488 GAME BIBDS OF CALIFORNIA 



hinder lower surface, and the single white patch instead of two 

 Avhite patches separated by black at the upper base of the tail. 



The Surf -bird prefers rocky reefs and outcrops to sandy beaches ; 

 in this respect it almost duplicates the Wandering Tattler. Indeed 

 the two species are often found in the near vicinity of one another, 

 but the Tattler is solitary while the Surf-bird is of flocking habit. 

 Torrey (1913, pp. 136-137) who observed these two species and others 

 at Santa Barbara says that the Surf-birds "... kept persistently 

 close to the water, on what looked at . . . [a] distance like bare 

 rocks, not off-shore like those to which the oyster-catchers restricted 

 themselves, nor covered with seaweed like those resorted to by the 

 wandering tattlers. Once . . . they occupied themselves a long time 

 on the face of a rock that inclined seaward, running up into sight 

 as the higher waves chased them, and anon hastening down again as 

 the water receded." 



The most interesting account of the 

 Surf-bird within the state is that fur- 

 nished by Dawson (1913a, pp. 5-8) 

 who, on May 3, 1912, observed a flock 

 of twenty-three of these birds at La 

 Patera, near Santa Barbara. They 



were first sighted from a bluff above 

 Fig. 78. Side of bill of Surf- , , , ^ , ^, „ ^. 



bird. Natural size. the beach, and were then feeding m 



mixed company with some cormorants. 



A detour and careful approach finally allowed the observer to get 



within eighteen feet of the waders, from which the cormorants had 



meanwhile separated. They were feeding along a rocky reef in close 



reach of the waves. "Now and again the flock shifted, but always they 



came back, alighting at the extreme tip of the reef where the waves 



frequently bandied them. For the most part they fed silently, but 



as often as I made some unusual demonstration or as often as the 



wave swept about them, a murmur of complaint arose. The flock came 



to attention, or a few shifted position, . . . but the moment danger 



was over, work was resumed upon the barnacles." When forced to 



leave because of the water they took refuge on a near-by sandy area 



and gleaned like sandpipers ; but they seemed to prefer the rocky 



situation and returned to it at the first possible opportunity. At this 



time their food consisted exclusively of sessile barnacles from the 



shells of which, as they were fastened to the rocks, the birds were 



dexterously extracting the soft parts. " . . . It was interesting to see 



a bird get a good grip on a reluctant cirriped, then brace and haul 



him out by main force. ' ' The food of the Surf-bird probably includes 



other rock-inhabiting marine animals such as mussels, in addition 



to the barnacles already mentioned. 



