American Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus (Townsend)

To the 5 earlier records of this bird as a cowbird victim (Friedmann, 1963:64; 1966:3) may be added 2 more: 1 observed near Victoria, British Columbia (Crowell and Nehls, 1973:911), and 1 at North Saanich, Vancouver Island, 10 June 1973, observed by Stuart Johnston. On geographic grounds these records must refer to the nominate race of the bushtit and to the subspecies M. ater artemisiae of the parasite; they are the first records for that race of the cowbird parasitizing the bushtit.

In the case of the record from North Saanich, the nest had been under observation since 1 June, but was found to be damaged, with the entrance enlarged, on 10 June. By 13 June, it was evident that the bushtits had deserted. The nest was then examined and was found to contain three bushtit eggs and one cowbird egg; the nest and eggs are now in the British Columbia Provincial Museum.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH