DIRECTORY TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 93 



PLOVER, A. SEMIPALMATA. 



Fig. 109. 



1. SEMIPALMATED 

 7.00; bill, .50; ring 

 completely encircling 

 neck ; grayish-brown 

 above, but paler than 

 in c, 1 ; lunette on 

 forehead, outer tail 

 feathers and tips of all 

 but centra] pair and 

 beneath, white ; wide 

 band on top of head, 

 extending around eye 

 on to ear coverts and 

 over forehead ( thus G 9 B, d, 1. 1-3. 



including white lunette ), neck ring, spot on middle sub- 

 terminal portion of tail, black; bill, yellow-orange at base; 

 feet, yellow, fig. 109. Winter, black markings replaced by 

 brownish. Young, differs from last in having the feathers 

 of back margined with light buff. Downy young, grayish- 

 brown above mottled with black ; lunette, collar on back of 

 neck, and beneath, white. Breeds in arctic and subarctic 

 America, migrating south from the middle of July until the 

 middle of Oct. when it is abundant along the coast and not 

 uncommon in suitable places in the interior; winters from 

 southern Fla. and the Bahamas south through the West In- 

 dies to Brazil; comes north in April and May when it is less 

 common on the Atlantic Coast. A common beach bird and 

 also found in sloughs and on mud flats ; very social, associa- 

 ting in flocks of varying sizes ; upon the ground scatters much, 

 running about in all directions, keeping the head well up ; 

 these two latter named habits characterize all Plovers ; flight, 

 swift and direct, with rather long wing beats. Call note a 

 rather plaintive double whistle, also gives a single prolonged 

 note when sitting. 



