109 



Economic Status. Its food is largely insectivorous and through spring 

 and early summer it frequents ground where it can do much good. 



Genus — Charadrius. Ring Plovers. 



274. Semipalmated Plover, ring-neck plover, fr. — le pltjvier semi-palme. 

 Charadrius semipalmatus. L, 6 • 75. A small Plover of general resemblance to the Killdeer, 

 but with one instead of two dark breast-bands and without the ochraceous rump and 

 tail of that species. Autumn birds are similar, but the colours are washed out and with 

 no clear black anywhere. 



Distinctions. With size and the above description, can be mistaken only for the 

 Piping Plover, but the back coloration is decidedly brownish in all plumages instead of 

 smoke-grey or dry sand colour, the breast-band is always broad, continuous, and well 

 marked even in autumn, and the ear-coverts behind and below the eye are always decidedly 

 dark instead of pure white. Feet with small webs explain the accepted common name; 

 the only Plover in Canada which is so provided. 



Field Marks. Size and a single instead of double breast-band distinguish this from 

 the Killdeer Plover, and the back, dark coloured like wet sand, from the Piping Plover 

 which is lighter and grey like dry sand. 



Nesting. Slight hollow in the ground or shore refuse. 



Distribution. Breeds in the high north across the continent; south, in the east, to 

 the gulf of St. Lawrence. Common in migration in suitable localities in eastern Canada. 



A pretty little Plover frequenting mud flats or sandy beaches indiffer- 

 ently. Closely related to the European Ring Plover and distinguished only 

 by slightly smaller size and a few minor details. 



277. Piping Plover, ring-neck. pr. — le pltjvier criard. Charadrius metodus, 

 L, 7-10. Spring plumage — same markings as the Semipalmated previously described, 

 but back in lighter colours. Back and crown light smoke-grey, a black bar across fore- 

 crown, underparts to throat, collar around neck, and forehead white; a black ring about 

 neck, just below the white one, sometimes broken on centre of breast. Autumn birds — 

 similar but without black neck ring and generally weaker in coloration. 



Distinctions. Can be mistaken only for the Semipalmated but easily distinguished 

 by the characters given under that heading. 



Field Marks. Distinguished from the Semipalmated Plover by its lighter coloration, 

 like dry instead of wet sand. Its melodious whistle is easily remembered when once 

 heard. 



Nesting. Depression in the sand made by the bird and containing only a few small 

 pebbles, coarse grains of sand, or fragments of shell upon which the eggs rest. 



Distribution. Breeds on sandy shores locally from the prairie provinces to the gulf 

 of St. Lawrence and Sable island. 



A small Plover well called melodus. It is a sand-beach bird and 

 is never seen in grassy or marshy situations. Some individuals have 

 broken, and others complete, black breast-bands. The latter were for 

 some time regarded as a subspecies but now all are included under the 

 one form. The Snowy Plover C. nivosus has been taken on lake Ontario, 

 but is probably not to be expected again. It is slightly smaller than the 

 Piping, of same general coloration but with a dark aural or cheek-patch, 

 and only a spot of dark at the sides of the breast instead of a nearly or 

 quite complete bar across it. A more southern and western bird that can 

 occur only as a straggler. 



28587— 8J 



