Say's Phoebe 267 



This very familiar eastern bird, though common in eastern Kansas, 

 has only once been taken in Colorado, by Captain Thome at Fort Lyon, 

 April 20th, 1884. 



Say's Phcebe. Sayornis sayus. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 457 — Colorado Records — Bonaparte 25, p. 20 ; 

 Allen 72, p. 151 ; Aiken 72, p. 205 ; Henshaw 75, p. 349 ; Allen & 

 Brewster 83, p. 195 ; H. G. Smith 84, p. 120 ; Drew 85, p. 17 ; Morrison 

 87, p. 35; 89, p. 146; Lowe 92, p. 101 ; Bendire 92, p. 276 ; Cooke 97, 

 pp. 18, 88, 209 ; Keyser 02, pp. 131, 270 ; Henderson 03, p. 235 ; 09, 

 p. 232 ; Dille 03, p. 74 ; Warren 06, p. 21 ; 08, p. 21 ; 09, p. 15 ; 

 Gilman 07, p. 155 ; Markman 07, p. 156 ; Rockwell 08, p. 166 ; 

 Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 118. 



Description. — Above ashy-brown, slightly darker on the crown ; 

 tail nearly black, the outer rectrices indistinctly edged with whitish ; 

 wing pale brown, the greater- coverts and secondaries edged and tipped 

 with paler ; below throat and breast pale ashy -brown, becoming tinged 

 posteriorly with cinnamon, most strongly on the under tail-coverts ; 

 iris brown ; bill, legs and feet black. Length 7-0; wing 4-25; tail 

 3-20 ; tarsus -70 ; culmen -50. 



The sexes are alike ; young birds are browner, and have the wing- 

 coverts more distinctly marked with tips of cinnamon-buff. 



Distribution. — Breeding from Alaska, Manitoba, and middle Kansas 

 southwards and westwards to northern and perhaps central Mexico ; 

 wintering in Mexico, the coast of Texas, and perhaps southern California. 



In Colorado, Say's Phcsbe is a common summer resident, chiefly 

 along the eastern foothills, but also throughout the mountain valleys 

 up to 9,500 feet, at which elevation it was found breeding by Keyser 

 near Malta in Lake Coimty, and at Jefferson in South Park. It has 

 been noted as common in May in Baca co. by Warren, in La Plata 

 CO. by Gilman, in the San Luis Valley by Henshaw, in the Boulder co. 

 plains by Henderson, near Barr by Hersey and Rockwell, and in 

 Larimer co. by Bendire. It is a common summer resident in Mesa co., 

 reaching Grand Junction as early as March 4th and Plateau Valley, at 

 a higher elevation, about March 20th (Rockwell). 



Habits. — Say's Phoebe reaches El Paso co. from the 

 south early in April, and has been noted at Pueblo on 

 March 17th (Lowe), and fresh eggs may be found about 

 the middle of May or beginning of June. It leaves again 

 in September, and was seen as late as the 15th by 

 Henderson, near Boulder. Like the eastern Phoebe, it 

 evinces a great attachment for its old home, returning 



