THE RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 



( Tringa alpina pacifica.) 



The sandpipers trip on the glassy beach, 



Ready to mount and fly; 

 Whenever a ripple reaches their feet 



They rise with a timorous cry. 



— Duncan Campbell Scott, "Sandpipers. 



Xtxy early in the spring the Red- 

 backed Sandpiper leaves its winter home 

 in the States and countries bordering the 

 Gulf of Mexico and starts on its long 

 journey to the cooler region of the far 

 north. It arrives in Alaska early in May, 

 in full breeding plumage, and the males 

 are soon engaged in prettily wooing the 

 coy females. Mr. Nelson, who had un- 

 excelled opportunities for studying the 

 habits of these interesting sandpipers, 

 well describes their courting habits. He 

 says : "The males may be seen upon 

 quivering wings flying after the female 

 and uttering a musical, trilling note, 

 which falls upon the ear like the mellow 

 tinkle of large water-drops falling rap- 

 idly into a partly filled vessel. Imagine 

 the sounds thus produced by the water 

 run together into a steady and rapid trill 

 some five or ten seconds in length, and 

 the note of this Sandpiper is represented. 

 It is not loud, but has a rich, full tone, 

 difficult to describe, but pleasant to hear. 

 As the lover's suit approaches its end the 

 handsome suitor becomes exalted, and in 

 his moments of excitement he rises fif- 

 teen or twenty yards, and hovering on 

 tremulous wings over the object of his 

 passion, pours forth a perfect gush of 

 music, until he glides back to earth ex- 

 hausted, but ready to repeat the effort 

 a few minutes later. The female coyly 

 retreats before the advance of the male, 

 but after various mishaps each bird finds 

 its partner for the summer and they start 

 off house-hunting in all the ardor of a 

 rising honeymoon." 



The Red-backed Sandpiper is not a 



bird architect and it does not build even 

 a simple home. A slight hollow on a 

 dry knoll, which commands a clear view 

 of some body of water, is the site usually 

 selected. Here the eggs are laid, either 

 upon the dry grass already in the hollow 

 or upon a few bits of leaves, twigs and 

 grass hastily gathered and placed with- 

 out order. After the appearance of the 

 eggs the male seems to realize the re- 

 sponsibility of family cares, for his merry 

 song ceases and he devotes his share of 

 time to sitting on the nest, protecting 

 the eggs with his warm body. That this 

 is the case is shown by the bare patches 

 that appear on his breast at this season. 



With such a home as is prepared for 

 their reception, it is not surprising that 

 the little red-backs leave the nest as soon 

 as they are hatched and freely run about. 

 When frightened they readily conceal 

 themselves by sitting on the ground and 

 remaining quiet. 



This species exhibits considerable vari- 

 ation in the color of its plumage. In the 

 spring and summer it may be known by 

 the black patch on the belly and reddish 

 color of its back, which is mottled with 

 white and black. At this season it is 

 often called Blackbreast. In the fall and 

 winter the upper parts are brownish- 

 gray in color and the under parts are 

 whitish. It is then frequently called the 

 Leadback. The Red-back is not as active 

 as the other sandpipers and its unsuspi- 

 cious nature makes it seem quite stupid. 

 Though a beach bird, it is not infrequent- 

 ly met in grassy marshes, and by some 

 it is called the Grass-bird. 



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