RED-THROATED DIVER. 325 



DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS: The egg of the Manx 

 Shearwater is readily distinguished from all other 

 Petrels known to breed within our area by its size. 

 Care, however, should be taken in its identification, as 

 it is by no means improbable that other closely allied 

 Shearwaters may breed on the British coasts, although 

 hitherto undetected. 



Family COLYMBID^E. Genus COLYMBUS. 



RED-THROATED DIVER. 



COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, Linnaus. 



Single Brooded. Laying season, latter half of May, and in 

 June. 



BRITISH BREEDING AREA: The Red-throated Diver 

 is principally confined to the western half of Scotland 

 from the Clyde northwards, including the Hebrides, the 

 Orkneys, and the Shetlands. In Ireland it is at present 

 only known to breed in Co. Donegal. The bird is only 

 a winter visitor to the English coasts. 



BREEDING HABITS: The Red-throated Diver is a 

 resident in the British Islands, but subject to much 

 local and southern movement after the breeding season. 

 The favourite breeding-haunts of this Diver are the wild 

 moorland lochs and pools that form so characteristic 

 a feature in the scenery of the Highlands and the 

 Hebrides. It is not gregarious during the nesting 

 season, although several pairs may frequent one loch or 

 pool, each, however, keeping to a particular locality and 

 resenting any intrusion. The bird most probably pairs 

 for life, and returns season after season to breed in 



