MOUNTAIN PLOVER 483 



County, September 15, 1896 (Willett, 1912ff. p. 41), when the species 

 was recorded as already plentiful. But Dawson (1916, p. 26) saw 

 a single bird on the Santa Barbara beach, August 25, 1915. Belding 

 (MS) states that a flock of about a dozen was seen at Stockton, Sep- 

 tember 26, 1883, but that this was earlier than usual for its appear- 

 ance in the central valleys; judging from his and other accounts the 

 average date of arrival is probably some time in October. Through- 

 out the winter months the ^lountain Plover is present in varying 

 numbers. According to a few reports it has at times been extremely 

 abundant locally. The latest known spring occurrence for southern 

 California is February 22, 1888, at Riverside (specimen in Mus. 

 Vert. Zool.). At Mendota, Fresno County, three specimens were 

 secured on March 12, 1912 (Mus. Vert. Zool.). On the coast of central 

 California, it has been recorded only from Monterey, January 24, 

 1911 (Beck, MS), and in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay, January 

 26, 1898 (specimen in Mailliard coll.). W. E. Bryant {in Belding, MS) 

 reports that the species was a rare winter visitant in his day in the 

 vicinity of Oakland. A specimen was taken at Concord, Contra Costa 

 County, January 10, 1894 (Mus. Vert. Zool.). The northernmost 

 locality from Avhich the species has been recorded within the state is 

 Marysville, Butte County (Belding, 1879, p. 440). 



The Mountain Plover is to be distinguished by its moderate size 

 (near that of the Killdeer), chunky appearance, short bill, uniformity 

 of coloration throughout, its white axillars and lining of wing, and 

 the total absence of black bands, patches or streaks on its breast and 

 sides. The dry upland habitat of the bird is also distinctive. From 

 all others of our small or moderate sized plovers the Mountain may 

 be known by the absence of any black band or side-patches on the 

 breast, and from the larger species (Black-bellied and Golden) by 

 the uniformly colored upper surface, white axillars, and, in spring, 

 by the absence of black on the under surface. 



The Mountain Plover is typically a bird of dry open plains, being 

 rarely if ever found about bodies of water as are most other shore 

 birds. Belding (1879, p. 440) says of this bird in central California: 

 "It frequents the dry plains, but is oftener found in fields that have 

 been prepared for or sown with wheat than any other localities. It 

 sometimes visits the low, rolling gravelly hills to the east of the 

 [Sacramento-San Joaquin] valley, and is often abundant, especially 

 previous to the severe rains of winter." This plover is a flocking 

 species found in bands of from fifteen to several hundred individuals. 

 Occasionally, in years past, they have occurred in great numbers on 

 the level country lying within a few miles of Los Angeles. 



This species differs from many of its relatives in being somewhat 

 difficult to flush from the ground. When pursued the birds will 



