[obol] Breeding Golden-crowned Sparrows?

[Alan Contreras]

There is a published report of a pair of Golden-crowned Sparrows raising
four young along East Bay Drive at Coos Bay in 1982.  I included this record
in Birds of Coos County, but I have only the most casual knowledge of the
record.  Ben Fawver once told me that he had not seen the birds but that the
observer was familiar with the species.

The record appeared only in Cape Arago Audubon's Tattler, and I considered
it worth including in Birds of Coos because the only error I could think of
was a typo for White-crowned, but that would not have been included in
Tattler field notes because they are so common.

The observer was R. Lawrence, someone I don't know, who was said to have
moved to Washington, though that was just a street rumor.

There is no proof of breeding in Oregon, but it is not an outrageous idea
when you consider that Common Loon, Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper,
Bohemian Waxwing and White-winged Crossbill have bred in the state.
Consider also that Least Flycatcher and Northern Waterthrush in Oregon are
about as far from the "regular" breeding range as a Goolden-crowned Sparrow
would be.

-- 
Alan Contreras
EUGENE, OREGON
acontrer at mindspring.com