SNIPE AND SANDPIPERS: Family Scolofacidae [ z6l ] 



Baird's Sandpiper: 



Pisobia bairdi (Coues) 



DESCRIPTION. "Middle upper tail coverts plain dusky. Adults in summer: upper 

 parts spotted and streaked with black, grayish, and buffy; chest buffy, streaked 

 with dusky; line over eye, chin, and belly whitish. Adults in winter: plain grayish 

 brown, obscurely streaked with dusky; under parts whitish, chest suffused with 

 buffy. Young: feathers of back tipped with whitish, and chest less sharply streaked 

 with dusky than in summer adult. Length: 7.00-7.60, wing 4.60-4.85, bill .90- 

 i.oo, tarsus i.oo." (Bailey) Nest: A slight depression in the ground, lined with 

 leaves and grass. Eggs: Usually 4, pinkish buff, speckled and spotted with brown. 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds on Arctic Coast and islands of North America and 

 adjacent parts of Siberia. Winters in South America. In Oregon: Known only as 

 fall migrant on coast, with one record for eastern part of State. 



BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was first reported from Oregon by Jewett (19140), 

 based on five specimens taken in August and September 1911. We find, 

 however, that the first specimen was taken by Professor M. E. Peck near 

 Woods, Tillamook County, on August 2.2., 1909, and is now in the Car- 

 negie Museum. Since then the species has been taken regularly on the 

 coast in Tillamook, Lincoln, and Curry Counties and at times is exceed- 

 ingly abundant on the beaches. Our earliest date is July 30 (Lincoln 

 County); our latest, September 13 (Curry County). The only record east 

 of the Cascades is that of a small flock seen by Gabrielson and DuBois 

 at Kinney Lake, Wallowa County, on August 2.0, 1930, from which one 

 specimen was taken. 



The ease with which this species might be confused with the Western 

 or Pectoral Sandpiper undoubtedly has something to do with the previous 

 scarcity of records. Comparative size is a poor criterion on which to 

 separate similar species in the field unless they appear together, and birds 

 are not always so considerate. Because of the strong general similarity of 

 the two species we have confined our records to dates on which specimens 

 were taken. In addition to our specimens, Braly has taken a number 

 along the coast. 



Least Sandpiper: 



Pisobia minutilla (Vieillot) 



DESCRIPTION. "Size very small, wing less than 4. Adults in summer: median parts 

 of tail, upper coverts, and rump black; sides of coverts white, streaked with dusky; 

 rest of upper parts mainly blackish, specked and spotted with brown and buff; chest 

 buffy gray, specked with dusky; belly and flanks white. Adults in winter: upper 

 parts dark gray, obscurely spotted and streaked with dusky; chest light gray, finely 

 streaked. Young: crown and back heavily streaked with rusty, and back spotted 

 with white; chest buffy gray, faintly streaked. Length: 5.00-6.75, wing 3.50-3.75, 

 bill .75-. 9Z, tarsus .75." (Bailey) Nest: A slight depression in the ground, lined 

 with leaves and grass. Eggs: 3 or 4, cream buff to olive, blotched or speckled with 

 brown. 



