FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.: LINCOLN SPARROW 759 
Young: Essentially like adults but rather more buffy, colors more suffused and 
markings less sharply defined. 
Range. —Breeds in Boreal Zones from Kowak and Yukon Rivers, southern 
Mackenzie, central Keewatin, and northern Quebec south to Nova Scotia, New 
Brunswick, central Ontario, and northern Minnesota, and in Rocky Mountains, 
Cascades, and Sierra Nevada south to northern New Mexico and southern Cali¬ 
fornia; winters from the San Joaquin Valley, California (probably), Arizona, southern 
Texas, and northern Mississippi to Guatemala; casual southeast of Alleghenies. 
State Records. —The southernmost extension of the breeding range of the 
Lincoln Sparrow in the Rocky Mountains is found in the Sangre de Cristo Moun¬ 
tains of northern New Mexico. Here in 1903 it was found breeding, July 29, at 
11,000 feet on Jack Creek near Pecos Baldy, and at 11,600 feet at the foot of Pecos 
Baldy (Bailey). In 1904, in the Sangre de Cristos above Taos, the breeding range 
was found to be equally high, the bird being found in the willow meadows at 10,700- 
11,400 feet. (It was noted in June, 1919, at several points in the Sangre de Cristos; 
June 25, a breeding male was taken on Pot Creek, southeast of Taos at 9,500 feet. 
June 29, the species was seen on the Santa Barbara at about 11,500 feet (Ligon).J 
Over the rest of the State it is a migrant. The first one recorded was as low a» 
7,800 feet at Willis, September 12, 1883 (Henshaw), and it has been seen at 8,400 
feet near Black Lake on September 10, 1903, and 8,800 feet on the east slope of the 
Sangre de Cristos above Taos, September 18 and 19. It reached Carlsbad, Sep¬ 
tember 17, 1901 (Bailey), was seen at La Jara Lake, September 19, 1904 (Gaut), 
Horse Lake, September 23, 1904, Lake Burford, September 28-October 2 (Bailey) r 
and was abundant the last week in September, 1908, along the Gila River near Red- 
rock (Goldman). At Cliff it was seen until November 8, 1906 (Bailey), but in the 
Rio Grande Valley near Las Palomas was not seen in 1909 after the last of October 
(Goldman), nor at Albuquerque after October 9, 1900 (Barber). 
[In winter on the Rio Grande Bird Reserve (Elephant Butte), one or two were 
seen November 23-December 9, 1916 (Willett).1 It was found in February, at 
Shiprock (Gilman), where there is a warm brushy river valley where it might well 
winter, as it remains during that season at higher latitudes farther east. [Several 
were seen and one taken, May 9, 1920, at San Simon, Hidalgo County (Ligon).]— 
W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —On the ground, made of grasses, sometimes lined with hair. Eggs: 
4 or 5, varying from greenish white to brownish white, heavily marked, chiefly in a 
wreath around the larger end, with chestnut-brown and lavender-gray. 
Food. —In migration, hibernating alfalfa weevils as well as the clover-root 
curculio, crane flies, aquatic beetles, and weed seed. 
General Habits. —In general appearance the Lincoln might be 
taken for a Song Sparrow, but its finely penciled buffy breast band easily 
identifies it when seen, and its individual vibrant song when heard. 
It is an interesting will-o’-the-wisp of the mountain meadows, appearing 
and disappearing in the rank vegetation and the willow thickets along the 
clear mountain brooks. 
In the mountains above Taos, where it was one of the common birds 
of the willow meadows the third week in July, its interesting song was 
heard a great deal. On August 5, the birds were not only still singing, 
but one was seen giving a flight song above the willows, although nearly 
grown young were being fed at the time. 
