250 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part i 



M. D. F. Udvardy observed a spectacular migration at Point 

 Roberts, Wash., on Oct. 15, 1954. He wrote us that he saw 751 

 evening grosbeaks during the 4 morning hours. 



Winter. — J. K. Jensen (1924) tells of a large winter invasion from 

 the north: 



The winter of 1922-23 will go down in the annals of New Mexico as the year 

 of many Grosbeaks * * *. Grosbeaks may be seen occasionally every year; as a 

 rule only for a few days during spring and fall, and only few in number. During 

 the winter mentioned above great flocks were in evidence from October 30, 1922 

 until May 1, 1923 * * *. 



At the United States Indian School, where most of my observations were 

 made, we had flocks almost continually of from fifty to three hundred birds. 

 In Santa Fe proper there were several flocks of from one hundred to five hundred, 

 while smaller flocks of from four to a dozen birds could be seen at any time in 

 almost every shade tree. 



H. Brandt has written more recently (1951) of seeing a large flock 

 in Santa Fe, N. Mex. He explains: 



The downtown public grounds and certain streets are well wooded with medium 

 to large sized trees of the boxelder, or as is often called, ash-leafed maple. * * * 

 This place is the usual winter resort of several thousand Rocky Mountain Evening 

 Grosbeaks, which live in gregarious familiarity with themselves and the fortunate 

 people of the town. So closely do they crowd together that I counted 16 birds on 

 a single, small branch, literally enlivening it with slow-moving beauty, while 28 

 fed in perfect harmony in the grass near by, on an area less than 10 feet square. 

 * * * When it leaves for its highland breeding grounds all the individuals depart 

 together, so that Santa Fe is left without a single example of this rare bird to show 

 its summer visitors. Then in 10 to 12 weeks it returns in force with its young, 

 and again spends some 40 weeks or more as a feathered visitor in this ancient city 

 of tourists. 



Distribution 



Range. — British Columbia and western Montana to southern 

 California and western Texas. 



Breeding range. — The western evening grosbeak breeds, and is 

 largely resident, from north central and southeastern British Columbia 

 (Bear Lake, Monashee Pass, Jasper), western Montana (Bozeman), 

 western Wyoming, and central Colorado (Elk Head Mountains, Colo- 

 rado Springs) south through the mountains to northwestern and 

 central eastern California (Eureka, Sequoia National Park), north- 

 eastern Nevada (Tahoe district, Tuxcarora), central Arizona (San 

 Francisco and White Mountains), and central southern New Mexico 

 (Sacramento Mountains) . 



Winter range. — Winters from southern interior and southwestern 

 British Columbia (Comox, ChUliwack) south to southern California 

 (Redlands, Cuyamaca Mountains), southern Arizona (Baboquivari 

 Mountains, Tucson), southwestern New Mexico (Silver City), and 



