WESTERN WHITE-WINGED DOVE 433 



Various kinds of waste grain, seeds, berries, mesquite beans, and 

 insects are mentioned by other observers. Dr. Joseph Grinnell 

 (1914) found 33 watermelon seeds and a muskmelon seed in one crop. 



Behavior. — Doctor Wet more (1920) writes: 



Combats among males were frequent, but tbese were bloodless battles, as 

 the birds merely flapped at one another uttering guttural notes, or when 

 near at hand struck quickly with one wing. Often one male was at much 

 trouble to drive all others from some trees, and once I observed one hustle 

 away a pair of Mourning Doves that chanced to intrude upon bis domain. 



White winged Doves start in flight with a loud chipping of wings that is 

 accompanied by a whistling noise. Wben the birds are well under way 

 their passage, while swift and direct, is noiseless. The sound at the start 

 resembles that made by domestic pigeons. The White-wing, like certain tropi- 

 cal doves (for example the White-headed and Scaled Pigeons) in perching in 

 cottonwoods or other trees with dense foliage, usually alights among clumps 

 of leaves on the higher outer branches rather than on dead limbs or in open 

 situations such as those chosen by Mourning Doves. So well did the birds 

 conceal themselves that after I had seen half a dozen fly into such a tree, 

 it was not unusual to be unable to pick out a single dove in spite of their 

 large size. In the mesquite they followed the same practice in perching, so 

 that they were often observed merely as silhouettes through the thin foliage. 

 When perched in trees they remained quiet save when they were calling. 



Voice. — Wetmore also gives the best impression of the remarkable 

 vocal performances of these doves, as follows : 



In early morning White-winged Doves began to call soon after day break, 

 and when the sun appeared above the horizon were heard cooing in every 

 direction. At this period of the day many males came out to rest on dead 

 limbs in openings in the mesquite montes, or flew to more distant perches in 

 mesquites or cottonwoods where they basked in the warm rays of the sun. 

 Others chose perches in the tops of living mesquites where the thin foliage 

 did not cast an appreciable shade. In mid-forenoon when the heat became 

 oppressive they retired again to protected stations. Males had two distinct 

 songs, that were given without apparent choice. One of these efforts may be 

 represented by the syllables who hoo who hoo-oo'. The first three notes were 

 gruff and abrupt, the last one strongly accented and somewhat prolonged. The 

 other song, longer and more complicated, may be noted as who, hoo, whoo, hoo, 

 hoo-ah.' hoo-hoo-ah' , who-oo. In this case the song was separated in five 

 parts. The first section was short and low, the second louder and almost 

 merged with the third ; the third and fourth were more musical than the 

 others and were strongly accented on the last syllable, while the last part was 

 lower and was more or less slurred. At times the doves gave one or the other 

 of these two songs in repetition for long intervals, or again alternated them 

 rapidly. The longer song was more varied and pleasing to the ear as the other 

 frequently was given in a burring, guttural tone that was often unpleasant. 

 In addition to these songs males uttered a low, querulous, muttered note re- 

 sembling queh queh-eh that served as a call to the female, or was given when 

 squabbling with other males. No females were observed in the act of cooing 

 and I was unable to ascertain their notes. Although males did not coo in 

 unison the effect produced by hundreds of them calling at the same time was 

 remarkable. Save for one or two birds that might chance to be near at hand, 

 their notes seemed to come from a distance, and were so blended that it was 



