Sand country ecology: Birds of the sand country

[First paragraph(s)...]
The normal vegetation of a sand-dune area provides cover ot an open kind which is generally a more favourable environment for large numbers of birds than a more denselv wooded area. This applies in some degree to such light soiled country even after it has been modified by additional protective vegetation. Some of the obvious advantageous factors are the good drainage and low humidity, the size and accessibility of numerous insects, the range of edible fruits and seeds, and the high proportion of nitrogen and protein in the leaves of leguminous plants in such areas. These hypothetical advantages can be re-examined after some consideration of the birds present.
They can profitably be listed and grouped in categories for the purpose of this somewhat superficial survey.