_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.
Dr. Heermann found this species very abundant in the fall season,
generally associated with the California Song Sparrow and the _Z.
gambeli_. It resorts to the deep shady thickets and woods, where it
passes the greater part of its time. In the mountainous districts it
prefers the hillsides, covered with dense undergrowth. It occasionally
breeds in California, as Dr. Heermann found its nest in a bush near
Sacramento City. It was composed of coarse stalks of weeds, and lined
internally with fine roots. The eggs were four in number, and are
described as having been of an ashy-white ground, with markings of
brown umber, at times appearing almost black from the depth of their
shade. They were marked also with a few spots of a neutral tint.
Many of these birds were obtained in Sitka and in Kodiak, by Bischoff,
and also in British Columbia by Elliot.
Only one specimen of this species was met with by Mr. Ridgway in his
explorations with Mr. Clarence King’s survey. This was taken October
7, 1867, in the West Humboldt Mountains, in company with a flock of
_Z. gambeli_.
Zonotrichia albicollis, BONAP.