SANDPIPERS 



' (254) Totanus melanoleucus 



(Gnicl.) (Italian; Gf., black, white). 



^ GREATER YELLOW-LEGS ; 

 WINTER YELLOW-LEGS. Bill 

 straight and slender. Legs very 

 long, slender, bright yellow. Ads. 

 in winter — Plumage as shown. In 

 summer, the upper parts are rather 

 darker and the markings on the 

 breast and sides more pronounced. 

 L., 14.00; W., 7.70; Tar., 2.40; 

 B., 2.20. 



(255) Totanus flavipes 



(Gmel,) (Lat., yellow foot). 



YELLOW - LEGS ; SUMMER 

 YELLOW-LEGS. Like the last ex- 

 cept in size. L., 10.50; W., under 

 7.00; Tar., 2.00; B., 1.50. 



Range — Both species breed in 

 northern Canada and winter from 

 the Gulf States southward. 



also in the Antarctic regions, so that, for a short time each 

 season, birds from the north and others from the south meet 

 on the pampas of Argentina. The long bills of Godwits are 

 used for dabbling in shallow water of mud flats or in boring 

 for worms that are below the surface. They are known as 

 "bay birds" as distinguished from "beach birds," for they 

 are always found about bays, ponds, or lagoons, and rarely 

 if ever on sea beaches. 



YELLOW-LEGS are familiar birds to sportsmen the 

 country over, and also to bird-lovers who stroll in the vicinity 

 of our many beautiful ponds and lakes during August and 

 again in May. There are two distinct species, the Greater 

 or Winter Yellow-leg, and the Lesser or Summer Yellow-leg. 

 About the only point of difference is the considerable one of 

 size, although the smaller species may appear within our 

 borders a week or so earlier in fall. 



Their notes are a series of shrill whistles in groups of threes, 

 like " when- when- wheu; wheu-wheu-wheu. " They repeat 

 these quite frequently when in flight, and can by an imitation 



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