GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW 1363 



Mountains. The birds were noted migrating at Carson on Septem- 

 ber 10, 1918, after which date they became the most abundant 

 sparrow, and they were still numerous at Skamania, September 29." 



In California Grinnell and Storer (1924) report "Our earliest 

 seasonal record for Golden-crowned Sparrow was made on October 2, 

 (1915) when at least 7 adult and immature birds were seen in a 

 coffee-berry thicket in Yosemite Valley. Thereafter, for a month or 

 so, the species was noted in a number of places in the higher 

 country * * *." 



For the San Francisco Bay region Grinnell and Wythe (1927) 

 report, "Arrives in the fall earlier and stays later in the spring than 

 most other winter visiting birds. Has been observed as early as 

 August 31 and is generally common by the last week of September." 

 The species is becoming even commoner of late in the Bay area as 

 suburban housing developments are being built on dry hillsides and 

 other sites that in the past were unfavorable habitat. Feeding trays 

 and bird baths in the suburban gardens supply ample food and water. 

 On one patio in the Oakland Hills 60 golden-crowns were counted 

 at one time recently. 



Grinnell and Miller (1944) write: "Metropolis of wintering ground, 

 the lower western and southern portions of California lying west of 

 the Sierran divides and below the 4,000-foot contour of altitude. 

 Winters regularly north to head of Sacramento Valley and on coast 

 north at least to Humboldt County and south to San Diego County. 

 * * * recorded from most of the islands. At times of migration 

 reaches probably nearly all parts of the State." 



Distribution 



Range. — Alaska, Yukon, and western Alberta south to Baja 

 California, northern Sonora, and Arizona. 



Breeding range. — The golden-crowned sparrow breeds from western 

 coastal Alaska (Cape Prince of Wales, Kobuk River Delta, Nunivak 

 and Kodiak islands) and south-central Yukon (Rose River) south 

 to southeastern Alaska (Lynn Canal), southern British Columbia 

 (Alta Lake, Moose Pass), southwestern Alberta (Banff), and in the 

 Cascade Mountains to extreme northern Washington (Okanogan 

 County); casual in summer north to northern Alaska (Barrow). 



Winter range. — Winters from southern British Columbia (Victoria, 

 Okanagan Landing) southward, principally west of the Cascade 

 Range and the Sierra Nevada, to northern Baja California (lat. 30° 

 N.), casually south to southern Baja California (Cedros and Guadalupe 

 islands, Cape San Lucas), Arizona (Ajo Mountains), and northern 

 Sonora (Caborca) and east to Utah (Zion National Park), Colorado 

 (Wray), and New Mexico (upper Gila River). 



