White-Tailed Kites in Santa Barbara, California
White-tailed Kites in Santa Barbara County, California.-On the afternoon of November 15, 1942, I had the pleasure of seeing eighteen White-tailed Kites (Elam Zeuczcrirs). Most of them were in the lower Lompoc Valley within five miles of the ocean. All birds were counted from the main highway between Lompoc and Surf. Had time allowed, I have no doubt that several more could have been observed. With hardly an exception the birds were in pairs; in one instance four pairs were found in an area of not more than twenty acres which was surrounded by approximately 200 acres which were identical in topography and cover to the area of concentration. At least one other observation indicated a gregarious tendency apparently unassociated with any economic expediency.
The chief concentration was on level land on the floor of the valley one-half mile to two miles south of the Santa Ynez river. Formerly this region was cultivated, but at present it is a part of Camp Cooke, and the fields are covered with dry grass and occasional tall, dry weeds.
I also saw and had reported to me a few individual kites from the area two or three miles east of Lompoc. In eight years residence here I have previously seen only one or two pairs of White-tailed Kites in the lower valley, where they apparently nested.-DALE T. WOOD, Lonpoc, California, March 29,1943.
