213. 1. Agelaius xanthocephalus, Bonap. Saffron-headed Marsh-Blackbird.
Plate CCCLXXXVIII. Fig. 2. Male. Fig. 3. Female. Fig. 4. Young.
Male with the head, upper part of hind neck, sides of the neck, its fore part, and a portion of the breast, orange-yellow, the throat paler; feathers along the base of the bill, loral space, a band below the eye, and a narrower one above it, black; the rest of the plumage glossy black, excepting two bands on the outer part of the wing, formed by some of the smaller coverts, and the primary coverts, which are white. Female much smaller, of a uniform chocolate-brown, with the edges of the feathers paler, the feathers at the base of the upper mandible, a band over the eye, and the fore part of the neck light yellow, the throat dull white, and the feathers on the middle of the breast margined with white toward the end. Young similar to the female, but without yellow on the fore neck.
Western Plains, California, and Fur Countries. Abundant. Migratory.
Yellow-headed Troopial, Icterus icterocephalus, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 27.
Icterus xanthocephalus, Bonap. Syn. p. 52.
Agelaius xanthocephalus, Saffron-headed Maize-Bird, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 281.
Yellow-headed Troopial, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 176.
Yellow-headed Troopial, Icterus xanthocephalus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 6.
214. 2. Agelaius tricolor, Aud. Red-and-white-shouldered Marsh-Blackbird.
Tail almost even. Male with the plumage glossy bluish-black; the smaller wing-coverts deep carmine, their first or posterior row white. Bill considerably longer than in the two following species.
Red-and-white-winged Troopial, Icterus tricolor, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 1.
215. 3. Agelaius Gubernator, Wagler. Red-and-black-shouldered Marsh-Blackbird.
Tail slightly rounded. Male with the plumage glossy bluish-black; the smaller wing-coverts carmine scarlet, their first or posterior row tinged with yellow, and broadly tipped with black. Female much smaller, with the upper parts dark brown, the feathers edged with light brown; some of the smaller wing-coverts edged with dull scarlet, the first row with brownish-white; the larger coverts, quills, and tail-feathers, blackish-brown, edged with dull reddish-brown; lower parts longitudinally streaked with dusky and whitish, the fore neck strongly tinged with dull carmine.