GROSBEAKS, FINCHES, SPARROWS: Family Fringillidae [543] 



eastern Alaska, Yukon, and western Alberta south to Montana and Wallowa Moun- 

 tains of northeastern Oregon. Winters west to Cascades and east to Great Plains. 

 In Oregon: Breeds only in highest parts of Wallowa Range from peaks in vicinity of 

 Steamboat Lake to those at head of Big Sheep Creek and Imnaha River. Winters 

 irregularly over adjoining lowlands. 



THE BEAUTIFUL little Gray-crowned Rosy Finch was first reported from 

 Oregon by Bendire (Brewer 1875), who took a specimen, January 17, 

 1875, near Camp Harney. Jewett (19090 recorded birds taken in Baker 

 County in March 1906, and Grinnell (1913) listed the species from Harney 

 County. It was not definitely established as a breeding bird until 192.3, 

 when Jewett collected adult and young birds on July 2.3 on the head of 

 Big Sheep Creek. A month later (August 2.1) Gabrielson watched an 

 adult feeding at least three partly grown nestlings in an inaccessible 

 cranny near the summit of Brown Mountain above Minam Lake. These 

 two records mark the eastern and western extremes of the breeding range 

 as we now know it. Since that time, we have found it breeding at 

 numerous intervening points and have collected fledgling young on several 

 of the peaks. In addition to our records, the files of the Biological Survey 

 contain a record by Young and Bailey of Rosy Finches seen in the Wal- 

 lowa Mountains between August 2.4 and September 17 that undoubtedly 

 belong to this race. 



In winter the birds scatter out over the adjoining low country, usually 

 mingling with the more abundant Hepburn's Rosy Finch, which they 

 closely resemble. In addition to Bendire's and Grinnell's records for 

 wintering birds, we have specimens taken in Baker, Grant, Wallowa, 

 and Lake Counties. The few wintering individuals of this form taken 

 by us would seem to indicate that most of our breeding birds winter 

 toward the east. 



The habits of this small finch have made it a species of peculiar interest 

 to ornithologists. It seeks the cold and austere heights for its summer 

 home and there, about the perpetual snow and ice, builds its nests in 

 crevices and crannies in the rocks and forages for food on the surface of 

 the snow fields and glaciers. The rosy finches probably antedated human 

 use of the principles of refrigeration by many thousands of years as they 

 feasted on chilled insects that had fallen benumbed on failure of their 

 endeavors to cross the frozen areas. 



Black Rosy Finch: 



Leucosticte atrata Ridgway 



DESCRIPTION. "Adult male in summer: Crown black, set in gray, which does not 

 extend over sides of head; body blackish or deep clove brown; feathers of belly and 

 sides tipped with peach-blossom pink; feathers of hind neck, back, and scapulars 

 with more or less distinct brownish or buffy edgings; rump and patch on wings 

 peach-blossom pink. Adult male in winter: similar, but bill yellowish, tipped with 



