Chester A. Reed

Name: The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns: Family Laridae
Author: Chester A. Reed

The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

Summary

“The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns: Family Laridae”, published in 1915, is a work by Chester A. Reed. It explores elements such as eggs, nests and the United States.

Quotes from The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (Chester A. Reed)

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ Gulls are webbed footed birds having a slight hook to the end of the upper mandible. Their plumage is generally a silvery gray above and white below. They nest in large colonies, some on the islands of fresh water inland, but mostly on the sea coast. They procure their food from the surface of the water, it consisting mostly of dead fish and refuse matter, and Crustacea which they gather from the waters edge. When tired they rest upon the surface of the water, where they ride the largest waves in perfect safety. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ A more northern bird than the last, breeding abundantly in Alaska, both on the coast and in the interior. In the southern limits of its breeding range, it nests in company with the Common Tern, its nests and eggs being indistinguishable from the latter. When their nesting grounds are approached, all the birds arise like a great white clour, uttering their harsh, discordant "tearrr, tearrr," while now and then an individual, bolder than the rest, will swoop close by with an angry "crack." On the whole they are timid birds, keeping well out of reach. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ This beautiful bird is the most rare of all the Gulls, being very difficult to obtain because of its extreme northerly distribution. It is in form and plumage like Bonaparte Gull, with the exceptions that the head is white, there being a narrow black collar around the neck, the tail is wedge shaped, and the whole under parts from the chin to the tail are rosy in the breeding plumage. The nests and eggs remain still undiscovered, although Nansen, in August 1896, found a supposed breeding ground in Franz Josef Land, because of the numbers of the birds, but found no nests. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ This Gull is found in winter on the coast from British Columbia southward to Lower California, but nests in the interiar from Utah northward. They nest very abundantly around the Great Salt Lake, placing their nests generally upon the bare ground. Sometimes there is a scant lining of grasses or weeds and again the nests will be situated in the midst of a tussock of grass. Three or four eggs generally constitute a set, but occasionally five are laid. The usual nesting time is during May. They show the same great variations in color and markings common to most of the Gulls. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ They breed in large numbers both on the high rocky cliffs of the islands along the coast and on the low sandy islands of the Aleutian Chain. On Copper Island they breed on the inaccessible cliffs overhanging the water. As in the case of the Iceland Gull, when the nests are on the cliffs, a large nest of seaweed is made, whereas if they are on the ground, especially in
sandy places no attempt is made at nest-building. The eggs have a greenish brown ground color and dark brown spots. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ Pacific Coast of South and Central America; north to California in summer.
A similar bird to the Royal Tern, but easilyGull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Cream color
distinguished by its smaller size, slender bill, and more graceful form. In the breeding plumage the under parts of these Terns are tinged with rosy, which probably first gave the birds their name. They breed on the coasts and islands of Mexico and Central America, placing their eggs on the sand. They are believed to lay but a single egg, like that of the Royal Tern, but smaller. Size 2.40 x 1.40. Data. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ They lay but a single egg, generally plac ing it on the bare ground, or occasionally
building a frail nest of grasses. The egg
has a pinkish white or creamy ground
and is beautifully sprinkled with spots of
reddish brown and lilac. They are laid
during May. Size 2.05 x 1.45. Data. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ They vary from gray to greenish buff, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.60 x 1.75. Data. Hat Island, Lake Michigan, July 1, 1896. No nest. Two eggs in a hollow in the gravel. Fully a thousand terns nesting on about one acre. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Chester A. Reed, The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (1915)

“ It is regarded as
one of the most common
-*^ ^r*s-^^ of the larger Gulls in Ber ,> ^V- ing Sea and also nests
'-.^ commonly in Hudson Bay
.y'#*' ** -, and Greenland, as well as
'* ' . .-* ^l % *-' *"'**% ; ^ in the Eastern Hemis ^ "AiJt "'* -\'i^ ," - s Wi phere. They nest indiffer ently on high rocky cliffs or on low sandy islands. Ex3ept when the eggs are laid in a sandy depression in the soil, quite bulky nests are made of seaweed and moss. ”

Chester A. Reed

Summary

Quotes from The Bird Book — Gulls and Terns… (Chester A. Reed)

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