[44] 



BIRDS OF OREGON 



Its actions remind one of a miniature chickadee, but its absurdly long 

 tail is out of all proportion to the size of the tiny ball of fluff hanging 

 upside down on a swaying tree. These birds are usually found in small 

 companies working through the willows and low bushes, keeping up a 

 friendly exchange of faint notes all the while. Nuttall (1840) reported 

 the species from the banks of the Willamette River in May 1835, and 

 Audubon (1841) repeated his statement. Johnson (1880) considered it 

 common at East Portland, Forest Grove, and Salem, and Anthony (1886) 

 listed it as a resident of Washington County. Woodcock (1902.) listed it 

 from eight stations, all, except Elkton, in the Willamette Valley, and 

 numerous records have been published since. The Biological Survey col- 

 lection contains specimens from Oregon City (October 2.4, 1893, C. P. 

 Streator), Glendale June 13, 1894, C. P. Streator; (June 18, 1897, A. K. 

 Fisher), Scottsburg (October 8, 1909, V. Bailey), and Reston (July 4, 

 1916, M. E. Peck). There are also specimens in the Carnegie Museum 

 collected by A. W. Anthony at Beaverton. Our own collections contain 

 specimens from Portland and one from Bridge, Coos County, June 19, 

 192.0 (Gabrielson Coll.). 



The nest is a wondrous structure composed of a dangling mass of skill- 

 fully woven material in which the tiny side entrance is easily overlooked 

 (Plate 77, A). Included in Woodcock's (1902.) list were four nesting 

 records from Portland (credited to H. T. Bohlman), May 2.3, 1893, May 

 10 and n, 1895, and April 2.9, 1897. A nest taken at Cedar Mills, Wash- 

 ington County, May 5, 1894, by W. B. Malles, contained five fresh eggs; 

 and Jewett has two records for Portland, June 5, 1908, four eggs, and 

 June 15, 1908, seven eggs. 



FIGURE 14. Distribution of Bush-tits in Oregon: i, Coast Bush-tit (Psaltriparus minimus 

 minimus); 2., California Bush-tit (P. m. californicus); 3, Lead-colored Bush-tit (P. m. 

 plumbeus). 



