1538 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 3 



Sutton and Wilson (1946) give a notably interesting and detailed 

 report of the behavior of maxima on Attu in February and March, 

 when 



The only vegetation is coarse grass, most of which has been blown flat and 

 buried under the snow, and the bare stalks of high weeds which offer little shel- 

 ter * * * n s manner is not quite orthodox [for a song sparrow]. It seems to 

 move too slowly and it keeps under rocks too much of the time. * * * 



Most of them lived along the shore, spending virtually all their time between 

 the water's edge and the snow — a coastal strip varying in width from a few feet 

 at high tide to a hundred yards or so at low tide. * * * 



Certain pairs lived about scrap heaps of metal, piles of gasoline drums, and so 

 forth, as Song Sparrows might be expected to live about brush piles. * * * The 

 usual roosting place was a niche or crevice on the face of a big rock, or under a 

 tussock on a turfy headland. * * * Between 5 o'clock in the afternoon and dark, 

 * * * we frequently saw the sparrows going to roost or flushed them from their 

 roosting places. One which we saw asleep was fluffed up, with the bill stuck be- 

 tween the back and scapular plumage, chest against the bare rock, and tail out, 

 down and slightly spread. Others, which flew out as we climbed about the 

 rocks in the twilight must have been sleeping under the rocks or on the bare 

 ground. 



Voice. — Gabrielson and Lincoln (1959) state that the song is 

 "rather persistent" during the breeding season, but not heard at 

 other times. On the other hand, Sutton and Wilson (1946) heard it 

 in February from males of maxima whose gonads were not in breeding 

 condition. The song is variable and to Gabrielson and Lincoln 

 "enough like that of the same species on the Atlantic coast * * * to 

 be easily recognized * * *." (These authors make this statement 

 only about birds of the western Aleutians [maxima] but presumably 

 select this most remote race in order to make the general point.) 

 Sutton and Wilson speak of a slight initial unfamiliarity in the song 

 of maxima but seem to attribute this to the unfamiliar environment 

 and conclude that the vocalization is "fairly average after all * * *." 

 They also state that an ornithologist from the eastern United States 

 will instantly recognize the Aleutian song sparrow's husky, alto "chirp 

 of alarm." "He will recognize also a higher pitched chip, which 

 indicates greater excitement, and certain beady cries which accom- 

 pany pursuit nights." 



Fall. — A specimen of sanaka collected July 28 had a very short, 

 new tail, and a male and female of that race collected Aug. 3 had 

 half-grown tails, new feathers of primaries 3 through 7, and were 

 undergoing body molt (McGregor, 1906). 



The resident races of the western islands leave the immediate 

 vicinity of the shore after the young have been raised and wander 

 some distance up the side of the mountains until snows force a return 

 to the beaches (Gabrielson and Lincoln, 1959; R. D. Taber, 1946, 

 referring to maxima). 



