378 



GAME BIEDS OF CALIFORNIA 



Pig. 67. Least Sandpiper. 



distributed, every seabeaeh and salt marsh, every inland pond and 

 wet meadow being populated by these birds. It is the smallest, the 

 most confiding, and the most unobtrusive of all our wading birds. 



"While individuals are to be found within our borders at all times 

 of the year, this species is chiefly a fall and spring migrant ; to a less 

 extent it is a winter visitant. The birds occasionally found here dur- 

 ing June and July are probably non-breeding individuals. Birds 

 which are undoubtedly migrants arrive from the north late in July 

 or early in August. Two were taken at Berkeley, August 13, 1892 

 (specimens in Mus. Vert. Zool.) ; large flocks were seen and a specimen 

 taken at Bay Farm Island, August 29, 1914 (Storer, MS) ; at Santa 

 Barbara, Bowles and Howell (1912, p. 9) record the earliest migrants 

 July 18, and state that the species had become abundant by the last 



of July; flocks were seen daily at 

 Hemet Lake, San Jacinto Mountains, 

 from August 6 to 16, 1908 (Grinnell 

 and Swarth, 1913, p. 227) ; a flock was 

 seen at Lake Tahoe in August, 1906 

 (Ray, 1911, p. 108) ; one bird was 

 taken at Yermo, San Bernardino 

 County, August 28, 1910 (Lamb 

 coll.). Scattered records through the 

 winter proclaim the species a winter 

 visitant in fair numbers from the lati- 

 tude of Stockton (Belding, 1879, p. 

 441 ) , and the shores of San Francisco 

 Bay, southward. In the spring it has 

 been recorded at San Diego as late as April 15, 1885 (Belding, MS) ; 

 Mecca, Riverside County, April 19, 1908 (specimen in Mus. Vert. 

 Zool.) ; Los Angeles, April 27, 1900 (specimen in Swarth coll.) ; El 

 Monte, Los Angeles County, May 2, 1896 (specimen in Daggett coll.) ; 

 southern Madera County, April 28, 1900 (J. Mailliard, 1900, p. 122) ; 

 and Los Bailos, Merced County, April 22, 1912 (specimen in Mus. 

 Vert. Zool.). 



The Least Sandpiper may be distinguished by its extremely small 

 size, slender, short bill (not longer than head), and drab, ashy or 

 huffy breast band, with narrow dark streaks. From the Western 

 Sandpiper (which is nearest in size) it may be distinguished by its 

 shorter and slenderer bill (figs. 67 and 68), and the absence of webs 

 between the bases of the toes (fig. 69). From the Snowy Plover it 

 may be distinguished by its less chunky build, slender biU and toes, by 

 the presence of a huffy breast band, and by the absence of black or 

 drab patches on sides of neck and lack of white on the outer tail 

 feathers. 



165 



Fig. 68. Western Sandpiper. 



Both figures are natural size. 

 Note difference in size of bill, 

 and that in the Western the bill 

 is slightly down-turned at end. 



