Color Key to North American Birds Part 27

Range.--North America, chiefly in the interior; breeds from northern Illinois (rarely), Minnesota and Central California, north to lat.i.tude 55; winters south of United States to southern South America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 283.]

=283. Turnstone= (_Arenaria interpres_). Similar to 283.1 but larger, W. 6., and upperparts in _ad._ with black prevailing. _Yng._ Blacker than young of 283.1.

Range.--Eastern hemisphere, in America, only in Greenland and Alaska.

=283.1. Ruddy Turnstone= (_Arenaria morinella_). L. 9.5; W. 5.7.

_Ads._ Reddish brown prevailing in upper surface. _Yng._ Above and breast grayish brown margined with buffy, throat, abdomen, rump and long upper tail-coverts _white_ as in ad.; shorter upper tail-coverts black. _Notes._ When flying, a loud twittering note. (Nuttall.)

Range.--Nearly cosmopolitan; breeds in Arctic regions; winters in America south of United States to Patagonia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 288.]

=288. Mexican Jacana= (_Jacana spinosa_). L. 8. Toes over 1.5. _Ads._ Chestnut and black; wings mostly greenish. _Yng._ Forehead, line over eye, and below white. Above grayish brown, sometimes with rump chestnut, nape black. _Notes._ A harsh, rapidly repeated _eep_, _eep_, _eep_.

Range.--Central America and Mexico north to Lower Rio Grande Valley, Cuba and Haiti.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 225.]

=225. American Avocet= (_Recurvirostra americana_). L. 16.5; B. 3.7.

_Ads._ Head and neck rufous; belly white; wings black and white. _Yng.

and Ads. in winter._ Similar, but head and neck grayish or whitish.

_Notes._ A rather musical, loud _pl??-??k_ hurriedly repeated.

Range.--North America west of Mississippi; breeds from northern States, central California and rarely Texas, north in the interior to lat.i.tude 54: winters from southern California and western Gulf States to Central America and West Indies; casual on Atlantic coast.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 264.]

=264. Long-billed Curlew= (_Numenius longirostris_). L. 24; B. 6., longest among our Snipe. _Ads._ Above black and buffy; tail barred buffy and black; below buffy, neck and breast finely streaked with dusky. _Yng._ Similar, but buff deeper.

Range.--North America; breeds on Atlantic coast from Florida to North Carolina; in interior north to Manitoba and British Columbia; later strays casually to Newfoundland and Ontario; winters from Gulf States and southern California southward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 265.]

=265. Hudsonian Curlew= (_Numenius hudsonicus_). L. 17; B. 3.7. _Ads._ Less buff than No. 264; above dark grayish brown and brownish gray; tail barred with same; below white, breast streaked; sides barred with blackish.

Range.--North America; breeds in Arctic region; winters south of United States to South America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 266.]

=266. Eskimo Curlew= (_Numenius borealis_). L. 13.5; B. 2. _Ads._ Tail barred with grayish brown and black; above blackish and buffy; below buffy, the breast thickly streaked; sides barred with blackish.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds In Arctic regions; winters south of United States to South America; migrates chiefly through interior.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 226.]

=226. Black-necked Stilt= (_Himantopus mexica.n.u.s_). L. 15; Tar 4.10.

_Ad._ [Male]. Forehead, lower back, and underparts white; crown, hindneck, upper back, and wings black. _Ad._ [Female]. Similar, but upper back and scapulars grayish brown. _Yng._ Similar to [Female], but brown and black feathers lightly margined with buffy.

_Notes._ A sharp, rapidly uttered _ip-ip-ip_ when flying; a hoa.r.s.e _k-r-r-r-r-ing_ note when on the ground.

Range.--Temperate and tropical America; breeds north to Gulf States, (locally and rarely in Mississippi Valley to Minnesota) and California; winters from southern California and West Indies to northern South America; rare east of Mississippi except in Gulf States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 286.]

=286. American Oyster-catcher= (_Haematopus palliatus_). L. 19. _Ads._ Base of tail and longer upper tail-coverts white, shorter coverts and _all_ back blackish brown; white in wings conspicuous in flight.

_Yng._ Similar but feathers above with buffy margins. _Notes._ A sharp _eep_, _eep_.

Range.--Temperate and tropical America; breeds on sea coasts only, north to Virginia and western Mexico; winters south of United States to South America; casual north to Nova Scotia.

=286.1. Frazar Oyster-catcher= (_Haematopus frazari_). Similar to No.

286, but darker above, black breast pa.s.sing into white belly through a mottled black and white band; upper tail coverts with brown markings.

Range.--"Lower California (both coasts), north to Los Coronados Islands." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 287.]

=287. Black Oyster-catcher= (_Haematopus bachmani_). L. 17. _Ads._ Black. _Yng._ Somewhat browner. _Notes._ A musical, piping whistle.

Range.--"Pacific coast of North America from Aleutian Islands to La Paz, Lower California."

[Ill.u.s.tration: 228.]

=228. American Woodc.o.c.k= (_Philohela minor_). L. 11. _Ads._ Below ochraceous-rufous; _no bars_; forehead slaty crown black with rusty bars; back mixed black, rusty and slaty. _Notes._ A nasal _peent_ or _paip_; a whistling of wings and a twittering whistle.

Range.--Eastern North America; breeds locally from Florida to Labrador and Manitoba, but chiefly northward; winters from southern New Jersey and southern Illinois to Gulf States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 230.]

=230. Wilson Snipe= (_Gallinago delicata_). L. 11.2. _Ads._ Throat and belly white or whitish; breast rusty buff indistinctly streaked; sides _barred_; above streaked black and cream-buff; tail black and rusty; outer feathers barred black and white. _Notes._ When taking flight several sudden, hoa.r.s.e _scaipes_; a tremulous, penetrating bleating, thought to be produced by air rus.h.i.+ng through the birds wings; a _kuk-kuk-kuk_. (Brewster.)

Range.--North America; breeds from northern New England (rarely Connecticut), northern Illinois and northern California north to Labrador, Hudson Bay, and Alaska; winters from California, southern Illinois, and South Carolina to northern South America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 261.]

=261. Bartramian Sandpiper= (_Bartramia longicauda_). L. 11.5. Outer primary barred black and white. _Ads._ Above black, ochraceous, and brownish gray; breast and sides with dusky arrowheads; throat and belly whitish. _Yng._ Similar, but more buffy. _Notes._ Call, a soft, bubbling whistle; song, a prolonged, mournful, mellow whistle, "_chr-r-r-r-r-ee-e-e-e-e-e-oo-oo-o-oo_."

Range.--North America chiefly interior; breeds locally from Kansas and Virginia to Alaska and Nova Scotia; winters south of United States to South America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 262.]

=262. Buff-breasted Sandpiper= (_Tryngites subruficollis_). L. 8.5.

Inner border of inner web of primaries beautifully speckled with black and white. _Ads._ Above black widely margined with grayish brown; below ochraceous-buff; a few black spots. _Yng._ Above blackish brown, finely and evenly margined with whitish; below much as in adult.

Range.-"North America especially in the interior; breeds in the Yukon district and the interior of British America north to the Arctic coast; south in winter as far as Uruguay and Peru." (A.O.U.)