2q2 key to the water birds of florida. 



Subgenus CHARADRIUS Linn. 



CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS Mull. 

 American Golden Plover. 



Summer plumage: Back and upper parts smoky black ; feathers marked and edged with 

 yellow and brown ; sides of the breast whitish ; rest of under parts, throat, and sides of the head, 

 including eye, black ; forehead whitish, a stripe extending backwards over the eye ; bill black. 



Winter phanage : Upper parts brownish, feathers marked with dull tawny or buff; under 

 parts are dull white streaked with ashy brown or gray on the breast and sides. 

 Length. 10.25; Wing, 7; Tarsus, 1.55; Bill, .92. 



This species may always be distinguished in any phunage from the 

 BLack-breast Plover by the gray axillars and the absence of the small rudi- 

 mentary hind toe. 



It ranges from the Arctic regions to South America, being common on 



the coast during migration. It was at one 

 lime abundant in New England in the early 

 tall, but its numbers ha\-e de- 

 creased greatly within the past 

 few years. It is not a common 

 y/// ^^^^V bird in Florida, although it is 



occasionally taken in the State. 



It breeds in the far North : the 

 eggs are buff colored or brownish 

 white mottled and marked with 

 chocolate brown. 





Genus /EGIALITIS Boie. 

 Subgenus OXYECHUS Rkich. 



/EQIALITIS VOCIFERA (//////.). 

 Killdeer Plover. 



Adult: Crown and back l)rownish gray, feathers tipped witii rufous; a ring around the 

 neck, lore.s, and a patcli on the breast l)iack : foreiiead white ; throat and spot behind the eye 

 and a band around the neck white ; lower breast and belly white ; tail coverts and rump 

 bright rufous; tail rufous and gray tipped with black and white; bill black. 



Length, 10.65; Wing, 6.55 ; Tarsus, 1.40; Bill, .75. 



The Killdeer Plover ranges on the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland 

 to the northern part of South America. It is a rare bird on the New Eng- 



