Small robin size. Male, dominantly rosy-red, brightest on head and rump; wings blackish, with two white wing bars. Female, all gray, except for a yellow crown and rump, two wing-bars.

BRYCE CANYON. Uncommon summer and fall visitant in the higher portions of the park, as a pair was seen near Rainbow Point On June 17, 1934.

CEDAR BREAKS. Fairly common summer resident. No nests found, but young have been seen in late July.

This is the largest member of the finch family. It is relatively tame, and can easily be recognized. Its song and call notes are soft and beautiful in tone. In flight it travels in an undulating fashion, much like the flight of a woodpecker. It feeds in the tops of the conifers, opening the cones to get the seeds, but coming to the ground without hesitation if seeds can be had there.

Wren size Adults, gray with an olive tinge, heavily streaked with brown; yellow wing and tail patches which show in flight.

ZION. Common permanent resident, nesting in the higher portions of the park in the summer, and wintering from the high plateau to the low canyons. Believed to nest in late June and early July, as young have been observed in July and early August.

BRYCE CANYON. Common permanent resident on the plateau. Nests in June.

CEDAR BREAKS. Common permanent resident, becoming very abundant in late summer and early fall. No nesting records, although young have been observed in late July.

There is little mistaking this tiny, streaked finch, wherever encountered. Invariably there are large numbers found drifting through a region, talking to each other as they work; tittering good-naturedly when something is mentioned that strikes a responsive note with the group. During the summer the Siskin usually feeds in the tree tops, but in the late summer and early fall he likes to feed on the thistles and dandelions, and may be seen clinging to the heads of these plants, picking away at the seeds.

Wren size. Male, upper parts olive-green; lower parts yellow, slightly tinged with green; top of head black; wings black with white patches. Female, upper parts entirely greenish-gray; lower parts light greenish-yellow; white wing patches present, but not as pronounced as in the male.

ZION. Fairly common permanent resident from the canyon bottoms to the plateau back of the rim. Nests in June.

BRYCE CANYON. Rare summer visitant, the only record being obtained on June 15, 1934, along the canyon rim.

This is the most familiar of the various bird species commonly termed the "wild canary." Its high, sweet call, so canary-like in quality, can be heard in late spring and early summer, as large bands of these birds move through the lower canyons, here and there congregating in the tops of some cottonwood where the new buds are especially delicious. Its flight is a series of short undulations or bounds.

Bluebird size. Male, body deep red, brighter on the rump; wings and tail dusky; bill distinctly crossed. Female, dull olive-gray, shading to yellow on the under parts and on the rump.

ZION. Uncommon permanent resident in the higher portions of the park, occasionally migrating into the lower canyons during the winter.

BRYCE CANYON. Uncommon permanent resident. Believed to be nesting in the higher portions of the park along the rim; winters in the forests along the rim and in the canyons.

CEDAR BREAKS. Common permanent resident in the forested zones along the rim. Young have been noted in late July.

The reddish body, with the heavy, scissor-like bill, are certain field marks for this species. Usually he is seen high in the trees, where he is an expert at opening evergreen cones and extracting the seeds, although sometimes several of these birds may come to the ground to pick up seeds that have fallen. Groups are often rather nervous, suddenly flying from one tree top to another some distance away for no apparent reason.

Bluebird size. Adults, upper parts grayish, tinged with green; under parts ashy on the breast, changing to white on the belly; throat white; top of head bright rufous; wings and tail bright olive green.

ZION. Common summer resident in the regions back of the canyon rim, migrating through the lower canyons in early spring and fall. Nests in June.

BRYCE CANYON. Common summer resident throughout most of the park. Nests in late June.

CEDAR BREAKS. Common summer visitant, may nest in the lower portions of the monument.

Wherever there is dense brush, from the ponderosa pine belt upward, there one is almost sure to find this rufous-crowned towhee. From his perch in the top of a bush, he eyes the intruder inquiringly, reddish crown slightly raised and white throat gleaming. If alarmed, he will drop out of sight into the brush with a swooping dive and a quick flit of his greenish tail. Like other towhees, he spends a lot of his time on the ground, scratching through the leaves in search of food. His soft cat-like mew is an excellent means of identification, where a good sight observation is not available, but his song may be confused with that of the Song Sparrow.

Large bluebird size. Male, head, upper parts and chest black; belly white; sides reddish-brown, prominent white patches on the wings and outer tail feathers. Female, similar to the male, but with brownish head.

ZION. Common summer resident throughout the brushlands. Nests in June.

BRYCE CANYON. Common summer resident, especially in the lower portions of the park. Nests in June.

Walking along the trail where the oak brush grows in dense groves, one often hears a quick rustling sound among the leaves which sounds like a lizard in full flight, and which usually turns out to be a towhee scratching industriously for food. Watching this handsome fellow carefully, you will note that he scratches with both feet, a characteristic of the larger members of the towhee family. In flight he has one trait that aids greatly in field identification he seldom flies straight into a bush, but, instead, dips down sharply just before entering the bush and literally dives into it.

Typical sparrow size. Adults, upper parts brownish-gray, streaked with dusky; under parts whitish, streaked with dusky along the sides and under the chest; outer tail feathers white.

ZION. Fairly common summer resident in the meadowlands in the higher portions of the park; drifts through the canyons during migration. Nests in June.

BRYCE CANYON. Common summer resident in the meadows back of the rim. Young have been noted in early July.

CEDAR BREAKS. Fairly common late summer visitant in the mountain meadows back of the rim.

The conspicuous flashing of the white tail feathers while in flight is an excellent field mark in identifying the Vesper Sparrow. Seldom is he seen over fence-top height above the ground, preferring to stay among the bushes or on the ground. His song, usually heard in late evening after most birds have become silent, is a thing of beauty, and suggestive of the best efforts of his talented cousin, the Song Sparrow.

Typical sparrow size. Adults, upper parts brownish-gray; head marked with chestnut, striped with black and white; under parts white, with a black spot in the center of the chest; tail blackish-brown, broadly tipped with white.

ZION. Fairly common summer resident in the lower portions of the park. Nests in May and June.

BRYCE CANYON. Uncommon summer visitant.

This sparrow is a lover of the open country, seldom coming into the narrow depths of the upper canyons. Around such areas as Oak Creek Canyon and Coal Pits Wash, however, it is a common sight in open situations. Its striped crown, white breast with a dark spot, and white-tipped, somewhat rounded tail are sure field marks. He is a good singer, but has a tendency to spoil his musical efforts with a rather unmelodious purring note right in the midst of his song. As he sits in some low bush, he has a habit of raising and lowering his crown feathers every few minutes, a trait that calls attention to his prominent head markings.

Typical sparrow size. Adults, upper parts grayish-brown; under parts white; sides of head dark gray, with two white stripes; throat black; tail blackish, edged with white.

ZION. Fairly common permanent resident in the extreme lower portions of the park. Nests in May and June.

In the sagebrush portion of the park, on the arid slopes where the cholla and beavertail cacti grow in profusion, there one will find this trim little desert songster. He is a dweller of the low bushes, seldom being seen above bush-top height. In the midst of a group of cholla, in a dense clump of sagebrush, or in the thorny depths of a catsclaw, he constructs his nest, and then perches in the top of some low bush nearby to fill the air with melody while his mate sits on the eggs.

Typical sparrow size. Adults, top and side of head gray; rest of upper parts brownish-gray; throat white; under parts brownish-white; black line on the side of the throat; single dark spot on the breast; tail blackish.

ZION. Fairly common summer resident in the lower portions of the park, where the desert vegetation is found. Young have been noted in late June.

Like the Desert Sparrow, this species is a dweller of the arid, brush-covered flats of the desert regions. In habits, the two are also rather similar, preferring to stay in the lower bushes. The Sage Sparrow blends well with his surroundings, his soft gray tones harmonizing with the gray-greens of the atriplex bushes. When sitting at ease in the top of a bush, he has a habit of gently tilting back and forth, and this characteristic, plus the obviously blackish tail, are good field marks.