PHAINOPEPLA 113 



Fall. — Kegarding the postbreeding dispersal, Harry S. Swarth 

 (1904), in writing of the Huachuca Mountains in Arizona, says: 

 "About the end of July, 1902, a movement began from the lower valleys 

 up into the mountains, and during August the Phainopeplas were most 

 numerous throughout the oak region, up to about 5000 feet. At this 

 time they were in loose straggling flocks of from six to a dozen birds, 

 young and old together, and were generally seen sitting in the tree 

 tops and feeding for the most part, as flycatchers." 



Most of the phainopeplas leave the Pacific slope of California dur- 

 ing the month of August, though stragglers are often seen in Septem- 

 ber or October, or occasionally in midwinter. Whether some of these 

 individuals winter in the deserts of southeastern California and south- 

 ern Arizona, or whether they all pass over the desert regions to winter 

 farther south, seems not yet to have been determined. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern United States and Mexico. 



Breeding range. — The phainopepla breeds north to central Cali- 

 fornia (Marysville, perhaps the Lassen Peak region, and Murphys) ; 

 probably southern Nevada (Tempahute Kange) ; southwestern Utah 

 (St. George and Zion National Park) ; central Arizona (Campe Verde 

 and the Salt River Wildlife Refuge; wandering north to Keams 

 Canyon) ; southwestern New Mexico (Silver City, Fort Webster, and 

 Elephant Butte) ; and southwestern Texas (Pine Springs, probably). 

 East to southwestern Texas (Pine Springs, Cathedral Mountain, and 

 Boquillas ; and has occurred, apparently as a wanderer, as far east as 

 San Antonio) ; Nuevo Leon (Galeana) ; Hidalgo (Cuesta Tesqueda) ; 

 Puebla (Tehuacan) ; and south to Oaxaca (Tehuantepec). West to 

 Oaxaca (Tehuantepec) ; Puebla (Huehuetlan) ; northwestern Du- 

 rango (Rosario) ; Lower California (Cape San Lucas, La Paz, San 

 Fernando, and Ensenada) ; and western California (San Diego, Santa 

 Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, San Antonio Valley, Stockton, and 

 Marysville) . 



Winter range. — While the phainopepla is migratory to some extent, 

 it has been found almost as far north in winter as in summer, and it 

 does not seem possible from present information to outline a definite 

 winter range as distinct from the breeding range. 



The range as outlined for the entire species inckides two subspecies. 

 The eastern phainopepla {P. n. nitens) occurs from southwestern 

 Texas through eastern Mexico to Oaxaca; the western phainopepla 

 {P. n. lepida) occurs from central California and southwestern New 

 Mexico, south through western Mexico to Durango and southern Lower 

 California. 



Eggs dates. — Arizona : 34 records, April 4 to June 19 ; 18 records. 

 May 13 to 30, indicating the height of the season. 



