Part 6

SHORT-BILLED GULL. 55. Larus brachyrhynchus. 17 inches.

The short-billed Gull or American Mew Gull is much like the European variety. Adults in breeding plumage; mantle pearly gray; rest of white; outer primary nearly black with a white spot at the end. Bill, feet and legs greenish.

Nest.—On islands in the lakes and rivers of Alaska. The nest is generally made of moss, grass and weeds and placed on the ground.

Range.—Breeds from the interior of British Columbia to Alaska. Winters in the south to Lower California.

HEERMANN GULL. 57. Larus heermanni. 17 inches.

A handsome little species, often called the White-headed Gull. In summer the entire head, neck and throat are white, with a red bill and legs. The body color shades abruptly from the neck into slaty, both the upper and under parts. The primaries and tail are black.

Nest.—Similar to others of the Gull family, with three eggs greenish drab in color marked with brown, black and lilac (2.45 × 1.50).

Range.—Pacific coast of North America.

BONAPARTE GULL. 60. Larus philadelphia. 14 inches.

In summer, tip and outer web of outer primaries black; inner web and shaft white, with a black bill. The head and neck are gray; while in winter the head is white with gray spots back of the eyes. Young birds have the back mixed with brownish and the tail with a band of black near the tip. They are rarely found in the U. S. with the black hood.

Nest.—They nest in great numbers in the marshes of the northwest. The nests of sticks and grass are placed on the higher parts of the marshes and the usual complement of three eggs is laid. The eggs are grayish to greenish brown, marked with dark brown spots (1.90 × 1.30).

SABINE GULL. 62. Xema sabini. 13 inches.

A handsome bird, having the slaty hood bordered behind with a black ring; the primaries black, white tipped, and the tail slightly forked. In winter the head and throat white with the back of the neck dusky.

Nest.—They breed abundantly on the marshes of northern Alaska and Greenland. The two or three eggs are greenish brown in color and marked with dark brown (1.75 × 1.25).

CASPIAN TERN. 64. Sterna caspia. 21 inches.

The largest and most beautiful of the Tern family. The bill is large, heavy and bright red. The crest with which this species is adorned is black. The mantle is pearl color and the breast is white. Winter birds have the crown mixed with white, and the young are blotched with blackish in the wings and tail.

Nest.—They sometimes nest in large colonies and then again only a few pair will be found on an island. Eggs vary from gray to greenish buff, marked with brown and lilac. The two eggs usually being laid in a hollow in the sand.

Range.—North America, breeding from the Gulf Coast and Lower California to the Arctic regions.

ELEGANT TERN. 66. Sterna elegans. 17 inches.

In the breeding plumage the under parts of the Terns are tinged with rosy, which probably first gave the birds their name.

Nest.—They lay but a single egg, in a slight depression in the sand, creamy brown with light brown markings (2.40 × 1.40).

Range.—Central and South America, in summer to California.

FORSTERS TERN. 69. Sterna forsteri. 15 inches.

These beautiful birds are often known as “Sea Swallows,” because of their similarity in flight to those well-known land birds. They are the picture of grace as they dart about high in the air, bill pointed downward, alert and ready to dart down upon any small fish that may take their fancy.

Nest.—A slight depression in the sand, rarely lined with grass, in which are laid three, sometimes four, eggs varying in color from almost white to brownish, thickly spotted with brown and lavender (1.80 × 1.30).

Range.—Throughout North America; breeding from Manitoba to the Gulf Coast.

COMMON TERN. 70. Sterna hirundo. 15 inches.

This bird differs from the above in the red of the bill being more blackish at the tip, and the under parts being a pearly gray in place of white, tail not quite as much forked, and shorter; edge of outer primaries and outer tail-feathers blackish.