54 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 14 



l!)n (Suitnders, ]9Uh, p. 130). Taken every fall liy liuiitcrs at Flatlicad Lake 

 (Sloanaker, MS). These are the only records. 



\!U. Charadrius dominicus dominicus (Midler) 



Golden Pl(Wp:r 



A ndfjrant iu the eastern part of the state. There are no reeords west of the 

 eontinental divide, and reeords east of it are not common. Reported at St. 

 .Mary's Lake, October 1, 1853, by Suekley (Baird, 1858, p. 691). A iiiisrrant in 

 the Bi<j Horn region (McChesney, 1879, p. 2392). Regular migrant in Fergus 

 County, eomuion eastward (Silloway, 1903a, \). 23). Occasional fail migrant in 

 < lister and Dawson counties. Flocks seen Seiitemher 9, 16 and 30, 1898 (Cam- 

 ii-oii, ]!I(I7, ]). 255). Abundant near Billings in August and early September, 

 1917, tlie last seen September 10 (Thomas, MS). 



91. Oxyechus vociferus (Linnaeus) 



KiLLDEER 



xV very abundant sunniiei' resident throughout the state, recorded by all 

 observers. Occurs in the prairies and valleys of the mountains, in the Ujiper 

 Sonoran and Transition zones, luit not in the mountains themselves. In the Bit- 

 terroot Valley it is reported as a jiermanent resident, and it is also recorded in 

 winter from other points west of the continental divide. 



Nesting data : Indications are that this species begins nesting in late April 

 or early May. The birds leave the flocks in which they arrive, and are scattered 

 (tut in pairs on the breeding grounds, by the second week' in April. There are 

 few definite dates of nesting on record, how^ever, though the species undoubtedly 

 is one of the commonest breeding birds of the state. Milk River, four eggs, June 

 ■'1(». 1S74 (Coues, 18741), p. 633). Bitterroot Valley, a nest with three eggs, 

 April 2S, 1913, liad four eggs April 30. Another nest found April 30, 1913, 

 with four eggs, which hatched May 18 and 19 (Bailey, MS). Young al)le to 

 fly have been seen in the Gallatin Valley early in June. 



Migration: This species arrives late in March or early m April. ^ly 

 experience shows that the birds are first found in flocks in the larger rivei' val- 

 leys, and eight or ten days later scatter out in pairs to the breeding grounds, 

 places that are often many miles from the main river valleys, and a thousand 

 feet higher in elevation. Dates of spring arrival are as follows: Terry, average 

 April 6, earliest March 29, 1897 (Cameron) : Big Sandy, average April 6, 

 earliest April 3, 1904 (Cooke, 1910a, p. 87) ; Gallatin Valley, April 2, 1909, 

 Silver Bow, April 8, 1910 (Saunders, 1912a, p. 24); Collins, Teton County. 

 March 26, 1912 (Saunders, 1914a, p. 130); Helena, March 26, 1911; High- 

 wood, March 27, 1914, and Dutton, March 21, 1915, and March 17, 1917 (Du- 

 Bois, MS). Fall migration appears to he in September or October. Few dates 

 are to be had, and these indicate little because so widely separated. Pioneer, 

 Powell (ounty, September 13, 1910 (Saunders, 1912a, p. 24) : Chotean. October 

 12, 1912 (Saunders, 1914a, p. 130) : Diitton, October 12, 1916 (DuBois, "MS). 



The occurrence of this species in Jlontana in winter seems to lie something 



