304 BULLETIN 146^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



half of September all have gone with the exception of an occasional 

 straggler found along the seashore." The migration extends down 

 the coast as far as Lower California. 



Winter. — Carl Lien regards them as common winter residents on 

 Destruction Island, off the coast of Washington. He says, in his 

 notes that they " begin to arrive about July 26 and leave in the spring 

 the first week in May. The}'' confine themselves entirely to the reefs 

 and are very sociable, keeping up a continual chatter. The Aleutian 

 sandpiper and a surf bird or two will nearly always be found among 

 them. About 75 or 100 birds winter here." 



A. B. Howell (1917), referring to the islands off the coast of 

 southern California, says that "this is by far the most abundant shore 

 bird on the islands, much more so than on the mainland, occurring 

 in flocks of as many as 30 individuals, and frequenting the rockiest 

 shores." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Pacific coast of North America, casual in northeastern 

 Siberia. 



Breeding range. — So far as known, the black turnstone breeds 

 only on the Alaskan coast, the breeding range appearing to extend 

 from Chichagof Island on the south, north to probably Montague 

 Island, Ugashik, Nusliagak, Hooper Bay, the Yukon Valley, St. 

 Michael, Cape Prince of Wales, and probably the Kobuk River. 



At this season it also has been detected on Wrangel Island, and 

 Herald Island (Nelson) but is not known to breed, while nonbreeders 

 have been noted south on the coast at British Columbia, Skidegate; 

 Oregon, Yaquina Bay; California, Farallon Islands, Monterey Bay, 

 Point Pinos, and San Miguel Island; and Lower California, Los 

 Coronados Islands. 



Winter range. — The winter range of the black turnstone extends 

 north nearly to the breeding grounds and but little south of the 

 southern limit of the nonbreeders. They have been noted in winter 

 north rarely to Alaska (Craig and Howkan). Also in southern 

 British Columbia (Victoria) ; Washington (Bellingham Bay, Smith 

 Island, Dungeness, and Clallam Bay) ; Oregon (Yaquina Bay and 

 Netarts Bay) ; California (Eureka, Tomales Bay, San Francisco, 

 Monterey, San Miguel Island, Santa Cruz Island, San Pedro Bay, 

 Santa Catalina Island, San Clemente Island, and San Diego 

 County) ; and lower California (San Quintin Bay, probably San 

 Geronimo Island, Magdalena Bay, and Santa Margarita Island). 



Migration. — Because of the presence of individuals throughout the 

 year in practically the entire range of the species, migration data are 

 not significant. 



