502 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
Colorado early in March, this was presumably a second nest. A pair were seen by 
Jensen carrying building material, May 8,1922, in Santa Fe Canyon at 8,500 feet and 
May 15, 1921, a pair were feeding young out of the nest in Santa Fe Canyon, at 
7,500 feet.] In southern Colorado the young are on the wing by the first week in 
May, after which both old and young roam at will over the higher mountains. The 
finding of the birds at any place during May and June—the breeding season of most 
species—is therefore no proof that they have nested in the immediate neighborhood. 
The records of the parties of the Biological Survey are, for the most part, later than 
the middle of June, and so there is no surety that the birds had nested at any of the 
many places where they were observed. [June 24, 1916, grown young with their 
parents were found on the north slope of Mount Taylor at about 7,500 feet, and June 
24, 1919, grown young still being fed were seen in the Sangre de Cristos. Early in 
July they were common on the head of the Pecos, all seemingly in families. June 
25,1920, young as large as adults were calling for food, 15 miles southwest of Chloride 
on the summit of the Black Range at 8,500 feet; and June 26, a family was seen south 
of Diamond Peak, 22 miles southwest of Chloride, at about the same elevation 
(Ligon).] In Colorado they nest among the yellow pines at about 7,000 feet and it 
is probable that they have the same habit in New Mexico. In late March, 1900, 
and through April and May, they were common at Willis, 7,800 feet, and though no 
nests were found, probably nested not. far distant. 
Early in August, 1903, they were common at 11,600 feet at the foot of Pecos Baldy, 
and on August 6, one was seen coming over the top of the peak at 12,600 feet. In 
1904 they were common July 20, at timberline, 12,000 feet, on Wheeler Peak (Bailey). 
[Several were observed, June 20, 1924, near timberline northeast of Wheeler Peak 
(Ligon).] They began to leave these highest levels early in August, 1903 and 1904, as 
the pine nuts began to ripen on the lower mountain slopes. By August 20, 1903, 
they had worked down to 7,400 feet along the Pecos River, and on August 27 one 
was seen near Bernal at 6,000 feet, as low an altitude as that at which they usually 
remain through the winter. In the Taos Mountains they were still seen at timber- 
line as late as the last of September, 1903 (Bailey). 
During the winter they are most common along the lower slopes of the moun¬ 
tains at 6,000-8,000 feet. They were seen near Espanola, 6,000 feet, January 2, 
1894 (Loring), and one was noted February 22, 1904, near Cienequilla at 7,000 feet 
(Surber). In January, 1915, a few were seen in the Guadalupe Mountains at 6,500 
feet (Willett). 
The species ranges east to Vermejo Park, September, 1903 (Howell); Manzano 
Mountains, December, 1904, and Mesa Jumanes, September 30, 1903 (Gaut); 
Capitan Mountains, middle of June, 1899 (Bailey); at timberline on Sierra Blanco 
September 14, 1902 (Hollister); at Ruidoso September 21, 1898 (Barber). It has 
been known to occur in November and December as far south as Fort Webster 
(Henry). As it is not probable that it breeds near Fort Webster, its presence there 
would indicate that it has a horizontal as well as a vertical migration. 
The most southern part of the regular range seems to be the Black Mountains, 
Socorro County, where it is resident from 7,500 feet upward. A family was seen 
April 27, 1913, at 7,S00 feet, which would indicate that the nesting had been at about 
that altitude. [Two were seen, May 7, 1920, in San Luis Pass, Hidalgo County, 
at about 6,000 feet (Ligon).}—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —In pines, junipers, spruces, and balsams; a platform of twigs bound 
together by strips of inner bark, surrounding a deep thick-walled cup of shreds of 
bark, quilted together with grasses and pine needles, sometimes lined with sheep’s 
wool. Eggs: 3 to 5, pale gray-green, usually rather sparingly flecked, spotted, and 
blotched with brown, gray, and lavender, generally heaviest around the larger end. 
