FAMILY CHARADRIID^ 



ii. Family CHARADRIID^ 

 The Plovers 



A widely distributed family of shore birds 

 very closely related to the snipe family, from 

 which they differ in usually having but three 

 toes, the hind one generally wanting, the 

 head proportionately larger, the bill not 

 longer than the head, and hard and pointed 

 terminally. With one exception the Canal 

 Zone species are migratory. The remarks 

 in regard to wanton destruction by gunners 

 made under the snipe family, apply to these 

 birds also. The turnstones, sometimes made 

 a separate family, are here included among 

 the plovers. 



i. Squatarola squatarola (Linnaeus) 

 Black-bellied Plover 



Length, 280 mm. (n.oo in.); tail, 77 mm. 

 (3.00 in.). 



Sexes alike. Adults in summer. Upper parts 

 grayish white, nearly pure white on forehead, 

 over the eyes and on a stripe down the sides of 

 neck, but thickly spotted with transverse mark- 

 ings of black on back and rump; tail white, 

 narrowly barred with dusky; below, including 

 sides of head, entirely black except thighs and 

 under tail coverts which are white. Bill and 

 feet dark gray, the hind toe present but very 

 minute. 



Adults in winter. Upper parts grayish brown 

 with dark grayish markings and white margins 

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