. Birds of America;. Birds -- North America. AVOCETS AND STILTS The A\-occt stands out among' North American shore birds as the most showy of them all. Its white body and black and white-striped wings re\cal its presence at a great distance. It is a large bird, being about a foot and a half long. This, added to the fact that it makes a most acceptable dish when served on the table, is responsible for the extended persecution to w hich it has been subjected by gunners. One of the names by which shooters know it is " Blue Shanks,'" the color of its long, bare legs being responsible for
. Birds of America;. Birds -- North America. AVOCETS AND STILTS The A\-occt stands out among' North American shore birds as the most showy of them all. Its white body and black and white-striped wings re\cal its presence at a great distance. It is a large bird, being about a foot and a half long. This, added to the fact that it makes a most acceptable dish when served on the table, is responsible for the extended persecution to w hich it has been subjected by gunners. One of the names by which shooters know it is " Blue Shanks,'" the color of its long, bare legs being responsible for this. \\'hile searching for wild Ducks' nests on the marshes of the Klamath Ri\er in Oregon I first came upon these remark- able birds. E\idently a small .gr('U|i was nesting in the neighborhood, for upon our appearance three birds came into view and at once ^et up a great outcry. Our first view of them was when they came flying toward us giving vent to their alarm and resentment at our approach. They flew oxerhead and circled about much as is the custom of W'illets under like circumstances. Their screaming soon brought others, who may have been their mates called from the nests by the general alarm. At times they alighted on the ground at a safe distance, or settled in the water of the slough. Here the maneuvers of head- bobbing and wing-waving were most amusing. Sometimes the body would be all but submerged and with head laid out along the water the bird would swim away just as a wounded wild Goose will often try to escape the fowler. The Avocet's nest is a depression in the ground in the vicinity of water and is lined with grass. The young upon emerging from the spotted eggs are able to run almost at once. Audubon has this to say in reference to their feeding habits: â ' Thev search for food precisely in the manner of the Roseate Spoonbill, moving their heads to and fro sideways, while their bill is jiassing through the soft mud ; and in many instances, when the water was
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Keywords: ., bookauthorpearsont, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookyear1923
