510 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Turkestan) has bill and tarsus longer, nasal groove more than half 

 length of bill ; H. o. osculans (E. Siberia to N. China, Japan, etc.) 

 has bill longer and white on outer web of primaries commences on 

 6th. Other forms in Australia and New Zealand. Black and white 

 plumage and straight, laterally compressed bill distinguish species 

 from other British Waders. 



Field -characters. — Identified at once by boldly pied black and 

 white plumage, long stout orange-red bill and flesh-pink feet. 

 Frequents shingle-banks of rivers in north Britain, but is chiefly 

 a bird of the seaside, resorting alike to rock-bound coasts, pebble- 

 ridges, sandy shores and estuarine flats, where several hundreds 

 sometimes pack together. Call-note a loud " klee-eep klee-eep." 

 Selous aptly describes love -song as " kee kee kee kee kee kervee 

 kervee kervee kervee kervee," a loud ear -piercing clamour ending 

 in a quavering trill. Alarm-note a shrill " pic pic pic." 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts coasts and estuaries, sand-dunes and 

 especially in Scotland, shingle -banks by sides of rivers and on 

 shores of lochs far inland. No nest, but sometimes pieces of shell, 

 or small stones arranged in nest -hollow, which may be in sand, on 

 rock or in turf. Eggs. — Usually 3, sometimes 2 and occasionally 4, 

 while 6 once recorded, yellowish -stone or clay-buff, blotched, 

 spotted, and sometimes streaked with brown-black and ashy shell- 

 marks. Average of 101 British eggs, 57.0x40.0. Max.: 70.1 X 

 37.4 and 62.1x48.9. Min. : 51.6x40.4 and 62.6x35 mm. Breeding- 

 season. — Begins about April 25, but most eggs are laid in May. 

 In north often not till June. Incubation. — Shared by sexes but 

 chiefly by female. Period 21-24 days. Single brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly marine mollusca, especially limpets ; also fre- 

 quently mussels, cockles, and periwinkles, occasionally small whelks ; 

 earthworms ; Crustacea (shrimps) ; and insects (coleoptera, diptera 

 and larvae, chiefly Tipulidce, lepidoptera, especially larvse of Noctuce, 

 etc.). Vegetable matter and seeds also recorded, as well as sand- 

 worms and holothurians. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident, passage -migrant and 

 winter -visitor (mid -March-early May to Sept -mid -No v.). Breeds 

 only very sparingly in few localities east coast England and on 

 south coast, but fairly plentifully on coasts Wales and Lanes, north- 

 wards. In Scotland and Ireland plentiful and frequently breeds 

 along rivers and inland lochs Scotland. General movement south- 

 ward in autumn when with advent of migrants species becomes 

 more numerous and more generally distributed. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally. Wintering as far 

 south as Mediterranean, north Africa, Red Sea, and north-west 

 India. Casual Greenland, Madeira. Replaced by closely-allied 

 forms in western and north-east Asia, and by others in Australia 

 and New Zealand. 



