>I saw several Band-tails in Cloudcroft, New Mexico at about 8000 feet,
>and noticed that the Band-tails' range map for North America indicates
>the South-western population as being rather distinct and isolated
>from our Pacific NW population. In addition, the habitat preference
>(at least according to National Geographic field guide) differ slightly
>in that the NW birds prefer lowland coniferous woods, whereas the
>SW Band-tails like oak and oak-coniferous forest. (I haven't been
>following the recent thread too closely, so excuse me if I missed
>something)
>Are the two groups considered as distinct subspecies ?
>
>Neil J. Fergusson ******************
>1405 1/2 NE 56th St. * Baffins *
>Seattle, WA 98105 * or *
>(206) 517-5466 * bust *
>cccc at u.washington.edu ******************

Yes. Columba fasciata monilis on the Pacific coast, C. f. fasciata in the
Rockies all the way to Guatemala. Another subspecies in the mountains of
Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, and another in the Andes of Colombia.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416