SANDPIPERS 



(265) Numenius hudsonicus 



Latham 



HUDSONIAN CURLEW ; JACK 

 CURLEW. Much smaller than the 

 last species and with only a moder- 

 ately long, curved bill. General 

 coloration blackish-brown and gray- 

 ish, with little or no ruddy or buffy. 

 Little seasonal change in the plumage. 

 Crown solid blackish-brown, with a 

 whitish median stripe and super- 

 ciliary stripes on either side. L., 

 17.00; Ex., 32.00; W., 9.50; T., 

 3.50; Tar., 2.50; B., 3.00 to 4.00. 

 Eggs — Three or four, buiify, blotched 

 with brownish-black, 2.25 x 1.60. 



Range — Breeds on tlie coast of 

 Mackenzie and Alaska. Winters on 

 both coasts of South America. Mi- 

 grates chiefly along the coasts and 

 is rather rare in the interior. 



leaving the eggs, they are led to the best feeding grounds and 

 taught by their parents what food is best for them and how 

 to pick it up. 



LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, or "Sickle-bills," are the 

 largest of our shore birds. Like so many other waders which 

 were common in the Eastern States a few years ago, these 

 are now of casual or accidental occurrence on the coasts of 

 New England and the Middle States. In the interior and 

 western portions of our country, however, they continue to 

 be found in numbers, but much less abundantly than for- 

 merly. Unfortunately they decoy very easily to lifeless 

 imitations set up on the shore or to flute-like whistles similar 

 to their own — a clear "ker-loo. " They are very sympa- 

 thetic, for if one of their number is shot from a flock, the 

 remainder will wheel about and circle over the fallen member. 



Their food consists of small shellfish, worms, insects, 

 berries, etc. They often wade in shallow water, their long 

 bills enabling them to feed from the bottom without wetting 

 their heads, and also to probe deeply on soft muddy flats. 



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