ANAKTUVUK PASS 61 



for the swiftness with which they run over the gravel bars of the river, 

 but because of their restricted habitat, the resident population in the 

 valley is not large. 



Charadrius vociferus vociferus Linnaeus 



On the basis of recognition of pictures and from description of its 

 appearance and habits, the killdeer was called Talikvak, by the Nuna- 

 miut. Simon Paneak says that a few may be seen as spring migrants, 

 and reported one sight record May 29, 1950, at Tuluak Lake. On 

 May 29, 1951, one was wounded by Elijah Kakena but it escaped. The 

 Nunamiut think that they do not nest in the mountains, but that they 

 nest on the lower Colville. These Nunamiut accounts undoubtedly 

 refer to a plover or sandpiper differing from any which we obtained 

 and resembling the illustrations and descriptions of killdeer. But 

 there have been only two specimens of killdeer taken on the arctic 

 coast of Alaska (Bailey 1948) and there is only one sight record from 

 Yukon Territory (Kand 1946). Considering it possible that I could 

 have been confused in our exchange of descriptions, I cannot now 

 identify conclusively the killdeer in the list of birds of the mountains. 



Pluvialis dominica dominica (Miiller) 



20 males May 19- July 25 weight (36), 127-169, 



average 144 g. 



18 females May 21-July 25 weight (24), 126-169, 



average 146 g. 



1 yomig male July 25 weight 105 g. 



2 young females July 25 weight 111, 121 g. 



5nests, each with June 9 



female and 4 

 fresh or slightly 

 incubated eggs. 



In addition to the specimens of eastern American golden plover re- 

 corded, seven birds were collected May 12-23, 1948, and about 100 

 others were examined. None were questioned as deviating from the 

 form dominica. The earliest records are May 12, 1948, May 16, 1949, 

 May 10, 1950, May 8, 1951, May 19, 1952, May 18, 1953, and May 17, 

 1954. Thereafter increasing numbers were seen daily feeding and 

 whistling on the tundra, where the drier and more elevated part of 

 the valley floor was their preferred habitat. Because the flocks were 

 few and loosely formed, it is difficult to distinguish northbound mi- 

 grants from the many birds which take residence and impossible to 

 estimate the proportions of the two categories. 



In early June pairs are established in their territory, where both 

 often stand, conspicuous and statuesque, as the male whistles the cheer- 

 ful call for which it is called Todlik by the Nunamiut. The first 

 nests were recorded on June 9, 1949, two sets then being slightly in- 

 cubated, one on June 8, 1951 and a nest with three eggs on June 10, 



