382 GAME BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 



feathers blackish brown, outer ones successively lighter, paling to light drab; 

 outer surface of closed wing dull brown, some of the coverts with pale margins; 

 tips of greater coverts and outer margins of inner secondaries, white, forming 

 a transverse white band on spread wing; flight feathers chiefly blackish brown, 

 with shafts whitish or partially so; innermost secondaries with much white at 

 bases; margin of wing mottled with light brown and white; lining of wing 

 and axillars, white; hindmost under coverts and under surface of flight 

 feathers, dusky; throat, sides of neck, breast and sides, white, narrowly but 

 sharply streaked with black; fore part of belly with a conspicuous squarish 

 black area, some of the feathers narrowly tipped with white; rest of under 

 surface white, with sparse black lines on flanks and lower tail coverts; feet 

 "black" (Audubon, loc. cit.). Adults and immatures both sexes, in fall, winter, 

 and early spring: Whole upper surface dull brown, with narrow inconspicuous 

 darker shaft streaks; hind neck somewhat lighter, central upper tail coverts 

 and tail slightly darker; eyelids, and stripe to and behind eye, dull whitish; 

 sides of head and neck, and whole chest, brownish drab, faintly streaked with 

 dark brown; chin distinctly white; upper tail coverts, tail, and wing as in 

 summer save that wing coverts of immatures are margined with pale buffy; 

 under surface behind chest band, pure white. Males: Total length 8.12-9.25 

 inches (206-235 mm.) (eleven specimens from California) ; folded wing 4.31— 

 4.67 (109.4-118.8); bill along culmen 1.38-1.50 (35.0-38.0); tarsus 0.96-1.07 

 (24.3-27.3) (ten specimens from California and Alaska). Females: Total 

 length 8.62-9.25 (219-235) (eight specimens from California); folded wing 

 4.57-4.85 (116.4-123.1); bill along culmen 1.48-1.68 (37.7-42.5); tarsus 1.05- 

 1.13 (26.6-28.7) (ten specimens from California). Juvenile plumafje : Similar 

 to that of adults in summer, but tawny markings on back paler and less 

 sharply contrasted, head and chest suffused with buffy and streaking less dis- 

 tinct, and breast and belly marked with large irregular spots of blackish browni; 

 no continuous black area across lower surface. Natal plumage: Forehead buffy 

 white, with median 'black line; line from bill to eye dusky; top of head to 

 level of eyes, mixed amber brown, black and w^hite in fine pattern; side of 

 head pervaded with buff; whole back amber brown, mixed with black in 

 coarse pattern, with many white dots on tips of down-feathers; under surface 

 white, with a distinct band of pale buff across fore neck. 



Marks for field identification — Moderately small size (smaller than 

 Killdeer), bill distinctly longer than head with slightly down-curved tip (fig. 

 71), and white band across hinder part of wing. In spring and summer: reddish 

 back, and black patch across belly; in fall and winter: brownish back, broad 

 drab colored breast band, clear white chin and hinder lower surface. Usually 

 moves about in compact flocks. 



Voice — Che-ezp-esp-ezp-ezp, run together in a rather rasping cheep. 



Nest — On slightly elevated ground a short distance from water; a mere 

 depression formed by flattening down the grasses on the surface of the ground. 



Eggs — 3 to 4, pear-shaped, measuring in inches, 1.36 to 1.56 by 0.93 to 1.06 

 (in millimeters, 34.5 to 39.5 by 23.7 to 26.8), and averaging 1.44 by 1.02 (36.6 

 by 25.8) (21 eggs from Alaska); ground-color clay, buffy or drab, with spots 

 of yellowish brown and varying tints of lavender or pale gray; markings 

 arranged with a spiral trend and usually most numerous about larger end of 

 egg. 



General distribution — North America and eastern Asia. Breeds on northern 

 coast of Siberia west to mouth of Yenisei River, and in North America from 

 Point Barrow to mouth of Yukon River and in Boothia and Melville peninsulas, 

 and northern Ungava; winters on Pacific coast from Washington south to 



