[542-] BIRDS OF OREGON 



once in a great while in trees or bushes, and we have seen the telephone 

 and fence wires decorated with them for a considerable space. Gabrielson 

 found flocks of them in stunted bushes and trees near Yakima, Washing- 

 ton, in January 1934 and collected three birds from the group. When 

 feeding, the birds are tame and unsuspicious and allow a fairly close 

 approach before they take wing to circle and whirl over the countryside, 

 usually to return to about the same spot. 



The species was first reported from Oregon by Bendire (Brewer 1875), 

 who collected numerous specimens at Camp Harney. Most of the rather 

 numerous subsequent citations refer back to these Bendire specimens. 

 We have collected specimens in winter in Wallowa, Baker, Union, Uma- 

 tilla, Grant, Lake, and Malheur Counties, and there is no reason to 

 believe the species will not be found in most of the remaining eastern 

 Oregon counties. 



Vernon Bailey, Jewett, and Alex Walker were among the members of 

 a Biological Survey and Oregon State Game Commission party that col- 

 lected on the Three Sisters, on several dates between July n and 17, 1914, 

 the first breeding birds taken in the State. Shelton (1917) listed this 

 Rosy Finch as a breeding bird of the area, apparently on the strength of 

 the above specimens in the Oregon Game Commission Collection. Gabri- 

 elson saw numerous birds and collected an adult male on Park Ridge just 

 north of Mount Jefferson on June 4, 19x6, and has seen both adults and 

 young on Mount Hood on numerous occasions. Vernon Bailey recorded 

 in manuscript notes that he saw a flock of 2.0 above timber line on Mount 

 McLoughlin between August 2.3 and 30, 1916. This is the southernmost 

 record for the species in the Oregon Cascades. Like the Gray-crowned 

 Rosy Finch, it lives in alpine surroundings during the summer months, 

 usually selecting the vicinity of some glacier or snow field for its high- 

 land home. 



Gray-crowned Rosy Finch: 



Leucosticte tephrocotis tefhrocotis (Swainson) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adult male in summer: Bill black, crown black bordered behind and 

 on sides with gray, the gray not spreading down over sides of head; general body 

 color deep chestnut brown, lighter, and with blackish mesial streaks on back; belly, 

 rump, upper tail coverts, wings, and tail more or less tinged with pink. Adult male 

 in winter: bill yellow, tipped with blackish; brown feathers edged with whitish; 

 black of crown restricted. Adult female: like male, with the same seasonal changes, 

 but averaging paler and duller. Young: plain brownish, without black or gray on 

 head, or rosy tail coverts. Male: length (skins) 5.70-6.81, wing 4.00-4.40, tail 

 1.41-1.80, bill .42.-. 48. Female: length (skins) 5.60-6.50, wing 3.80-4.19, tail 1.39- 

 1.78, bill .43-. 56." (Bailey) Nest: Of dry grass and roots, in crevices of rocks. 

 Eggs: Usually 3 or 4, white. 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds above timber line and in Arctic-Alpine Zone from 



