390 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



CHARADRIUS VOCIFERUS VOCIPERUS Linnaeus: KiUdeer; 

 Chorlito Griton 



Charadrius vocijerus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 150. (South 

 Carolina.) 



A plover with two black bands on the under surface, one on the 

 lower f oreneck, the other on the breast. 



Description. — Length, 235 to 250 mm. Forehead, line behind eye, 

 collar on hindneck and under surface white ; band across anterior edge 

 of crown, extending back over eye, one on malar stripe, one around 

 lower f oreneck, and one across breast black; crown, side of head, 

 back, and wing coverts dark grayish brown; rump and upper tail 

 coverts cinnamon-buff ; primaries black ; primary coverts tipped with 

 white; outer tail feathers cinnamon-buff, banded near the end with 

 black, and tipped with white; 3 central pairs grayish brown, banded 

 with black near the tip. 



Measurements (from Ridgway, I.e., p. 100). — Males, wing 154-167 

 (160.2), tail 88-103 (95.6), culmen 19-23 (20.3), tarsus 33-36.5 

 (34.6) mm. 



Females, wing 147-170 (160.1), tail 90-103 (94.9), culmen 19.5-22 

 (20.4), tarsus 32-37 (35.2) mm. 



Migrant from the north. Fairly common wherever there are open 

 savannas and pasture lands, from sea level to 2,000 meters eleva- 

 tion ; Isla San Jose. Present usually from November to March. 



The killdeer is a land plover that is found as frequently in dry 

 pastures as it is around water. Often it ranges alone, except when 

 moving in migration, when several may appear in company. When 

 approached, if at a little distance, these birds may merely turn the 

 back to conceal the striking black and white of the lower surface of 

 the body, or, if near at hand, may run quietly away. When they take 

 wing, flight is usually accompanied by the loud calls in imitation of 

 which they have received their English name. 



The majority arrive in November, though a few have been re- 

 ported earlier in late October, (October 31, Finca Lerida, above 

 Boquete; Oct. 24, 1931, Oct. 27, 1932, Puerto Obaldia, San Bias). 

 Most leave for the north during March, but a few remain until April, 

 my latest date being April 13, 1946, at Jaque, Darien. Here, a few 

 days earlier (on April 9) one on the old airfield amused me when it 

 settled down, with wings and body moving gently as though it was 

 adjusting eggs against its breast, and then presently stood up and 

 ran away, a realistic performance, but one not at all convincing in 

 view of the vast distance to its northern nesting grounds. 



