American Ring Plover, Charadrius semipalmatus, Richards. and Swains. Fauna. Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 367.
Semipalmated Ring Plover, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 24.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the edges are sharp and direct. Nasal groove extended along more than half of the mandible; nostrils basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open, and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle short, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the tip.
Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, compact. Wings long. Feet slender, of moderate length; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint; tarsus of moderate length, rather compressed, covered all round with sub-hexagonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe much longer than the outer, which exceeds the inner; all with numerous scutella; the outer connected with the middle toe by a web which extends to the second joint of the former, and runs along the edge of the latter, forming a broad margin, the outer toe also connected with the middle toe by a short membrane which does not extend more than half-way to the second joint. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather blunt, that of the middle toe having the inner edge dilated.
Plumage soft and blended; the feathers rounded, those of the back somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries incurved and obliquely emarginate; the inner tapering and elongated, one of them reaching to half an inch from the tip of the longest primary. Tail of moderate length, considerably rounded, of twelve feathers.
Bill black, its basal half rich orange. Iris deep hazel. Feet pale flesh-colour, claws black. Forehead, loral space, and a band passing below the eye and including the auriculars, black; the rest of the head above and the nape, light greyish-brown, tinged with dull olive. A broad band between the eyes, continuous with a streak over them, a small band on the lower eyelid, and a ring on the middle of the neck, enlarged in front so as to cover the throat, pure white. A broad ring of black on the lower part of the neck, broader in front. All the lower parts and the sides of the rump white. The upper parts of the same greyish-brown as the head, the scapulars and elongated inner secondaries more decidedly glossed with olive. Alula, primary coverts, and primary quills dusky, the coverts tipped with white, the outer primaries, with a portion of the shaft white, the inner with an elongated patch of white on the outer web in addition, and the proximal part of the inner web of the same colour. Secondary quills with a narrow terminal margin of white, which is much enlarged on (or in some specimens covers) the two next to the elongated ones, which are externally margined with brownish-white. Tail pale greyish-brown, brownish black towards the end, the tip white, enlarging on the outer, and including the whole of the lateral feather, and the outer web of the next.
Length to end of tail 7 1/4 inches, to end of wings 8, to end of claws 7; extent of wings 14; bill along the ridge 1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 7/12; wing from flexure 5, tail 2 1/2; tarsus 11/12, middle toe and claw 10/12. Weight 1 1/2 oz.
The Female is a little larger than the male, but similar, although the black markings are tinged with brown.
Young in September. Plate CCCXXX. Fig. 2.