494 GAME BIRDS OF CALIFOMNIA 



of back and wings lacking iridescence, and feathers of outer surface of wing, 

 back, and breast, narrowly tipped with pale buff. Natal plumage: Not known 

 to us. 



Marks fok field identification — Moderate size (near that of Killdeer), 

 uniformly blackish upper surface, head and breast, and conspicuous white bar 

 across wing; rump and upper tail coverts largely white, with a middle area 

 of black. Distinguished from Buddy Turnstone by slightly larger size, absence 

 of striking pattern of coloration on head and upper surface, and extension of 

 blackish farther back on lower surface; from all other shore birds of similar 

 size it may be known by the extensive area of blackish on forward portion 

 of body both above and below. 



Voice — A fine clear, peeping cry, weet, weet, too-weet (Nelson, 1887, p. 129). 



Nest — On low marshy ground in the vicinity of brackish pools or on sea- 

 beach; a mere depression in the surface (Nelson, loo. eit.; Reed, 1904, p. 132). 



Eggs — ^Usually 4, pear-shaped, measuring in inches, 1.58 to 1.85 by 1.10 to 

 1.19 (in millimeters, 40.2 to 47.0 by 27.9 to 30.2); ground-color light gray or 

 drab with an olive cast, marked (finely?) vsdth light brown and lilac (Eeed^' 

 loc. eit.; Baird, Brewer and Eidgway, 1884, I, p. 126). 



General distribution — Pacific coast of North America. Breeds in western 

 Alaska from Kotzebue Sound region to Nushagak, on Bristol Bay; winters 

 from British Columbia and even southeastern Alaska south to Magdalena Bay, 

 Lower California, but mostly in southern half of this area; has occurred 

 casually at Point Barrow, Alaska, on east Asiatic coast, and in India (modified 

 from A. O. TJ. Check-list, 1910, p. 132; Cooke, 1910, pp. 98-99). 



Distribution in Calieornia — Present throughout the year on rocky shores 

 along the seaeoast. Most common as a winter visitant and spring and fall 

 migrant; least abundant during late June and early July when only a few 

 belated migrants or non-breeders are to be found. On coast of southern Cali- 

 fornia arrives in numbers chiefly in August, and leaves in April. 



The Black Turnstone occurs in fair numbers along the whole 

 coast of California during most of the year, but because of its prefer- 

 ence for rocky situations along the ocean shore and about the larger 

 bays, it is met with by but few persons. "While not present in such 

 numbers as certain other species of wider habitat preferences the 

 Black Turnstone is distinctly more numerous than the Wandering 

 Tattler, Surf-bird, and Oyster-catchers, which frequent the same 

 restricted sort of territory. 



This Turnstone is present in numbers along our coast from August 

 to May, the population lessening only during the nesting season. 

 However, stragglers which are probably either barren or non-breeding 

 birds, remain through the summer months. Willett (1912a, p. 42) 

 says the main body leaves the coast of southern California in April 

 and returns in August and this apparently holds true for the north- 

 ern part of the state as well. In winter the species remains at least as 

 far north as San Francisco Bay (J. Mailliard, 1904, p. 16) while it is 

 particularly abundant about the islands off the coast of southern Cali- 

 fornia and occurs in fair numbers on the Farallons. Red Rock, on 

 San Francisco Bay, is the farthest point away from the open ocean 

 that the species has been recorded within the state. 



