CAROLINA SLATE-COLORED JUNCO 1045 



have frequently seen two pairs feeding side by side, and later birds of diflferent 

 pairs have met with no sign of fight. This behavior suggests that the defended 

 territories are relatively small and leave unclaimed area, and "anyman's land", 

 outside of and around them which may be used for feeding by any Junco. 



The male Junco has a display, presumably a courtship display, which is not 

 well known because it is inconspicuous and observed only by those who make a 

 point of w\atching these birds. It is usually performed on a perch near the ground 

 when the female is nearby. He spreads and droops his tail, droops his wings, and 

 frequently sings a quiet. Goldfinch-like warble which carries only a short distance, 

 ver>' different from the regular song. He displays most frequently in the early 

 part of the nesting season, less frequently later, and has almost entirely ceased 

 before the second brood is started. 



However, D, Ralph Hostetter (1961) has the following to say- 

 regarding it: "I believe the behavior that I recognize as courtship 

 plays a more prominent part in the life of the birds after pairing than 

 before pairing. * * * If it precedes pairing, it certainly is continued 

 tlu-oughout nest buUding." He continues: 



Courtship display on the part, of the male begins shortly after the song is in 

 its prime. * * * The male flew about repeatedly from limb to limb on a small 

 tree. He uttered a series of short whistles, "chee-eps," and "tsips", sometimes 

 followed by a short trill. This series of whistles, etc., was continued for about 

 five minutes. The female on the ground seemed to pay no attention to him 

 whatever. During this vocal demonstration the male was about six feet above 

 the ground and the female almost directly beneath him. There was no spreading 

 of wings and tail feathers. Finally he flew into the brush and was lost, followed 

 by the female. 



On other occasions there is a pretty feather display accompanying the song. 

 * * * Usually this performance * * * is as follows. The male perches on a 

 small limb above the female who may be feeding or even carrying nesting materials. 

 He sings softly the simple junco phrase or enriches it with various whistles and 

 trills, lowers his wings, and spreads his tail so that the white marginal feathers 

 show beautifully. His head may be thrown back slightly with bill pointed 

 upward, or he may watch the female. 



During all this he is nervously changing his position on the limb or changing 

 limbs. The lowering of the wings and the spreading of the tail is one act of 

 short duration, but is frequently repeated. * * * As the wings are dropped from 

 their dorsolateral position, they are slightly turned out away from the body, 

 and sometimes spread open, just a little, like a fan 



Nesting. — Tanner (1958) describes nest building as follows: 



The building of the first nest is a desultory business. The female, which does all 

 the building, will work at it a while, cease for a period of feeding, return again, 

 and so off and on for several days. Her mate may accompany her as she works, 

 but cooperates not at all. The nest is built of moss, rootlets, and stems, and its 

 deep cup is lined frequently with the slender bristles that support the fruiting 

 capsules of mosses. The typical location of a nest is on the ground or in the 

 mosses and ferns growing on rocks. It is usually well hidden by ferns or other 

 low plants, and placed on a bank or rock with a clear space before it,except for 

 the immediate covering, so that an incubating bird can fly outward and downward 

 from the nest when disturbed. Of 84 nests that I found, 74 were located on the 

 ground or rocks as described. One was in an upturned tree root, four were 



