AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS: Family Alridae [ 309 ] 



the smaller swampy lakes scattered throughout those counties and others. 

 They are likely to be seen anywhere in eastern Oregon not only in the 

 spring migration in April or early May, at which time they are in the 

 black breeding plumage, but also after the breeding season in August 

 and September when they wander away from their nesting grounds. At 

 that time they still retain the pearl-gray wings, but the body is white 

 with more or less of the black about the head and eyes still in evidence. 

 In any plumage, this is a dainty, lovable inhabitant of the marshes. It 

 has something of the swallow about it, darting, twisting, and turning 

 about the tops of the tules, from which it expertly picks the insects that 

 form a large part of its food. Few people can watch it without getting 

 a thrill as it winnows the marshes on graceful wings. It is such an expert 

 on the wing and performs so easily that it is most impressive. 



The Black Terns do not congregate in nesting colonies as do other terns 

 in the State, although there may be many pairs in the same swamp. They 

 are exceedingly brave in defense of their nests, diving squarely in the 

 face of an intruder, screaming all the while at the tops of their voices. 

 The eggs are usually laid on a mass of floating vegetable matter, with 

 little or no attempt at nest building, or even on floating boards, although 

 sometimes there is more effort at nest construction. Dates on which we 

 have found fresh eggs vary from May 2.0 to June 2.0. 



The food of these small terns consists generally of water insects or 

 their larvae, sometimes small crayfish, and perhaps fish. The stomach 

 contents of three birds collected in Warner Valley, May 2.1, 192.3, by Prill 

 and examined by the Biological Survey all contained insects and either 

 nymphs or larvae of aquatic insects. Many of the insects and nymphs 

 are picked from the tule and reed stems as the terns flash by on the wing, 

 a practice in which they are so expert that only the performance of the 

 swallows in drinking while on the wing, can compare with it. These 

 beautiful little birds certainly do no harm in their feeding habits; in fact 

 such economic value as they may have is certainly on the favorable side, 

 although the insects on which they habitually feed usually have no 

 economic significance. 



Auks, Murres, and Puffins: Family Alcidae 



California Murre: 



Uria aalge calif ornica (Bryant) 



DESCRIPTION. "Bill narrow and slender, nostril concealed in feathers ; a deep 

 groove in feathers back of eye. Breeding plumage: upper parts slaty or blackish, 

 secondaries tipped with white; sides of head, neck, and throat velvety sooty brown; 

 under parts pure white. Winter plumage: sides of head, neck, throat, and under parts 

 pure white; a dusky stripe back of eye. Young: like winter adults, but with white 



