THE COMMON SANDPIPER. 



609 



coverts with buff tips deeper in shade. As in adult there is con- 

 siderable individual variation in markings of wing-coverts. 



First winter. — Not to be distinguished from adult winter. The 

 juvenile body-feathers, tail, innermost secondaries and coverts, 

 some median and lesser coverts are moulted Aug. to Nov. but 

 apparently not rest of wings. 



Soft parts.— Bill dark brown ; legs and feet light greenish-grey ; 

 iris brown. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 106-114 mm., tail 50-59, 

 tarsus 22-24, bill from feathers 23-25 (12 measured). $ wing 110.5- 

 119, bill 24-26. Primaries : 

 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 

 equal or 2-4 mm. shorter, 

 4th 4.5-8 shorter, 5th 10-16 

 shorter, 6th 19-23 shorter. 

 Longest inner secondary 

 varying in length between 

 3rd and 6th primaries. Tail 

 fan-shaped, feathers rounded 

 at tips. Bill short and straight, 

 culmen slightly de curved at 

 tip and with groove extending 

 three-quarters of its length, 

 inter -ramal space feathered. 

 Tarsus scutellated before and 

 behind. Four toes, outer and 

 middle ones connected by a 

 web up to about 1st joint. 



Characters. — No sub- 

 species recognized. Distin- 

 guished by small size, olive- 

 brown back, rump and upper 

 tail -co verts. For distinctions 

 of T. macularia see under 

 that species. 



Field -characters. — Bronze -brown above and white below except 

 pale brown wash on throat and breast ; white tips to outer tail- 

 feathers, and a well-defined white bar across whole width of ex- 

 panded white-edged, crescent-shaped wing constitute a coloration 

 unlike that of any other British wader. Actions equally distinctive, 

 whether bird is tripping along at water's edge, curtseying and 

 flirting its tail, or flying quickly, though with interrupted wing- 

 beats, just above surface of stream or lake. Favourite haunts in 

 breeding-season are mountain streams and tarns and reservoirs 

 among hills, but many nest on banks of lowland meres and rivers. 

 Higher ground is deserted so soon as young can fly, and from mid- 

 July to end September occurs in estuaries, coastal marshes, and 

 lowland districts, where it does not nest. Call-note, a loud " dee- 

 VOL. H. 2 R 



Juveniles of (upper figure) the Common Sandpiper 

 (Tringa hypoleucos) with streaked throat ; (lower 

 figure) the Spotted Sandpiper (T. macularia) with 

 unstreaked throat. 



