724 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
head and back dusky, edged with pale buffy, -and streaks on underparts less sharply 
defined. 
Range. —Breeds mainly in Transition Zone from southwestern Saskatchewan 
and Manitoba south to northwestern Minnesota, central North Dakota, and central 
Montana (rarely); migrates through Arizona and New Mexico and winters from 
central Texas (probably Arizona) to Chihuahua and northern Sonora. 
Fig. 123. Baird Sparrow, skin 
State Records. —As a common migrant from the north the Baird Sparrow 
appears in New Mexico early in August. During the breeding season it is particu¬ 
larly a bird of the wide open plains of the north- 
central United States and the adjacent parts of 
southern Canada, but in the early fall migration it 
frequents the mountains as well, and was taken up 
even to 12,000 feet on Pecos Baldy, August 11, 
1903 (Bailey). As early as August 7, 1908, the 
species was already present ori Animas Peak at 
5.800 feet (Birdseye), and three days later was noted in the Animas Valley at 
5,000 feet (Goldman). It ranges in eastern New Mexico at least to Las Vegas, 
September 2, 1903 (Bailey); to near Koehler Junction, where specimens were taken, 
August 12, 13, 25 and September 8 and 11, 1913 (Kalmbach); occurs to near Ros¬ 
well, September 21, 1902 (Caut), and probably over the whole plains region of 
the eastern part of the State. On the other hand, it was noted on the Upper Pecos at 
7.800 feet in the fall of 1883 (Henshaw); in the San Juan Mountains near Hopewell, 
9,900 feet, September 7, 1904 (Gaut); in the mountains of the Gila National Forest, 
August 21-27, 1908 (Birdseye); and in the Jicarilla Mountains at 7,000 feet, Septem¬ 
ber 23, 1903 (Gaut). None winter in the State, but migrants were still common on 
the Gila River October 16, 1873 (Henshaw). 
The only spring record in New Mexico is that of four taken and others seen, 
April 28, 1913, along the Gila River near the Arizona line (Brooks and Law).— 
W. W. Cooke. 
General Habits. —In southeastern Arizona and southwestern New 
Mexico Mr. Henshaw found the sharp-tailed Baird Sparrow “in im¬ 
mense numbers, from September 20 till late in October, throughout the 
rolling plains along the bases of the mountains, and even quite high up 
among the foothills.” It was usually with Savannah and Yellow¬ 
winged Sparrows. Like the Savannah,“it pursues its zigzag course for 
a couple of hundred yards, and then, suddenly turning sharply to one 
side, alights behind some friendly bush or tuft of grass. . . it is difficult 
to flush, but seeks rather to evade search by running nimbly through the 
grass, changing its course frequently, and hiding wherever possible, 
flying only when hard pressed” (1874, pp. 110-111). 
WESTERN VESPER SPARROW: Pooecetes grammeus confmis Baird 
Description. — Male: Length (skins) 5.5-6.2 inches, wing 3.1-3.4, tail 2.5-2.7, 
bill .4-.5. Female: Length (skins) 5.2-6 inches, wing 3-3.3, tail 2.3-2.7, bill .4-.5. 
Bill small, conical; wings longer than tail. Adults: Upperparts brownish gray, 
narrowly streaked; outer tail feathers partly while; wings with indistinct bars and epaur 
ettes reddish brown; underparts dull white, more or less tinged with buffy and streaked 
with dusky on chest and sides; bill pinkish or pale lilac below. Young: Similar to 
