SNOWY PLOVER 251 



slightly larger than our smallest shore bird, the least sandpiper. The chunky 

 appearance, short, thiclc bill (which is shorter than the head), white collar 

 around hind neck, uniform pale drab upper surface, pure white under surface, 

 and conspicuous dark-brown or black patches at the sides of the breast are all 

 useful as aids to recognition. From the killdeer, and the semipalmated and 

 Wilson plovers, the snowy is distinguished by its lack of complete black or 

 dark-brown breast band and by its smaller size, and from the least and western 

 sandpipers, and from the sanderling, by its white collar around hind neck and 

 by the dark patches at the sides of its chest ; and, in spring, from the last three 

 named birds by the absence of mixed coloration on its upper surface. 



Winter. — The snowy plover is a permanent resident throughout 

 the southern part of its range, though perhaps the same individuals 

 may not be present all the year round. It winters as far north as 

 San Francisco, but more abundantly from Santa Barbara southward, 

 where its numbers are increased in winter by migrants from farther 

 north and where flocks of 50 or more are often seen. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The United States (principally the western f)art), the 

 West Indies, and Central and South America. 



Breeding range. — The snowy plover breeds north probably to 

 Washington (Willapa Harbor) ; Utah (Bear River and Farming- 

 ton) ; southern Kansas (Comanche County) ; Oklahoma (Cimarron 

 River) ; Mississippi (Horn Island) ; Florida (Pensacola, and Santa 

 Rosa Island); and Cuba (rarely Guantanamo). East to Cuba 

 (rarely Guantanamo). South to Cuba (rarely Guantanamo) ; south- 

 ern Texas (Refugio County, prol)ably San Patricio County, and 

 Corpus Christi) ; probably New Mexico (Carlsbad) ; and Lower Cali- 

 fornia (La Paz). West to Lower California (La Paz, probably 

 Santa Rosalia Bay, and probably San Quentin Bay) ; California 

 (San Diego, probably San Nicholas Island, probably San Miguel 

 Island, Santa Barbara, Morro, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Pescadero, 

 San Francisco, and Eureka) ; probably Oregon (Netarts Bay) ; and 

 probably Washington (Willapa Harbor). 



Winter range. — The winter range extends north to California 

 (Santa Cruz Islands) ; Texas (Brownsville, Corpus Christi, and 

 Aransas Bay) ; probably coastal regions of Louisiana; Florida (Pen- 

 sacola, Santa Rosa Island, Cedar Keys, Clearwater, and Fort Myers) ; 

 Bahama Islands (Riley) ; probably Cuba (Gimdlach) ; probably 

 Yucatan; and Chile (Calbuco). South to Chile (Calbuco). West 

 to Chile (Calbuco, and probably Valparaiso) ; Peru (Chorillos, and 

 the valley of the Tambo) ; probably Guatemala (Chiapam) ; Lower 

 California (La Paz, Magdalena Islands, and San Cristobal Bay) ; 

 and California (San Diego, Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara, and 

 Monterey Bay). They also were noted at AVestport, Wash., on 



