270 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



undoubtedly very valuable, and for this reason 

 alone the bird deserves careful protection at all 

 times. 



The Black, or Black-headed, Turnstone (Arc- 

 varia niclanoccphala) averages a trifle smaller 

 than the Ruddy Turnstone. In its summer 

 plumage the crown and upper back are black 

 with a greenish-bronzy gloss ; the rest of the 

 head, neck, throat, and chest are black, the fore- 

 head and sides of the head spotted with white, 

 and a white spot in front of the eye; the rest of 



the under part of the body is white. In the 

 winter, the head, neck, and chest are sooty-black 

 without spots. The nesting and other habits of 

 this Turnstone duplicate those of the Ruddy 

 Turnstone. It occurs on the Pacific coast of 

 North America, breeding from Kotzebue Sound 

 south to the valley of the lower Yukon, and 

 wintering from British Columbia south to Lower 

 California. Sometimes it wanders north to Point 

 Barrow, Alaska, and over to northeastern Si- 

 beria. 



OYSTER- CATCHERS 



Order Limicola ; family HcrmatopodidcB 



IHE Oyster-catchers {Hccniaiopodidcc) include ten species, and are virtually 

 cosmopolitan in their distribution. Three species occur in North America, 

 and all are essentially maritime birds. They are found (excepting by accident) 

 only along the ocean fronts, where they get the principal parts of their diet, 

 oysters, clams, mussels, and various shell-fish, whose shells they force apart 

 with their strong, wedge-shaped bills. They also feed on marine worms and 

 insects. 



These birds have very stout legs and strong feet from which the hind toe 

 is lacking. The plumage is chiefly black on the upper parts and white under- 

 neath. The bill of the living bird is bright red. C3n the ground Oyster- 

 catchers walk with a deliberate and dignified stride, or run with ease and 

 considerable speed. Their flight also is swift and graceful, though when flushed when 

 they are feeding they are not likely to fly far. They build no nest but lay in a 

 slight depression in the sand usually three eggs, which are bufify white, blotched and 

 speckled with dark brown. Various observers have declared that incubation is performed 

 entirely by the female, but that she covers the eggs only at night or on cloudy days and at 

 other times leaves her work to the sun and the hot sands. 





OYSTER-CATCHER 

 Hamatopus palliatus Toiiniiiick 



.\. n. ri. Xuniber 28 



Other Names.^.\merican Oyster-catcher ; Mantled 

 Oyster-catclier ; Brown-backed Oyster-catcher; Sea 

 Crow. 



General Description. — Length, 21 inches. Head 

 black, back brown, and under parts white. 



Color. — Entire head and neck all around, (/lossy 

 bluish-black, frequently with a glaucous shade; back, 

 shoulders, rump, and upper tail-coverts, dusky-brown, 

 the side and central coverts white; tail, white at base, 

 then brownish shading to blackish at ends ; inner sec- 

 ondaries, dusky-brown, outer ones, pure white ; greater 

 coverts, broadly tipped with white forming a conspic- 

 uous area in combination witli the white of seconda- 



ries; primaries, dusky-blackish at ends; entire under 

 [•arts from the breast, pure tvhite ; bill, vermilion or 

 coral-red, yellowish at end ; legs, pale purplish flesh 

 color; iris and eye-ring, red or orange. 



Nest and Eggs. — Ne.st: A slight depression on 

 sandy beaches. Er.c.s : 2 or ,3, white or cream, spotted 

 and blotched with dark brown, black, or lavender. 



Distribution.— Coasts of North and South America 

 from Texas, Louisiana, and Virginia (formerly New 

 Jersey), south on both coasts of Mexico to the West 

 Indies, southern Brazil, and central Chile; casual north 

 to New Brunswick; breeds probably throughout its 

 range. 



