1921 BIRDS OF MONTANA 109 



209. Leucosticte tephrocotis tephrocotis Swainson 



( !i;av-('K(i\vne[) Rosy Fi.\'c:ii 



An iri-egular. Imt souk times very coumion winter visitor tci the prairies in 

 the eastern half of the state. An irregular niigi'ant, occurring more rarely in 

 winter, in the mountain valleys of the western half of the state. A sumn^er res- 

 ident of the Alpine zone in the high mountains of (Tlaciei- National Park, and 

 perhaps elsewhere in northwestern ^Montana. 



In summer this species occurs ahout the Blackfoot and Sperry glaciers, and 

 probably in other similar localities in Glacier National Park. 1 not(^d a 'ifw in 

 August, 191-4, and found the birds common in August, 1915. I am uiformed 

 that J\Ir. Silloway and Dr. Elrod found them at Sperry Ghu'ier several years 

 before this, but the fact has not been published. Probably the species brc.'Js 

 in these localities, placing its nest in crevices between the rocks of the glacial 

 moraines, but the nest is yet to be found in the state. 



In the western half of Montana it is often conunon in inigrations. and 

 sometimes occurs in winter. The fall migrant flocks are usually small ones, the 

 birds evidently gathering in larger and larger grou()s through the winter, until 

 in the spring the flocks number thousands. Pall migration begins in October, 

 the first birds usually being seen in the mountains. Dates for the first appear- 

 ance are: Levvistown, October 30, 1899 (Silloway, 190:ia, \k 49); Ramshoi-ii 

 Peak, Gallatin Range, October 29, 1908: Anaconda, October 29, 191(1; ISig 

 George Creek, Teton County, October 22, 1911; Belton, October (i, 1914 (DuBois. 

 JIS). The spring migration takes place in the mountains from iMarch to May. 



I am of the opinion that the majority of the birds winter on the prairies in the 

 eastern half of the state, and return to the western half by the middle of March. 

 In the higher mountain valleys, where spring is late, and late spring snowstorms 

 are liable to occur until almost the first of June, the flocks appear with every 

 snowstorm, disappearing again as soon as good weather prevails. Thus I have 

 seen large flocks late in May in the Gallatin Valley, and at Anaconda until ^lay 

 27, when dissection of specimens seeui'ed showi-d that the time for breeiling was 

 not far distant. 



Winter i-ecords in the wcstei'ii half of the state are as follows: Pai'k County, 

 February, 1909, flocks seen at a i-ancli for sc\eral ilays; Helena, flock seen Feb- 

 ruary 25, 1911; Trego, flocks of 10 to 200 seen in the Canadian zont', February 



II to 26, 1916 (Kittredge, MS). 



In the eastern half of the state this liird is usually a coiiimon winter visi.ioi'. 

 In Custer and Dawson counties it is abundant, but none oecui-nd iu liiiifi-Oi;. 

 It arrives there October 25 and leaves JIarch 15 (Cameron, 1907. p. 402). In 

 Fergus County it is abundant from October to the middle of A]ii'il (Sillov.ay, 

 1903a, i>. 49 I. It is also reported from Fort Keogii (Thorne, 1895, p. 216), and 

 from Fort Custer (iMcChesney, 1879, ji. 2886). Its migrations are as tollows : .\t 

 Big Sandy it arrived October 1. 1!)00, and October 3, 19(i(;. Al Terry. Octol <t 

 18. 1903, and November 1. 1904. It left Terry Jfarch 13, 19(l4. and was noted 

 at Columbia Falls. A]>i'il 6. 1893 (Cooke. 1913b, p. 3(14). 



