[548] BIRDS OF OREGON 



The first published record of this bird came a number of years after 

 that of the eastern Oregon form, when Anthony (1886) first listed it, 

 stating that it was common in Washington County. Since that time it 

 has appeared in numerous published lists referring to that part of the 

 State. It remains in the State in winter more abundantly than does its 

 eastern Oregon cousin and is one of the birds familiar to bird lovers in 

 the territory west of the Cascades. 



Green-backed Goldfinch: 



Spinus psaltria hesperophilus (Oberholser) 



DESCRIPTION. "Adult male: Ear coverts, and entire upper parts, including wings 

 and tail, black, wings with broad white edgings, tail with most of its feathers 

 extensively white basally; under parts canary yellow. Adult female: upper parts 

 plain dull olive green; under parts light greenish yellow; head without black; 

 wings and tail as in male, but black duller, and white more restricted, sometimes 

 obsolete on tail. Young: similar to female, but tinged with buffy, and wing coverts 

 tipped with buff. Immature: crown black, rest of upper parts grading from olive 

 green to solid black on ear coverts and back; under parts yellow. Si%e: wing 1.46, 

 tail 1.70, bill .35." (Bailey) Nest and eggs: Like those of the two preceding species. 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from Columbia River in Oregon west of Cascades 

 and from Utah south into Mexico and winters from northern California into Mexico. 

 In Oregon: Permanent resident of valleys west of Cascades, more abundant in summer. 



THE GREEN-BACKED GOLDFINCH much resembles the Willow Goldfinch in 

 flight and notes, but it is smaller and in addition to the black cap and 

 wings has a dark-green back. It seems to have been overlooked by most 

 ornithologists who have studied Oregon birds. Merrill (1888) listed it 

 as common near Ashland in August. It was not again mentioned until 

 Woodcock (1902.) reported it from four localities, all in the Willamette 

 Valley. Shelton (1917) stated that it was common in west-central Ore- 

 gon, but it did not again appear in published literature until our Birds of 

 the Portland Area (Jewett and Gabrielson 192.9). Despite these meager 

 published references, the species is a common summer resident and less 

 common winter resident of the valleys of the State to the Columbia River 

 at Portland. We have records or specimens from practically all of the 

 counties lying in the Willamette Valley, as well as from Douglas, Jackson, 

 and Josephine in southern Oregon. We have not noted it in the coast 

 counties, except Coos, where Gabrielson found it to be fairly common in 

 June (1910). It remains in smaller numbers throughout the Willamette 

 Valley, as well as in southern Oregon. 



There are only a few records for this bird in eastern Oregon a speci- 

 men in the Biological Survey collection from Riverside, Malheur County, 

 taken July 2.0, 1916, by Sheldon, and records in Klamath County by 

 Gabrielson on May 17 and 18 (192.0) and September 8 (192.9). Patterson 

 (ms.)has taken eggs near Ashland on extreme dates of May 30 and June 2.1. 



