The Migration of North American Sparrows 365 



BLACK ROSY FINCH 



The least known luul the rarest of its group is the Black Rosy Finch, 

 which inhabits in summer the peaks above timber-line of the highest mountains 

 in central Idaho, southwestern Montana, western Wyoming, and northern 

 Utah. Thence it descends in the winter to the foothills of eastern Montana, 

 eastern Wyoming, and central Colorado. 



The first heavy snows, in the summer home of this bird, come early in 

 September, and it it is forced to descend into the valleys, where it was found 

 September 6, 191 1, at Crystal Creek, Wyo., already 3,000 feet below its breeding 

 range. By September 20, it had reached the foothills of the Uintah Mountains, 

 Utah, but it has not been noted in eastern Montana at Terry at an earlier date 

 than November i, 1903, while it does not reach the southern limit of its wan- 

 dering until January — Colorado City, Colo., January 14, 1879, and St. George, 

 Utah, January 21, 1889. The last one leaves this southern part of the winter 

 home in April — Colorado Springs, Colo., April 4, 1874, and Sulphur Spring, 

 Colo., April 6, 1907. 



Summer comes so late in the elevated regions of the nesting-site that on 

 May 27, 191 1, at Anaconda, Mont., when the local breeders were busy with 

 their household cares, the Black Rosy Finches were still in flocks, and still in 

 the valleys, some 4,000 feet below their intended breeding grounds, though 

 these latter were probably less than two hours' flight distant. 



BROWN-CAPPED ROSY FINCH 



One of the most restricted of all the breeding ranges of North American 

 birds is that of the Brown-capped Rosy Finch, since it nests only on the 

 highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where it is scattered in 

 small parties over the few square miles that rise above 12,000 feet. A few birds 

 probably breed under similar circumstances in northern New Mexico. 



The height of the breeding season is the latter part of July; in August 

 young and old range to the summits of the peaks, picking insects off the snow. 

 By the last of October or early November, they descend to timber-line, and 

 remain there through the winter, except as they are driven a little lower by the 

 severest storms. At the same time a few come into the lower valleys almost 

 to the base of the foothills. These birds of the foothills usually return to the 

 mountains in March, the last being seen at Rifle, Colo., March 12, 1902; 

 Ouray, Colo., March 13, 1907, and Sweetwater Lake, Colo., March 23, 1898, 

 but stragglers have been noted at Canon City, Colo., as late as May 15. 



