Part 13

Nests are on the ground in grassy or herbaceous cover.

=Black Rail=: Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis (Gmelin).--This is an uncommon summer resident in Kansas. Records of breeding and specimens taken in the breeding season come from Finney, Meade, Riley, and Franklin counties. Seasonal occurrence is within the period March 18 to September 26.

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

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 8 eggs (6-10; 4). Nests are on the ground under cover of marsh plants.

=Common Gallinule=: Gallinula chloropus cachinnans Bangs.--This is a local summer resident in marshlands. Nesting records and specimens taken in the breeding season come from Barton, Stafford, Shawnee, Douglas, and Coffey counties. Occurrence in the State is from April through September.

Breeding schedule.--Eggs are laid in May and June.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 10 eggs.

Nests are in marsh grasses and other emergent vegetation, not necessarily over water.

=American Coot=: Fulica americana americana Gmelin.--This is an uncommon, local summer resident in wetlands in Kansas. Coots are at greatest abundance in autumnal and spring migratory movements, but are present all year. Nesting has been recorded from Barton, Stafford, Doniphan, and Douglas counties.

Breeding schedule.--Thirty-eight records of breeding span the period May 11 to June 30; the mode to laying is May 25. Earlier breeding probably occurs in the State.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 8 eggs (7.7, 5-12; 28).

Nests are made of marsh vegetation (arrowhead, cattail) and float on water.

=Snowy Plover=: Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris (Lawrence).--This summer resident is fairly common on the saline flats of central and south-central Kansas. Breeding records are from Barton, Stafford, Meade, Clark, and Comanche counties.

Breeding schedule.--Fifteen records show that eggs are laid in the period May 25 to June 20; the peak of laying seems to be around June 10.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 3 eggs.

Eggs are deposited on bare sand.

=Killdeer=: Charadrius vociferus vociferus Linnaeus.--This summer resident is common throughout the State, in open country frequently near wetlands. A few individuals overwinter in Kansas, especially in the southern counties.

Breeding schedule.--The 29 records of breeding span the period March 21 to June 30; the modal date of laying is May 20. The distribution of completed clutches (Fig. 3) suggests that Killdeers are here double-brooded.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 4 eggs.

Eggs are laid on the surface of the ground, frequently on gravel, field stubble, plowed earth, and pasture.

=Mountain Plover=: Eupoda montana (Townsend).--This is an uncommon and local summer resident in western short-grass prairie. Breeding records come from Greeley and Decatur counties.

Breeding schedule.--Wolfe (1961) wrote that the species in Decatur County laid eggs in the "last of May" in the early 1900s. The only other dated breeding record is of downy young (KU 5512, 5513) taken on June 21.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is usually 3 eggs.

Eggs are laid in slight depressions in the ground, "lined with a few grass stems," according to Wolfe (1961).

=American Woodcock=: Philohela minor (Gmelin).--This is a rare summer resident in wet woodlands in eastern Kansas. Arrival in the northeast is from mid-March through April, with departures southward occurring from September to December; the last date on which the species has been seen in any year is December 5. There are nesting records only from Woodson County; probably the species nests in Douglas County (Fitch, 1958:194).

Breeding schedule.--Eggs are laid in April.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is usually 4 eggs.

Nests are depressions in the dry ground within swampy places, usually under heavy plant cover.