1082 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part 2 



Hybridization and inter gradation. — Miller (1941b) states that "in 

 south-central Yukon Territory, south of Lake Marsh, oreganus charac- 

 ters in the hyemalis population become frequent." He also notes 

 that montanus and oreganus intergrade in the sector of the coastal 

 region from Queen Charlotte Sound to the Portland Canal, British 

 Columbia, Apparently the oreganus juncos of the mainland tidewater 

 and coast intergrade with montanus juncos of the mountains and 

 valleys of the interior and higher elevations whenever their habitats 

 adjoin. 



Food. — In his field notes for Oct. 13, 1940, Theed Pearse records: 

 "Juncos are omnivorous; some cooked salmon put out for jays and not 

 attracting them was eaten by the juncos," 



Behavior. — A. M. Bailey (1927) mentions juncos jumping in the 

 air "like so many flycatchers" to take insects on the wing. A simi- 

 lar observation is recorded for the race thurberi in the main species 

 account. 



George Willett (1921a) notes that Oregon juncos on the forested 

 coastal islands of southeastern Alaska apparently move after nesting 

 during the latter part of August, up the sides of the mountains and 

 away from sea level, together with the varied thrush {Ixoreus naevius) 

 and fox sparrow {Passerella iliaca) : "the three species being frequently 

 found in close proximity in the woods on the mountain sides from 

 about 1000 feet altitude to timber line. As the weather becomes 

 cooler they work back down the mountains to the shore." 



Field marks. — The general impression is that of a very intensely 

 colored Oregon jmico, with black head, red-brown or ruddy back, and 

 white outer tail feathers. This race cannot be separated with cer- 

 tainty in the field from adjacent races of the Oregon junco that it may 

 associate with in winter or when migrating. 



Fall and winter. — The race is only partially migratory. Because 

 little snow faUs under ordinary circumstances at the lower elevations 

 of its breeding range, juncos can forage successfully all winter. Never- 

 theless many migrate southward and winter in western Oregon, 

 western Washington, and northern coastal California. While there 

 are sufficient records inland to indicate that some migrate else- 

 where, it is rare outside of these limits. 



Grinnell and MiUer (1944) say of this race in winter in California: 

 "Habitat — Open forest understory, woodlands, edges of chaparral, 

 and fence rows. As with all wintering juncos, this race may be found 

 in a wide varity of habitats; but there must always be some tree or 

 bush cover and some patches of open ground. J. o. oreganus seems to 

 favor the humid forests, shaded ground and denser brushland more 

 than do related subspecies of juncos; this preference is reflected in the 



