In the willows, trunks and branches are the identical color of down composing the homes and, accordingly, they are hung directly alongside a perpendicular trunk, usually larger than the nest will be when completed, where they are almost as difficult to locate as in oaks. Clever exhibitions of the protective instinct and naught else!

BREEDING

NEST: an extraordinarily, bulky, pendulous, purseshaped structure for such midgets; sometimes 16 inches long with entrance on side near top. Four inches of base — close woven felt of willow and other seed down. Base varies in depth to an inch and seems greatest where winds are strongest and is used as ballast. Upper part more latticed to admit air, the whole securely tied with spider webs.

EGGS: 5 to 9, white, and usually entirely buried in a coverlet of soft seed floss.

RANGE

Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of Pacific coast from Southern British Columbia and northern Washington to northern Lower California.

California Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus californicus

DESCRIPTION

BREEDING

RANGE

Transition and Upper Sonoran zones of Oregon and California (except coast strip) from northeastern Oregon to southern California.

Grinda Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus grindae

DESCRIPTION

BREEDING

Nest and eggs of both subspecies similar to those of Bushtit.

RANGE

Cape region of Lower California in Upper Sonoran zone.

Monterey Cypress

Cupressus macrocarpa

DESCRIPTION

A 50–60 foot tree, with 2—3, sometimes 6-foot trunk, distributed in a narrow strip from Cypress Point to Carmel Bay, 2 miles long: and a small grove on Point Lobos, California.

bushtit-california-bushtit-grinda-bushtit
cactus-wren-bryant-cactus-wren-san-lucas-cactus-wren
Cactus Wren, Bryant Cactus Wren, San Lucas Cactus Wren
713-713a-713b
rock-wren-san-nicolas-rock-wren-guadalupe-rock-wren
Rock Wren, San Nicolas Rock Wren, Guadalupe Rock Wren
715-715a-715b
white-throated-wren-canyon-wren-dotted-canyon-wren
White-Throated Wren, Canyon Wren, Dotted Canyon Wren
717-717a-717b
carolina-wren-florida-wren-lomita-wren
Carolina Wren, Florida Wren, Lomita Wren
718-718a-718b
bewick-wren-vigor-wren-baird-wren
Bewick Wren, Vigor Wren, Baird Wren
719-719a-719b
san-clemente-wren-guadalupe-wren
San Clemente Wren, Guadalupe Wren
719.1-720
texas-wren-san-diego-wren-seattle-wren
Texas Wren, San Diego Wren, Seattle Wren
719c-719d-719e
house-wren-western-house-wren
House Wren, Western House Wren
721-721a
winter-wren-western-winter-wren-kadiak-winter-wren
Winter Wren, Western Winter Wren, Kadiak Winter Wren
722-722a-722b
alaska-wren-aleutain-wren
Alaska Wren, Aleutian Wren
723-723.1
short-billed-marsh-wren
Short-Billed Marsh Wren
724
long-billed-marsh-wren-tule-wren
Long-Billed Marsh Wren, Tule Wren
725-725a
worthington-marsh-wren-western-marsh-wren-prairie-marsh-wren-marian-marsh-wren
Worthington Marsh Wren, Western Marsh Wren, Prairie Marsh Wren, Marian Marsh Wren
725b-725c-725d-725e
brown-creeper-mexican-creeper
Brown Creeper, Mexican Creeper
726-726a
rocky-mountain-creeper-california-creepeer-sierra-creeper
Rocky Mountain Creeper, California Creeper, Sierra Creeper
726b-726c-726d
white-breasted-nuthatch-slender-billed-nuthatch-florida-white-breasted-nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch, Slender-Billed Nuthatch, Florida White-Breasted Nuthatch
727-727a-727b
rocky-mountain-nuthatch-san-lucas-nuthatch
Rocky Mountain Nuthatch, San Lucas Nuthatch
727c-727d
red-breasted-nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
728
brown-headed-nuthatch
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
729
pygmy-nuthatch-white-naped-nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch, White-Naped Nuthatch
730-730a
tufted-titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
731
black-crested-titmouse-sennett-titmouse
Black-Crested Titmouse, Sennett Titmouse
732-732a
plain-titmouse-gray-titmouse-ashy-titmouse
Plain Titmouse, Gray Titmouse, Ashy Titmouse
733-733a-733b
bridled-titmouse
Bridled Titmouse
734
chickadee-long-tailed-chickadee
Chickadee, Long-Tailed Chickadee
735-735a
oregon-chickadee-yukon-chickadee
Oregon Chickadee, Yukon Chickadee
735b-735c
carolina-chickadee-plumbeous-chickadee-florida-chickadee
Carolina Chickadee, Plumbeous Chickadee, Florida Chickadee
736-736a-736b
mexican-chickadee
Mexican Chickadee
737
mountain-chickadee-bailey-mountain-chickadee
Mountain Chickadee, Bailey Mountain Chickadee
738-738a
alaska-chickadee
Alaska Chickadee
739
hudsonian-chickadee-acadian-chickadee
Hudsonian Chickadee, Acadian Chickadee
740-740a
chestnut-backed-chickadee-california-chickadee-barlow-chickadee
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, California Chickadee, Barlow Chickadee
741-741a-741b
bushtit-california-bushtit-grinda-bushtit
Bushtit, California Bushtit, Grinda Bushtit
743-743a-743b
lead-colored-bushtit-lloyds-bushtit
Lead Colored Bushtit, Lloyd Bushtit
744–745
verdin-cape-verdin
Verdin, Cape Verdin
746-746a
wrentit-pallid-wrentit
Wrentit, Pallid Wrentit
747-747a
coast-wrentit-ruddy-wrentit
Coast Wrentit, Ruddy Wrentit
747b-747c
golden-crowned-kinglet
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748
western-goden-crowned-kinglet
Western Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748a
ruby-crowned-kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749
sitka-kinglet
Sitka Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749a
dusky-kinglet
Dusky Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749b
blue-gray-gnatcatcher-western-gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Western Gnatcatcher
751-751a
plumbeous-gnatcatcher-black-tailed-gnatcatcher
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher
752-753
townsends-solitaire
Townsend’s Solitaire
754
wood-thrush
Wood Thrush
755
veery
Veery
756
willow-thrush
Willow Thrush
756a
gray-cheeked-thrush-bicknells-thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush
757-757a
russet-backed-thrush
Russet-Backed Thrush
758
olive-backed-thrush
Olive-Backed Thrush
758a
alaska-hermit-thrush
Alaska Hermit Thrush
759
audubons-hermit-thrush
Audubon’s Hermit Thrush
759a
hermit-thrush
Hermit Thrush
759b
dwarf-hermit-thrush-monterey-hermit-thrush-sierra-hermit-thrush
Dwarf Hermit Thrush, Monterey Hermit Thrush, Sierra Hermit Thrush
759c-759d-759e
robin
Robin
761
western-robin-southern-robin
Western Robin, Southern Robin
761a-761b
san-lucas-robin
San Lucas Robin
762
varied-thrush
Varied Thrush
763
northern-varied-thrush
Northern Varied Thrush
763a
wheatear-greenland-wheatear
Wheatear, Greenland Wheatear
765-765a
bluebird
Bluebird
766
azure-bluebird
Azure Bluebird
766a
western-bluebird
Western Bluebird
767
chestnut-backed-bluebird
Chestnut-Backed Bluebird
767a
san-pedro-bluebird
San Pedro Bluebird
767b
mountain-bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
768