At first sight, this bird appears to be a very distinct species, being larger than any other North American form, and possessing in the white bands on the wing characters entirely peculiar. Its large size, however, we can attribute to its alpine habitat, agreeing in this respect, as compared with J. hyemalis, with the J. alticola of Guatemala, which we can only consider an alpine or somewhat local form of J. cinereus. That the white bands on the wing do not constitute a character sufficiently important to be considered of specific value is proved by the fact that in many specimens of J. oregonus, and occasionally in J. hyemalis, there is sometimes quite a distinct tendency to these bands in the form of obscure white tips to the coverts.
Habits. But little is known as to the habits of this variety; probably they do not differ from those of its congeners. It was met with by Mr. C. E. Aiken, near Fountain, El Paso County, in Colorado Territory, in the winter of 1871-72. They were rare in the early winter, became rather common during the latter part of February and the first of March, and had all disappeared by the first of April. During winter only males were seen, but, in the spring, the females were the most numerous. They were usually seen singly, or in companies of two or three, and not, like the others, in larger flocks.
Junco oregonus, Sclater.
OREGON SNOWBIRD.
Fringilla oregona, Townsend, J. A. N. Sc. VII, 1837, 188.—Ib. Narrative, 1839, 345.—Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 68, pl. cccxcviii. Struthus oregonus, Bon. List, 1838.—Ib. Consp. 1850, 475.—Newberry, Zoöl. Cal. & Or. Route; Rep. P. R. R. VI, iv, 1857, 88. Niphœa oregona, Aud. Syn. 1839, 107.—Ib. Birds Am. III, 1841, 91, pl. clxviii.—Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 134. Junco oregonus, Sclater, Pr. Zoöl. Soc. 1857, 7.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 466.—Lord, Pr. R. A. Inst. IV, 120 (British Columbia).—Cooper & Suckley, 202.—Coues, Pr. Phil. Ac. 1866, 85 (Arizona).—Dall &
Bannister, Tr. Ch. Ac. I, 1869, 284.—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 199. Fringilla hudsonia, Licht. Beit. Faun. Cal. in Abh. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, for 1838, 1839, 424 (not F. hudsonia, Forster). “Fringilla atrata, Brandt, Icon. Rosso-As. tab. ii, f. 8” (Cab.).
Sp. Char. Head and neck all round sooty-black; this color extending to the upper part of the breast, but not along the sides under the wings, and with convex outline behind. Interscapular region of the back and exposed surface of the wing-coverts and secondaries dark rufous-brown, forming a square patch. A lighter, more pinkish tint of the same on the sides of breast and belly. Rest of under parts clear white. Rump brownish-ash. Upper tail-coverts dusky. Outer two tail-feathers white; the third with only an obscure streak of white. Bill flesh-color, dusky at tip. Legs flesh-color. Length about 6.50 inches; wing, 3.00.
Hab. Pacific coast of the United States to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, and north to Alaska. Stragglers as far east as Fort Leavenworth in winter and Great Bend of Missouri.
Sitka and Oregon specimens have the back of a darker rufous than those from California and the Middle Province, in which this portion of the body, as well as the sides, is paler, and in more abrupt contrast with the head.
Immature and the majority of winter specimens do not have the black of the head and neck so well defined, but edged above more or less with the color of the back, below with light ashy.