330 Birds of Colorado 



H. G. Smith 85, p. 90; Morrison 88, p. 73; 89, p. 149; Lowe 94, p. 269; 

 McGregor 97, p. 38 ; Cooke 97, pp. 96, 212 ; Henderson 03, p. 107 ; 

 09, p. 235 ; Gilman 07, 156 ; Rockwell 08, p. 170 ; Warren 09, p. 16. 



Description. — Male — Crown rich rosy-red, back dull rosy-pink, the 

 scapulars and upper-back with strongly marked darker centres to the 

 feathers ; the rump and upper tail-coverts without ; wings and tail 

 dusky, with pale pinkish edges to most of the wing-feathers ; below, 

 the sides of the head, throat and chest dull rosy-pink, paling posteriorly 

 to dirty white ; a few inconspicuous streaks of brown on the flanks ; 

 tail slightly forked ; iris brown, bill dark blueish-hom, dusky flesh on the 

 lower mandible, feet dusky brown. Length 5-75 ; wing 3-5 ; tail 

 2-35 ; culmen -50 ; tarsus -68. 



The female is dusky grey above with an olive wash, sometimes very 

 pronomiced, streaked heavily with dusky brown ; below, whitish, 

 streaked throughout, including the vmder tail-coverts, with dusky ; 

 young birds are practically indistinguishable from the females. 



Distribution. — Western North America from the eastern bases of the 

 Rocky Mountains to the Pacific ; north to southern British Columbia ; 

 south to Central Mexico, near Mexico City. 



In Colorado, Cassin's Purple Finch is chiefly a resident, wintering 

 along the eastern foothills and in the lower parks up to about 7,500 

 feet, and ascending the mountains to breed at 7,000 to 11,000 feet 

 elevations. A certain number of birds doubtless go fiu:ther south to 

 winter. The following are recorded summer localities : Estes Park 

 (McGregor), Breckenridge (Carter), Twin Lakes, June (Scott), Hancock, 

 July (Stone), South Park, July (Allen), San Juan co. (Drew), La Plata 

 CO. (Morrison), slopes of Mount Baldy at timber line in July, Costilla co. 

 (Brunner). Winter records are Boulder (Henderson), Bergen Park, 

 7,600 feet (Trippe), near Denver, February, March (Smith), El Paso 

 CO., December to April ; Pueblo, November ; Canon City, April (Aiken), 

 Salida, January (Frey), Mesa co. (Rockwell) ; a straggler as far east as 

 Fort Lyon, May 28th (Thome apud Cooke). 



Habits. — In the winter Cassin's Finch is to be found 

 in sheltered spots along streams in the foothills in small 

 parties, and on a fine bright day they may often be seen 

 sitting on the bare branches of cotton-wood trees, sunning 

 themselves and enjoying the warmth ; in March or April 

 they move up into the mountains, where their strong, 

 sweet and clear song can be heard among the willows 

 along the streams. They breed about the middle of June 

 in the pine woods ; Gale found many nests with eggs 



