145 
Nesting. On the ground. 
Distribution. North and South America. Breeds from the northern edge of prairies 
and probably central British Columbia northward. Migrates throughout southern Canada. 
The breeding ranges of these two Yellow-legs are not very well delimitated. See previous 
species. 
256. Solitary Sandpiper (Including Western Solitary Sandpiper). Tringa 
solitarius. L, 8*40. A small Sandpiper of same general colour design as the Yellow-legs 
(See Plate XVIII B)but much smaller; back darker, less 
mottled with light; rump same colour as back; less white 
in tail. 
Distinctions. Back dark brown, almost black with 
slight green sheen, but finely speckled with white, ochre, 
or rusty-ochre spots. The best specific distinction is 
barring of the axillar feathers under the wing (Figure 
171), which occurs in no other comparable species. 
Field Marks. A small black and white Sandpiper 
with the same nodding habits as the two Yellow-legs 
(which see), but not the constant body-teetering of the 
Spotted Sandpiper, with which it is most likely to be 
confused. It nods continually but teeters only occasion- 
ally, instead of the contrary. It is also without the white 
bars on the wing that are so conspicuous in that species 
in flight, but shows more white barring on the tail. The 
flight is a long sweeping wing-beat more like that of the Yellow-legs than with stiff, 
down-curved wings like the Spotted. 
Figure 171 
Barred axillars of Solitary Sand- 
piper; natural size. 
Nesting. The nesting of this species was unknown until it was discovered recently 
that it builds in old nests of Robins and other birds in bushes at some distance from the 
ground, as does the Green Sandpiper of Europe. 
Distribution. North and South America. Presumably breeding across the con- 
tinent, but actual nesting instances are rare. Northern and western Alberta and northern 
Saskatchewan have the only well-substantiated records as yet. In migration more or less 
common throughout southern Canada. 
Figure 172 
Marbled primaries of Western Solitary Sandpiper, from below; 
natural size. 
SUBSPECIES. Two subspecie of the Solitary Sandpiper are recognized. The 
Eastern Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitarius solitarius occupying most of the continent 
and the Western Solitary Tringa solitarius cinnamomeus from the eastern sides of the 
mountains west. In migration both forms occur throughout British Columbia and Alberta 
and the breeding distribution of the two forms is not well defined. The Western Solitary 
is characterized by slightly larger size, white spotting on back being more or less tinged 
with rusty-ochre in juvenility, and white marbling or blotching on base of under surface 
of first primaries (Figure 172). This latter, although it may not be present in all cinnamo- 
meus, probably never occurs in Eastern solitarius. None of these subspecific characteristics 
are absolutely determinative and an average of them should be sometimes taken in identi- 
fication. 
As implied by the name, this species is a rather solitary bird, being 
found, even in migration time, in individuals or pairs rather than in flocks. 
It is a mud haunter and is the only Wader except the Spotted Sandpiper 
that is commonly seen about such small waters as drainage ditches, or 
along the edges of flooded woods. 
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