Subject: Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrows in the Winter Here
Date: Mar 29 19:12:37 2001
From: Eugene Kridler - ekridler at olympus.net


I've banded 1,883 P.S White-crowns and 127 Gambel's White-crowns in the
general Sequim area of Washington the past 15 years. Of thers 30 were of
the former and 18 of the latter during winter months (Nov.Dec. Jan.
Feb.). I use keys from the Bird Banding Lab, Pyles IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
to NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, Part No.1 and those of the Western Bird Banders
Association.

Bill coloration and plumages sometimes are not quite as precise as given
in a lot of bird books. There is some overlap. The key feature I use is
the underside of the bend of the wing. If yellowish, it's pugetensis. If
it's pearl gray, it's gambelli. Keys were developed by Dr. Richard
Mewaldt of San Jose State University based on his extensive studies of
White-crowned Sparrow subspecies. Maps show that pugetensis winters
along our west coast west of the Cascades and Seirras from Vancouver
Island almost to southern California. Gambelli overlap some here and are
found at that time of the year in large areas of the west, excluding
Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas, clear on down to Texas and Mexico.
Hence, the number of reports in western Washington in the winter.

But then again, birds don't read books. Banding gives one a chance to
examine the bird in hand for subtle differences between subspecies.
Unless your one of the people that claims to have the Golden Ear. An
ability that is lost with age in humans. Banding also is used to take
measurements, weights, ages, sexes, checking for fat content, parasites,
cloacal protuberances, brood patches, and a host of other studies of
birds. Sometimes you get a little icing on the cake by finding a rarity
in your net or trap. Such as the Painted Bunting netted at the Malheur
NW Refuge in southeastern Oregon. (USNM
No. 479638).

Well, time to get off my soapbox.

Aloha, Ye Olde Broken Down (Ow!Oof!) Wildlife Biologist Gene Kridler