68 LIMICOL^E: Shore-Birds 



RECURVIROSTRID^E (Family Avocets and Stilts): Large 

 shore-birds, characterized by strongly recurved bill and webbed 

 feet, or exceedingly long legs and general slenderness of struc- 

 ture. 



AVOCET 



(225. Recurvirostra americana) 18 in. 



Head and neck light cinnamon; folded wings black with a 

 white stripe; scapulars white, forming a strong letter V which 

 encloses dusky patch of middle back; tail and under parts white. 

 Legs pale bluish. In winter head and neck are impure white. 



Bill extremely slender, up-curved. Spread wings present a 

 unique combination of white and black. 



BLACK-NECKED STILT 



(226. Himantopus mexicanus) 15 in. 



Wholly black above, except white forehead and gray tail; 

 wholly snow-white below. The female has brown upper parts, 

 instead of black. 



Bill long, straight, and slender. Legs very long, bright red. 



The slenderest of all our shore-birds. Plumage contrasts very 

 striking. 



FAMILY GODWITS, etc. 



Family Scolopacidse : Birds that obtain food chiefly by probing 

 in mud or sand. Bills highly variable in length and shape. 



MARBLED GODWIT 



(249. Limosa fedoa) 17 in. 



Pale cinnamon; back, sides, and breast " marbled" with short, 

 curved dusky bars; neck dusky-streaked; wings spotted. 



Barring of under parts is lacking in winter adults and young. 



Bill long, up-curved slightly, light in color. (Long-billed 

 Curlew, of similar color, has much longer bill, down-curved.) 



Noted as perhaps the most unsuspicious, or stupid, of the 

 shore-birds. 



