May I9OI.] LAND BIRDS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. 5 



LAND BIRDS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. 



1. Oreortyx pictus ( A?/^,i,>/.). Mountain Partrid<i;e. 



Fiske. — Rare, occasionally seen in the vSanta Cruz mountains. Must 

 breed, as I saw a very young bird in the market here in July, iS88. Em- 

 erson.— I am told that in the Ben Lomond region this species is found. 

 Oreortvx was not observed by Kaeding nor have I seen it in the county. 

 It is safe to say that if found here it will prove to be a local race, quite dis- 

 tinct from e'xthex pictiis or p/iniiifrrus. 



2. Lophortyx californicus (S/nu,'). California Partridge. 



Emerson found it common all over the range. Kaeding considers it 

 common and took fresh eggs May 15, but saw no young birds. Specimens 

 examined by him were rather light colored, but by no means intermediate. 

 McGregor and Fiske found quail common on the coast in suitable local- 

 ities. Bailey found it common at Boulder Breek in October. 



3. Columba fasciata Say. Band-tailed Pigeon. 



Emerscn.— Found large numbers congregated in September in the 

 tall sycamores in Soquel canyon. I am told they go to the source of So- 

 quel creek, where they make their nests on the ground in large colonies. 

 Kaeding.— Two or three stragglers seen and may possibly breed in the 

 redwoods. FK.cks are reported to be abundant in fall, feeding on madrone 

 berries. Recorded Dy Fiske as being common in the winter and rare in 

 summer. Coues2 quotes Cooper on this species as follows: "I have found 

 them breeding in the Coast Range as far south as Santa Cruz, though I 

 did not succeed in finding any nests. I was told that they built in com- 

 panies, on low bushes in unfrequented parts of the mountains, but Town- 

 send found their eggs on the ground near the banks of streams in Oregon, 

 numbers congregating together. I have myself found eggs, which I sup- 

 posed to be of this bird, in a similar situation." 



4. Zenaidura macroura {Linn.). Mourning Dove. 



Emer-son found the dove common in all openings, while Kaeding re- 

 cords a few breeding pairs. McGregor and Fiske found it an abundant 

 summer resident along the coast, arriving about April i. Skirni3 gives it 

 as first seen April 10, 1.S82. and April 6, 1883. 



5. Gymnogyps^ californianus {S/iazc). California Condor. 



iMske. — The condor was conmion a few years ago, when it could be 

 seen feeding with the Turkey Vulture. The last I saw were two in Sep- 

 tember, 1885. A few still breed in the wild mountains north of Santa 

 Cruz. Breninger records the condor as breeding in the county, having its 

 nest in a huge redwood tree. 5 Emerson, on the verbal authority of 

 Cooper, records them as conmion in 1866. Skirm. — Tolerably common. I 

 have seen them in a flock in company with Catharies aura. It journeys 

 along the coast. ^ 



1. -V. A. Faioui, No. 7, 1893, page 27. 



2. Birds ol N. W.. p. 386; also Cooper. Proc. Nat. Mus., 1880, p. 251. 



3. Belding, \A. Bds., Pac. Dist., p. 22. 



4. Richmond, Condor 11/. i.joi. p. 49. 



5. .V/rf, II, I895. p. 77- 



6. Belding, op. cit., p. 24. 



