THE BIRDS OF LIBERIA 639 
spring up, or which inhabit the grainfields in clearings; while in the immediate 
vicinity of the villages themselves there come in a number of satellites that 
seem to profit in some way by the proximity of man. In addition to the groups 
of birds characteristic of these types of habitat there are a few water birds 
chiefly found along the seaboard and immediate seashore, that seldom pene- 
trate inland. While most of the native species are largely sedentary, a few 
appear to be more or less migratory, while a few are northern-breeding species 
that occur as migrants passing through to other parts of Africa for the winter, or 
reaching Liberia as winter visitors without going much farther south. These 
different groups may be briefly listed with somewhat more detail at this point. 
THe River Brrps 
A number of birds are practically confined to the immediate vicinity of 
the streams or the shores of lagoons and pools. Of the larger species most are 
fish-eaters that habitually frequent the water in search of food, and at other 
times rest on the shores or on perches close to water. Such are the cormorants 
and darters of the lower courses of the streams, and several species of heron 
that hunt along the shores or wade the lagoons. The Reef Heron (Demigretta 
gularis) seems to show a preference for the mangrove swamps that border the 
seashores while the Green-backed Heron (Butorides striatus atricapillus) and 
the White-backed Night Heron (Nycticorax leuconotus) also are commoner 
coastwise in similar situations. Otherwise the mangrove swamps are rather 
thinly populated. The Liberian Green Ibis (Lampribis splendida) follows 
up the streams inland well into the forest, while the Finfoot is common along 
these waterways into the smaller streams and pools of the interior. While 
the Spur-winged Goose and the Comb Duck seem to occur only rarely about 
the mouths of some of the larger streams with broad areas of shoals, as at Cape 
Mount, the Hartlaub’s Teal (Pteronetta hartlaubi) and probably also the White- 
faced Tree Ducks are found in the wooded swamps and along the forest streams. 
The African Dwarf Bittern (Ardetrallus sturmii) is said to occur only along 
the freshwater pools and creeks in high forest, while the Common Sandpiper 
(Actitis hypoleucos) seeks the more open parts of the shores. Several of the 
fisheating kingfishers haunt the streams for their favorite food, one, Alcedo 
rudis, confined almost wholly to the coast and tidewater, others, as the Giant 
Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) and several smaller species including the Shining 
Blue (Alcedo quadribrachys) and the Malachite Kingfishers (Corythornis cris- 
tata), following the rivers and smaller streams far into the forested interior. 
The White-headed Plover (Xiphidopterus albiceps) and the Chestnut-collared 
Pratineole (Galachrysia nuchalis liberiae) are peculiar in requiring special con- 
ditions of habitat. The former is confined to rocky islets or sandbars in rivers 
where the current is swift while the latter is found in much the same sort of 
places, especially in the vicinity of falls and rapids so that they become exceed- 
ingly localized in their range. In addition to these, there are a few small passerine 
birds that are very strictly associated with the streams. Such are the River 
Swallows (Hirundo nigrita), that nest on stranded tree trunks, selecting only 
