206 
CHARADRIIFORMES 
Nesting. On the ground. 
Distribution. Breeds in the western Arctic east to Hudson Bay, migrates mostly 
through the prairie interior. There are a few records for southern British Columbia. 
246. Semipalmated Sandpiper, black-legged peep. la petite maubi&che 
grise. Ereunetes pusillus. L, 6-30. Plate XXV B. Next to the smallest of our sand- 
pipers, being only slightly larger than the Least (page 202). 
Distinctions. Except on the Pacific coast, to be confused only with the Least Sand- 
piper. Compared with that species, slightly larger. The best distinction is the partial 
webbing of the toes that gives the name “Semipalmated” (Figure 296, compare with 290). 
Above, it is a greyer bird than the Least; the breast spotting is clearer and the white 
ground with less overwash. When over wash occurs it is greyish rather than huffy. Young 
birds may have slight buff breast-band, but the stripes are almost absent on if. The bill 
is slightly longer and thicker than the Least and the legs black instead of olive-green. 
The Semipalmated is separated from the Western Sandpiper on the west coast with 
even greater difficulty than from the Least. The Semipalmated is smaller than the W estern, 
but larger than the Least. The bill is considerably smaller (under 
rather than over 0-95 inch) (See Figure 289, page 201), the back 
rarely has an appreciable amount of red, and the breast spots in 
comparable plumages are not so sharp and clear cut. In high 
spring plumage the colour characters are plain, in autumn they 
are rather obscure; general size and size of bill make the best 
differentiation. 
Field Marks. Away from the west coast, to be confused only 
with the Least Sandpiper. Larger size, greyer back, and, in 
spring, more sharply defined breast spotting. Legs black instead 
of olive-green. From Western by smaller size; in spring, by 
very much greyer back anti less sharply defined breast spots; in 
autumn, size when possible to make direct comparison is the 
best criterion. One of the earliest of the migrant waders to 
arrive in the autumn. 
Distribution. North and South America. Breeds on Arctic 
-y-. { c - i coast from Labrador to the mouth of the Yukon. Migrates 
°° C Sandpiper- ma ^ through the interior and on both coasts. Common nearly everv- 
natural size. where in migration. Probably the commonest and most widely 
distributed of the Peeps. 
247. Western Sandpiper, western peep, la petite matjbeche grise de l’ouest. 
Ereunetes mauri. L, 6-50. Like the Semipalmated Sandpiper but larger, especially in 
the length of bill. In spring and in most young autumn birds, back strongly red, even redder 
than the Least, and with a well-defined reddish bar across nape. 
Distinctions. Typical birds are easily recognized by their long bill (over 0-95 inch) ■ 
(See Figure 289, page 201), large intermixture of red in black and across nape, and the 
heavy, sharp spotting of breast. Many specimens, however, are not so easily recognized 
and it is only by the aggregate of various characteristics that they can be determined. 
Field Marks. The largest “peep,” with bill longer than head, very red on back, and 
with sharply defined spotting on breast. Any one of these characters may be obscure or 
absent. 
Distribution. North and South America. Breeds on northwest Alaskan coast. Of 
peculiar winter distribution. Occurs from California south and also on the Atlantic coast 
in migration as far north as New 7 York, but as yet there are only a few casual records from 
the continental interior between and it is not known how they reach the extreme east 
from the far w r est coast. 
262. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, la MAUBkcHE A. poitrine jaunAtre. Tryngites 
subruficollis. L, 11*50. A small, buff-coloured sandpiper. A soft, light buff all below, 
strongest on breast. Above, from tail to crown, dark brown, nearly black, feathers 
heavily edged with light ochre. No conspicuous markings anywhere. 
Distinctions. The only small sandpiper (about the size of Spotted) so evenly and 
extensively buff coloured. Further distinctions found on the underw ing surface, which is • 
mostly white but beautifully mottled and marbled with black (Figure 298), a character 
exhibited by no other shore bird. 
