The Bird Book Part 33

Range.--Plains and prairies of western North America, breeding from the central portions north to Manitoba, and wintering in California and southward.

A very peculiar species, inhabiting even the driest portions of the western prairies. It is 9 inches in length, and has a plumage of a pale buffy tone. It seems to be less aquatic than any other American Plover and is rarely found in the vicinity of bodies of water. It nests on the ground anywhere on the prairie, laying its eggs in a slight hollow. The eggs are brownish gray in color and are spotted and blotched with blackish brown. Data.--Morgan county, Colorado, May 7, 1902. Nest a slight hollow on the ground, near a large cactus bed and close to a water hole. No lining to nest. Collector, Glenn S. White.

[Ill.u.s.tration 170: Olive gray.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Wilson's Plover. Mountain Plover.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Brownish gray.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 169

SURF BIRDS AND TURNSTONES. Family APHRIZIDae

282. Surf Bird. _Aphriza virgata._

This species, which is found on the Pacific coast from Alaska to Chili, seems to be the connecting link between the plovers and the Turnstones, having the habits of the latter combined with the bill of the former.

Its nest and eggs are not known to have been yet discovered.

283. TURNSTONE. _Arenaria interpres._

Range.--The distribution of this species, which is grayer above than the following, is supposed to be confined, in America, to the extreme north from Greenland to Alaska. Its habits and eggs are precisely like the next.

283a. RUDDY TURNSTONE. _Arenaria interpres morinella._

Range.--Breeds in the Arctic regions, and migrates through all parts of the United States, south to the southern parts of South America. This species has the upperparts variegated with reddish brown, black and white; the underparts are pure white, except for a black patch on the throat, branching upward to the eye and back to the sides of the breast.

It has a peculiar, slightly up-turned bill, which is used, as their name implies, for turning over pebbles and stones in their search for food.

They nest commonly in northern Labrador, about Hudson Bay and in Alaska, laying their eggs in scantily lined hollows on the ground, near water.

The eggs are very peculiar and beautiful, having a light grayish or cream color ground, peculiarly marbled with many shades of brown and lilac. Size 1.65 1.10. Data.--Mackenzie River, Arctic America, June 28, 1900. Four eggs in a gra.s.s lined depression in the sand.

[Ill.u.s.tration 171: Creamy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Turnstone.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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284. BLACK TURNSTONE. _Arenaria melanocephala._

Range.--Pacific coast of North America, breeding from British Columbia northward, and wintering south to Lower California.

This species, which has the form and habits of the preceding, is blackish above and on the breast; the rump and the base of the tail are white, being separated from each other by the black tail coverts. Their nesting habits are in no wise different from those of the common turnstone. The eggs are similar, but the markings are not so strikingly arranged. Size 1.60 1.10. Data.--Kutlik, Alaska, June 21, 1898. Nest simply a depression in the sand on the sea beach.

OYSTER-CATCHERS. Family HaeMATOPODIDae

285. EUROPEAN OYSTER-CATCHER. _Haematopus frazari._

This European species is very similar to the American one which follows.

It casually occurs in Greenland.

286. OYSTER-CATCHER. _Haematopus palliatus._

Range.--Breeds on the coast of the South Atlantic States and Lower California and winters south to Patagonia. Oyster-catchers are

large, heavy-bodied birds, with stocky red legs and long, stout red bills. The present species has the whole upper parts and entire head and neck, blackish; underparts and ends of secondaries, white; length, 19 inches. They are abundant breeding birds on the sandy beaches of the South Atlantic States, and casually wander north to Nova Scotia. They lay their two or three eggs on the ground in slight hollows scooped out of the sand. The eggs are of a buffy or brownish buff color, and are irregularly spotted with blackish brown, with subdued markings of lavender. Size 2.20 1.50. Data.--Sandy Point, S. C., May 12, 1902.

Three eggs on the sand just above high water mark; nest a mere depression on a small "sand dune" lined with pieces of sh.e.l.ls.

[Ill.u.s.tration 172: Grayish.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: American Oyster-catcher.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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286.1. Frazar's Oyster-catcher. _Haematopus bachmani._

Range.--Lower California.

This species is darker on the back than the preceding, and the breast is mottled with dusky. Bill very long, heavy, compressed, and thin and chisel-like at the tip.

Bill and eyes red; legs flesh color; under parts white, and a white wing bar. These are large, awkward looking birds. It is not an uncommon wader in its somewhat restricted range. Its nesting habits are the same as those of the preceding one, but the markings are generally more sharply defined. The one figured is from a set in the collection of Mr. C. W.

Crandall.

287. BLACK OYSTER-CATCHER. _Haematopus bachmani._

Range.--Pacific coast of North America from Lower California north to Alaska.

This species is the same size as the Oyster-catcher, but the plumage is entirely black both above and below. They are found upon the rocky coasts and islands, more frequently than upon sandy beaches. Their eggs are laid upon bare rocks or pebbles with no attempt at lining for the nest. The eggs are an olive buff in color, spotted and blotched with brownish black. Size 2.20 1.55. Breeding throughout the Aleutian Islands, British Columbia and south to Lower California. Three or four eggs are laid.

[Ill.u.s.tration 173: Brownish buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 287--286.1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Olive buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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JACANAS. Family JACANIDae

288. Mexican Jacana. _Jacana spinosa._

Range.--Tropical America, north in summer to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and casually to Florida.

This interesting species has most of its structural characters similar to the Plovers, but has more the appearance and habits of the Rails.

They are about eight inches long, the head and neck are black, the body chestnut, and the wings largely greenish yellow. They have long legs, long toes and extremely long toe nails, a scaly leaf on the forehead, and a sharp spur on the shoulder of the wing. Owing to their long toes and nails, they are enabled to walk over floating weeds and rubbish that would sink beneath their weight, otherwise. They build their nests on these little floating islands in the marsh; they are also sometimes made of weeds and trash on floating lily pads. They lay from three to five eggs of a yellowish olive color, curiously scrawled with brown and black. Size 1.22 .95. Data.--Tampico, Mexico, June 3, 1900. Three eggs. Nest of weeds and drift on lily leaf floating in fresh water pond near town.