Junco question

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   Jim Stasz (and anyone else who may be able to help),

    Happy new Year!  One of my resolutions this year is to keep better
records of what I see on my field trips this year.  I have finally started
using the birds of Maryland list you offered several months ago on MD
Osprey (thanks again). I used it today for the first time and am confused
about the Slate-colored Junco subspecies.  Hyemalis, from what my souce
tells me (James Rising's _The Sparrows of the United States and Canada_),
is the regularly appearing subspecies for this area.  I could not find the
other subspecies you listed, carolinensis, in Rising's book.  

    Is this a mistake on the checklist?  If so, what should the correct
subspecies be?  My guess is that the other subspecies that occasionally
shows its face around these parts is the Oregon/Pink-sided Junco.  At
least that's the only one I've ever heard people mentioning around here 
and it's listed in the appendix of the "yellow book".  

    This leads to my second question.  Which is/are the other subspecies
that sometimes occur(s) here?  Rising distinguishes between Oregon (J. h.
oreganus) and Pink-sided (J. h. mearnsi).  At first glance, it seems that
there are enough differences between the two, both physical and
behavioral, that they would not be clumped back together.  He does write,
though, that female Oregons are confused with Pink-sideds. 

   Thus far, I have not seen any Juncos other than the dime a dozen (or
two) hyemalis, so the answer to my query is one that has no practical
application at this moment.  I'm just curious.  Plus, you've always got to
be prepared.

   Your help is appreciated!  

Andy Rabin
Gaithersburg, MD
andyrab@wam.umd.edu


 

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