NORTHERN SEASIDE SPARROW 825 



The young undergo a complete post-juvenal molt in late August. 

 The resulting first ^vinter pliuiiage is indistinguishable from that which the 

 adults acquire by their complete postnuptial molt at about the same 

 time (Dwight, 1900). In August a high proportion of the seaside 

 sparrows, including adults, have stubby tail feathers. A simultaneous 

 molt of the rectrices may be normal for the species. There is no 

 prenuptial molt, and the spring breeding plumage is acquired entirely 

 by feather wear. 



Dwight (1900) expressed surprise that the sharp-tailed sparrow has 

 two complete molts annuaUj'' while the congeneric seaside sparrow 

 "living in the same environment * * * and suffering equally from 

 abrasion due to coarse marsh grasses and reeds" has but one. My 

 observations show the two species do not occupy precisely the same 

 habitat. The sharp-tails nest and usually forage in the densest 

 stands of grass, while the seasides prefer to feed in more open areas 

 where they suffer less abrasion. 



Ridgway (1901) thus describes the adult plumage (sexes alike): 



Above alove-grayish, tinged with olive, especially on back, where feathers are 

 somewhat darker with light grayish edges, producing more or less distinct streaks; 

 pileum olive laterally, grayish medially, producing three broad but very indistinct 

 and faintly contrasted stripes; a supraloral streak of yellow, usually passing into 

 whitish posteriorly, succeeded by a broad supra-auricular stripe of olive-graj'ish; 

 a malar stripe, chine, throat, and abdomen white; submalar stripe and broad 

 streaks on chest grayish; edge of wing yellow. * * * 



Some specimens show more or less black streaking on the posterior portion of 

 the pileum, but in the large series examined (40 adults) this is never conspicuous. 

 Autumnal and winter specimens show more or less of a pale buff suffusion on the 

 chest, the white malar stripe also more or less buffy. 



Richard R. Graber (1955) thus describes the juvenal plumage: 

 "Feathers above nostrils white. Forehead and crown streaked black, 

 olive, and olive brown. Nape olive brown. Back feathers black, 

 edged with olive brown and buff (pattern: heavy black streaks on 

 olive brown). Rump buffy or buffy brown obscurely marked with 

 black. Upper tail coverts olive brown streaked with black. Rectrices 

 olive brown, black along each shaft. Remiges black, edged with 

 drab, tertials edged with dull rusty brown and tippe<l with buffy 

 white. Median and greater coverts black, edged with buff. No wing 

 bar pattern. Lores buffy gray. Superciliary (in front of eye) buffy- 

 yellow. Postocular strip buff; feathei-s around eye gray or buffy gray. 

 Auriculars gray ; sub- and postoculars light buff (distinct cheek patch) . 

 Chin and throat white with dusky "mustache" marks. Upper chest, 

 sides, and flanks buff, streaked with dark brown or blackish (amount 

 of streaking variable). Belly white, crissum buff, both unmarked. 

 Leg feathers buffy or buffy gray." 



