688 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
CASSIN PURPLE FINCH: Carp6dacus c£ssini Baird 1 
Description. — Male: Length (skins) 5.4-6.3 inches, wing 3.5-3.8, tail 2.3-2.7, 
bill .5. Female: Length (skins) 5.5-6 inches, wing 3.4-3.6, bill .5. Tail much 
shorter than wing, deeply emarginate. Adult male: Head with squarish crimson 
crown patch (brighter in summer) in striking contrast to rest of upperparts; hack 
and scapulars dull pinkish brown sharply streaked with 
dark brown, rump dull rose-pink; wings and tail 
dusky, wings with reddish edgings; underparts pale 
pink Jading to unstreaked white on belly; under tail 
coverts usually conspicuously streaked with dusky. 
Adult female: Upperparts olive-grayish, conspicuously 
streaked with dusky; underparts white, or whitish, 
conspicuously streaked with dusky except on belly. 
Immature male: For thefirst year of its life, apparently, 
the male Cassin Finch is indistinguishable from the 
female; but having once assumed the pink plumage 
of maturity it retains it, the only further color changes 
being due to wear, which makes the adult male appear 
to be brighter in summer (Chapman). 
Comparisons. —The adult male Cassin Purple Finch may be distinguished 
from the House Finch by its squarish crimson crown patch, less conspicuously 
streaked underparts, and larger size; the female Cassin, by its conspicuously 
streaked upperparts, darker and much more distinctly streaked underparts. (PI. 76.) 
Range. —Breeds in Boreal Zones of mountains from southern British Columbia, 
western Montana, and northeastern Wyoming south to northern New Mexico, 
central Arizona, and northern Lower California; winters from southern British 
Columbia, Colorado, central California and Arizona Bouth over Mexican plateau 
to Mount Orizaba, San Luis Potosi, and Valley of Mexico. 
State Records. —Much yet needs to be learned about the limits of the breeding 
range of the Cassin Purple Finch in New Mexico. No actual nests have been 
recorded, but a few birds were seen May 6, 1901, at Albuquerque (Birtwell); a 
single bird was taken May 24, 1859, at Camp Burgwyn (Anderson); and two pairs 
were seen at Willis May 29, 1901 (Birtwell). [A male was seen June 9, 1918, at 
Lake Burford (Wetmore); several were seen, June 24, 1919, at Lake Camp 20 
miles southeast of Taos, at 10,000 feet, and a male taken was in full breeding con¬ 
dition (Ligon).] A single bird was seen July 15, 1903, at Willis, 7,800 feet (Bailey); 
and one, July 16, 1898, on the Upper Pecos (Coghill). On August 5, 8, and 14, 
1904, four birds in all were seen near Twining at 10,700 feet (Gaut). 
When the fall migration was well under way, the species became common. 
In October it was quite numerous in the Manzano Mountains (Gaut), and one 
was taken October 23, 1906, at 11,000 feet on the top of White Water Baldy in 
the Mogollon Mountains (Bailey). Some individuals remain late in the fall. One 
was taken at Albuquerque November 15, 1853 (Kennerly); and it was noted near 
Zuni November 20, 1873 (Henshaw r ). During migration the birds descend into 
the valley and have been taken as low’ as Fort Thorn, 4,000 feet (Henry). A few 
probably remain in the State all winter, as one was taken February 19, 1904, at 
Cienequilla 6,500 feet (Surlier), where it later became common in the spring migration. 
ilt is interesting to recall that this species was named after Cassin at his special 
request. On a memorandum of proposed names submitted by Professor Baird to John 
Cassin prior to publication of the description of some new species of birds, Cassin 
wrote: “Greatest bird in the lot—call it cassini” (Auk. XLV, 70. footnote, 1928). 
In accordance with this request Professor Baird stated in the original description : “Tins 
species is named in honor of Mr. John Cassin, of the Academy of Natural Sciences 
of Philadelphia” (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sei. Philadelphia, 1854, p. 119). 
From Handbook (Fuertes) 
Fig. 117. Cassin Purple 
Finch. 
