CHART ILLUSTRATING EXHIBIT OF WINTER BIRDS OF LAKE MICHIGAN 



1 . Herring gull {Larus argentatus) 



2. Red-breasted merganser {Alergus serrator) 



3. Old-squaw (Clangula hyemalis) 



4. Surf scoter {Melanitta perspicillata) 



most severe weather. When ice forms near shore, flocks of these hardy birds form 

 floating rafts on the open water beyond the floes. At other times, especially when the 

 lake is lashed by severe storms, thousands of waterfowl crowd inshore. Many seek pro- 

 tection in lakeside lagoons within a stone's throw of the city traffic. Occasionally, such 

 rarities as eiders, scoters, Barrow's golden-eyes, and harlequin ducks are also seen. 

 Ring-billed and herring gulls are no less characteristic of the lake front in mid- 

 winter. Both species nest to the northward, but some individuals of each may be found 

 locally throughout the year, .\fter the breeding season these gulls move southward, but 

 great numbers remain in the Chicago area. At this season, of course, many wintering 

 birds are in drab, first-year plumage, although fully adult in size. The noisy, whirling 

 flocks that scavenge the winter-bound harbors and the inland garbage dumps through- 

 out the daylight hours are a constant reminder of the abundance of local bird-life even 

 in midwinter. 



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