BIRDS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 97 



WILSONS SNIPE 

 10)^-11;^ 



AMERICAN AVOCET 



16-20 



WILSON'S SNIPE (Capella deli- 

 cata): 10/2-11/2 in. Plumage gen- 

 erally brown; croicn crossed by black 

 and -white stripes; brown line from bill 

 to eye; long, slender, straight bill; tail 

 reddish-brown with black bars and 

 whitish tip; belly whitish; breast light 

 brown marked with darker brown spots. 

 Seldom seen away from cover, where 

 it is well concealed. 



Breeds chiefly east of the Sierra and 

 to the north. C. V. to Yosemite region, 

 having been observed in Yosemite Val- 

 ley and on the Tuolumne River at 

 9,000 feet. 



AVOCETS AND STILTS: 



Family Recurvirostridae 



AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvi- 

 rostra americana): 16-20 in. Head, 

 neck, and breast washed with light cin- 

 namon-brown; eye-ring and base of bill 

 white; white patch down middle of 

 back bordered on each side with black, 

 black areas in turn bordered with broad 

 white stripes; belly white; bill long, 

 upturned; iris red. Adult in winter and 

 im.maturc: Head, neck, and chest gray- 

 ish. 



Frequents expanses of shallow water 

 as in marsh or grazing lands; inhabits 

 coastal shores. C. V. to Yosemite re- 

 gion. A single record for Yosemite Val- 

 ley and one for Tenaya Lake. Often 

 seen at Mono Lake in summer. 



PHALAROPES: 



Family Phalaropodidae 



WILSON'S PHALAROPE (Stegano- 

 pus tricolor): 8/2- 10 in. Female: Top 

 of head, stripe down back of neck, and 

 upper back ash-gray; black stripe back 

 of eye extends down side of neck and 

 blends with rich chestnut on lower 

 neck; base of tail and under parts 

 white; feet black; no light-colored wing 

 stripe. Male: Similar to female but 

 duller; top of head, wings, and back 

 brown; sides of neck dull reddish- 

 brown. Adult and immature in fall: 

 Above ash-gray; white line over eye; 

 under parts white; line back of eye, 

 dusky. 



The phalaropes show a reversal of 

 the usual situation among birds. The 

 female is the brighter and is the ag- 

 gressor in courtship. The male incu- 

 bates the eggs and cares for the young. 



Frequents marshes and wet mead- 

 ows where there is open shallow water. 

 C. V. to Yosemite region where it has 

 been observed in Yosemite • Valley. 

 Common S. V. on Mono Lake. 



NORTHERN PHALAROPE (Lo- 

 bipes lobatus): 7-8 in. Female: Back, 

 hind-neck, and head slaty or lead-col- 

 ored; back streaked with rusty; sides 

 of neck and upper breast rufous; eye- 

 lids, chin, throat, and remaining un- 

 der parts white; white bar in extended 



