PALE GOLDFINCH 467 



SPINUS TRISTIS PALLIDUS Meams 



Pale Goldfinch 



Habits 



Dr. Edgar A. Meams (1890) gave the above name to the goldfinch 

 found breeding in Arizona, and described it as similar to the eastern 

 goldfinch, "but with the black cap larger and extending farther back 

 on the head, the general color decidedly paler, and all of the white 

 markings increased in area. The wing bands, formed by the white 

 tips of the greater and lesser coverts, are considerably broader. The 

 secondaries and tips of primaries are more broadly edged with white." 



I cannot find anything in the literature to indicate that the pale 

 goldfinch differs materially in its nesting or other habits from its 

 eastern relative. The sequence of its molts and plumages is the same, 

 bright yellow and black in summer, more sombre colors in winter, 

 but with white wing bars to distinguish it at all seasons. Its food is 

 similar. And it seems to be the same happy bird of sunshine, bounding 

 through the air, rollicking and carefree, with similar cheerful notes 

 at each dip in its erratic flight. 



Claude T. Barnes writes to me: "It never seems to know just what 

 its destination is to be; so after making a few bounds in one direction, 

 it appears to find the exertion too great, turns about, slides down the 

 air, circles, zigzags, and at last flutters down to a spot not far distant 

 from its starting point." 



The measurements of 15 eggs average 15.5 by 12.0 millimeters; 

 the eggs showing the four extremes measure 16.4 by 12-8, and 14-7 by 

 11.7 millimeters. 



Distribution 



Range. — British Columbia and prairie provinces to northern 

 Mexico. 



Breeding range. — The pale goldfinch breeds from the southern 

 interior of British Columbia (Okanagan Landing), central Alberta 

 (40 miles north of Belvedere, Athabaska), central Saskatchewan 

 (Emma Lake), southern Manitoba (Lake St. Martin), and extreme 

 western Ontario (Malachi, Wabigoon) south to eastern Oregon (Fort 

 Klamath), central Nevada (Truckee Reservation, Toiyabe Moun- 

 tains), central Utah (Parley's Park), western Colorado (Durango, 

 Walden), and northwestern Nebraska (Springview) . 



Winter range. — Winters from southern British Columbia (Okanagan 

 Landing) and central Montana (Missoula, Miles City) south to south- 

 ern Nevada (Clark County), southern Arizona (Parker, Patagonia), 

 Texas (Fort Davis, Dallas, Huntsville), northern Coahuila (Sabinas), 

 Nuevo Leon (Galeana), and central Veracruz (Jalapa, Teocelo). 



646-737— 68— pt. 1 32 



