The Bird Book Part 4

Page 34

34. DOVEKIE. _Alle alle_.

Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and East Arctic oceans, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering as far south as the Middle States. The little Dovekie or Sea Dove is the smallest member of the family, being only 8 inches in length, and is the only member of the sub-family allinae. The form is very robust and the bill is short and stout. In summer the plumage is black above; the throat and upper breast are sooty brown, and the under parts are white, as are also the tips of the secondaries and edges of the scapulars. They nest in large numbers on the Rocky cliffs of islands in the East Arctic. Their single pale greenish blue egg is placed in a crevice of the rocks. Size 1.80 1.25.

Data.--Greenland, June 8, 1893. Single egg laid in a crevice of a sea cliff.

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration 036: Dovekie.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale greenish blue.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MURRE--White, buff, or deep greenish blue.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 35

LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS. Order II. LONGIPENNES SKUA AND JAEGERS. Family STERCORARIIDAE

Skuas and Jaegers are birds having a Gull or Tern-like form and with a hooked bill, the base of which is covered with a scaly shield. They have webbed feet and are able to swim and dive, but they commonly get their living by preying upon the Gulls and Terns, overtaking them by their superior speed and by their strength and ferocity forcing them to relinquish their food. The Jaegers especially are one of the swiftest and most graceful birds that fly.

Page 36

35. SKUA. _Megalestris skua_.

Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the European side; rare on the Atlantic coast of North America.

Skuas are large (22 inches in length) and very powerfully built birds, having the general form of a Gull. Their whole plumage is a dingy brownish black color, palest below. Breeds in Iceland and possibly on some of the islands in Hudson Strait. The nest is a hollow on the ground in the marsh gra.s.s and is lined with gra.s.s. The two eggs which they lay have an olive greenish ground, spotted with dark brown. Size 2.75 1.90.

36. POMARINE JAEGER. _Stercorarius pomarinus._

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle, more commonly in the Old World.

In the breeding plumage, this Jaeger has the crown and face blackish; back and sides of head, throat and under parts pure white, except the pointed stiffened feathers of the neck which are yellow. Back, wings and tail blackish, the latter with the two middle feathers lengthened about four inches beyond the rest of the tail, and broad to the tips, which are twisted so that the feathers are vertical. They breed throughout the Arctic regions, but not as commonly in America as the following species.

The nest is on the ground in the marsh gra.s.s and is made of gra.s.s and moss. They lay two and rarely three eggs of an olive brown or greenish color. These are spotted with brown and black. Size 2.20 1.70.

[Ill.u.s.tration 038: Olive brown.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Skua. Pomarine Jaeger.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Deep olive brown.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 37

37. PARASITIC JAEGER. _Stercorarius parasiticus._

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, wintering south to South America.

The Parasitic Jaeger is very similar to the Pomarine except that the central tail feathers are pointed and are straight instead of twisted.

It is an abundant bird in Alaska, breeding from the Aleutian Chain northward.

They locate their nests in the highest parts of marshy places, the nest itself being only a depression in the ground lined with gra.s.s and moss.

The two eggs have an olive greenish or brownish ground and are marked with various shades of brown and black. Size 2.15 1.65.

38. LONG-TAILED JAEGER. _Stercorarius longicaudus._

Range.--Arctic America; south in winter to South America.

The long-tailed Jaeger is, according to length, the largest of the Jaegers, being 21 in. long; this is, however, due to the long sharp pointed central pair of tail feathers, which extend about eight inches beyond the others, and from the most noticeable distinguishing point from the former species. The plumages that have been described are the light phases; all the Jaegers have a dark phase in which the plumage is a nearly uniform sooty brown, lightest below.

The Long-tailed Jaegers are the most numerous in Alaska and are even more graceful in flight than are the Gulls and Terns, floating, skimming, sailing, plunging, and darting about with incredible swiftness and ease.

Like the others of this family, they pilfer their food from the Gulls, and are also very destructive to young birds and eggs. Their eggs are either laid on the bare ground or in a slight depression, scantily lined with gra.s.ses. The eggs are indistinguishable from those of the preceding species except that they average a trifle smaller. Size 2.10 1.50.

[Ill.u.s.tration 039: Brownish.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Parastic Jaeger. Long-tailed Jaeger.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Olive brown.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 38

GULLS and TERNS. Family LARIDae

Gulls are webbed footed birds having a slight hook to the end of the upper mandible. Their plumage is generally a silvery gray above and white below. They nest in large colonies, some on the islands of fresh water inland, but mostly on the sea coast. They procure their food from the surface of the water, it consisting mostly of dead fish and refuse matter, and crustacea which they gather from the waters edge. When tired they rest upon the surface of the water, where they ride the largest waves in perfect safety.

Terns are birds of similar plumage to the Gulls, but their forms are less robust and the bills are generally longer and sharply pointed.

Their food consists chiefly of small fish which they secure by hovering above the water, and then plunging upon them. They are less often seen on the surface of the water than are the Gulls.

[Ill.u.s.tration 040: Walter Raine. CHARACTERISTIC NEST OF A LOON.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Left hand margin.]

Page 39

39. IVORY GULL. _Pagophila alba._

Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to the northern border of the United States.

The little Snow Gull, as it is often called, is eighteen inches in length. In the breeding season the plumage is entirely white; the bill is tipped with yellow and there is a red ring around the eye. These Gulls nest in large colonies in the Arctic Regions, placing their nests on the high rocky cliffs. The nest is made of gra.s.s, moss and rubbish, and the three eggs are laid during June. The eggs are olive color and the markings are dark brown.

40. KITTIWAKE. _Rissa tridactyla trydactyla._

Range.--North Atlantic and Arctic regions, breeding from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence northward and wintering south to the Great Lakes and Long Island.

The Kittiwake is sixteen inches in length, has a pearly gray mantle, black tips to the primaries, and remainder of plumage white. Its hind toe is very small being apparently wanting in the eastern form, while in the Pacific it is more developed. These are very noisy Gulls, their notes resembling a repet.i.tion of their name. They are very common in the far north, placing nests on the ledges of high rocky cliffs, often in company with Murres and Auks. They gather together a pile of sticks, gra.s.s and moss, making the interior cup-shaped so as to hold their two or three eggs. Large numbers of them breed on Bird Rock, they occupying certain ledges while the Gannets and Murres, which also breed there, also have distinct ledges on which to make their homes. The breeding season is at its height during June. The eggs are buffy or brownish gray and are spotted with different shades of brown. Size 2.25 1.60.

Data.--So. Labrador, June 15, 1884. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and moss, placed on ledge of cliff. Many Murres nesting on other ledges.

[Ill.u.s.tration 041: Ivory Gull. Kittiwake.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]