From: "Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney" <festuca at olywa.net>
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 13:44:47 -0000

Christine Maack wrote:

"This description fits the way White-crowned Sparrows sound in
Anchorage, Michael. Or anywhere I've heard them in Alaska.
My first edition National Geo field guide says we're supposed
to have gambelli. Doesn't mention pugetensis. Is pugetensis
a more recent split from gambelli? "

White-crowned sparrows were first described from the east coast - Severn River on the west
coast of Hudson's Bay (J.R. Forster, 1772). In 1840, Nuttall described the Gambel's sparrow -
with the white lores - from "Fort Wallah-Wallah".

In 1899, Ridgway separated the California resident "Nuttall's" white-crowned sparrow from
the Gambel's race. In 1928, Grinnell described "pugetensis" from a specimen at Parksville,
Vancouver Island, BC as the breeding race from SW British Columbia, and south, west of the
Cascade Range in Washington and Oregon to northwestern California.

Finally, in 1932, Oberholser described the Mountain White-crowned Sparrow - "oriantha" from
a specimen taken at 6400 feet at Barley Camp in the Warner Mountains, 14 miles SW of Adel,
Oregon.

The Gambel's white-crowned sparrow is the nesting bird from up in Alaska, as well as down
through interior BC.

Hope this helps.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net