A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

Male, 54, 92.

From Texas to North Carolina during autumn and winter, and across to the Rocky Mountains. Breeds from Upper California northward to the Arctic Regions, from which it removes southward early in autumn. Abundant in Georgia and Florida, and from thence to Texas.

Whooping Crane, Ardea Americana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 20.

Grus Americana, Bonap. Syn. p. 302.

Grus Americana, Whooping Crane, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 372. Adult.

Grus canadensis, Brown Crane, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 273.

Whooping Crane, Grus Americana, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 34. Adult.

Brown Crane, Grus canadensis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 38. Young.

Whooping Crane, Grus Americana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 202, Adult; p. 441, Young.

FAMILY XXXV. CHARADRIINÆ. PLOVERS.

Bill short, straight, subcylindrical, obtusely pointed; upper mandible, with its dorsal line straight for half its length, afterwards convex; nasal groove bare, extended along two-thirds of the length of the bill. Head of moderate size, rather compressed, rounded in front. Eyes large. Neck rather short; body ovate, rather full. Plumage soft, blended, somewhat compact above; wings long, pointed, with the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, somewhat rounded, or with the middle feathers projecting, of twelve feathers. Œsophagus of moderate width; stomach roundish, compressed, very muscular, with the epithelium dense and rugous; intestine rather long, and of moderate width; with rather long cœca. A single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, shallow; eggs generally four, large, pyriform, spotted. Young densely covered with down, and able to walk immediately after birth.

GENUS I. CHARADRIUS, Linn. PLOVER.

Bill short, or as long as the head, straight, rather stout, somewhat compressed, pointed; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, and slightly declinate for at least half its length, then bulging a little, and arched to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the edges are sharp and inclinate; nasal groove extended to half the length, and bare; lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the sides at the base erect and nearly flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the tip, which is narrow and rather pointed. Nostrils subbasal, linear, open, and pervious. Eyes rather large. Head of moderate size, roundish, the forehead much rounded; neck rather short; body ovate, rather full. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexagonal scales; toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate, second shorter than fourth, first wanting or rudimentary; anterior toes broadly marginate, webbed at the base. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, rather acute. Plumage soft, blended, the feathers broad and rounded. Wings long and pointed, the primaries tapering, the first longest; inner secondaries tapering and elongated. Tail rather short, or of moderate length, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. Tongue tapering, grooved above; œsophagus of moderate width; proventriculus oblong; stomach roundish, very muscular, its lateral and inferior muscles prominent, epithelium dense, longitudinally rugous; intestine rather long and of moderate width; cœca rather long.

316. 1. Charadrius Helveticus, Linn. Black-bellied Plover.—Bull-head. Ox-eye.

Plate CCCXXXIV. Male and Young.

An extremely diminutive hind toe; bill and feet black. In summer, the upper parts variegated with black, yellowish-brown, and white, the feathers being tipped with the latter; forehead yellowish-white, the rest of the head and hind neck greyish-white, spotted with dusky; hind part of rump, upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers white, transversely barred with brownish-black, the tail tipped with white, and having four dark bars on the middle feathers, and seven or eight on the outer webs of the rest; primary quills and coverts brownish-black, the latter terminally margined with white; shafts of the primaries about the middle, and part of the inner webs toward the base, white; inner six with a white patch on the outer web toward the base, and margined with white externally; outer secondary feathers white at the base, and margined with the same; inner dusky, with marginal triangular white spots; a narrow ring round the eye, and a broad longitudinal band on each side of the neck, together with the abdomen and lower tail-coverts, white; loral space, cheeks, fore part of neck, breast, and axillar feathers, black. In winter, the upper parts spotted with pale yellow, the lower greyish-white, the throat, neck, and sides streaked with dusky, the axillars black. Young pale brownish-yellow, mottled with dusky, rump whitish. After the second moult, the upper parts brownish-black, spotted with white, some of the spots yellow; fore part and sides of neck and body, greyish-white, mottled with brownish-grey, the rest of the lower parts white.