SNOWY PLOVER 475 



ing to Bowles and Howell (1912, p. 11) the Snowy Plover, although 

 resident, augments in numbers about the middle of December, when 

 flocks of fifty or more may be seen. In the vicinity of San Francisco 

 the latest known occurrence is November 8, 1889 (specimen in Mus. 

 Vert. Zool.), and as there are no records from the San Joaquin-Sacra- 

 mento Valley in winter it may be that the species leaves the northern 

 half of the state altogether during that season. Numerous instances of 

 occurrence in winter, from the vicinity of Monterey southward, pro- 

 claim the species as present throughout the year on the coast from 

 that point to San Diego. Inland it has been recorded about the shores 

 of Salton Sea, Riverside and Imperial counties, during the spring 

 (March 29, 1908, to May 1, 1909) (Mus. Vert. Zool.) ; at Owens Lake, 

 December 27, 1890, and May 30 to June 4, 1891 (A. K. Fisher, 1893a, 

 pp. 25-26) ; at Buena Vista Lake, Kern County, June 2, 1907 (Lin- 

 ton, 1908c, p. 197) ; at Los Banos, Merced County, April 22, 1912, 

 to :\ray 17. 1914 (Mus. Vert. Zool.), and at Goose Lake, Modoc County, 

 in June, 1912 (Dawson, 1916, p. 26). On beaches where the species 

 nests, pairs of Snowy Plover are found to frequent during the spring 

 or summer comparatively restricted areas and not very many wall 

 be found together at any one time ; but when foraging on shores where 

 they are not known to nest, as in the early fall when the young of the 

 year are wandering about in search of food, they occur in flocks num- 

 bering up to fifty individuals. 



The Snowy Plover is readily distinguished from most otlier shore 

 birds occurring in California, by its very small size (total length 

 6.00-7.00 inches). It is but slightly larger than our smallest shore 

 bird, the Least Sandpiper. The chunky appearance, short, thick bill 

 (which is shorter than the head), white collar around hind neck, 

 uniform pale drab upper surface, pure white under surface, and 

 conspicuous dark brown or black patches at the sides of the breast, 

 are all useful as aids to recognition (pi. 12). From the Killdeer, 

 and the Semipalmated and Wilson plovers, the Snowy is distinguished 

 by its lack of complete black or dark brown breast band and by its 

 smaller size, and from the Least and Western sandpipers, and from 

 the Sanderling, by its white collar around liind neck, and by the dark 

 patches at the sides of its chest ; and, in spring, from the last three 

 named birds, by the absence of mixed coloration on its upper surface. 



Snowy Plover are exceptionally quiet birds ; but at times a low 

 guttural trilling note, cr-r-r-r or pe-e-e-et, may be given, and when 

 the vicinity of the nest is invaded the birds give utterance to rela- 

 tively loud cries. 



Sandy seabeaches constitute the preferred habitat of this species, 

 and it is rarely found elsewhere. It frequents as a rule the higher 

 portions of the beach, but may also forage on the wet sand, sometimes 



