hj the redpoll. • 



No. 21). 



RKDPOLL. 



\. < ). {'. .\'(). 528. Acanthis linaria (l.iiiii.j. 



Synonyms. — Common Rmn'oi.i,. Lksskk Rkdpoi.i.. Linnet. Lintik. 



Description. — .liiiilt male: Crown crimson; breast and shoulders crimson 

 in varviiif,' projiortions according to season; frontlet, lores, and tliroat-i)atch s<K>ty 

 black ; riniainiiif,' lower i)arts white, flanks and crissum streaked with dusky ; 

 above, variegated dusky, flaxen-brown and whitish, the feathers having dusky 

 centers and flaxen eilgings ; rump dusky and white in streaks, tinged with rosy; 

 wings and tail dusky with flaxen or whitish edgings; two inconsi)icuous wing-bars 

 foruud bv white tips of middle and greater coverts. I'cmalc: Similar but 

 without red on rumj) and breast, the latter sulTused with huffy instead; sides 

 heavily streaked with dusky. Immature: Like female but without crims<»n 

 crown. Length 3.30 ( 139.7) or less; wing 2.80 (/i.i) ; tail 2.30 (58.4) ; bill .34 

 (8.6) : <le|)th at base .23 ( 3.8). 



RecoKnition Marks. — Warbler to Si)arrow size; crimson crowii-])atcl! in 

 adults; no dusky spot on breast. 



Nestinjf. — l^oes not breed in Washington. Nest: a bulky affair of twig., and 

 grasses, lined with feathers and placed in trees and bushes, liygs: 4-6, i)alc blue, 

 dotted and speckled with reddish brown or umber. .\v. size, .65 .\ .50 (16.5.x 

 12.7). 



General Range. — Northern ()ortions of northern liemisphere, south irregu- 

 larly in winter, in North .\merica to the .Middle States, and southern Oregon. 



Range in Washington. — Winter resident, abiuidant on F.ast-side, infrc(|uent 

 or casual west of the Cascades. 



Migrations. — Nov. i-Dec. 13. I-'eb. i3-.March 13. Yakima Co. Oct. 31, 

 1899. Chelan March 19, 1896. 



Authorities. — .lu/iotliiis linaria Cab. Cooper and Suckley, Re]). Pac. R. R. 

 Surv. \'ol. Nil. pt. ii,"i8^«. i.,8. C&S. D'. Ra. I)-'. Kk. J. 11 



Specimens.— ( C. of W. ) I'rov. R. C. P. 



'rilOSIC who count themselves familiar with the Goldfinch are ajH to 

 let tlic first few flocks of Redpolls pass uncpicstioned. When, however, in late 

 November, a norther brings down some thousands of the.sc .Maskan waifs, the 

 bird student is roused to attention. The resemblance between the two si)ecies 

 is most striking in form and ai)pearance as well as in habit and note. But 

 once the eves have been assured by a near revelation of convincing red. that 

 Acitiithis Uutvia is l)efore them, the ears remark also a slight foreign accent 

 in the s<^cctic call and in the rattling flight notes. 



Redpolls simimcr abundantly along the coasts of .Alaska, and along the 

 higher levels down thru British Columbia. The winter movements of this 

 species are irregid.ir and somewhat confusing. .According to Nelson, the 



