LEAST SANDPIPER 109 



This bird is widely distributed throughout the 

 northern hemisphere, migrating at the beginning of 

 winter to a warmer climate. It breeds chiefly in the 

 Arctic regions. The variety found in this country is 

 slightly larger than that of the Old World and has a 

 longer bill, slightly recurved. 



In its winter dress the Little Stint looks like a mini- 

 ature Dunlin, but in summer it assumes the coloura- 

 tion of its larger relative only so far as the upper parts 

 are concerned, the imder parts remaining white. Its 

 breeding-ground is in the northern hemisphere, but 

 it takes long journeys when migrating, and in the 

 winter is found in many parts of the world. See Plate 

 32, Fig. 183. 



Our American Stint is commonly called the Least 

 Sandpiper and differs from the European species 

 chiefly in that it is smaller and darker in colour at all 

 seasons. This tiny wanderer, but six inches in length, 

 sometimes strays as far as Great Britain and other 

 parts of Europe. Its bill is straight. A larger spe- 

 cies, the Semipalmated Sandpiper, is sometimes seen 

 with the Least Sandpiper along our coasts. 



Many other species of Sandpiper are found in this 

 country. 



The Curlew Sandpiper, which is only an occasional 

 visitor to the United^ States, is very striking in the 

 matter of plumage. In winter ash grey above and 

 white below, this bird in the early spring assumes a 

 richly coloured livery, the upper parts being beauti- 

 fully barred and streaked with black and grey on a 

 ground of rich chestnut, while the under parts are red- 

 dish, slightly barred on the flanks with dark brown and 



