5 io Till- LEAST SANDPIPER. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in ( >hio. Nest, on the ground, lined with a few 

 dry leaves and grasses. Eggs, 4. buff, or light cream-buff, finely speckled or 

 spotted and blotched with chestnul of various shade.-. Av. size, 1.30 x .93 

 (33- x 23-6)- 



General Range. — Nearly the whole of North and South America, but chiefly 

 the interior of North and the western portions of South America, south to Chili 

 and Patagonia. Minds in Alaska and on the Barren Grounds. Rare along the At- 

 lantic C'^ast. and nol yel recorded from the Pacific Coast of the United States. 



Range in Ohio. — Rare spring and fall migrant. 



MUCH ctii fusion formerly existed with reference to the status of this 

 species, and even now it seems certain that many of them pass through our 

 !n rders unrecognized, because of their habit of associating during migrations 

 with other and smaller Sandpipers. 



The Baird Sandpiper is abundant in the interior states, and especially 

 in the Rocky Mountains at certain seasons; but it breeds exclusively in the 

 remote north. 



"In habits they are similar to the White-rumped (which they so closely 

 resemble), but are more inclined to wander from the water's edge. I have 

 flushed the birds on high prairie lands, at least a mile from the water" 1 Goss I. 



No. 235. 



LEAST SANDPIPER. 



A. C). U. No. 242. Actodromas minutilla (Vieill.). 

 Synonyms. — AMERICAN StinT; PEEP. 



Description. — Adult in summer: Upper parts brownish black, relieved by 

 fuscous on wings, hind-neck, etc. ; the feathers more or less bordered with grayish 

 and rusty-ochraceous, especially on scapulars, where deeply indented, often nearh 

 to shaft; upper tail-coverts and central feathers of tail brownish black; remaining 

 tail-feathers ashy gray; sides of head, neck, and breast ashy or brownish white. 

 potted and streaked with dusky; a few dusky streaks on sides; remaining nude' 

 parts white. Winter plumage: Above plain brownish gray, black, if at all, onh 

 in mesial stn al - : spotting of breast nearly obsolete. Immature: Similar to adult 

 m summer, but without ochraceous indentations on scapular feather-; feathers of 

 back with rounded ochraceous tips, scapulars with white tips on outer web. etc.: 

 distinctly streaked. Length 6.00 1 152.4) ; wing 5.60 (91.4) : tail 1.70 

 (43.2) ; bill .80 (20.3) ; tarsus .73 118.5). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler to Sparrow size; least among Sandpipers; 



;ed with Ereunetes pusillus, from which it differs in its 



slightly smaller size, slender bill, more extensively washed breast, and rather darker 



n above. The absence of webs on the feet i-. of course, distinctive. 



Nesting.— Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. /.' v. 3 1 ,r 4, light 



