1540 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 3 



Kenai Song Sparrow (M. m. kenaiensis) 



Range. — Cook Inlet to southeastern Alaska. 



Breeding range. — The Kenai song sparrow breeds on the coast of 

 southern Alaska from Cook Inlet (Seldovia, Hope) to the mouth of the 

 Copper Ri^er. 



Winter Range. — Winters in the breeding range and southward 

 in southeastern Alaska (Sitka) ; rarely to the coast of western Wash- 

 ington (Marysville). 



Yakutat Song Sparrow (M. m. caurina) 



Range. — Coast from Yakutat Bay in southeastern Alaska to northern 

 California. 



Breeding range. — The Yakutat song sparrow breeds on the coast of 

 southeastern Alaska from Yakutat Bay to Cross Sound. 



Winter Range. — Winters from southeastern Alaska (Chichagof 

 Island, Juneau, Wrangell, Howkan) south along the marine shore lines 

 of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon to northern California 

 (Fortuna); rarely to central California (Bay Farm Island). 



MELOSPIZA MELODIA RUFINA (Bonaparte) 



Sooty Song Sparrow 

 Contributed by Val Nolan Jr. 



Habits 



This race, although it breeds on the outer islands of southeastern 

 Alaska and British Columbia, is not confined to the beaches. George 

 Willett (1928) states that rufina occurs "in inland locations several 

 miles from salt water * * *." Near Sitka, the same observer (1914) 

 found the bird common in summer "in brush and grass lands on islands 

 and along the shore." Individual birds occur in winter in the breeding 

 range, but some migrate as far south as western Washington. George 

 Willett (1921) reports that rufina and caurina both remained at 

 Craig, Alaska, through the winter of 1919, but that in 1920 at Wrangell, 

 rufina had departed by early November. "This latter place, though 

 only about a hundred miles distant from Craig is, by virtue of its 

 proximity to the mainland, considerably colder." 



Willett (1928) says all nests of rufina are "either flush with the 

 ground or in short grass a few inches up." Gabrielson and Lincoln 

 (1959) quote the same observer as having found nests with eggs or 

 young from June 2 to July 22. 



The post-breeding and winter habitats of rufina are substantially 

 unlike those of the six races reported immediately preceding. Of 



