1322 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 3 



displaced pugetensis and 2 of the gambelii individuals were proved 

 "homers," for they had already been trapped at San Jose in at least 

 2 successive winter seasons. Releases at Baton Rouge were made 

 on Oct. 28 and Dec. 5, 1961, and on Feb. 2 and Apr. 14, 1962. On 

 June 24, 1962, one Puget Sound sparrow of the April 14 release 

 was trapped at the banding station at San Jose. This individual, a 

 male, had been banded as an immature at San Jose in March of 1957, 

 and recaptured each season for the five intervening winters until he 

 was shipped to Baton Rouge in 1961, so he was 6 years old when he 

 made the trip back from Louisiana. 



This was the first Zonotrichia to appear in June at the station in its eight sum- 

 mers of operation * * * He was not seen after 24 June until again retrapped on 

 27 October, 1962. * * * Because he appeared to be in migratory condition in June, 

 and because he was not detected between 24 June and 27 October, I suspect he 

 spent July and August in his nesting territory somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. 



It is most reasonable to assume that this bird returned directly to San Jose, 

 his winter home, from the release area at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an airline 

 distance of approximately 1,800 miles. The effective rate of return was at more 

 than 25 miles per day over terrain not frequented by the race pugetensis. It 

 seems inescable that this sparrow "homed" to his winter range from a remote 

 and unknown release point. Bi-coordinate navigation of a very effective nature 

 seems possessed by this bird. * * * As of 31 December 1962, 21 of the Baton 

 Rouge releases have been retrapped at the banding station in San Jose. Although 

 the numbers are not large, certain trends are appearing in the data. Thus far 

 7 pugetensis, 8 gambelii and 6 atricapilla have returned. It is perhaps significant 

 that a greater percent (10%) of the strongly migratory race gambelii have re- 

 turned than of either pugetensis (3%) or atricapilla (6%). Also of importance is 

 the observation that 8% of adults have returned compared to but 3% of birds 

 less than one year old at the time of displacement. 



A brief review of earlier experiments with displacement of Zono- 

 trichia winter visitants in California is given in R. Roadcap (1962). 



Other important data contributed by banding are recoveries in 

 the north of white-crowns banded on the wintering grounds, longevity 

 records, and descriptions of the rate and sequence of prenuptial molt. 

 In spite of the thousands of white-crowned sparrows banded each 

 year, records of recoveries on the migration route and within the 

 breeding range are still rare. Especially valuable, therefore, are the 

 recoveries of Puget Sound sparrows mentioned by Mewaldt (1962b). 

 In a personal communication he furnishes the following details of 

 these recaptures: 



25-11892 banded Nov. 23, 1957 as Im at San Jose; returned Oct. 25, 195S; 



returned Oct. 9, 1959; recovered Apr. 6, 1960 at Blaine, Wash, by Mrs. 



Lucille Kline . . . returned Oct. 15, 1960 to San Jose; returned Dec. 2, 



1961. 

 22-136419 banded Aug. 26, 1959 at Vancouver, B.C., taken at San Jose 



Dec. 31, 1961. 



