488 THE SEMIPAI.MATED PLOVER. 



These Plovers migrate at night, preferably by moonlight; and, indeed. 

 Killdeer may be regarded as an unquiet spirit on almost any moonlight night 

 in spring or fall. Most of the birds leave our borders for two or three 

 months in winter, but Rev. W. F. Henninger reports them as "very com- 

 mon" during that season in Pike and Scioto Counties. 



No. 221. 



SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. 



A. O. U. No. 274. .^gialitis semipalmata Bonap. 



Synonyms. — Ring Pi<ove;r; Ring-neck. 



Description. — Adult in summer: A narrow black band across breast and 

 continuous around hind-neck; fore-crown and a band on side of head below eye 

 to bill, and meeting fellow on extreme forehead, black mixed with brown ; fore- 

 head, indistinct superciliary line, lower eye-lid, chin, and throat, continuous with 

 narrow band across cervix, and remaining under parts, white; crown and nape, 

 back, etc., bright grayish brown ; upper tail-coverts and base of tail a little lighter ; 

 tail blackish subterminally, the outer pair of feathers pure white, the others de- 

 creasingly white-tipped; greater, wing-coverts white-tipped; primaries blackish, 

 the basal and subterminal portion of their shafts white; bill black, orange-red at 

 base; feet and legs yellowish. Adult in winter: The black markings replaced 

 by dark grayish brown. Young : Similar to adult in winter, but feathers of 

 upper parts tipped with light huffy. Length 6.50-7.50 (165.1-190.5) ; wing 4.90 

 (124.5) ; tail 2.10 (53.3) ; bill .52 (13.2) ; tarsus .97 (24.6). 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size, but appearing larger ; a miniature Kill- 

 deer, but without tawny rump, and with only one band across breast. Feet par- 

 tially webbed. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground. Eggs, 3 

 or 4, like those of the Killdeer, but smaller. Av. size, 1.30 x .92 (33. x 23.4). 



General Range. — Arctic and subarctic America, migrating south through 

 tropical America as far as Brazil, Peru and the Galapagos. 



Range in Ohip. — "Not common migrant in spring, morg abundant in the 

 fall" (Wheaton). Found regularly on the Lake Erie shore during fall migrations. 



THE Semipalmated Plover is a lesser Killdeer to appearance, but in 

 manner it is a much gentler bird, and, while with us at least, it realizes the 

 full value of the adage, "Silence is golden." Gentle and unsuspicious it 

 patters along the Lake Erie beach, following the retreating wave, or else 

 gleans from the mud-flats of river and pond, where chance finds it at early 

 morning. Only when startled from its quest does it utter a "soft mellow 

 whistle." It is not easily frightened, and if it has half a chance it will 

 scamper along the shore ahead of you, or even hide in the grass rather than 

 take to wing. 



