A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

Adult, 6³/₄, 12¹/₂.

Exceedingly abundant from Texas to Maine, in winter, spring, and autumn. Breeds from Labrador northward. Columbia River. Migratory.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tringa semipalmata, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 131.

Tringa semipalmata. Bonap. Syn. p. 316.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 136.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tringa semipalmata, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 111.

338. 11. Tringa pusilla, Wils. Little Sandpiper.

Plate CCCXX. Male and Female.

Bill a little shorter than the head, straight, greenish-dusky, feet pale dull yellowish-green; feathers of the upper parts brownish-black, broadly margined with light brownish-red, some of the scapulars margined externally with white, and the larger glossed with green; alula, primary coverts, primary quills, and outer secondaries, greyish-black, all more or less narrowly tipped with greyish-white; secondary coverts largely tipped with the same; primaries externally edged with white toward the base, as are the outer secondaries in a fainter degree, the inner webs of some of the latter greyish-white toward the base, their shafts white; rump and upper tail-coverts black; two middle tail-feathers black, with pale brownish-red edges, the next feather on each side greyish-brown, edged with greyish-white, the outer four pale greyish-brown, very narrowly margined externally, more broadly internally, and along their points with greyish-white; lateral tail-coverts with the outer web white; from the forehead over the eye to the occiput, a band of dull greyish-white, faintly streaked with dusky; loral band and ear-coverts brownish-dusky; cheeks dull greyish-white, faintly streaked with dusky; throat greyish-white; sides and fore part of neck of the same colour, faintly streaked with dusky; the rest of the lower parts, including the axillars, pure white; lower surface of wing pale brownish-grey. In autumn and winter the red edgings of the upper parts are substituted by light grey.

Male, 5⁵/₈, 11³/₈.

Distributed along the whole coast from Texas eastward, and throughout all intermediate districts to the Columbia River. Breeds in Labrador and the Fur Countries. Found even along the lakes and ponds in the woods. Very abundant. Migratory.

Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. v. p. 32.

Tringa pusilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 319.

Wilson's Sandpiper, Tringa Wilsonii, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 120.

Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 180.