6 



NORTH AMERICAN SHOREBIRDS. 



perform important service in destroying noxious insects. The flesh 

 of many of them, even of the smaller kinds, has a high food value, 

 and some of the larger species — the upland, golden, and black-bellied 

 plovers, and the curlews — were in the times of their abundance 

 important articles of diet. Their pursuit for sport, when they are 

 shot over decoys, demands a high degree of skill, and is a favorite pas- 

 time of many hunters. Nor should the esthetic side of the question be 

 ignored. The graceful forms and motions of these birds as they feed 

 at the edge of the breakers are an interesting sight to thousands of 

 seashore visitors. The silencing of their melodious calls would be a 

 loss to every lover of nature. Finally, it may be said in their favor 

 that not one of the shorebirds ever does any harm, while many have 

 proved of great value to agriculture. Their accounts have only a 

 credit side. 



The shorebirds are among the most widely distributed of all birds. 

 As far to the northward as man has found land shorebirds breed, 

 while in winter they visit the tropical and Antarctic shores. The 

 distances traversed in their migrations probably average greater 

 than those of any other family, and the shorebirds probably exceed 

 all others in the number of miles traveled in a single flight. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The shorebirds are represented in North America by 76 species 

 and 9 subspecies, a total of 85 recognized forms; but the following 7 

 of these do not range so far north as the United States : 



Southern Species not Ranging North to the United States. 



Rufous-naped plover (Ochthodromus wil- 



sonius rufinuchus). 

 Stone curlew (CEdicnemus bistriatus). 

 Colombian jacana (Parra melanopygia). 

 Black jacana (Parra nigra). 



Cayenne lapwing (Hoploxypterus cay anus) . 

 Azara ring plover (JEgialitis collaris). 

 Santo Domingo killdeer (Oxyechus vocif- 

 erus torquatus). 



There remain 78 species and subspecies that occur in the United 

 States and northward, but 5 of these are found only in Greenland, 

 as follows : 



European Species Occurring in North America only in Greenland. 



European snipe (Gallinago gallinago). 

 Black- tailed god wit (Limosa limosa). 

 Whimbrel (Numenius 



Golden plover (Charadrius apricanus). 

 Oyster-catcher (Hxmatopus ostralegus). 



Fifteen other species from the Eastern Hemisphere are known 

 as stragglers on the mainland of North America : 



Stragglers in North America from the Eastern Hemisphere. 



European woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). 



Great snipe (Gallinago media) . 



Long- toed stint (Pisobia damacensis) . 



Dunlin (Pelidna alpina). 



Curlew sandpiper (Erolia ferruginea) . 



Spoon-bill sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus 



pygmeus). 

 Green-shank (Glottis nebularia). 



Red-shank (Totanus totanus). 

 Green sandpiper (Helodromas ocrophus). 

 Wood sandpiper (Rhyacophilus glareola). 

 Ruff (Pavoncella pugnax). 

 Lapwing ( Vanellus vanellus). 

 Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) . 

 Little ringed plover (JEgialitis dubia). 

 Mongolian plover (Mgialitis mongola). 



