Part 12

=Bobwhite=: Colinus virginianus (Linnaeus).--This is a common resident in the east, but is local in western Kansas; occurrence is in broken woodland and other edge habitats. C. v. virginianus (Linnaeus) is found northeast of stations in Nemaha, Douglas, and Miami counties, and C. v. taylori Lincoln is found in the remainder of the State.

Breeding schedule.--Twenty-four records of breeding span the period May 1 to September 20 (Fig. 3); the modal date for first clutches is May 25. The long period of egg-laying after May probably includes both renesting efforts and true second nestings.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 13 eggs (12.8, 8-21; 22); in the present sample 16 eggs was the most frequent number.

Nests are placed on the surface of the ground at bases of bunch grasses, saplings, trees, or posts, under cover of prairie grasses, forbs, or small woody plants.

=Scaled Quail=: Callipepla squamata pallida Brewster.--This is a locally common resident in southwestern Kansas, chiefly west of Clark County and south of the Arkansas River; preferred habitat seems to be in open, sandy prairie.

Breeding schedule.--Eggs are laid at least in May; the egg-season in Kansas is unlikely to be so prolonged as that of the Bobwhite; among other factors involved, the Scaled Quail in Kansas is at a northern extreme of its distribution, where suboptimal environmental conditions may occur relatively frequently.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is around 10 to 12 eggs.

Nests are placed on the ground surface under woody or herbaceous cover.

=Ring-necked Pheasant=: Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus.--This introduced resident is common in western Kansas, is local and uncommon in the east, and is found in agricultural land with scattered woody vegetation.

Breeding schedule.--Eggs are laid at least in May.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 10 to 12 eggs.

Nests are placed on the surface of the ground in woody or herbaceous cover.

=Wild Turkey=: Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus.--Turkeys formerly occurred as common residents in flood-plain woodland in eastern Kansas, and their distribution extended through the west in riparian woodland. Present population in eastern and southern sectors are partly the result of introductions of birds from Missouri by humans in the 1950s. Turkeys in southern Kansas are also present owing to natural dispersal along the Arkansas and Medicine Lodge rivers of birds native to and introduced into Oklahoma. No specimens of turkeys presently found in Kansas are available for examination but these birds probably are referable to M. g. silvestris Vieillot, the trinomen applied to turkeys in Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma.

Turkeys from southern Texas recently have been liberated at several localities in southern Nebraska; turkeys seen in extreme northern Kansas are thus probably of these stocks. The name M. g. intermedia Sennett is applicable to these birds.

Breeding schedule.--No information is available on the egg-season in Kansas; turkeys have nested in southern Kansas within recent years, however.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is perhaps 12 eggs.

Nests are placed on the surface of the ground, usually well-concealed under woody vegetation.

=King Rail=: Rallus elegans elegans Audubon.--This summer resident is locally common in marshlands. Nesting records or adults taken in the breeding season are from Cheyenne, Meade, Pratt, Stafford, Cloud, Riley, Douglas, Anderson, and Allen counties. Dates of arrival in spring are recorded from April 7 to April 28; the median date is April 18. Departure in autumn is possibly as early as September in the north, but four records are in the period October 12 to November 25. The species occasionally can be found in winter (Douglas County, December 28, 1915).

Breeding schedule.--Fourteen records of breeding span the period May 1 to July 20; the modal date for egg-laying is June 5.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 10 eggs (9 to 12; 4 records).

Nests are placed on the surface of the ground, under grassy or woody cover.

=Virginia Rail=: Rallus limicola limicola Vieillot.--This is an uncommon summer resident, presumably throughout the State. The one breeding record is from Morton County (May 24, 1950; Graber and Graber, 1951). Dates of spring arrival are from April 19 to May 18; dates of last observation in autumn are within the period September 1 to October 30. A few birds overwinter in the southern part of the State (Meade County, December and January).

Breeding season.--Eggs are laid probably in May and June.

Number of eggs.--Six to 12 eggs are laid (Davie, 1898).

Nests are placed in emergent aquatic plants, near the surface of the water.

=Sora=: Porzana carolina (Linnaeus).--This is an uncommon summer resident in marshland. Nesting records or specimens taken in the breeding season come from Finney, Barton, Jefferson, Douglas, and Miami counties. First dates of observation in spring are from April 11 to May 9 (the median is May 1); dates when last observed in autumn are from September 30 to November 9 (the median is October 18).

Breeding schedule.--The one dated record comes from August.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is around 10 eggs (Davie, 1898).