122 



THE SHUFELDT J UNCO. 



Range in Washington. — Common summer resident thruout the State, in or 

 near coniferous timber, from sea level to limit of trees; sparingl}- resident in 

 winter chiefly west of Cascades. 



Authorities. — As in preceding. (Tj. C&S. Sr. Ra. D-. J. B. E. 



Specimens.— I', of W. F". B. Bn. 



HO\VE\'ER it may fare with the Oregon Junco (q. v.), the southern 

 invaders, the birds with the rusty gray backs, now appear to possess the land. 

 The\- have stolen back sometime in March, so unobtrusively we scarcely 

 noticed when the substitution of gray-backs for red-backs was effected; but 

 scon we do notice that the yards and clearings are frequented by happy 



rollicking troops of 

 Shufeldt Juncoes, and 

 \ve notice too that some 

 pronounced flirtations 

 ;u'e being carried on. 



There is a jovial 

 restlessness about these 

 birds' in flock which is 

 ciintagious. Their ev- 

 ery movement is ac- 

 companied by a happy 

 titter, and the pursuit 

 of necessities is never 

 SO' stern that a saucv 

 dare from one of their 

 number will not send 

 the whole company off 

 pell-mell like a route of 

 school-l)ins. Whenever 

 a JuncO' starts tO' wing, 

 it flashes a white signal in the lateral tail-feathers; and this convenient 

 "recognition mark" enables the birds to keep track of each other tliruout the 

 maddest gambols in brush-lot or tree-toj). 



On a sunny day in March the Juncoes gather for a grand concert. The 

 males nmunt tlie bush-tops and hold forth in ri\'al strains, while the females 

 lurk under cover and take counsel of their hearts. Junco's song is a sweet 

 little tinkling trill, not very pretentious, but tender and winsome. Inter- 

 spersed w ith this is a variety of sipping and suckling notes, whose uses are 

 hard to discern. Now and then, also, a forcible kissing sound may be beard, 

 evidently a note of re]>ulsi(jn instead of attraction, for it is employed in the 

 breeding season to frighten enemies. During the progress of the concert 

 some dashing young fellow, unable fullv to express his emotion in song, 



13*1- •■•■ 



Taken near Portland. 



\-.J!:-"y-\i-\. 



SIR! YOU INTI5UDE! 



FEMALE SHUPELDT JUNCO ON NEST. 



Pholo by If. L. Finley. 



