LABRADOR SAVANNAH SPARROW 677 



Plumages. — Peters and Griscom (1938) state that lahradorius is a 

 dark Savannah sparrow with a relatively stout bill; similar to P. a. 

 savanna and about the same size but darker throughout, the black 

 areas more extensive. They continue: 



"In spring general coloration above black, grey and brown, the 

 black areas conspicuously developed, browns reduced, the white 

 interscapular edges less developed than in savanna; lateral crown 

 stripes largely black with little or no brown in extreme specimens; 

 lores and superciliary stripe bright yellow, entu*e auricular region 

 averaging darker than in s. savanna; streaking beneath dark brown or 

 black, and heavier." 



Norris and Hight (1957) characterize the race as follows: 



"Dorsal surface: very dark, black and brown; feathers with ex- 

 tensive black markings and rich brown edgings. Sides of head: 

 relatively dark, especially in auricular region, with brown and buff 

 elements noticeable; loral region usually briglit yellow. Ventral 

 streaks: heavy, usually deep brown or black. Greater secondary 

 coverts: dark, warm brown." 



Harper (1958) describes the soft parts of an adult male: kis — 

 olive brown; maxilla — dusky; tomium and mandible — horn color; 

 tarsus and toes — light brownish, straw colored. 



Winter. — P. s. lahradorius winters from northwestern Mississippi 

 and southeastern Maryland south to southeastern Texas, southern 

 Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Florida, and western Cuba. 



Throughout most, if not all of this wintering area, lahradorius is 

 found intermingling with other races of the Savannah spaiTow in old 

 fields and other similar herbaceous communities (Norris and Hight, 

 1957; Lowery, 1947; Quay, 1957). There is no evidence of any ecologi- 

 cal segregation between the races (Norris, 1960). In South Carolina, 

 lahradorius made up 20.7 percent of a sample population of 1,758 

 Savannah sparrows, while in Louisiana, another sampling technique 

 showed lahradorius to comprise 9 percent of a sample of 107 collected 

 birds (Lowrey, 1947). 



Distribution 



Range. — Eastern Quebec, Labrador, and Newfoundland south to 

 the Gulf Coast and Cuba. 



Breeding range. — The Labrador savannah sparrow breeds from 

 northeastern Quebec (Wakeham Bay, George River) and Labrador 

 (Ramah, Battle Harbour) south to southeastern Quebec (Mingan 

 Island, Anticosti Island), Newfoundland, and St. Pierre Island. 



Winter range. — Winters from northwestern Mississippi (Rosedale) 

 and southeastern Maryland (Ocean City) south to southeastern 

 Texas (Matagorda), southern Louisiana (New Orleans), southern 



