260 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



STILT SANDPIPER (Micropalama himantopus). 

 Common or local names: Bastard Yellow-leg; Stilt; Mongrel. 



Length. — 8.25 inches; bill 1.55; fore toes webbed at base. 



Adult in Breeding Plumage. — Above tawny or bay, streaked and blotched 

 with black or blackish, feathers more or less white edged; wings and 

 tail grayish; side of head below eye and over ear and faint line at back 

 of head chestnut; upper tail coverts white, barred with dusky; line 

 over eye and lower parts white, often tinged with reddish; fore neck 

 spotted and streaked with dusky, lower parts elsewhere barred with 

 dusky; bill, long slender legs and feet greenish; legs and feet lighter 

 and more yellowish than bill. 



Adult in Fall and Winter. — Upper parts brownish gray or ash gray; dusky 

 streak from bill through eye; wide line over eye and under parts white; 

 neck streaked with brownish gray; barred below as in spring but not 

 so strongly; tail and upper tail coverts white, marked with dusky; bill, 

 legs and feet darker than in spring. 



Young. — Similar, but upper parts more blackish, the feathers bordered with 

 buflf; below white; legs and feet greenish yellow. 



Field Marks. — Long, slim, greenish legs; long, slim, slightly curved bill. 



Notes. — When disturbed it utters a sharp tweet tweet before flying (Nuttall). 

 A double or triple whistle (C. W. Townsend). 



Season. — A rather rare or local irregular fall migrant coastwise, sometimes 

 not uncommon; very rare in spring, usually in May; early July to 

 early October. 



Range. — North and South America. Breeds near coast of Mackenzie and 

 probably south to central Keewatin; winters in South America south to 

 Chile; casual in winter in southern Texas and Mexico; occurs in migra- 

 tion in western Mississippi valley, West Indies and Central America; 

 less common on Atlantic coast; casual in British Columbia, New- 

 foundland and Bermuda. 



