GAMBEL'S WREN-TIT 93 



this time that wren-tits are seen in the shrubbery of dwellings. How 

 far they wander is diiScult to say, but I doubt if it is more than ten 

 miles. Soon after this period of wandering, the young tend to re- 

 main in one place, usually with a companion of the opposite sex. 

 Sometime in the course of the winter, certainly by March, it ceases to 

 be satisfied with merely a place to forage and a casual companion. 

 If a male, it tries to acquire a territory ; if a female, it seeks an un- 

 mated male with a territory. Most but not all are successful. Once 

 established it will, usually, survive on its territory for 5 years, but it 

 may persist for as long as 10 years. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Oregon to Baja California. 



The wren-tit is found north to northwestern Oregon (Astoria). 

 East to western Oregon (Astoria, Rogue River Valley, Gold Hill, 

 and Medford) ; central California (Hornbrook; the western slope of 

 the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite, Walker Pass, Kern County, and the San 

 Bernardino Mountains) ; and Baja California (east base of the Sierra 

 San Pedro Martir and Aquaita). South to Baja California about 

 latitude 30° ( Aquaito) . West to the Pacific Ocean, Baja California 

 (San Quintin, San Ramon, and San Telmo) ; California (San Diego, 

 Santa Paula, San Francisco, and Humboldt and Del Norte Counties) ; 

 Oregon (Newport, Tillamook, and Astoria). 



The range as outlined is for the entire species, which has been divided 

 into six subspecies or geographic races. The coast wren-tit {G. f. 

 phaea) is found in the humid coastal region of Oregon from the 

 Columbia River about to the California line ; the ruddy wren-tit ( C. f. 

 inifula) occurs in the humid coast belt of California south to San 

 Francisco Bay ; the intermediate wren-tit ( G. f. intermedia) is found 

 in the San Francisco Bay region, except the coastal strip north of the 

 Golden Gate, south to Santa Clara County; Gambel's wren-tit {G. f. 

 fa^ciata) occurs in the coastal strip of Monterey and San Luis Obispo 

 Counties ; the pallid wren-tit {G. f. hetishawi) is found from the Rogue 

 River Valley of Jackson County, Oreg., and in the foothills and valleys 

 of interior and southern California, and along the coast from Santa 

 Barbara County to about the Mexican boundary ; the San Pedro wren- 

 tit {G. f. canicauda) is found in northwestern Baja California, south 

 to about latitude 30°. 



Casual records. — A pair were collected at Klamath Falls, Oreg., on 

 November 7, 1912 ; an individual was observed in July 1937, 10 miles 

 north of Kelso, Wash. 



Egg dates. — California : 118 records, March 1 to July 2 ; 45 records, 

 May 1 to May 22 ; 35 records, March 10 to April 6. 



