A First Glance at the Birds. 



and shores, the surf birds, the turnstones 

 and oyster-catchers of our sea beaches, 

 — let us hurry by all these interesting 

 groups in order to have a peep at the 

 land birds, the inhabitants of our fields 

 and groves. 



The land birds of California may be 

 broadly classified into the following 

 orders : — the scratching or gallinaceous 

 birds (including all the grouse, quail 

 and fowls); the pigeons; the birds of 

 prey; the cuckoos (including kingfishers 

 as well); the woodpeckers; the order 

 including the goatsuckers, swifts and 

 humming-birds; and finally the perching 

 birds, in which group fall all of our 

 familiar little songsters of woodland and 

 garden. 



Of the scratching birds, the partridges 

 or quail (as they are more popularly 

 termed) are the most familiar and 

 abundant. Two species, the valley and 

 mountain-quail, are distributed over the 

 greater part of the state and may be 

 known by their head plumes, that of 

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