116 Birds of Colorado 



rather larger and perhaps a little darker ; more richly coloured on the 

 back. Length 5-10; wing 3-3; tail 1-5; culmen '65; tarsus -70. 



Distribution.— Breeding from Quebec to south Yukon northwards, 

 south on migration through the greater part of the United States, to 

 winter along the Gulf coast and in South America to Peru. 



In Colorado a fairly common transient visitor in spring and autumn, 

 arri\ing from the south in the second half of April, passing chiefly 

 through the plains and the mountain parks up to about 7,000 feet. 



The following are records : Monon, May 2nd (Warren), Fort Lyon 

 and Loveland, April 19th (Cooke), Colorado Springs and Lincoln co. 

 (Aiken coll.), Barr (Horsey & Rockwell) in the plains ; Salida, April 

 28th (Colo. Coll. Mus.), South and IVIiddle Parks (Carter) in the parks ; 

 Grand Junction, common in spring and fall (Rockwell) on the western 

 slopes. Felger notes it as not uncommon through the summer at Barr, 

 but has no evidence of its breeding. 



Habits. — All the Sandpipers have very similar habits ; 

 they are mostly seen in small flocks running along 

 patches of sand or mud by the sides of rivers or lakes ; 

 they are nervous and active, and when flushed fly off 

 quickly with a little shrill " Peep, peep " of alarm. 



Genus PELIDNA. 



Bill rather long and slender, slightly decurved, much longer than the 

 tarsus, which slightly exceeds the middle toe and claw ; in other 

 respects Uke Pisobia ; plumage with a white wing-bar and a black 

 patch on the abdomen in the breeding season. 



Only one circumpolar species ; European and American birds are 

 sufficiently distinct to form two subspecies. 



Red-backed Sandpiper. Pelidna alpina sahlialina. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 243a — Colorado Records — Ridgway 73, p. 187 ; 

 79, p. 233 ; Morrison 89, p. 168 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 66. 



Description. — Adult in summer — Above rufous with dusky centres 

 and white tips to moat of the feathers ; wings and tail dusky ashy, 

 the former with a white wing-bar and white edges to some of the 

 secondaries ; below white, a black patch covering most of the abdomen ; 

 fore-neck and chest streaked with dusky ; iris dark brown, bill and feet 

 black. Length 8-25 ; wing 4-75 ; tail 2-0 ; culmon 1-6 ; tarsus 1-05. 



In winter the birds are plain ashy-grey above, generally with darker 

 shaft-streaks ; bolow white with tlio foro-neck and chest suffused with 



