SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 



235 



BAIRD'S SANDPIPER 

 Pisobia bairdi (L'nui-s) 



A. O U. Xiimbcr 24 



Other Name. — Grass-bird. 



General Description. — Length, 7 inches. Color 

 above, brownish-black ; below, white with jiale brownish 

 on breast. Resembles the Pectoral Sandpiper but 

 smaller and breast less heavily streaked. 



Color. — Adults: Entire upper parts, brownish- 

 black, each feather bordered and tipped with light 

 reddish-yellow, these tips broader and nearly pure white 

 on shoulders; coverts and secondaries like back, latter 

 lighter tipped; central tail-feathers, brownish-black; 

 remainder, successively lighter, all narrowly bordered 

 with white; breast pale broivnish zvitli faint spots and 

 streaks of dnslcy: throat and under parts, white; bill 

 and legs, dusky ; iris, brown. Young in Autumn : Sides 

 of head, throat, breast, and upper parts, including wings, 

 nearly uniform pale yellowisli-brown, each feather 

 darker centrally: crown (strongly), sides of head, 



Sec Co 



I'l.'itp 



throat, and breast (more faintly), streaked or spotted 

 with brown: rest of under parts, white; bill, dusky, 

 lighter at base; legs, dull olive. 



Nest and Eggs.— Nest : .\ depression in the ground 

 under shelter of tuft of grass, lined with a few leaves 

 and grasses. Eggs: 4. buffy, spotted with shades of 

 chestnut-hniwn. 



Distribution.— North and South .'\merica; breeds 

 along the Arctic coast from Point Barrow to northern 

 Keewatin ; winters in Chile, .Argentina, and Patagonia : 

 occurs regularly in migration from the Rocky Moun- 

 tains to the Mississippi River, and in Central America 

 and northern South .'\merica, and irregularly in autumn 

 on the Pacific coast from .Maska to Lower California 

 and on the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to New 

 Jersey; casual in summer in Guerrero, Mexico; acci- 

 dental in England and South .Africa. 



.Mthniigh it is slig^htly larsjer than the Least 

 and .'^emipalniated Sand])ipcr.s it is not casv to 

 distinguish the Baird's .Sandpiper from those 

 .species. Its general color in the field is more 

 vellowish-brovvn and it is found ahnost exclu- 



sive]\' along the prairie sloughs and lagoons of 

 the Middle West. Its habits are similar to other 

 small .Sandpipers ; it nnis along the shore in 

 the same confiding way, and unless frightened 

 will sometimes feed almost at the observer's feet. 



LEAST SANDPIPER 

 Pisobia minutilla (I'iciUot) 



A. O U. Number 242 .See ( olor Plate 35 



Other Names. — Peep; Wilson's Stint; Ox-eye; 

 Mud-peep : .'-iand-pcep ; Little Sand-peep. 



General Description. — Length, 6 inches; the smallest 

 Sandpiijer, and not heavier than an English Sparrow. 

 Color above, grayish-brown ; below, white with the 

 breast darker. Much like the Semipalmated Sandpiper, 

 but the feet with no webs. 



Color. — Adults in Summer: I-.ntire uj^per parts, 

 dusky brown striped on head and neck with chestnut, 

 each feather on back and shoulders edged with chest- 

 nut and tipped with whitish ; center tail-feathers, black- 

 ish edged with chestnut, others, gray edged with white ; 

 wing-coverts and secondaries, brownish edged with bay ; 

 secondaries, tipped witli white; primaries, dusky; breast, 

 washed with pale rusty and spotted with browm ; a 

 diffuse .streak from bill through and back of eye. dusky ; 

 bill and !e<is. dusky greenish: iris, brown with white 

 eye-ring; throat, abdomen, and rest of under parts, 

 white, .\dults in Winter: Entire upper parts, pale 



grayish-brown, each feather darker centrally ; second- 

 aries and primaries, white-tipped ; breast, shaded with 

 very pale brownish-gray, spotting obsolete: bill as in 

 summer; feet, yello'c^.'isli-iireeii. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : Near water ; a mere de- 

 pression in the ground, lined with leaves and grass. 

 Eggs: 3 or 4, creamy-buflf to light drab, heavily spotted 

 with chestnut and lavender. 



Distribution. — North and South .-America ; breeds 

 from northwestern .Alaska, southern .Arctic islands, and 

 northern Ungava to Vakutat Bay, .Alaska, valley of the 

 Upper Yukon, northern Mackenzie, central Keewatin, 

 southern Ungava, Nova Scotia, and .Sab'e Island : 

 winters from California, Texas, and North Carolina 

 through the West Indies and Central .America to Brazil. 

 Chile, and the Galapagos ; in migration occurs through- 

 out the United States and west to northeastern .Silieria 

 and the Commander Islands, north to Greenland, and in 

 Bermuda ; accidental in Europe. 



