Part 18

In summer the head and neck are pale cinnamon color; young birds and winter adults have the head and neck white. Feathers on the under part white and very thick and, duck-like, being impervious to water. Bill slender and recurved; feet webbed. Large patches of white on the wings, making them very conspicuous at all times. During the breeding season, if not molested, they become very tame.

Nest.—Is simply a lining of grass in a slight depression in the ground. They lay three or four eggs of a dark greenish or brownish buff color, spotted and blotched with brown and black (1.90 × 1.30).

BLACK-NECKED STILT. 226. Himantopus mexicanus. 15 inches.

Legs extremely long and bright red; neck and bill moderately long and slender. Male black and white as shown; female and young with back brownish. They are strong and swift upon the wing.

Nest.—On the ground, made of weeds, twigs and grass. Three or four eggs, greenish buff, with numerous markings of brown and black about the larger end.

DOWITCHER. 231. Macrorhamphus griseus. 11 inches.

Bill very long like that of the Snipe. In summer these birds are reddish brown below; more or less specked with black on the breast and barred with black on the sides; above mottled with brown and black, lighter or even white on the rump, crossed with wavy lines of black.

In winter they are gray above and white below. By the gunners known as “Red-breasted Snipe” in the spring and summer and as “Graybacks” in the winter months.

Nest.—Placed in a slight hollow on the ground and lined with grass and leaves; three or four eggs of a greenish buff color boldly marked with brown most heavily about the larger end (1.75 × 1.15).

STILT SANDPIPER. 233. Micropalama himantopus. 9 inches.

These seem to be one of the least abundant of our shore birds, single individuals being found in flocks of other species rather than in flocks by themselves. Bill slender and only moderately long. In summer the entire under parts are a rusty white, closely barred with blackish. In winter they are gray above and white below.

KNOT. 234. Tringa canutus. 11 inches.

This is one of the birds that feed along the ocean beaches, following out each wave as it rolls away and eagerly picking the small insects from the sand, and hurrying back to get clear from the next wave. Bill moderately long and quite stout; form more robust than most of the shore birds. Adults in summer mixed with brown and grayish above and of a reddish uniform brown below. In winter plain gray above and white below.

Nest.—They are supposed to breed in Arctic America, but no eggs are known as yet in any collections.

Range.—Arctic regions in summer; in winter south through the United States to South America.

PRIBILOF SANDPIPER. 235b. Arquatella maritima ptilocnemis. 9 inches.

This bird has the feathers of the upper parts edged with rusty and the under parts light, with a distinguishing patch of black on the breast. Three or four eggs of a grayish buff color, spotted and blotched with brown, laid on the ground in a depression with a light lining of grass (1.50 × 1.05).

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER. 238. Pisobia aurita. 9 inches.

This species is blackish-brown above, feathers strongly edged with reddish brown, white below except the breast, which is reddish brown. Fairly common in summer on the coast of Alaska; in winter supposed to migrate south wholly on the Asiatic side of the Pacific.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 239. Pisobia maculata. 9 inches.

A peculiar species, having the power during the mating season of inflating the throat to a great extent. They have more the habits of the Snipe than do most of the Sandpipers, frequenting grassy meadows or marshes, and feeding along the muddy flats in place of the sandy beaches. They are very dark brown above, with much lighter brown edging the feathers, and are white below and on the throat; the breast is brownish. These are well-known birds, and are called by gunners “Grass Snipe” or “Jack Snipe” as a more common name.

Nest.—Are grass-lined depressions, in which are laid three or four grayish or greenish buff eggs (1.45 × 1.00).

Range.—Whole of North America, breeding in the Arctic regions and wintering south of the United States.

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. 240. Pisobia fuscicollis. 7 inches.

Back, wings and top of head brownish streaked with black, below white, but with the breast and throat streaked; primaries black; upper tail coverts white. Nesting habits the same as those of the majority of the family, breeding from Labrador northward, and wintering to Central America. Eggs 1.30 × .90.

BAIRD SANDPIPER. 241. Pisobia bairdi. 7½ inches.

Very similar to the preceding, but without the white rump, being of a blackish color instead.

Nest.—In the grass bordering fresh water ponds rather than near the seashore. Their nest is a slight hollow in the ground lined with grasses and usually concealed in a bunch of grass. Three to four eggs of a grayish white marked with shades of brown and lilac (1.30 × .90).