306 



GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



SOLITARY SANDPIPER {Helodromas soUtarius solitarius). 



Length. — 8 to 9 inches; bill slender, nearly straight, 1.15, 



Adult in Spring. — Upper parts dark, lustrous olive brown, sparsely speckled 

 with white; head, neck and flanks streaked or otherwise marked with 

 dusky and white; two central tail feathers, mainly dark; all upper tail 

 coverts, outer tail feathers, under wing coverts and axillars white, barred 

 tvith black or dusky; belly white; legs dark greenish. 



Adult in Fall. — Similar, but upper parts dark grayish or ashy brown, less 

 speckled with white; head and front of neck less streaked. 



Young. — Upper parts brownish gray; head more uniform grayish; every- 

 where speckled with buff or yellowish white; sides of head and neck 

 dusky; rest of under parts white; tail as in adult. 



Field Marks. — Larger and darker than the Spotted Sandpiper. The strik- 

 ing barred black and white outer tail feathers show in flight, which is 

 less erratic than that of the Spotted Sandpiper; more regular wing beats 

 and less sailing. Frequents mainly inland lakes and woodland streams. 



Notes. — Low whistling and sharp alarm notes somewhat similar to those of 

 the Spotted Sandpiper. 



Season. — A rather common migrant inland; less common on coast; a few 

 formerly summered in Massachusetts; late April and May, and second 

 week in July to late October. 



Range. — North and South America. Summers from central Keewatin, 

 northern Ungava and Newfoundland south to Nebraska, Illinois, Indi- 

 ana, Ohio and Pennsylvania; probably breeds regularly in northern part 

 of its range, locally and casually in southern part; winters from the 

 West Indies to Argentina; recorded from Greenland, Bermuda and 

 Great Britain. 



