Range.—Interior of North America, breeding from Canada to southern California and inland to Colorado and Dakota.
WILSON SNIPE. 230. Gallinago delicata. 11 inches.
This species to a great extent frequents the open marshy meadows with its winding brooks. They procure their food by boring in the muddy banks of the meadows, the tip of the bill being flexible.
Nest.—On grassy edge of ponds or marshes; 4 eggs (1.50 × 1.10).
AVOCET—Family Recurvirostridæ. 225. Recurvirostra americana. 17 inches.
In summer the head and neck are pale cinnamon color; young birds and winter adults have the head and neck white. Feathers on the under part white and very thick and, duck-like, being impervious to water. Bill slender and recurved; feet webbed. Large patches of white on the wings, making them very conspicuous at all times. During the breeding season, if not molested, they become very tame.
Nest.—Is simply a lining of grass in a slight depression in the ground. They lay three or four eggs of a dark greenish or brownish buff color, spotted and blotched with brown and black (1.90 × 1.30).
BLACK-NECKED STILT. 226. Himantopus mexicanus. 15 inches.
Legs extremely long and bright red; neck and bill moderately long and slender. Male black and white as shown; female and young with back brownish. They are strong and swift upon the wing.
Nest.—On the ground, made of weeds, twigs and grass. Three or four eggs, greenish buff, with numerous markings of brown and black about the larger end.
DOWITCHER. 231. Macrorhamphus griseus. 11 inches.
Bill very long like that of the Snipe. In summer these birds are reddish brown below; more or less specked with black on the breast and barred with black on the sides; above mottled with brown and black, lighter or even white on the rump, crossed with wavy lines of black.
In winter they are gray above and white below. By the gunners known as “Red-breasted Snipe” in the spring and summer and as “Graybacks” in the winter months.
Nest.—Placed in a slight hollow on the ground and lined with grass and leaves; three or four eggs of a greenish buff color boldly marked with brown most heavily about the larger end (1.75 × 1.15).
STILT SANDPIPER. 233. Micropalama himantopus. 9 inches.