700 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part 2 



but the preliminary and closing flourishes are a good deal longer and 

 the buzzing strain shorter. 



Distribution 



Range. — Southwestern British Columbia south along the Pacific 

 coast to Baja Cahfornia. 



Breeding range. — The dwarf Savannah sparrow breeds from Van- 

 couver Island and the coast of southwestern British Columbia through 

 western Washington and western Oregon to the coastal district of 

 northwestern California (south through Del Norte County). 



Winter range. — -Winters in the breeding range and south through 

 western California to central Baja California (Rosario); also in 

 southern Arizona. 



PASSERCULUS SANDWICHENSIS ANTHINUS Bonaparte 



Western Savannah Sparrow 



PLATE 39 



Contributed by Wendell Taber 



Habits 



The common name of this race would be more nearly correct were 

 it northwestern instead of western Savannah sparrow, for its breed- 

 ing range occupies most of the northwestern North American conti- 

 nent. The vastness of this summer range can be imagined only when 

 one realizes that it includes nearly all of the land between the northern 

 continental coastline (Alaska to Keewatin) to a southern boundary 

 that extends from central British Columbia to southern Keewatin. 



Nesting. — Of all the races of the Savannah sparrow, anthinus is the 

 hardiest, and by its ability to adapt to the rigorous climatic and 

 environmental extremes of boreal North America, it has added more 

 than one and one-half million square miles to the breeding range of 

 the species. 



In the Arctic tundra along the Upper Kaolak River in northern 

 Alaska, Maher (1959) found the Savannah sparrow nesting abmi- 

 dantly in the dwarf shrub-sedge tundra of the uplands. It was the 

 second most abundant species, being about one-third to one-half as 

 common as the Lapland longspur. He found no nests, but young 

 were first seen on July 12 in 1957, and on July 10 in 1958. From 

 mid-July until the end of the month. Savannahs were abundant, but 

 the numbers declined rapidly in early August, and only a few were 

 present on August 14. 



Maher also gives us some idea of the weather conditions in this 

 area: "The climate of this region is severe; the winters are long and 



