FINCHES, ETC.: GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE 
709 
near Mount Taylor, July 25, 1917. A nest with young was found, June 28, 1920, 
in the Black Range, 28 miles south of Chloride, at 8,000 feet (Ligon).] A specimen 
was taken June 24, 1892, on the east side of the San Luis Mountains just south of 
the New Mexico line (Mearns). 
After the breeding season, it ascends not rarely much above its summer home. 
One was seen, September 4, 1906, in the Jemez Mountains on Santa Clara Peak 
at 10,000 feet, and another at 10,500 feet (Bailey); one late in September, 1903, 
at 9,000 feet on Costilla Pass (Howell); one September 10, 1904, at 9,300 feet in the 
Brazos Canyon, and one August 17, 1904, at 11,000 feet (Bailey). In fall it descends 
into the lowest valleys, as at Mesilla Park (Merrill), Carlsbad (Bailey), and the 
valley of the Gila (Goldman). In migration it ranges east to near Koehler Junc¬ 
tion (Kalmbach), to Folsom and Sierra Grande (Howell), to Fort Sumner (Gaut), 
to the Guadalupe Mountains (Hollister), and to Carlsbad (Bailey). It was most 
common in migration during September and early October; it was seen at State 
College, September 21, 1915 (Merrill), [and one was noted near Gallup, September 
30, 1916 (Ligon)]. After this, its numbers rapidly diminish and the last usually 
leave in November—November 2, 1889, at Cooney (Barrell); one November 8, 
1906, at Cliff (Bailey); a few November 17-21,.1909, near Garfield (Goldman). 
At Mesilla Park, Professor Merrill has found it abundant from about October 
to May, but this seems to be the only winter record for New Mexico. 
The first returned to Mesilla Park, March 16, 1903 (Ford); to Carlisle in 1890, 
on March 21 (Barrell); on the boundary line 60 miles west of the Rio Grande, 
April 1, 1892 (Mearns); Rinconada, April 25, 1904 (Surber); Las Vegas, May 2, 
1902 (Atkins); and State College, May 2, 1915 (Merrill). It was noted on the 
boundary, 100 miles west of the Rio Grande, until May 3, 1892 (Mearns), and a 
specimen was taken at Silver City, May 10, 1914 (Kellogg).—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —On or near the ground in wild currant bushes, mountain snowberry, 
sagebrush, chaparral or cactus; made of grass and stems, lined with rootlets and 
sometimes horsehair. Eggs: Usually 4, white, pale greenish ,or grayish, well spotted 
with reddish brown. 
Food. —Weed seeds and insects, including injurious beetles, bugs, and also 
alfalfa weevils (in Utah 35 per cent) (Kalmbach). 
General Habits. —The Green-tailed Towhee, or Red Top, as he is 
sometimes called, finds his food largely by scratching over the ground 
in Towhee fashion under sagebrush, oak brush, or chaparral. Here his 
mewing call may often be heard, and glimpses may be caught of him, a 
glint of green, a rufous cap, and white chin, as he shifts from one part 
of his thicket to another or pitches down with head lowered and tail 
widespread. When startled, I have seen him throw his long tail over 
his back and raise his crown till it glowed red in the sun; then vanish. 
He also runs over the ground with his tail over his back. When not 
disturbed he will sing from the top of a juniper or other lookout in 
plain view. In Hondo Canyon we heard him singing in the oak brush 
as late as August tenth. At the Carlsbad Cavern, Mr. Bailey occa¬ 
sionally saw him “in the brushy doorway of the great cave.” He has 
also been found by Mr. Ligon in the aspen and oak region, where the 
mountain sides were covered with wild rose and other bushes. 
