282 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



RED-BACKED SANDPIPER {Pelidni alpina sakhalina). 



Common or local names: American Dunlin; Brant Bird; Redback; Simpleton; Stib; 

 Crooked- billed Snipe; Crooked- bill; California Peep; Little Blackbreast; Lead- 

 back. 



Fall. Spring. 



Length. — About 8 inches: bill 1.50 to 1.7.5. 



Adult in Spring. — Back largely rusty or chestnut red, marked slightly with 

 black and whitish; head (except crown, which is rusty and black), neck, 

 breast and tail light gray, shading into white below and to ashy on tail; 

 head, neck, breast and flanks slightly spotted and streaked; wings gray 

 or ashy, with a white bar; upper belly black; bill long and down-curved. 



Adult in Fall. — Above ashy gray or brownish gray; top of head and streak 

 through eye darker; a light streak over eye; below- white; neck and 

 upper breast tinged with gray and streaked with dusky; streaks con- 

 tinued on flanks. 



Young. — Back similar, the feathers bordered with rusty; head and neck 

 buffy, streaked with dusky; breast shading to buffy white streaked with 

 black; belly white, spotted with black. 



Field Marks. — Birds showing the red back and black belly not often seen in 

 Massachusetts either in spring or fall. The long curved bill and the mouse- 

 colored back distinguish fall birds. In flight a white line shows on the wing. 



Notes. — Peurr (Hoffmann). When frightened or flying, a hoarse grating 

 note; a contented peeping chatter (Eaton). When disturbed a kiik. 



Season. — Rare spring and common autumn migrant coastwise; April to 

 early Jime, and September to November; formerly a few summered here. 



Range. — North America and eastern Asia. Breeds on northern coast of 

 Siberia west to mouth of Yenisei, from Point Barrow to mouth of Yukon, 

 in Boothia and Melville peninsulas and northern Ungava; winters on 

 Pacific coast from Washington to southern Lower California and from 

 New Jersey (rarely Massachusetts) south to Louisiana and southern 

 Texas, and in Asia from China and Japan to Malay Archipelago; rare 

 in migration in interior of United States, except about southern end of 

 Lake Michigan. 



