The Killdeer 



more fruitless than the first. And such conduct on the Killdeer's part 

 is perfectly habitual. Speaking soberly, I believe the Shore-bird portraits 

 in "The Birds of California" might have been twice as numerous and 

 much more excellent, if 

 it had not been for the 

 Pharisaical machina- 

 tions of the Killdeer. Is 

 it any wonder, then, that 

 the author is "sore"? 



Dr. Grinnell, in the 

 " Distributional List, " 

 characterizes the Kill- 

 deer as an "abundant 

 resident of suitable lo- 

 calities throughout the 

 State," with some re- 

 strictions as to range. 

 Undoubtedly, the Kill- 

 deer is an abundant 

 resident of the State, in 

 the sense that the species 

 is always to be found 

 within our borders, and 

 there are many localities 

 in which Killdeers are 

 to be found the year 

 around. But it is doubt- 

 ful whether the individ- 

 ual Killdeers are ever 



strictly resident, that is non-migratory. It is more probable that there is 

 a total redistribution of individuals in winter, but that the fact is disguised 

 to our attention by the quasi independence of each individual bird. 

 There are no "migrating hosts" of these birds, but dwellers by the sea are 

 familiar with the fact that Killdeers do gather en flock, and that under 

 such circumstances they behave very much like other Shore-birds. I 

 have seen flocks of fifty Killdeers bunch closely and wheel and turn in 

 silence and disappear in perfect order; but on other occasions the cohesive 

 force has proved insufficient. The flock impulse has broken down, and 

 the impatient individuals have scattered in shrill alarm, and with every 

 evidence of mutual disgust. It is, apparently, only the spell of new and 

 untried surroundings which induces even a brief awe on the Killdeer's 

 part. Thus, I have seen them near Santa Barbara in great scattered 



Redrawn by Allan Brooks from photo by the Author 

 ENTICEMENT 



IJOJ 



