82 THE REDPOLL. 



No. 29. 

 REDPOLL. 



A. O. U. No. 528. Acanthis linaria (Linn.). 



Synonyms. — Common Redpoll. Lesser Redpoll. Linnet. Lintie. 



Description. — Adult male: Crown crimson; breast and shonklers crimson 

 in varying proportions according to season ; frontlet, lores, and throat-patch sooty 

 black ; remaining lower parts white, flanks and crissnm streaked with dusky ; 

 above, variegated dusky, flaxen-brown and whitish, the feathers having dusky 

 centers and flaxen edgings ; rump dusky and white in streaks, tinged with rosy ; 

 wings and tail dusky with flaxen or whitish edgings ; two inconspicuous wing-bars 

 formed by white tips of middle and greater coverts. Female': Similar but 

 without red on rump and breast, the latter suffused with huffy instead : sides 

 heavily streaked with dusky. Immature: Like female but without crimson 

 crown. Length 5.50 (139.7) or less; wing 2.80 (71. i) : tail 2.30 (58.4) ; bill .34 

 (8.6) ; depth at base .23" (5.8). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler to Sparrow size; crimson crown-patch in 

 adults; no dusky spot on breast. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Nest: a bulky aft'air of twigs and 

 grasses, lined with feathers and placed in trees and bushes. Eggs: 4-6, i>ale blue, 

 dotted and speckled with reddish brown or umber. Av. size, .65 x .50 ( 16.5 x 

 12.7). 



General Range. — Northern portions of northern hemisphere, south irregu- 

 larly in winter, in North America to the Middle States, and southern Oregon. 



Range in Washington. — Winter resident, abundant on East-side, infrequent 

 or casual west of the Cascades. 



Migrations. — Nov. i-Dec. 15. Feb. i5-]March 15. Yakima Co. Oct. 31, 

 1899. Chelan ?\Iarch 19, 1896. 



Authorities. — ^giothtis linaria Cab. Cooper and Suckley, Rep. Pac. R. R. 

 Surv. \'<il. XIT. pt. ii, i860, 198. C&S. D'. Ra. i>. Kk. J. B. 



Specimens.— (U. of W.) Prov. B. C. P. 



THOSE who' count themselves familiar witli the Goldfinch are apt to 

 let the first few flocks of Redixills pass unquestioned. When, however, in late 

 No'vemlier, a nortlier brings down some thousands of these Alaskan waifs, the 

 bird student is roused to attention. The resemblance between the two species 

 is most striking" in form and appearance as well as in habit and note. But 

 once the eves have been assured bv a near revelation of convincing red, that 

 Acanfliis linaria is before them, the ears .remark also' a slight foreign accent 

 in the s-avcfie call and in the rattling flight notes. 



Redpolls summer abundantly along the coasts of Alaska, and along the 

 higher levels down thru British Columbia. The winter mci\ements of this 

 species are irregular and somewhat confusing. According to Nelson, the 



