Family CHARADRIID^. Genus Numenius. 



Subfamily Totaninm. 



COMMON WHIMBREL. 



NUMENIUS PHtEOPUS— (i;?'««««4 



Geographical Distribution. — ^nVz>/5 .• Only known to 



breed on the Orkneys and Shetlands, most numerous on the 

 latter, and on North Ronay in the Hebrides. Elsewhere in the 

 British Islands it is known on migration, and during the spring and 

 autumn flights is pretty generally distributed along the coasts. 

 Comparatively few remain with us through the winter, whilst 

 immature and non-breeding birds may be seen in still smaller 

 numbers during the summer. I have met with them on St. Kilda 

 during June. Foreign : Northern and western Palsearctic region 

 in summer ; Ethiopian region in winter. Breeds in the Faroes 

 and Iceland, and occurs accidentally in Greenland. Is a summer 

 visitor to Scandinavia, breeding on the fells and moors above 

 forest growth ; thence it appears to be locally distributed at this 

 season through Lapland and the remainder of North Russia, and 

 is said by Sabanaeff to be common on the Ural steppes. It 

 passes along the entire coast line of Europe during migration, as 

 well as some of the inland routes, and also occurs on passage 

 in Northern Africa, wintering in the Azores, Canaries, Madeira, 

 and on the coasts of tropical Africa, as well as in some few 

 interior districts. A few young non-breeding birds are said to be 

 found in their African winter quarters during the northern 

 summer. 



Allied Fonns. — Numenius phcEopus variegatus : Eastern 

 Palsearctic region in summer ; Oriental and Australian regions 

 in winter. Breeding range not very definitely known ; but 

 probably breeds locally from the valleys of the Obb and the 



