HUDSONIAN CUSLEW 451 



spots and blotches of brown with deeper markings of pale lavender 

 and drab (Grinnell, 1900, p. 28). 



Of their nesting habits in the Kotzebue Sound region of Alaska, 

 Grinnell (1900, pp. 27-28) says: 



They were ordinarily met with on the open stretches of tundra, often where 

 these alternate with strips of timber and lakes. Where such perches are 

 afforded, solitary birds on watch would be seen sitting on the tips of isolated 

 dwarfed spruces or even willow bushes. As soon as an intruder entered the 

 domains of a pair of curlew, the bird on watch would give the alarm by a 

 loud, ringing call-note, and soon both birds would fly to meet him. As long 

 as the intruder remains in the vicinity, the pair of birds keep flying restlessly 

 to and fro, now and then alighting on the ground and walking about, but most 

 of the time keeping up their monotonous, rolling whistle. This was the only 

 note I heard, except earlier in the season a long, faint whistle like that of a 

 distant locomotive, uttered by the male bird while sailing slowly, on set, 

 motionless wings over the nesting grounds. This is probably their song-flight, 

 though it is certainly very simple. 



Only by remaining quiet for a considerable period of time at some 

 distance from the supposed nest site and observing the movements of 

 the parent birds after their fear had subsided, was the collector able 

 definitely to locate any nest. When the birds had quieted down for 

 a time, it was usually possible by rushing toward the spot to flush 

 one of them directly from the nest and thus locate its position. As 

 long as a person is at the nest, the parents fly close about, almost 

 deafening him with their loud, penetrating cries. If anything, the 

 male is the more demonstrative bird of the two. 



Mackay states (18926, pp. 347, 348) that young birds in the fall 

 are not so wary as adults and are more easily decoyed. The cries of 

 a wing-wounded bird are usually sufficient to recall the other members 

 of a flock and they are then less mindful of danger. Hunters take 

 advantage of this habit and thereby increase their levy on each 

 passing flock. 



Along the seashore the Hudsonian Curlew feeds upon fiddler crabs 

 and sand spiders and probably many other marine animals. Inland 

 its diet includes insect larvae, grasshoppers and beetles. Being a 

 more maritime species it is not so important agriculturally as is the 

 Long-billed Curlew. However, Belding (MS) states that in April, 

 1884, flocks foraged on the mesas back from San Diego Bay, where 

 insects were abundant. In the north, during the late summer and 

 early fall months, they feed extensively on various berries which 

 grow on the tundras, and their plumage sometimes shows stains from 

 the berry juice. 



The flesh of the Hudsonian Curlew is not so highly prized as is 

 that of the Long-billed, probably because its more maritime habitat 

 results in its taking for food more of the salt-water forms of animal 



