Birds of Britain 



It is therefore a somewhat local species, being commonest 

 perhaps in the " breck " district of Norfolk and Suffolk ; it 

 is also found on the downs of most of the southern and 

 eastern counties, as well as on the Chilterns and in one or 

 two other counties to the north, but in the west of England, 

 Scotland, and Ireland it is entirely absent, and has only 

 occurred on very few occasions. 



Sandy brown in colour, it assimilates so well with its 

 surroundings that it is very difficult to see, and when 

 approached will often " squat," stretching its neck out to its 

 fullest extent, and so escape observation. It runs with great 

 rapidity and flies strongly, its flight rather resembling that of 

 a Pigeon, while the white bars on the wing coverts show up 

 conspicuously. Its food, which is chiefly taken at dusk and 

 dawn, consists of insects of all kinds, especially beetles. 



Living as it frequently does in districts away from water, 

 it journeys nightly to a favourite watering-place. The note 

 is a loud whistling cry, which is uttered at night, and 

 during the early spring these birds are very noisy. 



The two eggs are deposited towards the end of April or 

 beginning of May on the bare ground, a spot where there 

 are many loose stones, among which they are very difficult 

 to see, being usually chosen. In colour the eggs are pale clay 

 spotted and streaked with dark brown, those in the same 

 clutch being often very dissimilar in markings. Both sexes 

 assist in the duties of incubation and rearing of the young, 

 who, when first hatched, are pale buff with a longitudinal 

 dark line down each side of the back. Their legs are much 

 thickened, a feature common to many Limicoline birds, 

 and this has led to this species being sometimes known 



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