312 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the slaty gray of the upper breast giving way abruptly to the pure white 

 of the lower breast and abdomen ; 3 outer tail feathers largely white, showing 

 conspicuously in flight; bill pinkish white. Fall birds, especially young 

 and females, more or less tinged with brownish. Females: Similar to 

 males but lighter slate gray and more dingy or brownish. 



Length 6.2-6.4 inches; extent 9.8; wing 3-3.25; tail 2.7-2.9; bill .41; 

 tarsus .82. 



Distribution. This subspecies of the Junco breeds from northwestern 

 Alaska, northern Mackenzie and central Ungava to southern Yukon, 

 central Alberta, northern Minnesota, Ontario and the mountains of New 

 York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Winters throughout the eastern 

 states from Ontario to the gulf coast. In New York this is a very abundant 

 species, one of the commonest birds nesting throughout the Catskill and 

 Adirondack districts, and also fairly common as a breeding species in the 

 highlands of western New York which lie above the 1200 foot line. A 

 few pairs are also found in many of the colder swamps and gulleys of 

 central and western New York as summer residents. In the warmer 

 portions of the State it is a very abundant migrant in April and October, 

 and a common or fairly common winter resident. Throughout the low- 

 lands of western and central New York and the Hudson valley the Junco 

 passes northward from the 22d of April to the 5th of May. I have seen 

 a few dull-colored migrants as late as the I2th and the 23d of May in the 

 vicinity of Rochester, Geneva and Canandaigua. In the fall, migrants 

 begin to appear from the nth to the 28th of September, in the southern- 

 most parts of the State sometimes not before the 4th to the 1 2th of October. 

 Among the members of the sparrow family, this species rivals the Song 

 sparrow, Vesper sparrow, Savannah sparrow and Chipping sparrow for 

 the place of greatest abundance during the spring and fall migration, 

 probably being as abundant as the Song sparrow in most localities; while 

 along the principal highways of migration to the North Woods, it is the 

 most abundant member of the family. 



Haunts and habits. The Slate-colored junco or common snowbird, 

 as it is frequently called, is very gentle and unsuspicious in habits, coming 



