HOUSE FINCH 313 



able to withstand winters of considerable severity, however, is shown 

 by the following observations of Bergtold (1913): 



Winter in Denver seems to have no terrors for this species. It appears to the 

 writer that the cold season does not trouble the House Finch much as long as 

 the bird is well fed, though many, doubtless, suffer frosting of feet during ex- 

 tremely cold spells, resulting in mutilations referred to later on. The birds roost 

 at night, whenever possible, close to buildings, in vines next to a wall, in a nook 

 or on a moulding under an overhanging eave, and in the folds of awnings, for 

 which places the birds have many fights until all are located for the winter, each 

 going to its accustomed place a considerable time before sunset. The j'oung 

 birds sleep in trees after leaving the nest. They have never been observed to 

 sleep two or more together, but appear, on the contrary, to desire separate places, 

 each by itself. It has seemed odd to find that the birds never use the nesting 

 boxes to sleep in, after the nesting season is over. In December they go to 

 roost early, 4:15 p.m. and sleep with the head under the wing, puffed up like 

 little feather balls. 



Distribution 



Range. — British Columbia, Idaho, and Wyoming to Baja Cali- 

 fornia, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Texas. Also (introduced) Connecticut 

 to North CaroUna; Hawaii. 



Breeding range. — The common house finch breeds, and is largely 

 resident, from southwestern and south central British Columbia 

 (Victoria, WiUiams Lake, Okanagan Landing), central, western, and 

 southern Idaho (Moscow, Boise, PocateUo), central, northern, and 

 and southeastern Wyoming (Big Horn Valley, Torrington), and 

 western Nebraska (Kimball County, Haigler) south through Cali- 

 fornia, including the northern Channel Islands, to central Baja 

 California (Todos Santos Islands, Cedros Island, San tana), central 

 Sonora (Tibur6n Island, San Pedro Mdrtir Island, Oposura), north- 

 western Chihuahua (Chihuahua), and western and south central 

 Texas (Boquillas, Somerset, Austin). Introduced in Hawaii, and on 

 Long Island, N.Y., from where it has spread as a breeding species 

 north to southwestern Connecticut (Greenwich Township, Fairfield 

 County) and south to New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and northern 

 Maryland (Towson). 



Winter range. — In winter to the Gulf coast of southern Texas. 

 Descendents of the birds released in New York migrate south regularly 

 to Maryland and have been recorded south to the District of Co- 

 lumbia, Virginia, and central North Carolina (Zebulon), and north to 

 Massachusetts. 



Casual records. — Casual north to Alberta (Topaz Lake) and Mon- 

 tana (Santon Lake), east to central Kansas (Cloud County), and 

 northeastern Texas (Fort Worth), and south to southern Sonora 

 (Chinobampo). 



