454 GAME BIBDS OF CALIFOBNIA 



tion has given the bird many vernacular names. In California and 

 elsewhere it is known as Bull-head or Beetle-head by reason of the 

 large size of its head; and its clear, far-reaching note has given it 

 the name of Whistling Field Plover. Elsewhere than in California, 

 it is known as Black-breast, while the young in the fall are often 

 called Pale-bellies because of the lighter coloration of the under 

 parts. 



In California the Black-bellied Plover is a spring and fall migrant, 

 abundant along the coast, and in fair numbers, at least in spring, 

 in the San Joaquin Valley. A few remain through the winter, occur- 

 ring inland at least as far north as Los Banos, Merced County (Beck, 

 MS; specimens in Mus. Vert. Zool.), and along the coast from the 

 vicinity of San Francisco Bay southward. C. H. Townsend (1887, 



p. 199) records the species in 

 December, 1885, from the mouth 

 of the Bel River, Humboldt 

 County. There are no records 

 at any season for the interior 

 of California north of Stockton. 

 The spring migration probably 

 Z2342 begins in March, as Beck (MS) 



„. „, „., , at Los Barios, Merced County, 



Fig. 75. Side of bill of Black- , j r.- j, ■.■ ■, ■ 



bellied Plover. Natural size. heard birds which were evi- 



Note stout form and enlarged end "^^^^^J^ ^° migration On March 6, 

 (compare with figs. 64 and 71). 1912; but the main body passes 



through during April and May. 

 The last depart from southern California about the middle of May 

 (Willett, 1912a, p. 40) ; later stragglers have twice been noted: San 

 Nicolas Island, June 1, 1910 ("Willett, loc. cit.) ; near Santa Barbara, 

 June 5, 1915 (Dawson, 1915, p. 207). Observations covering five 

 separate years between 1904 and 1910 showed the dates of last observ- 

 ance of this species in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay to vary 

 from April 14 to May 23 (Giiford, MS). 



In California the fall migration commences in July, birds having 

 been seen on San Francisco Bay, July 9, 1909, and July 13, 1910 

 (Gifford, MS). South of San Francisco the earliest fall dates are: 

 Monterey, July 24 and 30, 1907 (Beck, 1910, p. 71), and August 10, 



1910 (specimen in Mus. Vert. Zool.) ; Santa Barbara, August 29, 



1911 (Bowles and Howell, 1912, p. 10) ; and Long Beach, Los Angeles 

 Coupty, August 17, 1900 (specimen in Grinnell coll.). Willett (loc. 

 cit.) says the fall migration in southern California continues until 

 October 20. 



From other shore birds occurring in California the Black-bellied 

 Plover in any plumage is easily distinguished by its moderately large 



