BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 277 



BAIRD'S SANDPIPER {Pisobia bairdi). 



Length. — About 7.50 inches; bill .90 to 1 inch. 



Adult. — Above grayish buff, varied with dusky; stripe over eye white; 

 middle tail feathers dusky, others gray; breast tinged with buff, streaked 

 with dusky; below white; bill and feet black; resembles Pectoral Sand- 

 piper, but smaller, and fore neck and breast less heavily streaked. 



Young of the First Winter. — Closely resemble young of White-rumped Sand- 

 piper, but upper parts paler; back feathers conspicuously margined 

 with white, and rump not white. 



Field Marks. — Only a little larger than Semipalmated Sandpiper or Sand- 

 peep, but has a darker breast. 



Notes. — Peet-peet; a shrill trilling whistle, like that of Semipalmated Sand- 

 piper (C. W. Townsend). 



Season. — Rather rare fall migrant; late July to early October. 



Range. — North and South America. Breeds along Arctic coast from Point 

 Barrow to northern Keewatin; winters in Chile, Argentina and Pata- 

 gonia; occurs regularly in migration from Rocky Mountains to Missis- 

 sippi River, and in Central America and northern South America, and 

 irregularly in autumn on Pacific coast from Alaska to Lower California, 

 and on Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to New Jersey; casual in sum- 

 mer in Guerrero, Mex.; accidental in England and South Africa. 



History. 

 This bird is considered rather rare in New England but 

 may be more common than it is gen- 

 erally believed to be. On our coasts 

 it is mistaken often for the Pectoral 

 Sandpiper, which it resembles, or is 

 lumped with it under the name of 



Grass-bird. Jillson found this species Fig. 16.-Tail of Balrd-s Sandpiper. 



very abundant in Essex County, Mass., '^^'""^ ^''^^■> 



in 1852. It is not very rare in some parts of New York. 



