HEPBURN'S ROSY FINCH 355 



(1922) in the Stikine River region, insect "material was found to be 

 59 percent and vegetable matter 41 percent of the total." 



Swarth also says: "The old birds were assiduously feeding the 

 young, and in pursuit of this duty we several times saw them fly into 

 the air to capture flying insects, which were then carried to the 

 waiting offspring." 



Moody (1910) writes: "Like Crossbills, they are very fond of salt, 

 and will greedily eat anything of a saline character. There is also 

 a small black midge, or gnat, that covers the snow on certain warm 

 days, and these the birds devour. I have also seen them industriously 

 picking about the tops of fir trees and on the branches of white cedars." 



G. W. Gullion (1957) recorded a bird feeding among cheatgrass, 

 Bromus tectorum, at 6,500 feet in Nevada, Mar. 10, 1956. S. G. 

 Jewett, W. T. Taylor, et al. (1953) mention flowers of the white 

 heather, seeds of Russian thistle, and leaves of the saxifrage (Saxifraga 

 tolmiei). 



Behavior. — The Leffingwells (1931) write: 



The leucostictes are decidedly gregarious; all wait till some venturesome spirit 

 shows the way to food or starts the flight, then others follow quickly. They fly 

 in dense masses in an undulating manner. The individual apparently keeps to 

 no set position in the flock, which constantly whirls about, much like a group of 

 dry leaves carried on a stiff breeze or as caught suddenly by a whirlwind and thus 

 twisted onto another course, or set down as suddenly as it was started in flight. 

 Upon arrival at the [roosting] rock, the birds swirl in, close to the face of the 

 upper portion, perching abruptly. They often circle several times about the 

 rock; then alighting they dart from jagged point to jagged point, working down, 

 amid much chatter, to the base, stopping at intervals to pick about the lichens, 

 and finally go to the thistle and grass to feed a few moments before roosting. 



On several occasions, Prairie Falcons and Pigeon Hawks appeared at the rock. 

 Their presence did not greatly alarm the finches which often ignored the intruder 

 entirely or gave chase in flocks of fifteen or twenty individuals. Never did they 

 seem very enthusiastic about mobbing the enemy. 



Rosy Finches are perpetually in action, never perching longer than a few seconds 

 at a time. It was of interest to note that, while feeding upon Russian thistle or 

 Jim Hill mustard, which protruded through several inches of snow, they walked 

 with a staggering motion rather than hopping as is characteristic of most sparrows. 

 After feeding here for a few moments they swirled off to a ledge of rimrock to 

 perch and chatter and then came back to the food again. 



The birds begin preparation for the night long before sunset, the flock usually 

 appearing at the roosting site between two and three o'clock. A bird enters a 

 swallow's nest and usually turns at once, and thrusts its head from the opening, 

 uttering a loud cry as though challenging all others. It may remain here a few 

 seconds or it may come out at once and repeat the same performance in another 

 nest. Often a single bird will inspect as many as a dozen nests before finally 

 setthng in one. Usually by four o'clock the entire flock is at roost and no sound 

 can be heard, nor can the birds be frightened from the nests. 



The roosting rock, referred to above, was an outcrop of basaltic 

 rimrock, with a perpendicular face about 200 feet high, against which 



646-737— 68— pt. 1 25 



