44 



KEY TO SHOREBIRDS (Cont.) 



7 Inner half of upper wing with extensive white trailing and leading 

 edges; tail grayish-white or very pale gray; bill slender and 



markedly upturned (Plate 23-6). AMERICAN AVOCET 



7' Inner half of upper wing without extensive white areas; tail with 



barring; ventral body feathering never uniform white or blackish. 8 



8 Lighter portion of underwings pink, buff or cinnamon; tail brown 



and barred. 9 



8' Lighter portion of underwings whitish; tail white to pale buff with 



dark brown barring. 12 



9 Underwing more cinnamon or buff than dusky; bill curved downwards 



or upwards. 10 



9' Underwing more dusky than pink or buff; bill curved downwards and 



almost always <100 mm long. 11 



10 Underside of primaries cinnamon with a variable amount of gray 

 speckling; bill curved upwards (Plate 23-4). MARBLED GODWIT 



10' Underside of primaries cinnamon with dusky bars; bill curved 



downward (Plate 23-1). LONG-BILLED CURLEW 



11 Tail pale rufous or orange-brown, heavily barred with dusky brown. 



BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW 



11' Tail olive or buffy olive with heavy, dusky brown barring. WHIMBREL 



12 Wing length >215 mm; upper surface of primary shafts 9 and 10 white; 

 bill length >70 mm. BAR-TAILED GODWIT 



12' Wing <215 mm; upper surface of shaft of primary 9 much browner 



than that of primary 10; bill < 70 mm. GREATER YELLOWLEGS 



13 Upper wing with distinct longitudinal white stripe (Fig. 20a). 22 

 13' Upper wing without distinct longitudinal white stripe (Fig. 20b). 14 



