BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 455 



size (about twice the bulk of the Killdeer) big head, short stout black 

 bill, whitish upper tail coverts, short, white band on spread wing, 

 and black axillars (fig. 3). From the somewhat similar American 

 Golden Plover it is distinguished by its larger size, stouter bill, black 

 axillars, whitish upper tail coverts, ashy rather than golden cast to 

 upper surface, and by the presence of a white band on the spread wing. 

 In spring plumage, when both are extensively black on lower surface, 

 these two plovers may be distinguished by the presence 

 in the Black-bellied of extensive white markings on top 

 of the head, back, and upper tail coverts, and by the 

 clear white on lower belly and under tail coverts. In the 

 fall the Black-bellied Plover is most readily recognizable 

 by the conspicuously contrasting black rather than drab- 

 colored axillars. From the Wandering Tattler it is dis- 

 tinguishable by its short, stout bill and by the presence 

 of white on its wings and rump, and from the Surf-bird 

 by its white forehead, by the smaller amount of white on 

 its wing and upper tail coverts, by the broken pattern of 

 the upper surface, and by the tarsus being much longer 

 than the bill. This is the only one of our true plovers 

 which has a hind toe, though this digit is quite small. 



The note of the Black-bellied 

 Plover is a loud, ringing wher- 

 rell, far-reaching and, at a dis- 

 tance, clear and mellow in qual- 

 ity. It has also been described as 

 resembling the syllables klee-er, 

 sometimes voiced with a quaver- 

 ing effect. These notes may oc- 



casionallv be heard as the birds ^ig. 76. Side of tarsus and foot of 



Black-bellied Plover. Natural size. 

 are passnig overhead at too great 



an altitude for discernment by fig^Jy^/""" ^""^ *°' (compare with 



the human eye. 



While all the larger shore birds exhibit wariness, this trait is 



developed in the Black-bellied Plover to such a degree that the species 



may be called the sentinel among its kind, as it seems to warn the less 



suspicious ones of approaching danger. This extreme wariness is an 



important reason for the popularity of the Black-bellied as a game 



bird, hunters prizing it in consequence of the difficulty in securing a 



good bag. If the hunter imitates the whistle of the birds they will 



come to decoys, but with extreme care, usually circling about one or 



more times before alighting, and making off with great rapidity if 



they see any suspicious movement. In this respect they resemble 



curlew but differ from those birds in that the members of a flock do 



