On Apr 13, 2011, at 11:56 AM, Joseph V Higbee wrote:

> The other day I put up a junco photo that I commented had different coloring. I called it an Oregon subspecies of the Dark-eyed Junco until it was pointed out to me yesterday that it was a hybrid of Slate-colored and Oregon subspecies known as Cassiar?s Junco.

Interesting coincidence as this blog entry appeared on Monday on the "Cassiar" Junco.

http://nwbackyardbirder.blogspot.com/2011/04/not-slate-colored-junco-cassiar-junco.html

Nice photos. Interesting phylogenetic discussion. Even spelling comments: it apparently doesn't need an apostrophe as it's Cassiar Junco after the place in BC not Cassair's after a person.

The "Cassair" junco is in Big Sibley (p501) as the "Canadian Rocky Mountains" variant of the Slate-colored Junco describing it as a "some females are indistinguishable from Oregon in this broad intergrade population".

http://www.sibleyguides.com/about/the-sibley-guide-to-birds/subspecies-names-in-the-sibley-guide-to-birds/

> Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
> Slate-colored J. h. hyemalis group
> Canadian Rocky Mountains (?Cassiar?) J. h. cismontanus
> Oregon J. h. montanus group
> Pink-sided J. h. mearnsi
> Gray-headed J. h. caniceps
> Red-backed J. h. dorsalis
> White-winged J. h. aikeni

I see he refers to the Slate-colored and Oregon as "groups" as they do have some variation.

And his recent "Field Identifiable Subspecies of birds ? an annotated list"

http://www.sibleyguides.com/bird-info/field-identifiable-subspecies-of-birds-%E2%80%93-an-annotated-list/comment-page-1/

> Dark-eyed Junco ? Junco hyemalis
>
> Six forms can be identified with confidence in the field, even though intergrades occur wherever ranges overlap. A broad intergrade zone between Slate-colored and Oregon in the Canadian Rockies produces a variable population, while farther north and west an apparently stable intermediate form is found which could be listed as a seventh identifiable population. More study is needed to clarify extent of intergradation and slight differences in songs and calls.
>
> Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored ) ? Junco hyemalis hyemalis group
>
> Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) ? Junco hyemalis oreganus group
>
> Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) ? Junco hyemalis mearnsi
>
> Dark-eyed Junco (White-winged) ? Junco hyemalis aikeni
>
> Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) ? Junco hyemalis caniceps
>
> Dark-eyed Junco (Red-backed) ? Junco hyemalis dorsalis


A seventh junco population?

Now I should pay more attention to juncos ...
--
Kevin Purcell (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)
kevinpurcell at pobox.com
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