1920 J Nichols, IAmicoline Voices. oZi 



The Least Sandpiper has a whinny, a little less clearly enun- 

 ciated than that of the Semipalmated, but almost identical with 

 the same. 



American Dunlin or Red-backed Sandpiper {Pclidna alpina 

 sakhalina). The flight-note is an emphatic near-whistled " chu ! " 

 or "chru!" resembling some of the calls of Krieker and Semipal- 

 mated Sandpiper. The species very likely has other calls with 

 which I am not familiar, as I have had little field experience with 

 it. 



Flushing note, of a single, a fine "chit-1-it" (Florida, 1919). 



Semipalmated Sandpiper (Ereunetes pusillus). The Semi- 

 palmated and Least Sandpipers, our smallest species, are very 

 generally found associated and some of their varied lesser calls 

 are almost identical, the more definite ones, however, are absolutely 

 distinct. It is noteworthy that the calls of the Least Sandpiper are 

 less similar to the Krieker's than are those of the Semipalmated. 

 Such dissimilarity between flight-notes of closel}' allied species 

 seems to be the rule rather than the exception. We may note 

 the difference between the calls of the two Yellow-legs, and that 

 the note of the White-rumped Sandpiper is entirely different from 

 that of allied Krieker and Least Sandpiper. 



The flight-note of the Semipalmated Sandpiper is a rather 

 loud "cherk, " softer and less reedy than the analogous Krieker 

 "kerr. " It is commonly modified to a softer "cher" or che, " 

 which, with much variation, becomes the conversational twitter- 

 ing of members of a feeding flock. 



Soft, short, snappy "chip"s are characteristic of flocks man- 

 oeuvering . about decoys, and less frequently heard from singles 

 or two or three birds together, — analogous and homologous with 

 the short flock note of the Krieker. 



Hurried cheeping notes ("ki-i-ip") on being flushed, are sug- 

 gestive of the same note of the Krieker. This seems to be a varia- 

 tion of the short, flocking note; at other times the Semipalmated 

 Sandpiper flushes with what appears a variation of the flight-note, 

 as "serup cherp cherp," (Mastic, August 23, 1919). I have heard 

 the former from a bird on a meadow, loosely associated with 

 Kriekers. This suggests the probability that borrowing of notes 



