WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 1387 



protozoa, Haemoproteus fringilla and Trypanosoma avium (Bennett 

 andFallis, 19G0). 



Winter. — The main winter range of the white-throated sparrow is 

 in the southern United States from Missouri and Massachusetts to 

 Florida and southern Texas. It occurs casually south to northern 

 Mexico, west to California, north to British Columbia and Newfound- 

 land, and regularly winters in small numbers as far north as southern 

 Ontario. 



As most recoveries of banded birds are from North and South 

 Carolina, R. B. Fischer and G. Gill (1946) conclude that "the bulk 

 of the eastern white-throated sparrows winter in these two states. 

 Progressively smaller numbers of wintering birds are encountered as 

 one travels north or south." However, Lowery (1955) speaks of 

 them as among the commonest winter birds in Louisiana. E. P. 

 Odum (1958) reports on sex and age ratios and fat content of white- 

 throats killed at a TV tower near Tallahassee, Fla. On the basis 

 of these and similar data gathered on the campus of the University of 

 Georgia, he suggests that "immature or first-year females probably 

 tend to winter farther south than adults in general and males in 

 particular." 



Everywhere on the wintering grounds white-throats are reported 

 to frequent sheltered locations. For example, Lowery (1955) states 

 "They occur in all places where there is shrubbery or other woody 

 vegetation but do not like to venture far into the open. Where there 

 is one of them, there are usually a dozen or more." In Ontario they 

 are often found singly or in small groups in shrubby ravines or cat- tail 

 marshes, where they apparently do not sing in winter, but often make 

 their presence known by the "tseet" call. However, in the southern 

 part of the winter range, singing is reported by Good and Adkins 

 (1927) and others (see Voice). 



In different regions white-throats are found in company with a 

 variety of other species. In Ontario, they occur with song sparrows 

 and other finches. On the Pacific coast Ralph N. Hoffman (1927) 

 reports that they are generally found with golden-crowned or Gambel 

 sparrows. In Alabama Good and Adkins (1927) list many species 

 with which they associate in winter. These authors mention the 

 towhee as roosting with white-throats in underbrush. They found 

 the following species with the white-tliroat at night in heaps of cut 

 pine branches: chipping sparrow, vesper sparrow, slate-colored junco, 

 and American pipit. 



Distribution 



Range. — Southern Yukon, Mackenzie, northern Ontario, central 

 Quebec, southern Labrador, and Newfoundland, south to southern 

 California, southern Texas, the Gulf coast, and northern Florida. 



