Chapter L: L. Jewel (1915), watching a sandpiper in Panama under most favorable

circumstances was able to make out clearly the position of the feet while the bird was swimming under water. The beach where Mr. Jewel made this observation was, as he describes it:

A wide coral reef, bare at low tide, and with occasional
openings or “wells” connected underneath with the sea. Some
of these are of considerable size and the water in all is
as clear as crystal to all depths--clear as only those who
have seen such tropical “coral water” can imagine. * * *

I had however a perfect view of the bird as he “flew” the
10 feet across the pool, through the beautifully clear
water which showed white pebbles distinctly on a bottom
perhaps 20 feet below. The bird crossed at a uniform depth
of 18 inches to 2 feet, which he held until he brought up
against the opposite wall. The head and neck were extended
but not at all stretched while the legs and feet trailed
behind with flexed toes, like a heron in flight. The
wings seemed to be opened to only perhaps half their full
extent--the primaries pointing well backward like wings
are trimmed as birds cut down from some height to alight.
The wing-beats were slow and even but not labored, and
progress was uniform and not at all hurried.

In addition to the anomalous behavior of the spotted sandpiper in and under the water, the bird shows a further departure from the regular habits of the other shore birds in its ability and frequent tendency to perch on small supports which requires a grasping power in the feet to hold the bird in place. My notes supply an extreme instance of this habit, noting the action of an adult bird (exercised, to be sure, over the safety of its young) which alighted on a slender wire running between poles and stood crouched a little and leaning forward, but keeping its balance by securely gripping the wire.

The literature furnishes one other record of grasping a wire. L. L. Snyder (1924) reports thus:

On June 25, 1923, at Orient Bay, Lake Nipigon, Ontario, the
writer observed a spotted sandpiper perching on a telegraph
wire. The fact that the species was perching was not
surprising but the size of the perch made the observation
of interest. The bird was not in an erect position, being
squatted, which probably made the feat less difficult.
In this case the act was entirely voluntary and not an
instance of unusual conduct due to the pressure of an
emergency.

Other quotations, showing the bird acting in unsandpiper-like behavior follow. Mousley (1915) says:

On one occasion only have I seen a very excited parent bird
with young alight on a cat-tail head, and very out of place
and uncomfortable it seemed to be.

H. H. Cleaves (1908) says:

We were returning along a rather unused railroad when, in
an area to one side, which was flooded for the most part
with a number of inches of water, we noticed a spotted
sandpiper flying about in circles and acting peculiarly. We
had all come to the conclusion that her young were about
somewhere, when she did a most peculiar thing. The wet
area in question was covered with considerable underbrush,
out of which grew rather tall, second-growth timber. The
sandpiper alighted on the tops of some of these trees, on
the small twigs, and remained balancing there for some
time, fully 25 or 30 feet from the ground. This performance
she repeated several times, making her appear for all the
world like a perching bird.

P. A. Taverner (1919) says:

Common all along the river [Red Deer River, Alberta] and
breeding everywhere. One bird on being flushed from her
eggs flew into adjoining bushes and climbed about them in a
most unwaderlike style while complaining at our intrusion.

J. T. Nichols points out in his notes that the foot of the spotted sandpiper is adapted to its peculiar habits; that the bird is able to grasp a small object because the front toes are nearer together than in most waders and the hind toe is more developed. He says:

The footmarks of the spotted sandpiper on moist sand or mud
are recognizable. Compared to those of related birds the
toes are relatively little spreading, and the mark left by
the hind toe relatively large and conspicuous.

Under the title “Spotted Sandpiper Removing its Young” J. C. Merrill (1898) describes a very remarkable performance, the only record of such behavior noted in the literature.

A clearly observed case of the spotted sandpiper (_Actitis
macularia_) removing its young by flight recently came
under my notice, and I place it upon record, as such
instances are rarely seen, though they are, perhaps, of
tolerably frequent occurrence, as in the case of the
woodcock.

Last summer, in the month of July, I frequently landed on
a little rocky islet near the head of the Saquenay River,
shortly after it issues from Lake St. John. Each time
a spotted sandpiper showed much concern for her young,
which were often seen running about and were a few days
old. On one of these occasions, the mother ran ahead of
me to a point of rocks near which I stopped to fish. A
few moments later she flew, circling in the usual manner,
and as she passed in front of me and within a few feet, I
saw one of the young beneath her body, apparently clasped
by her thighs; its head was directed forward, somewhat
outstretched, and was seen with perfect distinctness. The
parent’s legs were apparently hanging down as she flew,
though I am not positive that what I saw were not the legs
of the young. The mother was in sight for about 60 yards,
flying heavily and silently, and landed on a large island,
though I could not see her at the moment of alighting.

_Voice._--The notes of the spotted sandpiper are mainly modified and extended from its common alarm note, the sharp, clear whistle, _peet-weet_, but as in the case of many birds, degrees of emotion may be expressed by a little change in pitch or inflection. When considerably alarmed the bird continues to repeat the _weet_ note often giving a long series which trails off in diminuendo like the quacking of a duck.

J. T. Nichols (1920) describes a series of notes:

_Hoy, hoy, weet, weet, weet, weet, weet, weet, weet_ is
a prolonged call frequently heard in the early part of
the nesting season, in toto or in part, suggesting in
that respect the songs of the cuckoos. It doubtless has
value as advertisement or location notice and something
the significance of a very generalized song. A series of
loud _weets_, heard also at other times of year, the most
far-reaching call of the species, doubtless serves as
location notice.

A. A. Saunders in his notes similarly describes the “song.” He says:

I believe the long call _weet, weet, weet, weet, weet,
weet, weet, peet a weet, peet a weet, peet a weet, peet a
weet_ serves as a song. I have seen it sung in flight, when
the actions and flight of the bird were similar to those of
other flight singers.

Both of these observers describe the soft crooning note used by the parent to bring together its young. Nichols says that, “a rolling note, _kerrwee, kerrwee, kerrwee_, now loud, now very low and distant, has been heard from an adult with the evident purpose of assembling her young; and Saunders speaks of a parent bird which called to its young, _tootawee, tootawee, tootawee, tootawee_ over and over. The call is like the _peet a weet_ in form, but lower pitched and softer.”

A common note, heard during the summer on the breeding ground when the birds are undisturbed, resembles closely the whistle of the little frog, _Hyla pickeringii_. This is a far-reaching whistled note, not given in a series like the _weet, weet_ call. It is a single note, apparently, repeated over and over again, not regularly, but always with an interval between each repetition.

It is clear that Nichols has this note in mind when he says, “_Pip! pip! pip!_ is a note heard between adult birds in the breeding season which seems to be of polite address, or possibly impolite, as it is almost identical in form with a note of protest by old birds when nest or young are threatened.”

Continuing, he describes two other notes, “the _pit-wit-wit_ frequently heard from adults as a note of departure may best be considered a variation of this one [the _pip wip_ of the young] as also the _peet weet weet_ or _weet weet_ most frequent a little later in the season as little companies of birds start out over the water for longer or shorter distances.

“An old bird, surprised near her brood and fluttering off playing wounded called _cheerp cheerp_ a sort of scream as of pain and fear.”

_Field marks._--The spotted sandpiper is one of the prettiest, most delicate, and trim of the shore birds; in place of the browns and greys of the streaked upper parts of most waders there is a plain greenish sheen on the back, and in autumn across the breast a soft tint like a fawn. Through the glass the wings show a fine mottling, suggesting a wren. The line of white at the posterior margin of the open wing is a good diagnostic mark, and its habit of teetering makes identification certain. The only bird which resembles the spotted sandpiper at all closely is its larger relative the solitary sandpiper, but the characteristic motion of this bird is a ploverlike hitching movement or bob, as if hiccoughing, very different from the spotted sandpiper’s rapid swaying up and down of the hinder part of the body.

_Enemies._--The chief enemies of the spotted sandpiper are the swift-moving hawks, whose pursuit it sometimes successfully eludes by diving in the manner described above. J. E. H. Kelso (1926) records an instance of this habit. He says:

Skirting the lake shore in my sneak boat a spotted
sandpiper was repeatedly disturbed, flew along in front of
the boat to settle again and again on the shore. It then
made off to cross a small bay, when a pigeon hawk dashed
out from some trees and made a stoop or two at the dodging
sandpiper, which would certainly soon have been captured in
the air if it had not suddenly alighted on the water. This
for a few seconds confused the hawk, which circled just
over its quarry and appeared to try to capture it with its
talons. The sandpiper dove, remaining under 3 or 4 seconds.
The hawk on the disappearance of its intended victim at
once made off at a great pace.

W. H. Osgood (1909) describes an escape in this manner from an attack by a northern shrike.

Wilson (1832) in his most charming manner tells this delightful story:

My venerable friend, Mr. William Bartram, informs me
that he saw one of these birds defend her young for a
considerable time from the repeated attacks of a ground
squirrel. The scene of action was on the river shore. The
parent had thrown herself, with her two young behind her,
between them and the land, and at every attempt of the
squirrel to seize them by a circuitous sweep raised both
her wings in an almost perpendicular position, assuming the
most formidable appearance she was capable of, and rushed
forwards on the squirrel, who, intimidated by her boldness
and manner, instantly retreated; but presently returning
was met, as before, in front and on flank by the daring and
affectionate bird, who with her wings and whole plumage
bristling up seemed swelled to twice her usual size. The
young crowded together behind her, apparently sensible of
their perilous situation, moving backward and forward as
she advanced or retreated. This interesting scene lasted
for at least 10 minutes; the strength of the poor parent
began evidently to flag, and the attacks of the squirrel
became more daring and frequent, when my good friend, like
one of those celestial agents who in Homer’s time so often
decided the palm of victory, stepped forward from his
retreat, drove the assailant back to his hole, and rescued
the innocent from destruction.

A. A. Saunders sends the following suggestive note:

Once on Sherwoods Island, Westport, Conn., in September, I
saw a bird fly ahead of me with something large and black
looking dangling beneath it. The bird could hardly fly
and tried to hide in the beach grass as I approached. I
caught it and found that a large specimen of the common
edible mussel (_Mytilus edulis_) had closed its shell on
the middle toe of the bird’s left foot. The toe was nearly
severed just above the nail, and since I couldn’t pry the
mussel open, I cut through the bit of skin left and freed
the bird.

_Fall._--As is the case during its northward migration, the spotted sandpiper leaves its breeding ground and moves to its winter quarters inconspicuously, showing little tendency to gather into flocks. Its voice is not infrequently heard among the notes of the autumnal nocturnal migrants--an indication that the bird in a measure makes use of the safe, dark hours during its long journey southward.

Cooke (1897) says: “In the fall [in Colorado] it ranges above the pines to 14,000 feet,” illustrating the tendency to wander about in autumn.

_Game._--During the years, now past, when the smaller shore birds could legally be shot for food or sport the spotted sandpiper suffered less than some of the other Limicolae by reason of its more solitary habit. The gunners, waiting for several of their tiny target to come within range of a single shot, often disregarded a spotted sandpiper running alone on the shore.

_Winter._--Most of the spotted sandpipers leave the United States to spend the winter on the islands to the southward, and in South America, but the species is nevertheless well represented in California during the winter, and in the Southern States on the Atlantic seaboard.

George Willett (1912) “found this species plentiful in winter around Santa Barbara Islands and on rocky shores of the mainland.”

Dr. Alexander Wetmore (1916) speaking of the bird as a winter visitant of Porto Rico says:

It frequents the mangrove swamps, borders of lagoons,
margins of all the streams, and occasionally the sandy
beaches. During the winter season it follows inland along
the small streams and occurs throughout the island.

And (1927) reporting the birds’ winter status in South America says--

It is a regular migrant in South America as far as Bolivia
and southern Brazil, and on March 4, 1918, several were
found by Mogensen at Concepcion, Province of Tucuman, in
northern Argentina. On October 25, 1920, one was taken by
the writer near the mouth of the Rio Ajo on the eastern
coast of the Province of Buenos Aires, the southernmost
point at which the species is known.

DISTRIBUTION

_Range._--North and South America; accidental in Europe.

_Breeding range._--The breeding range of the spotted sandpiper extends north to Alaska (Kobuk River, Fort Yukon, and Circle); Yukon (La Pierre House); Mackenzie (Fort McPherson, Arctic Red River, Fort Anderson, Aylmer Lake, Clinton-Colden Lake, and Artillery Lake); Manitoba (Fort Du Brochet, Fort Churchill, and York Factory); Ungava (Fort Chimo); and Labrador (Okak). East of Labrador (Okak and Rigolet); eastern Quebec (Sloop Harbor and Wolf Bay); Newfoundland (Humber River and Penguin Island); Nova Scotia (Breton Island, Pictou, and Yarmouth); Maine (Thomaston); New Hampshire (Portsmouth); Massachusetts (Boston and Woods Hole); Rhode Island (Block Island); New York (Shelter Island); New Jersey (Red Bank and Five-mile Beach); Maryland (Cambridge); Virginia (Cobb Island and Richmond); North Carolina (Kona, Fort Macon, and Wilmington); and probably South Carolina (Chester and Columbia). South to probably South Carolina (Columbia); probably Georgia (Okefinokee Swamp); Alabama (Autauga County and Greensboro); Louisiana (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Vermilion Bay); Texas (Corsicana, Calhoun County, Austin, Buffalo Bayou, Kerrville, Concho County, and Tom Green County); New Mexico (Las Vegas, Willis, and Espanola); Arizona (Camp Verde); and California (Santa Paula). West to California (Santa Paula, Kernville, Lime Kiln, Royal Arches, Lake Tahoe, and Eagle Lake); Oregon (Fort Klamath, Elkton, Eugene, Corvallis, Salem, Dayton, and Portland); Washington (Bellingham Bay); British Columbia (Vancouver and Skidegate); and Alaska (Lewis Point, Sitka, Idaho Inlet, Glacier Bay, Hinchinbrook Island, Port Nell Juan, Lake Clark, Mount McKinley, Nulato, and Kobuk River).

Nonbreeding individuals also have been observed in summer in the Bahama Islands; Porto Rico; Jamaica; Guadeloupe; Barbados; Grenada; St. Vincent; Dominica; Martinique; Florida (Fruitland Park, Indian Key, and Seven Oaks); Chihuahua (Pachaco); and Nyarit (Tres Marias Islands).

_Winter range._--In winter, the spotted sandpiper ranges north rarely to British Columbia (Courtenay and Chilliwack); Arizona (Camp Verde and Salt River Bird Reservation); New Mexico (Carlsbad); Texas (Fort Brown); probably Louisiana (Vermilion Bay); and rarely Virginia (James River peninsula). East to rarely Virginia (James River peninsula); South Carolina (Sea Islands and Port Royal); Georgia (Savannah, Blackbeard Island, and St. Marys); Florida (Fernandina, Daytona, New Smyrna, Malabar, St. Lucie, Miami, Key Largo, and Key West); the Bahama Islands (Andros); Cuba (Santiago de Cuba); Haiti (Monte Christi); Porto Rico (Cartagena Lagoon, Mameyes, and Caguas); the Lesser Antilles (Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, Carriacou, and Trinidad); British Guiana (Bartica and Georgetown); French Guiana (Cayenne); and Brazil (Mixiana, Marajo, Para, and Bahia). South to Brazil (Bahia and Santa Fe); Bolivia (San Francisco); and Peru (Lima). West to Peru (Lima, Huacho, and Tumbez); Ecuador (Santa Elena, Quito, and Esmeraldas); Galapagos Islands (Albemarle); Colombia (Puerto Berrio); Panama (Panama City); Costa Rica (La Estrella de Cartago, and San Jose); Nicaragua (Escondido River); Salvador (La Libertad); Honduras (Chamelecon); Guatemala (Lake Atitlan); Oaxaca (Tehuantepec City); Lower California (San Jose del Cabo and La Paz); Sonora (Alamos); California (San Clemente Island, Santa Catalina Island, Santa Cruz Island, and Marysville); rarely Oregon (probably Klamath Lake, Elkton, and Portland); probably Washington (Seattle, Clallam Bay, and Port Angeles); and rarely British Columbia (Courtenay).

_Spring migration._--Early dates of spring arrival are: North Carolina, Raleigh, April 3, Andrews, April 5, and Weaverville, April 10; Virginia, Miller, April 10, Bowers Hill, April 12, and Camp Eustis, April 14; West Virginia, Waverly, April 4, White Sulphur Springs, April 6, and Lewisburg, April 11; District of Columbia, Washington, April 2; Maryland, Cambridge, April 13, and Sandy Spring, April 18; Delaware, Wilmington, April 27; Pennsylvania, Phillipsburg, March 27, Jeffersonville, March 31, Wallingford, April 1, Beaver, April 2, and Berwyn, April 5; New Jersey, New Brunswick, March 30, Deep Water Point Light, April 14, and Camden, April 16; New York, Rhinebeck, March 20, Locust Grove, April 2, Geneva, April 13, and Branchport, April 15; Connecticut, Canaan, April 14, Portland, April 18, and Fairfield, April 21; Rhode Island, Block Island, April 6; Massachusetts, Dorchester, April 12, Woods Hole, April 13, Holyoke, April 15, and Harvard, April 25; Vermont, Woodstock, April 23, Rutland, April 25, and St. Johnsbury, April 27; New Hampshire, Tilton, April 26, Peterboro, April 28, and Hanover, April 30; Maine, Westbrook, April 14, Ellsworth, April 16, and Portland, April 26; Quebec, Montreal, April 26, and Quebec, May 2; New Brunswick, Scotch Lake, May 2, and Blacksville, May 5; Nova Scotia, Yarmouth, May 4, and Wolfville, May 9; Arkansas, Tillar, March 17, and Monticello, March 22; Tennessee, Knoxville, April 3, and Athens, April 10; Kentucky, Bowling Green, March 29; Missouri, Marshall, March 27; Illinois, Peoria, March 20, Odin, March 24, and Rantoul, April 5; Indiana, Vigo County, March 20, Greencastle, April 1, and Vincennes, April 3; Ohio, Cleveland, March 29, Columbus, April 8, Canton, April 9, and Oberlin, April 10; Michigan, Vermontville, April 6, Ann Arbor, April 13, Battle Creek, April 14, and Grand Rapids, April 19; Ontario, Plover Mills, April 12, Guelph, April 13, and Ottawa, April 16; Iowa, Ottumwa, March 28, Elkader, March 30, and Emmetsburg, April 3; Wisconsin, Milwaukee, March 30, and Shiocton, April 13; Minnesota, Lake City, April 3, Brainerd, April 16, Lanesboro, April 18, and Minneapolis, April 19; Oklahoma, Ponca City, March 31; Kansas, Manhattan, April 5, Lawrence, April 7, Blue Rapids, April 9, and Wichita, April 15; Nebraska, Lincoln, April 18; South Dakota, Sioux Falls, April 10, Forestburg, April 15, and Pitrodie, April 23; Manitoba, Killarney, April 22, Alexander, April 24, and Aweme, April 25; Saskatchewan, Indian Head, May 3, and Eastend, May 7; Mackenzie, Fort Simpson, May 19; Colorado, Greeley, March 18, Mesa County, March 18, and Colorado Springs, April 16; Wyoming, Lake Como, May 2; Idaho, Rathdrum, May 1, and Rupert, May 3; Montana, Billings, April 1, and Columbia Falls, May 4; Alberta, Stony Plain, April 22, Carvel, April 30, and Athabaska Landing, May 6; Yukon, Dawson, May 24; and Alaska, Kuskokwim River, May 12, Craig, May 16, Nulato, May 22, and Forrester Island, May 24.

Late dates of spring departure are: Peru, Rio Perene, March 9, and La Merced, March 23; Brazil, Praia de Cajetuba, April 12, Santarem, April 12, and Matto Grosso, April 1; Venezuela, San Bricene, April 21; Ecuador, Lake Colta, April 5, and San Pedro River, April 11; Colombia, La Concepcion, March 23; Panama, Chiriqui, April 13; Costa Rica, Guapeles, March 5; Guatemala, Puerto Barrios, April 7; Pueblo, Altisco, May 22; Yucatan, Tizimin, May 16; Tamaulipas, Victoria, April 16; Sonora, Hermosillo, April 30; Lower California, La Paz, April 16, and Gardners Laguna, April 23; Lesser Antilles, St. Croix, April 27; Porto Rico, Patillas, May 13, and Cartagena Lagoon, May 23; Haiti, April 11; Cuba, Guantanamo, May 5; Bahama Islands, Andros, April 21, Cay Lobos Light, April 25, and Abaco, April 28; and Florida, Gainesville, May 10, Daytona Beach, May 11, Palma Sola, May 22, St. Marks, May 24, and Pensacola, May 31.

_Fall migration._--Early dates of fall arrival are: Florida, Palma Sola, July 7, Pensacola, July 18, Daytona Beach, July 21, and St. Marks, July 21; Porto Rico, Manati, July 9 and Bayamon, July 20; Lesser Antilles, St. Bartholomew, August 3; Lower California, Los Coronados Islands, August 6; Tehuantepec, San Mateo, August 14; British Honduras, Manatee Lagoon, August 16; Guatemala, Duenas, September 2; Nicaragua, Escondido River, July 30, and Bluefields, September 17; Costa Rica, Ujurras de Terraba, September 16; Panama, August 4; Colombia, Fundacion, August 16, Barbacoas, August 30, Cienaga, September 13, and Valle Dupar, September 25; Venezuela, Curaçao, July 27, and Macuto, August 4; Ecuador, Guainche, August 27, Guayaquil, August 28, and Portovelo, September 2; Peru, Trujillo, September 1, and Eten, September 7; and Guiana, Abary Creek, October 6, and Cayenne, October 18.

Late dates of fall departure are: Alaska, Wrangel, October 9, and Kenai River, November 14; Yukon, mouth of Moose River, October 1; Alberta, Red Deer River, September 17; Montana, Missoula, September 17, and Columbia Falls, September 22; Idaho, Priest River, September 19, and Rupert, October 2; Wyoming, Yellowstone Park, September 17; Colorado, Boulder, September 22, Denver, September 23, and Mesa County, October 7; Mackenzie, Great Slave Lake, September 16, and Point Brule, October 1; Saskatchewan, Eastend, September 10; Manitoba, Margaret, October 4, Aweme, October 7, and Killarney, October 18; South Dakota, Wall Lake, October 13, and Forestburg, October 20; Kansas, Topeka, October 11, and Lawrence, October 14; Oklahoma, Copan, October 4, and Caddo, October 16; Minnesota, St. Vincent, October 14, and Lanesboro, November 2; Wisconsin, Madison, October 4, Racine, October 6, and Burlington, October 14; Iowa, Newton, October 25, Sioux City, November 3, and Coralville, November 8; Ontario, Toronto, October 11, London, October 25, and Ottawa, October 30; Michigan, Charity Island, September 28, Ann Arbor, October 9, and Jackson, October 27; Ohio, Huron, October 21, Sandusky, October 24, Cedar Point, October 30, and Columbus, November 7; Indiana, Albion, October 17, Elkhart, October 19, and New Harmony, October 23; Illinois, Chicago, September 29, Maxwell, October 10, and Urbana, October 18; Missouri, St. Louis, October 11, and Jaspar City, October 15; Kentucky, Bowling Green, October 13; Tennessee, Athens, October 11, and Knoxville, October 24; Nova Scotia, Pictou, October 9; New Brunswick, Scotch Lake, October 4; Quebec, Montreal, October 2, and Quebec, October 12; Maine, Portland, October 8, Kennebec County, October 15, and Orono, October 21; Massachusetts, Woods Hole, October 20, Braintree, October 22, and Boston, November 2; Rhode Island, Newport, October 3; Connecticut, Portland, October 15, Hartford, October 19, and Windsor, October 20; New York, New York City, October 13, Collins, October 15, and Highland Falls, October 15; New Jersey, Camden, October 17; Pennsylvania, Renovo, October 18, and Berwyn, October 28; and Maryland, Plummer Island, October 28.

_Casual records._--Spotted sandpipers have been detected twice in Argentina, Concepcion on March 4, 1918, and mouth of the Rio Ajo, October 25, 1920 (Wetmore). It also has been reported from Europe on numerous instances, among which the following cases from the British Isles, seem to be authentic: Two near Belfast, July and September, 1928; one near Whitby, March 29, 1849; one at Kingsbury Reservoir, Middlesex (date ?); two at Warrington, Lancashire, May, 1863; two at Eastbourne, Sussex, in October, 1866; and two at Aberdeen in August, 1867 (Dalgleish).

_Egg dates._--Labrador: 7 records, June 1 to July 16. Quebec to Nova Scotia: 53 records, May 20 to July 4; 27 records, June 15 to 19. New England and New York: 41 records, May 19 to July 9; 21 records, May 30 to June 13. Ohio to Iowa: 16 records, May 14 to July 6; 8 records, May 31 to June 16. California to Washington: 13 records, June 7 to July 7; 7 records, June 15 to 28. Alaska and Mackenzie: 26 records, June 10 to July 22; 13 records, June 15 to July 7.

NUMENIUS AMERICANUS Bechstein

LONG-BILLED CURLEW

HABITS

One can not see this magnificent bird for the first time without experiencing a thrill of enthusiasm for the largest, one of the most interesting and notable of our shore birds, one that seems to embody more than any other the wild, roving spirit of the vast open prairies. Its large size, its long, curving bill, the flash of cinnamon in its wings, and above all, its loud, clear, and prolonged whistling notes are bound to attract attention. In its former abundance this species must have been a most striking feature of the western plains, as it flew in large wedge-shaped flocks in full cry. The last of the great open prairies are rapidly disappearing; and with them are going the curlews, the marbled godwits, the upland plover, the longspurs, and a host of other birds that can not stand the encroachments of agriculture.

The long-billed curlew formerly bred over a large portion of central North America, including all of the prairie regions, at least as far east as Michigan and Illinois, and probably Ohio. But, with the settling of the country and the disappearance of the prairies, it has been gradually driven farther and farther west, and even there into a more and more restricted range. It seems to me that we can hope for its survival only on the maintenance of large, open ranges as grazing lands for cattle where it still continues to breed.

It was apparently quite common as a migrant in New England up to about the middle of the last century. The birds seen here were probably migrants from the more eastern prairies. The numerous citations given by Edward H. Forbush (1912) show its gradual decline, until now it is only a rare straggler anywhere on the Atlantic coast. In Audubon’s time it was abundant in winter and as a migrant on the coasts of Florida and South Carolina. I have never seen one during my various seasons in Florida and Arthur T. Wayne (1910) says:

Since 1885 is has been supplanted by the Hudsonian curlew
(_N. hudsonicus_), which is still exceedingly abundant
during the spring and autumn migrations. From 1879 to 1885,
_americanus_ was to be found in the immediate vicinity of
Charleston, but its numbers steadily diminished year after
year until at the present time it is so rare that it is
seldom seen; in fact I have not seen one since September
23, 1899. Audubon, in his Birds of America, states, upon
the authority of Doctor Bachman, that this curlew “breeds
on the islands on the coast of South Carolina, and it
places its nests so close together, that it is almost
impossible for a man to walk between them without injuring
the eggs.” It may appear hypercritical to question Doctor
Bachman’s statement that this species bred on the coast
islands, but the eggs were not described by either Audubon
or himself, and as far back as 1879 there were no eggs of
_N. americanus_ in the Charleston Museum, while the eggs
of the “Stone Curlew” (_Catoptrophorus semipalmatus_)
were well represented and were classified as eggs of the
long-billed curlew, I have been unable to obtain any
evidence, even from the “oldest inhabitants,” that this
species ever bred anywhere on the South Carolina coast.

Dr. Thomas S. Roberts (1919) says of its status in Minnesota:

As late at least as 1883 it was still breeding in southern
Jackson County (J. W. Preston) and Gleason saw a single
bird of this species near Euclid, Polk County, on June
17, 1897, which at that date may be assumed to have been a
breeding bird. This report of Gleason’s is the very last
record of the long-billed curlew in Minnesota known to the
writer. It ceased to be generally abundant somewhere about
1880 and rapidly decreased in numbers, even as a migrant,
until it disappeared entirely about the close of the last
century.

It apparently ceased to breed in Illinois before 1880; the last published breeding record was in 1873. It probably still breeds in the interior of Texas and perhaps on the coastal prairies as well, for J. J. Carroll writes to me that on July 9 and 10, 1926, he saw 8 or 10 long-billed curlews near Matagorda Bay that acted as if they had young. It is now a very rare bird at any season east of the Mississippi River.

_Spring._--The spring migration is now a general northward movement throughout the western half of the United States; there was formerly a heavy flight up the Atlantic coast as far as the Carolinas and a straggling flight farther north. The migration begins in March, but the main movement is during April and most of the birds reach their breeding grounds in April. Only one of my correspondents in Manitoba and Alberta mentions the long-billed curlew and he has seen only one in 15 years; so it must be disappearing very rapidly there.

_Courtship._--The spring behavior of these curlews, or what might be called a nuptial flight is thus described by P. M. Silloway (1900):

After their arrival, the curlews inhabit the high, dry
prairies, flying restlessly from one portion to another,
showing a tendency to associate in pairs, though as
couples, these birds are not inseparable. In the mating
season, one of the pair is likely to follow the other in
a few moments, when the first bird has flown far over the
prairie to a more distant station. At any time the loud,
prolonged whistling of these birds, either when on the
ground or a-wing, will call attention to their movements,
warning the disturber of their domain that his presence is
known and that his actions will be watched with the closest
interest.

One of the pleasing sights to the ornithologist in watching
the behavior of these curlews is seen when a pair are
sailing upward in company abreast of the wind, moving in
perfect accord on widespread, motionless pinions curved
gently downward, within several feet of each other, then
fluttering downward side by side or one in advance of the
other, again to sail upward, uttering the characteristic
whistles.

_Nesting._--The long-billed curlew is likely to nest almost anywhere on the boundless prairie, though we have found it, in Saskatchewan, showing a decided preference for damp, grassy hollows in the prairie, or long slopes near the lakes or watercourses. The nest is a very simple affair, a slight hollow in the ground, usually thinly lined with grasses or weeds; but sometimes quite a substantial platform of grass is made and slightly hollowed. The female is often quite conspicuous, as she sits on the nest with her neck stretched out on the ground, and can sometimes be seen at a distance of 100 feet; she usually sits very closely and can sometimes be approached within 8 or 10 feet before flushing.

In some notes sent to me by A. O. Treganza, from Box Elder and Weber Counties, Utah, he says that in one “particular locality (Weber County) the birds seem to be quite gregarious, possibly due to food conditions. While there are many square miles of what seems to be similar country, they seem to have chosen a very small area in which to breed.” Here he found sometimes two females sharing the same nest, resulting in sets of from five to eight eggs. In other localities, in Box Elder County, they do not seem to be at all gregarious. In one instance he found four eggs of the western willet and one of the curlew in a nest, with both the willet and curlew on guard.

P. M. Silloway (1903) has had some extensive experience with the nesting of the long-billed curlew in Fergus County, Mont. Some of his nests were on the high dry prairie a long way from any water, but most of them were in such situations as I have described above. Several of his nests were in depressions beside dried cow dung, where, perhaps, the bird was not quite so conspicuous; and chips of dried cow dung often entered into the composition of the nest. In a typical nest “the cavity was 8 inches across and 2 inches deep. The brim of the nest was elevated an inch and a half above the surroundings.” He has written (1900 and 1903) some interesting accounts of his experiences in hunting for nests, and sums up the behavior of the birds as follows:

The male curlew is a most jealous guardian of the premises
near the nest. When the female is sitting on her eggs, the
male will denote a watchful interest in the movements of
anyone who is within several hundred yards of the nest.
At such times he will come flying from some quarter of
the pasture, and with angry cackling will alight near the
disturber, impatiently feeding and watching the movements
of the one threatening the peace of his household. If the
observer approaches nearer the nest the male will begin to
fly at him in a straight course, turning upward abruptly
with a loud whiff of wings when it stems that the disturber
must certainly be struck by the determined defender of
his home. The nest may still be more than a hundred yards
beyond the observer. In the majority of instances it lies
ahead in the line the male points in his flight. As the
disturber gets nearer, the male shows more distress and
flutters wildly overhead, flying at the disturber from
every direction, though not from long distances as before.
All the while the female is sitting unconcerned on her
eggs, indifferent to the angry and distressed cackling of
her spouse. Perhaps by this time a half dozen or more other
males have joined in the outcry, and frequently one of
these allies will try to mislead the disturber.

The female sits very closely upon her eggs, flattening
herself upon them in such a manner that she resembles a
dead chicken lying on the ground. When flushed from the
nest she will fly low for 30 or 40 feet or flutter from the
nest and run awkwardly for a short distance, feigning to
be crippled. Frequently she will lower her head, with bill
almost touching the ground, and run along in a shamefaced
manner. Before the nest is discovered the males who are
aiding to mislead the observer will sometimes act in this
shamefaced way.

_Eggs._--Four eggs are ordinarily laid by the long-billed curlew, occasionally five; as many as eight have been found in a nest, evidently the product of two females. The eggs vary in shape from ovate to short ovate or ovate pyriform, sometimes quite rounded; and they have a slight gloss. The prevailing ground colors are in various shades of “olive buff”; but some dark types are “ecru olive,” some green types are “seafoam green” and some are as pale as buffy white. The eggs are generally quite evenly spotted, some very thickly and some very sparingly, with various shades of brown and olive, “Van-dyke brown,” “bister,” “snuff brown,” “buffy brown,” and “buffy olive,” with numerous underlying markings in various shades of “brownish drab” and “drab gray.” A very handsome set has a rich buff ground color, between “honey yellow” and “chamois,” uniformly covered with small spots of rich browns, “Sudan brown” to “russet.” The measurements of 68 eggs average 65 by 45.8 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure =72= by 48, 70 by =48.5=, =56= by 43.5, and 62.5 by =42= millimeters.

_Young._--Incubation is said to be shared by both sexes; its exact duration does not seem to be recorded, but for the European curlew it is said to be 30 days. Both birds are certainly very solicitous in the care of the young. We were too late for eggs in Saskatchewan, but we found three broods of young. On June 1, 1905, we found two small young curlews, hardly able to walk, in a grassy hollow in the prairie; the old birds gave us a great exhibition of parental solicitude, flying about, alighting on the ground near us and making a great outcry. Their loud cries brought a third curlew which joined in the chorus of whistling cries.

When large enough to run, the young are adepts in the art of hiding; they seem to disappear entirely, even in the short grass; after hunting carefully for fully half an hour, over a limited area where we had seen one vanish, we gave it up and walked away, when we were surprised to see the youngster get up and run away from the very spot we had been hunting hardest.

Probably the mortality among young curlews is rather high, as they have many enemies. All three of the broods we found contained only two young. The parents have to work hard to preserve even this average. We saw an interesting exhibition of parental strategy one day, which probably succeeded in saving some young curlews from the jaws of a prowling coyote. The curlew was decoying the coyote away by feigning lameness, flopping along the ground a few yards ahead of him, but always managing to barely escape him. We watched them for some time until they finally disappeared over a hill, fully half a mile from where we first saw them.

_Plumages._--The young curlew, when first hatched, is completely covered with long, thick, soft down. The color varies from “warm buff” on the breast and flanks, to “cream buff” on the face, upper parts and belly and to “cream color” on the throat; the crown is even paler. The markings, which are brownish black in color, consist of a broken and narrow median stripe on the forehead, irregular spotting on the posterior part of the head and large, bold, irregular spotting on the back, wings, and thighs. In older birds the bright buffs fade to paler shades.

I have seen no specimens showing the change from downy to juvenal plumage. The latter is very much like that of the winter adult, but it is somewhat more tawny, especially below, and the streaks on the neck and breast are fewer and narrower. The first winter plumage is apparently a continuation of the juvenal, subject to some wear and fading, and with very little molting. By spring young birds are practically indistinguishable from adults.

Adults have a complete postnuptial molt from August to November, most of which is accomplished in September and October, including the wings. The prenuptial molt, which involves the body plumage, most of the scapulars, many wing coverts and the tail, is prolonged through the spring, from February to June.

_Food._--On their breeding grounds, and to a large extent in their winter quarters, these curlews are upland feeders, far out on the open prairies, in the damp, grassy hollows, or about the edges of prairie sloughs or ponds. But on migrations they are often seen feeding on ocean beaches or about the shores of large lakes. I have seen them on the beaches of southern California feeding at the surf line in company with marbled godwits. They were wading out into the retreating waves, picking up some small objects about an inch long or less, probably mollusks. They seemed to experience some difficulty in properly grasping the morsel with the tips of the long mandibles, but when once started right they handled it very skillfully, as the shell seemed to travel swiftly up the long bill and into the mouth. They are said to probe in the soft sand to the full extent of the long bill, but I did not see them do this.