NESTING-SITES OF TROPIC-BIRDS IN THE HOLES OF A LIMESTONE CLIFF 



The Tropic-Birds of Bermuda 



By KARL PLATH, Chicago 



With photographs by the author 



A SLIM, snowy white bird, with long streaming tail, gracefully winnow- 

 ing its way through the air with rapid wing-beats. This was my first 

 impression of the Tropic-bird, one of the most attractive of the many 

 attractive sights of Bermuda. Locally, the Tropic-birds are known as 'Long- 

 tails' or 'Boson-birds' and, though not so abundant as they were ten or fifteen 

 years ago, when they bred in the Bermudas by the thousands, they are still 

 quite common, and may be seen from February to October. They are also 

 found and breed in the Bahamas, Antilles, and other islands of the subtropical 

 and tropical Atlantic. After their nesting time is over, the Bermuda Tropic- 

 birds migrate to more southerly latitudes. 



The Bermudas are the northern breeding ranges of these birds, and they 

 are most abundant on the rocky cliffs along the south shore. They spend much 

 time in the air, and may be seen flying in graceful curves, sometimes swooping 

 in a spiral, with half-closed wings, to the surface of the water, and often alight- 

 ing there after a skim over the waves. In the water they sit very high, with their 

 tails held well above it. They frequently utter their peculiar cry, which varies 

 — sometimes a rasping t-chik-tik-tik or clik-et-click-et; again, the noise pro- 

 duced by several birds in the air reminds me of the noise of a greaseless axle 

 on a wagon-wheel. 



Their manner of flight differs from most sea-birds; the wings move much 

 more rapidly, and at a distance one might easily mistake them for Pigeons, as 



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