Part 1

Transcriber’s Note:

In Memory of

The source scans used are from the Dover edition, published in 1962, an unabridged republication of the work first published by the United States Government Printing Office. Part I was originally published in 1927 as Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum Bulletin 142; Part II was originally published in 1929 as Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum Bulletin 146. In Part II, the Smithsonian publication used Plate 1 as a frontispiece. The Dover edition included Plate 1 with the rest of the plates at the end of the book.

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, like this. Those in bold are surrounded by equal signs, =like this=. Footnotes were renumbered sequentially. Obsolete and alternative spellings were not changed.

Misspelled words were corrected. Missing diacriticals were added. Obvious printing errors, such as partially printed letters and punctuation, were corrected. Final stops missing at the end of sentences and abbreviations were added.

Life Histories of North American Shore Birds

by Arthur Cleveland Bent

in two parts - Part II

Dover Publications, Inc., New York

ADVERTISEMENT

The scientific publications of the National Museum include two series, known, respectively, as Proceedings and Bulletin.

The Proceedings, begun in 1878, is intended primarily as a medium for the publication of original papers, based on the collections of the National Museum, that set forth newly acquired facts in biology, anthropology, and geology, with descriptions of new forms and revisions of limited groups. Copies of each paper, in pamphlet form, are distributed as published to libraries and scientific organizations and to specialists and others interested in the different subjects. The dates at which these separate papers are published are recorded in the table of contents of each of the volumes.

The Bulletin, the first of which was issued in 1875, consists of a series of separate publications comprising monographs of large zoological groups and other general systematic treatises (occasionally in several volumes), faunal works, reports of expeditions, catalogues of type-specimens, special collections, and other material of similar nature. The majority of the volumes are octavo in size, but a quarto size has been adopted in a few instances in which large plates were regarded as indispensable. In the Bulletin series appear volumes under the heading Contributions from the United States National Herbarium, in octavo form, published by the National Museum since 1902, which contain papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum.

The present work forms No. 146 of the Bulletin series.

ALEXANDER WETMORE, Assistant Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. WASHINGTON, D. C., December 11, 1928.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Order Limicolae 1 Family Scolopacidae 1 Tringa solitaria solitaria 1 Solitary sandpiper 1 Habits 1 Distribution 9 Tringa solitaria cinnamomea 13 Western solitary sandpiper 13 Habits 13 Distribution 15 Tringa ocrophus 16 Green sandpiper 16 Habits 16 Distribution 21 Rhyacophilus glareola 22 Wood sandpiper 22 Habits 22 Distribution 26 Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus 27 Eastern willet 27 Habits 27 Distribution 35 Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus 36 Western willet 36 Habits 36 Distribution 39 Heteroscelus incanus 41 Wandering tattler 41 Habits 41 Distribution 46 Heteroscelus brevipes 48 Polynesian tattler 48 Habits 48 Distribution 49 Philomachus pugnax 49 Ruff 49 Habits 49 Distribution 54 Bartramia longicauda 55 Upland plover 55 Habits 55 Distribution 65 Tryngites subruficollis 69 Buff-breasted sandpiper 69 Habits 69 Distribution 76 Actitis macularia 78 Spotted sandpiper 78 Habits 78 Distribution 93 Numenius americanus 97 Long-billed curlew 97 Habits 97 Distribution 106 Numenius arquata arquata 109 European curlew 109 Habits 109 Distribution 112 Numenius hudsonicus 113 Hudsonian curlew 113 Habits 113 Distribution 122 Numenius borealis 125 Eskimo curlew 125 Habits 125 Distribution 134 Numenius phaeopus phaeopus 136 Whimbrel 136 Habits 136 Distribution 139 Numenius tahitiensis 140 Bristle-thighed curlew 140 Habits 140 Distribution 143 Family Charadriidae 144 Vanellus-vanellus 144 Lapwing 144 Habits 144 Distribution 148 Eudromias morinellus 150 Dotterel 150 Habits 150 Distribution 153 Squatarola squatarola 154 Black-bellied plover 154 Habits 154 Distribution 166 Pluvialis apricaria altifrons 171 European golden plover 171 Habits 171 Distribution 174 Pluvialis dominica dominica 175 American golden plover 175 Habits 175 Distribution 189 Pluvialis dominica fulva 193 Pacific golden plover 193 Habits 193 Distribution 201 Oxyechus vociferus 202 Killdeer 202 Habits 202 Distribution 213 Charadrius semipalmatus 217 Semipalmated plover 217 Habits 217 Distribution 225 Charadrius hiaticula 229 Ringed plover 229 Habits 229 Distribution 232 Charadrius dubius curonicus 233 Little ringed plover 233 Habits 233 Distribution 236 Charadrius melodus 236 Piping plover 236 Habits 236 Distribution 244 Charadrius nivosus nivosus 246 Snowy plover 246 Habits 246 Distribution 251 Charadrius nivosus tenuirostris 252 Cuban snowy plover 252 Habits 252 Charadrius mongolus mongolus 253 Mongolian plover 253 Habits 253 Distribution 256 Pagolla wilsonia wilsonia 257 Wilson plover 257 Habits 257 Distribution 262 Podasocys montanus 263 Mountain plover 263 Habits 263 Distribution 267 Family Aphrizidae 269 Aphriza virgata 269 Surf bird 269 Habits 269 Distribution 277 Arenaria interpres 278 Turnstone 278 Habits 278 Distribution 293 Arenaria interpres interpres 293 Arenaria interpres morinella 294 Arenaria melanocephala 298 Black turnstone 298 Habits 298 Distribution 304 Family Haematopodidae 305 Haematopus ostralegus 305 European oyster catcher 305 Habits 305 Distribution 308 Haematopus palliatus palliatus 309 American oyster catcher 309 Habits 309 Distribution 315 Haematopus palliatus frazari 316 Frazer oyster catcher 316 Habits 316 Distribution 319 Haematopus bachmani 320 Black oyster catcher 320 Habits 320 Distribution 323 Family Jacanidae 324 Jacana spinosa gymnostoma 324 Mexican jacana 324 Habits 324 Distribution 327 References to publications 328 Explanation of plates 341 Index 407

INTRODUCTION

This is the eighth in a series of bulletins of the United States National Museum on the life histories of North American birds. Previous numbers have been issued as follows:

107. Life Histories of North American Diving Birds, August 1, 1919.

113. Life Histories of North American Gulls and Terns, August 27, 1921.

121. Life Histories of North American Petrels, Pelicans and their Allies, October 19, 1922.

126. Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl, May 25, 1923.

130. Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl, June 27, 1925.

135. Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds, March 11, 1927.

142. Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, December 31, 1927.

The same general plan has been followed, as explained in previous bulletins, and the same sources of information have been utilized. The classification and nomenclature adopted by the American Ornithologists’ Union, in its latest check list and its supplements, have been followed, mainly, with such few changes as, in the author’s opinion, will be, or should be, made to bring the work up to date and in line with recent advances in the science.

The main ranges are as accurately outlined as limited space will permit; the normal migrations are given in sufficient detail to indicate the usual movements of the species; no attempt has been made to give all the records, for economy in space, and no pretence at complete perfection is claimed. Many published records, often repeated, have been investigated and discarded; many apparently doubtful records have been verified; some published records, impossible to either verify or disprove, have been accepted if the evidence seemed to warrant it.