The Bird Book Part 32

Range.--Whole of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering south to Patagonia.

This handsome bird is about the same size as the Black-bellied Plover (10.5 inches long). No hind toe. Back and tail mottled with black and yellow; below, more or less entirely black to the tail. Young and winter adults, more or less spotted with yellow and blackish-brown above, and grayish-white below, with indistinct streaks on the breast. Often confused with the last species in this plumage, but is smaller, bill smaller and more slender, and the axillars, or feathers nearest the body, under the wings, are gray while those of the Black-bellied Plover are black. This species is now regarded as rare on the North Atlantic coast during migrations, while in the interior it is more abundant than the last species. They do not seem to be as suspicious as the Black-bellies, and a flock will often allow a close approach, even when they see you. They nest abundantly along the coast and islands of the Arctic Ocean. The four eggs are very similar to those of the preceding, but smaller. Size 1.90 1.30. Data.--Peel River, Arctic America, June 1, 1898. Nest of gra.s.ses and leaves on the ground in the moss.

272a. PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER. _Charadrius dominicus fulvus._

Range.--An Asiatic species, breeding in northern Asia and on the islands and coast of Asia. Very like the preceding, but more golden color on the back and wings. Nesting and eggs the same.

[Ill.u.s.tration 165: Black-bellied Plover. Golden Plover.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Greenish buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 164

[Ill.u.s.tration 166: A. R. Spaid.

NEST AND EGGS OF KILLDEER.]

Page 165

273. Killdeer. _Oxyechus vociferus._

Range.--Temperate North America from the southern parts of Canada southward. Next to the Spotted Sandpiper, this bird is the most common of the sh.o.r.e birds in the United States. It is rarely seen in New England, but is common south of there and in the interior of the country to Canada.

They are very noisy birds, continually uttering their "kil-deer, kil-deer" from which they take their name. They nest anywhere on the ground, generally near water, placing their nests in fields, cornfields or meadows. The eggs are drab or greenish buff and profusely spotted with black. Size 1.50 1.10. Data.--Refugio county, Texas, May 11, 1899. 4 eggs in a depression on the ground, lined with a few gra.s.ses.

274. SEMIPALMATED. _aegialitis semipalmata._

Range.--North America, breeding in the interior of Canada and wintering south from the Gulf States.

Small web between the bases of the two outer toes. Single broad, black band across the breast; black line from base of bill to eye. They are very abundant on our seacoast in Fall, both in flocks composed entirely of their own kind, and also with Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. They usually keep on the inner side of sandbars or muddy flats bordering marshes, rather than on the open ocean beach. It is also found in smaller flocks, about ponds and marshes in the interior of the country.

They are usually unsuspicious and will allow a close approach, or if you are still, will run by within a very few feet. Nest on the ground; eggs buffy, spa.r.s.ely specked with black, 1.30 .90; June.

[Ill.u.s.tration 167: Grayish buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Kildeer. Semi-palmated Plover.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 166

275. RING PLOVER. _aegialitis hiaticula._

Range.--A European bird that breeds abundantly in Greenland. It nests in great numbers on the banks of streams and in fields, laying its eggs in hollows on the ground, generally without any lining. Their three or four eggs are practically not distinguishable from those of the Semipalmated Plover, but larger; size, 1.40 x 1.00. The bird, too, is similar, but the toes are not palmated, and the black breast band is wider.

276. LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. _aegialitis dubia._

An Old World species, accidentally occurring on the Pacific coast. Like the last species, but smaller. The eggs, too, are smaller; size 1.20 x .85.

277. PIPING PLOVER. _aegialitis meloda._

Range.--Eastern North America, chiefly along the Atlantic coast, breeding from the Carolinas north to Newfoundland.

A handsome little bird, with a black crescent on each side of neck, a small black patch on top of the head, and without any black on the lores or ear coverts. It is the lightest colored of any of the eastern Plovers. Length, 7 inches. Young, similar, but the black replaced by grayish, as is the case with the last species. This species, apparently, never could be cla.s.sed as abundant and of late years, it is becoming rather rare along our Atlantic coast; this is probably more due to the building of summer resorts and homes along their former breeding grounds than to hunters. They are rather more shy than the last species, but will usually attempt to escape by running along the beach or by hiding, rather than by flight. Owing to their light colors it is very difficult to see them at any distance. They lay their eggs upon the sandy beaches in slight, and generally unlined, hollows. The eggs have a pale clay colored ground and are spa.r.s.ely specked with small black dots. Size 1.25 x 1.00.

[Ill.u.s.tration 168: Ring Plover. Snowy Plover.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buffy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Clay Color.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 167

278. SNOWY PLOVER. _aegialitis nivosa._

Range.--Breeds along the Pacific coast of the United States, and from Texas to Manitoba in the interior. Winters on the California coast and south to Chili.

Snowy Plovers are very much like the Piping, but are smaller (length 6.5 inches), have a longer and more slender bill, and have a small black patch on the side of head. It is the palest colored of the Plovers.

Large numbers of them nest along the Pacific coast and in Texas; north of Texas, in the interior, they are locally distributed. The eggs are pale clay color, marked with small scratchy dots of black. Size 1.20 x .90. Data.--Newport Beach, California, May 1, 1897. Nest a hollow in the sand, a short distance above high water; lined with broken sh.e.l.l.

Collector, Evan Davis.

279. MONGOLIAN PLOVER. _aegialitis mongola._

An inhabitant of the Old World, awarded a place in our avifauna because of its accidental occurrence at Alaska.

[Ill.u.s.tration 169: Pale buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. A. Reed. SPOTTED SANDPIPER AND NEST.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 168

280. WILSON'S PLOVER. _Octhodromus wilsonius._

Range.--An abundant breeding species on the Gulf coast, coast of Lower California, and on the Atlantic coast north to Virginia, and casually farther.

A common Plover, which may be distinguished from others of the genus by its comparatively large heavy black bill, and the single broad black band across the breast, and not extending around the back of the neck.

They nest on pebbly "shingle" or in the marsh, back of the beaches.

Their eggs are an olive gray color and are spotted and scratched with blackish brown, with some fainter markings of gray. Size 1.40 x 1.05.

Data.--Corpus Christi, Texas, May 10, 1899. 4 eggs laid on the ground among drifted gra.s.s on a salt marsh near town. Collector, Frank B.

Armstrong.

281. MOUNTAIN PLOVER. _Podasocys monta.n.u.s_.