Life histories of North American shore birds, Part 1 (of 2)Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Science
Life histories of North American shore birds, Part 1 (of 2)
Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Birds -- Behavior; Shore birds -- North America
Ground color varying from white with the faintest tinge of light
olive (1 egg) to "olive buff" (2 eggs) and deep "olive buff" (1
egg); clouded and spotted, especially at the larger end, with
shades of color varying from "dark olive buff" to "olive brownish,"
the intensity varying in direct proportion to the intensity of the
ground color; where the spots coalesce into blotches at the larger
end of the darkest egg, the color is blackish brown; the spotting
is scant at the smaller end.
Referring in his notes to the same two sets of eggs, Doctor Ekblaw
describes the ground colors as varying from very light pea-green, almost
gray, to dark pea-green, "with brown, umber, and almost black dots and
blotches of varying size and shape over the green, and faint subcrustal
lavender blotches showing through." Other eggs which I have seen figured
or described would fit these descriptions fairly well. The measurements
of 42 eggs average 43.1 by 29.6 millimeters; the eggs showing the four
extremes measure =49.8= by =33.8=, =39.9= by 29.7 and 41.5 by =27.7=
millimeters.
_Young._--The period of incubation is said to be between 20 and 25 days.
Both sexes have been taken with incubation patches, so this duty is
doubtless shared by both. I quote from Doctor Ekblaw's notes again:
Though we found but two clutches of eggs, we discovered many
families of young birds. They are able to leave the nest as soon as
hatched, little gray downy chicks with faint blotches of brown, so
like the dried tufts of _dryas_ as to be quite undiscoverable when
hidden among them. Three or four, or rarely five, chicks constitute
the group. Their faint plaintive "cheeps" are so ventriloquistic
and illusory that it is impossible to distinguish the direction
from which they come. When an intruder approaches the little
fellows squat at the signal from the parent bird wherever they
happen to be at the time, and remain immovable as the pebbles and
tufts of _dryas_ until the danger is over, even though it be hours
before the safety seems assured. Even the tiniest of these downy
fledglings seem able to look after themselves. They run eagerly and
constantly about independently pursuing the moths, crane flies, and
flies upon which they feed, often 40 or 50 feet from their mother.
The first signal from the mother, a mellow, solicitous _coo-ee_
transforms them into immovable pebbles or tufts of _dryas_. When
they are discovered and realize that their concealment is no longer
effective, they scatter panic stricken like a flock of little
chickens, chirping appealingly to their "mother" who dashes
valiantly to their defense, quite beside "herself" with concern,
fear, and anger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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