American Avocet 105 



Description. — In summer — Head and neck all round pale cinnamon ; 

 paling to w hite on the front of the face and below behind the breast ; 

 lower-back and upper tail-coverts white ; tail pearly-white ; wings 

 chiefly black with two longitudinal bands of white formed by the 

 edges of some of the coverts, secondaries and outer scapulars ; iris 

 pink or brown, bill black, legs dull blue. Length 17-0 ; wing 9-0. ; 

 tail 3-0 ; culmen 3-7 ; tarsus 3-7 ; but dimensions varying considerably. 



In winter the head and neck are pearly-grey. Young birds are like 

 the summer adults, but have tawny edgings to the black feathers and 

 a more or less straight bill. 



Distribution. — Breeding chiefly from Alberta and Manitoba to south- 

 western Texas ; in winter south as far as Guatemala, Cuba and Jamaica. 



In Colorado the Avocet is common on migration, and is also an 

 abundant suromer resident in suitable localities, breeding along the 

 shores of the alkali lakes, in the South Platte valley of the 

 north-east plains, and in the mountain parks up to about 8,000 feet. 

 It nests abundantly at San Luis Lakes, where it was noticed by 

 Aiken, Goss and Cooke, and also along the Arkansas near Fort Lyon 

 (Coues) and in South Park (Carter), while Gale and W. G. Smith took 

 nests near Loveland, and Rockwell and Hersey at Barr. Other records 

 are : Arkansas River (Aiken) and Coventry (Warren), where, as seems 

 always the case on the western slope, it is not at all common. It is 

 noted from Fort Lyon as early as March 28th, and from Loveland, 

 April 9th, and in the fall at Salida by Frey, September 26th. 



Habits. — The favourite resort of this Avocet are the 

 alkaline lakes which are so abundant throughout the 

 dry western districts of North America. Here it wades 

 along in the shallow water, probing with its curiously 

 shaped bill in the soft mud. It also swims with perfect 

 ease and considerable grace, often alighting on the water 

 from above. Where they have not been much molested 

 they are not shy, and fill the air with their harsh cries 

 when their breeding-places are being invaded. 



The nests are placed near the shores of the lakes, and 

 consist of a slight depression lined with a few grasses 

 or weeds. The eggs, generally four in number, are 

 somewhat pjTiform in shape, and olive-drab heavily 

 blotched with purplish-brown in colour. They measure 

 about r90 X 1*30, but vary considerably not only in 



