1012 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part 2 



present by October 6, according to van Rossem (1936a). Wilfred H. 

 Osgood (1903) reports that in Cochise County, Ariz., they are "very 

 common dm-ing the winter months" and are "seen in flocks about the 

 leafless mesquites tiU about the middle of March." 



The habitat frequented in winter is more varied than in summer and 

 consists of sparse desert scrub in the main with a variety of plants, 

 including tree yuccas, Atriplex, Sarcobatus, mesquites, and Chryso- 

 thamnus. Johnson, Bryant, and Miller (1948) found these sparrows 

 frequenting areas of open bunch grass as well as the creosote bush 

 association in the Providence Mountains in the Mohave Desert in 

 winter. 



Distribution 



Range. — Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Montana to northwestern 

 Mexico and western Texas. 



Breeding range. — The northern sage sparrow breeds from central 

 eastern Washington ( Water ville, Wilbur), southern Idaho (Deer Flat, 

 Spencer), southwestern Wyoming (23 miles southwest of Bitter 

 Creek), and northwestern Colorado (Moffat County) south to north- 

 eastern California (Sierra Valley, Mono Lake), south central and 

 southeastern Nevada (Toiyabe and Charleston mountains) south- 

 western Utah (Pine Valley), northeastern Arizona (Hopi Buttes), 

 and northwestern New Mexico (Gallina) . 



Winter range. — Winters from central California (Los Baiios, 

 Raisin), central Nevada (Reno), southwestern Utah (St. George), 

 northern Arizona (Tonalea), central New Mexico (Carlsbad), and 

 southwestern Kansas (Morton and Seward counties), south to northern 

 Baja CaUfornia (San Andres, Puerto de Calamajue), northern Sonora 

 (Kino Bay), northwestern Chihuahua (Casas Grandes), and western 

 Texas (Fort Davis). Occasionally remains north up to Oregon 

 (Umatilla) . 



Casual records. — West of the Cascade Range it has occurred in 

 British Columbia (Lulu Island), Washington (Dupont), and Oregon 

 (Portland) and east of the Rocky Mountains in Montana (Sedan) and 

 Wyoming (Wheatland, Cheyenne). Migrates along the east base of 

 the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. 



Migration. — The data deal with the species as a whole. Early 

 dates of spring arrival: Utah — March 2. Wyoming — Superior, 

 April 2. Idaho — Pocatello, March 18. Oregon — Lake County, 

 March 17. Washington — Pierce County, February 27. 



Late dates of spring departure are: New Mexico — Organ Moun- 

 tains, April 25. Arizona — Mercury, April 27. 



Early dates of fall arrival are: Arizona — Mercury, October 1. 

 New Mexico — Ojo Caliente, September 21. 



