162 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



112. Squatarola squatarola. GREY PLOVER. 



[Tringa squatarola Linne, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 149, Jan. 1st, 1758 : Sweden. Extra- 

 limital.] 



Gould, Vol. VI., pi. 12 (pt. xxxv.), Dec. 1st, 1848. Mathews, Vol. III., pt 1, pi. 132, April 

 2nd, 1913. 



Charadrius hypomelus Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs, Vol. III., p. 699, pref. Feb. 10th, O.S., 



1776: Siberia. 



Charadrius hypomelanus Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso- Asiat., Vol. II., p. 138, 1827 : Siberia. 



Charadrius pardela Pallas, ib., p. 142 : Siberia. 



Squatarola, helvetica australis Reichenbach, Novit. Syn. Av., No. v., 175, CCCXL., Nos. 2683- 



2684, 1851 : Australia. 



DISTRIBUTION. Winter visitor to Australia, breeding in northern hemisphere 



Adult male, in summer-plumage. Upper-surface variegated with black, brown, 

 Bnd white ; fore-head and a line over the eye which is continued on to the sides of 

 the breast white like the under wing-coverts, thighs, and under tail-coverts ; sides 

 of face, throat, middle of breast and abdomen black like the axillaries ; primary- 

 coverts black edged with white at the tips ; the four outer primaries black with white 

 shafts and white on the inner web at the base ; the fifth has a white longitudinal 

 line adjoining the shaft on the outer web towards the tip which is increased on the 

 sixth, on the seventh it crosses the outer web, the outer web of the eighth primary 

 is almost absorbed with white, and the ninth likewise ; secondaries pale brown with 

 white bases and fringed with white ; bill black, base of lower mandible purplish- 

 black ; iris dark brown ; feet greyish-black. Total length 290 mm. ; culmen 31. 

 wing 195, tail 76, tarsus 50. 



Adult female. Very similar to the adult male. 



Adult in winter-plumage. Differs from the adult in breeding-plumage in being 

 more uniform above, the feathers dark brown, with black shaft-lines and edged with 

 white ; sides of crown, sides of face, and ear-coverts streaked with brown and white ; 

 a dark spot in front of each eye; throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, 

 the latter with spots of brown on the outer webs ; primary -quills black with 

 white shafts, the sixth, seventh, and eighth showing an indication of a white line 

 on the outer web next to the shaft. 



An adult male, immediately after breeding, has commenced to cast off the 

 nuptial -plumage, which is only retained for a short period, and has become more 

 brown on the upper-surface, the white and black markings being everywhere worn 

 off ; the upper tail-coverts are almost white instead of being regularly barred ; sides 

 of face, throat, breast, abdomen, and sides of body chequered with white ; sides of 

 crown white, but the line leading to the sides of the breast scarcely defined. 



Immature of the first year. Upper-surface mottled with brown and white which 

 is produced by the feathers being brown-notched on the sides and tipped with white, 

 these markings more minute on the top of the head and hind-neck ; sides of crown, 

 ear-coverts and sides of face streaked with pale brown and white, paler and more 

 coarsely marked on the breast ; axillaries black ; primary- and secondary -quills 

 much the same as in the adult ; a short white line immediately below the eye ; 

 breast and sides of body mottled with pale brown and white showing obsolete bars 

 on the flanks ; throat and middle of abdomen white like the under tail-coverts. 



Young. Dark brown above, the feathers spotted and notched with dull white 

 or buff on the margins ; upper tail-coverts white, some of them tinged with buff and 

 barred with brown ; tail brown, barred with white, the brown becoming merged 

 at the ends with marginal spots of buff ; crown of head like the back but the pattern 

 much smaller ; fore-head, sides of face, fore-neck, and breast minutely marked 

 with longitudinal brown streaks ; throat, abdomen, under tail-coverts, and under 

 wing-coverts for the most part white. 



