1921 BIRDS OF MONTANA 4.^ 



the fall of I'.IIT. Seen twiec in 1918 in tiie same locality, aD<l a |)aii- witli par- 

 tially completed nest fouml on Jlay It) (Thomas, ;\IS). 



57. Ardea herodias herodias Linnaeus 



Great Blue Heron 



Common summer resident along the larger rivers on the casl side of the 

 continental divide. Recorded as a migrant only west of the divitle. lieeords: 

 Fort Benton (Cooper, ISGOa, [). S2): Mi.ssouri River (Grinnell, ISTd. p. (;.'):!); 

 Yellowstone River (ilcChesney. 1S7!>, p. L!:i!)4 1 ; Custer and Dawson cmmties 

 (Cameron, 1907, p. 251). For a. detailed account of the nesting in this part of 

 the state see also Cameron (190t;, pp. 258-262). Nesting at Lake Bowdoin ( Wil- 

 lett, 1907, p. 106) ; Gallatin County (Saunders, 1911a, p. -U) ; Jefferson County 

 (Saunders, 1912a, p. 24). Recorded in migration only in Fergus County (Sillo- 

 way, 1903a, p. 16), and in the Bitterroot Valley (Bailey, MS). This species is 

 common all summer along the Missouri River in Cascade, Lewis and Clark, and 

 Bi-oadwater counties. 



IMigration dates: Terry, average .May 7. earliest ,Alay 2. 1905. In fall, Si'p- 

 tember 21, latest September 24. 1 ill 15 (Cooke, 19i::ia. p. 39). Lombard, April 

 23, 1909, and Cascade, INFay 2, 1912. 



Nesting data : Nesting on the ground on an island in i^ake Bowdoin. July 



4, 1903 (Willett, 1907, p. 106). Colonies nest on islands in tlie Yellowstone 

 River (Cameron, 1906, p. 252), below Three Forks (Saunders, 1911 a, p. 34 1, 

 and near Billings (Thomas, MS). 



58. Grus americana (Linnaeus) 



\Virooi>iN(i ('kane 

 A rare migrant in the eastei'ii i)ai-t of the state. There are ri'cords from 

 but three localities: Big Sandy, ,May 1 to 5, 1903 (Coiibeaux), Terry, Octobei- 



5, 1904 (Cameron) (Cooke, 1914a, p. 6), and Billings, April 8, 1918 (Thomas, 

 MS). 



59. Grus canadensis (Limiaeus) 



LlTTI.K MhoWN (_'RANE 



Regular fall migrant in e.xtrenu' eastern .Montana. Not reconh'd elsewherr. 

 though it may l)e commoner than supposed and found throughout the state. The 

 only region where it has been recorded is in Custer and Dawson eounlies. when' 

 it is a migrant in fall (Cameron, 1907, ]). 251 ). ^^gration dates in the vicinity 

 of Terry are September 24, 1S94, and Oi'tobei' 10, 1898. 



60. Grus mexicana (Miiller) 



Sandiiilij Crane 

 Found throughout the slale, pi'incii)ally in migrations, but uol cunniioii 

 anywhere. There are a numlier of sumim r records, and the bird may ln'ced in 

 remote localities that are suitalile. It formerly bred commonly, and tlieiv is 

 one recent report by Vernon Bailey, of breeding near JLdvale. now (Jhieiei' I'arl-:. 

 in Teton County (Cooke, 1914a, pji. 11-13). Ctiier summer i-ecords are: Flat- 



