412 GAM:b birds of CALIFORNIA 



ern subspecies) ; back, rump and central upper tail coverts, dark olive brown, 

 with/ small spots of buffy or white on margins of feathers; outer upper tail 

 coverts sharply barred with brownish black and white; middle pair of tail 

 feathers, olive brown, outer ones strikingly barred with blackish brown and 

 white; outer surface of closed wing like back; primaries brownish black; 

 lining of wing and axillara barred blackish brown and white; under surface of 

 flight feathers dusky brown, that of first primary towards basal and inner 

 edge finely marbled with white; throat and breast, white, narrowly streaked 

 with dark brown; sides brownish, irregularly flecked with white; flanks and 

 under tail coverts sparsely barred with brown on a white ground; rest of 

 under surface white; feet "greenish-gray," claws "brownish -black" (Audu- 

 bon, loc. cit.). Males: Total length 8.50-9.06 inches (216-230 mm.) (three 

 specimens from California); folded wing 5.06-5.48 (128.3-139.0); bill along 

 culmen 1.15-1.26 (29.2-32.0); tarsus 1.23-1.35 (31.3-34.3) (ten specimens from 

 California and Alaska). Females: Total length 8.48-8.87 (215.5-225) (three 

 specimens from California); folded wing 5.17-5.50 (131.3-139.5); bill along 

 culmen 1.11-1.34 (28.3-33.9); tarsus 1.23-1.37 (31.2-34.8) (ten specimens from 

 California and Alaska). Juvenile .plumage: Like that of adults but with upper 

 surface warmer brown, spotting pale buffy or cinnamon, and streaked pattern 

 on lower surface more diffuse. Natal plumage: Stripes from bill over top of 

 head, from bill to eye, over eye to above ear and patch on ear region, black; 

 ground color of top of head pinkish brown; cheeks and chin whitish; line below 

 eye pinkish brown; bill dusky, pale at base of lower mandible; back of head, 

 whole back and wings mixed pinkish brown and black in large pattern; under 

 surface white; legs and feet (dried) brown. 



Marks for field identification — Moderately small size, very slender bill, 

 conspicuously barred outer tail feathers, general brownish coloration above, and 

 absence of any light bar on wing. Distinguished from Spotted Sandpiper by 

 larger size, heavily barred outer tail feathers, absence of white bar on wing, 

 absence of rounded dark spots on clear white under surface, presence of brown 

 streaked or washed area on throat and breast, and habit of frequently raising 

 wings vertically above back. 



Voice — A few sharp peeps; on breeding grounds a weak flight song, some- 

 what resembling the call of the Sparrow Hawk (Grinnell, 1900, p. 26). 



Nest — In trees, the birds using the abandoned nests of other birds. 



Eggs — 4, pear-shaped, measuring in inches, 1.37 to 1.44 by 1.01 to 1.06 (in 

 millimeters, 34.7 to 36.5 by 25.7 to 26.8), and averaging 1.41 by 1.04 (35.8 by 

 26.3) ; ground-color almost white, but with an extremely light yellowish glaucous 

 tinge; superficial markings of warm sepia and verona brown, deeper ones light 

 mouse gray and quaker drab; the spots have a spiral trend and are most 

 numerous about larger ends of eggs (one set, four eggs, in U. S. National 

 Museum) . 



General distribution — Western North America and probably South America. 

 Breeding range not definitely known; occurs in summer from Kotzebue Sound 

 east to Great Slave Lake and south to Washington and Colorado, but probably 

 breeds wholly north of the United States. Winter home of the eastern and 

 western subspecies supposed to be on common ground in South America (Cooke, 

 1910, pp. 58, 59). 



Distribution in California — Fairly common spring and fall migrant through- 

 out that portion of the state which is south of the latitude of Tehachapi; 

 much rarer in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley. Seacoast records appear 

 to be exceptional. Not recorded from the coast region north of Santa Barbara. 



