﻿FOOD OF AMEEICAN PHALAEOPES, AVOCETS, AND STILTS 15 



VEGETABLE FOOD 



Vegetable matter was a regular constituent in the diet of the avocet, 

 being found in 56 of the 67 stomachs examined, and totaling 34.9 per 

 cent for the entire period. A considerable part of this is composed 

 of seeds of marsh or ao^uatic plants. Thus seeds of the sago pond- 

 weed (Potamogeton pectinatus) were found 17 times and those of some 

 related form once. Salt grass {DisticJilis spicata) was taken 3 times, 

 bayonet-grass {Scirpus paludosus) 7, and related bulrushes of the 

 same genus as the latter, also were found 7 times. The names of a 

 few scattered seeds from other groups are given in Table 3. 



Vegetable matter other than seeds also was eaten. Thus leaves 

 and stems of the sago pondweed were abundantly represented and 

 were identified in 17 stomachs. Miscellaneous bits of vegetation 

 classed as vegetable rubbish were found 19 times. This matter in 

 part was evidently picked up at random in feeding in shallow water. 

 Some of this must be classed as waste, but as it is possible to extract 

 nutriment from a portion it must be considered of some value. It 

 is ground up in digestion by means of the gravel and hard seeds 

 swallowed for the purpose. 



SUMMARY 



Analysis of the food of the avocet shows that this species has no 

 injurious tendencies whatever. Much of the animal food belongs to 

 forms that are economically neutral. The weevUs eaten are to be 



E laced on the credit side of the account, as they are nearly always 

 armful or may become so if given opportunity. 

 In some regions the ''snipe,'' as the avocet is sometimes known, is 

 considered a game bird or is hunted for food. Shooting avocets has no 

 element of sport, however, as it is easy to walk up within gun 

 range of them, and they are fearless and frequently come around 

 to examine the hunter. Though the birds are of fair size, the flesh 

 is not savory and offers no excuse for killing them. They rightfully 

 have been removed from the category of game birds and are now 

 accorded full protection under the regulations of the Federal 

 migratory-bird treaty act. This is fortunate indeed for their con- 

 tinuance, as they are large and conspicuous and easily killed. They 

 rear but one brood of four young each season and are subject nor- 

 mally to many dangers, so that with shooting the species would soon 

 be exterminated. With increase in cultivation of lands throughout 

 their range their haunts have been much restricted. The birds 

 remaining have in many instances been brought into closer relation 

 with man, so that the good they do is more apparent. 



Table 3. — Material identified in the food of the avocet as determined from the 

 examination of 67 stomachs, and the number of stomachs in which each item 

 was found 



Animal Matter 



PUYLLOPODA 



Apiusp. 



Odonata (dragonflles) 



Dragonfly nymphs 3 



Ephemerida (Mayflies) 

 Epbemeridae (nymphs) 2 



Animal Matter— Continued 

 Oethoptera (grasshoppers, etc.) 

 AcridiidsD.. 



Heteroptera (true bugs) 



Notonccta sp. (back-swimmers) 



DelostomatidsD (giant water l)Ugs) 



Arctocorixa dis[)(;rsa (vvai.er-ljoalnian).. 



Other CorlxIdBB (water-boutnien) 



Other heteropterana 



