Hello Tweeters,

On Vancouver Island, pugetensis is the dominant subspecies of
White-crowned Sparrow year round, with gambelii being rare outside of their
spring passage, at which time they are still quite uncommon. Does anyone
know if this situation is mirrored on the west side of Puget Sound and the
Olympic Penninsula?

thanks,

Guy L. Monty
Parksville, BC


----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne C. Weber" <contopus at telus.net>
To: "KATHY ANDRICH" <chukarbird at yahoo.com>
Cc: "TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 2:19 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] White-crowned Sparrow subspecies


> Kathy and Tweeters,
>
> The "pugetensis" subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia
> leucophrys pugetensis) is the breeding form throughout western
> Washington. However, the vast majority of these birds head south for
> the winter, wintering in California and southern Oregon.
>
> The "gambelii" form of White-crowned, in fact, should be the "regular"
> form of the species in the Seattle area from October through at least
> mid-March (when the "pugetensis" begin returning). In the Vancouver,
> BC area, and also in Whatcom County, more than 90% of wintering
> White-crowns are "gambelii". They are also very common spring and fall
> migrants through the area. Gambelii is also the form that winters in
> the valleys of eastern Washington (and as far north as Kamloops, BC).
> However, by the time you get to SW Oregon, pugetensis outnumbers
> gambelii as a wintering bird.
>
> The two subspecies, as well as being separable on visual field marks,
> have very different songs. Gambelii will sing occasionally on sunny
> days in the winter, and can easily be identified that way.
>
> So I would expect that "gambelii", not "pugetensis", is the main
> wintering form of White-crown in the Puget Sound area. If anyone can
> enlighten us further on this situation, please do so!
>
> Wayne C. Weber
> Delta, BC
> contopus at telus.net
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kathy Andrich <chukarbird at yahoo.com>
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 9:13 AM
> Subject: [Tweeters] Boeing Pond Access
>
>
> >
> > Hi Tweeters,
> >
> < snip >
> >
> > Frager Road west of Boeing pond had the gambelii
> > subspecies of White-crowned Sparrow. This is the
> > first time I have really paid attention and noted the
> > very different head markings. They are striking and
> > noticably different than our regular White-crowneds.
> >
> > Kathy
> > Roosting in S King County
> >
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.2 - Release Date: 3/11/2005
>