1 8 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER. 



A. O, \/.J^o.274-. {Ae^ialilij jemipalmala.) 



RANGE. 



The whole of North and South America, breeding in both the Arctic 

 and Antarctic regions. It migrates in winter to the Bahamas and 

 Brazil. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 6 inches; extent of wings, 15.5 inches; tail, 2.25 inches; eye, 

 brown; bill, black at tip, yellow at base; legs and feet, flesh color; feet 

 webbed only to second joint. 



Adult. — Back, wings, tail and back of head grayish brown; white bar 

 across the wings; forehead, throat, spot under the eye, and ring around 

 the neck, white. Ring around the neck below the white one, band 

 across the crown, line beneath the eye and across the base of bill, 

 black. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



This plover breeds from northern United States, northward. The 

 nest is simply a cavity in the ground, lined with dry grasses. The eggs, 

 two to four in number, are deposited during the latter part of June. 

 The eggs are of yellowish ash color, spotted and blotched with varying 

 shades of brown. 



HABITS. 



The Semi-palmated or Ring- It reaches its breeding grounds 



necked Plover, as it is sometimes in the north about the middle 



called, is one of our common shore of May. It is very wary 



birds during the spring and fall during the nesting season, and 



migration. It is a shy bird, if disturbed will run several 



but generally tries to escape by yards from the nest before being 



running rather than by flying, discovered. If surprised on the 



It delights in the shady shores, nest, it will use the same tactics 



especially those containing shal- employed by many other birds, 



low pools of water, and can usually those of feigning injury. The 



be seen running hither and thither young are very small, mottled 



close to the water's edge. Its gray and white, and being just the 



note is a single sharp whistle, re- color of the pebbles which sur 



peated at intervals; this is only round the nest, are almost impos- 



uttered when it is disturbed. sible to find. 



