60 Brooks, Notes on Birds of Okanagan, B. C. I" f uk 



LJan. 



SOME NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF OKANAGAN, 

 BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



BY ALLAN BROOKS. 



The following notes comprise the more important results of the 

 last few years' field work in the Okanagan district. While the 

 greater portion of the Okanagan Valley lies in the Transition Zone, 

 the thirty miles running north from the International boundary 

 evidently belong to the Upper Sonoran, as characterized by the 

 luxuriant growth of greasewood, and the presence of such Sonoran 

 forms as horned toads (Phrynosoma), and jack rabbits (Lepus 

 texianus). It is in this southern portion of the district, in the 

 neighborhood of Osoyoos Lake, that the additions to the Cana- 

 dian fauna can be expected to occur. Mr. C. deB. Green who 

 resides at this point has recently devoted much of his time to or- 

 nithology, and I am indebted to him for some most interesting 

 records. 



Undoubtedly many more Great Basin forms will occur; some of 

 them, such as Canon Wren and Sage Sparrow, have already been 

 fairly well identified by Mr. Green, but they are not included in this 

 list, as specimens have not been taken. 



The lower portion of the Similkameen Valley also lies in the 

 Upper Sonoran zone, the rainfall here reaching the minimum for 

 Canada, averaging only three inches yearly. 



Recurvirostra americana. American Avocet. — During twenty years 

 collecting in British Columbia I have kept a special lookout for this bird, 

 but not until April 28 of the present year have I ever come across it. On 

 that date a flock of fifteen arrived at the north end of Okanagan Lake and 

 I secured six of them — five adult females with ovaries enlarged, and 

 one young male, which would not have bred this year. This would indi- 

 cate that the species does not pair until its arrival at its breeding grounds. 

 This is the first record for the Province. 



Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black-crowned Night Heron. — On 

 the evening of August 3 of the present year I saw a bird that could have 

 been nothing but a Night Heron, at Okanagan landing. It had a rather 

 quick bittern-like flight and continuously uttered a hoarse quack, quite 

 different from the note of a bittern. It circled twice around my canoe in 

 response to an imitation of its cry and then continued its journey south- 

 ward, quacking at regular intervals. 



