^"'ioi'I"'^^] Cooke, Winter Birds of Oklahoma. 479 



19. Zenaidura macroura marginella. Western Mourning Dove. 



— In the late summer and early fall, the mourning dove occurred everj'- 

 where in single birds and pairs. By September 10, they had begun to 

 gather in small parties, and soon after this it was evident that their num- 

 bers were being increased by arrivals from the north; from September 28 

 to October 9 they were at least five times as numerous as the summer 

 population. During the dry spell from September 10 to October 1, they 

 visited the tanks in large numbers every evening, but as soon as the rains 

 came they spent the nights on the tops of the hills. By the first of Novem- 

 ber all the large flocks had gone and only a few scattered birds remained. 

 The last one seen was November 29, but they were reported occasionally 

 throughout the winter and returned in spring migration February 23, 

 though in the spring they were far less common than in the fall. 



20. Cathartes aura septentrionalis. Turkey Vulture. — An 

 abundant summer resident and equally common tlu'oughout the winter. 

 In fact this species and the Black Vulture were so numerous that in the fall 

 and early winter when cattle feed was good and dead animals were few, 

 these two species had hard work to get a living. They could be seen sailing 

 overhead in great flocks seeking for food, or sitting in long lines on the fences. 

 An animal killed in the morning would be picked clean by night and there 

 was great quarreling with some fighting over the carcass. After the snows 

 and freezing rains came cattle began to die by the hundred, and before 

 spring more than 15,000 died within 30 miles of Caddo. Then, particu- 

 larly in March, scarcely a Vulture was ever seen in the air. They became 

 so particular that they would not touch a carcass on the prairie, but select- 

 ing those that had faUen in or near timber, would gorge themselves, fly 

 heavily to the nearest tree and stay there until there was room in their 

 bodies for more of their disgusting food. 



There seemed to be considerable increase in the numbers of the Turkey 

 Vulture during October, especially October 18-20, and probably this is the 

 time that migrants from the north arrived. 



21. Catharista urubu. Black Vulture.— Common resident and 

 though varj'ing in numbers from week to week, this variation is probably 

 due to wanderings in search of food rather than to any real migration. Its 

 numbers were on the whole somewhat less than those of the Turkey Vulture; 

 usually both species flocked together, but on January 16 a flock of 27 was 

 seen composed entirely of Black Vultures. 



22. Elanoides forficatus. Sw'allow-t ailed Kite. — Common both 

 in migration antl in summer. The first arrived in the spring April 1. 



23. Circus hudsonius. Marsh Haw^k. — The most common winter 

 hawk, indeed they were twice as numerous at Caddo during the winter of 

 1883-4 as all other hawks combined, and were in the proportion of about 

 three brown-colored to one blue individual. In the spring they fed largely 

 on Blackbirds. They were seen many times to try to catch smaller birds, 

 but alwaj's failed. 



24. Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. — A not rare winter 

 resident; seen January 12 at the Blue River. 



