. Birds of California; an introduction to more than three hundred common birds of the state and adjacent islands, with a supplementary list of rare migrants, accidental visitants, and hypothetical subspecies . -shaped nails, twoof which have become united half their length throughconstant service of this sort. His method of starting thehole is similar to that of the bank swallow. Hoveringin front of the bank, hestrikes again and againas a hummingbird driveshis bill into a flower tube,until a small break hasbeen made in the clay orsand of the bank. Thisis enlarged with bill andclaws until he gr
. Birds of California; an introduction to more than three hundred common birds of the state and adjacent islands, with a supplementary list of rare migrants, accidental visitants, and hypothetical subspecies . -shaped nails, twoof which have become united half their length throughconstant service of this sort. His method of starting thehole is similar to that of the bank swallow. Hoveringin front of the bank, hestrikes again and againas a hummingbird driveshis bill into a flower tube,until a small break hasbeen made in the clay orsand of the bank. Thisis enlarged with bill andclaws until he graduallydisappears in it, only ashower of sand occasion-ally testifying to his prog-ress. As in the case ofthe flickers, both maleand female work at the exca-vating, changing about everytwenty minutes. The one whohas been resting returns to aperch near by, uttering thecharacteristic cry,—this time not expressing anger, — and almost instantly the mateleaves the hole and flies off to his or her fishing,taking no notice of the relief guard, who promptlyenters the burrow and resumes work. When thenest is completed and the first one of the six or sevenwhite eggs has been laid, the mother bird broods con-. ■-■ ::n 390. Belted Kingfisher. He strikes again and again. 316 LAND BIRDS stantly by day, leaving only early in the morning andlate at night. If she sees her nest being examined she returns atonce, uttering her hoarse rattling cry in great excitement,and if possible enters it. The male guards the nest andbrings food, rarely if ever brooding the eggs. He some-times prepares a second and shorter burrow as a sleepingplace for himself at a little distance from the originalnest. The Kingfishers habit of commencing incubation assoon as the first egg is laid causes a great discrepancy inthe size of the nestlings, which is doubtless increased bythe greater attention paid to the stronger ones, whocrowd to the front to be fed. The young are absolutelynaked when born, and present a lu
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwhee, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds
