In autumn and spring ranges along the coast from Texas to Labrador. Breeds in the Fur Countries, to a very high latitude. Common.
Ash-coloured Sandpiper, Tringa cinerea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 36. Winter.
Red-breasted Sandpiper, Tringa rufa, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 57. Summer.
Tringa cinerea, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 387.
Knot or Ash-coloured Sandpiper, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 125.
Knot or Ash-coloured Sandpiper, Tringa islandica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 130.
330. 3. Tringa pectoralis, Bonap. Pectoral Sandpiper.
Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point; feet dull yellowish-green; upper part of head reddish-brown, the central part of each feather brownish-black; a faint whitish line from the bill to a little beyond the eye; lores dusky; sides of head and anterior and lateral parts of neck, with a portion of the breast, light brownish-grey, with longitudinal dark brown lines; chin, breast, and abdomen white; feathers of the upper part brownish-black, edged with reddish-brown, those on the wings lighter; primary quills dusky, outer secondaries tinged with grey, and narrowly tipped with white, inner like the back; tail-feathers light brownish-grey, slightly margined and tipped with white, the two central dark like the back.
From Nova Scotia to Maryland, along the coast. Rather common. Migratory. Breeds in the north.
Tringa pectoralis, Pectoral Sandpiper, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. iv. p. 44.
Pectoral Sandpiper, Tringa pectoralis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 111.
Pectoral Sandpiper, Tringa pectoralis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 601; v. v. p. 582.
331. 4. Tringa maritima, Brunnich. Purple Sandpiper.
Plate CCLXXXIV. Fig. 1. Adult in summer. Fig. 2. In winter.
Bill deep orange, dusky toward the end; feet light orange. Head greyish-brown, tinged with purple, its sides and those of the neck deep purple; back and wings brownish-black, with purple gloss, the margins of the feathers white; quills brownish-black, their shafts, the tips of all the secondaries, and the greater part of the middle ones, white; middle tail-feathers brownish-black, tinged with purple, the lateral shaded with ash-grey; upper part of throat greyish-white, fore neck grey; breast, sides, and abdomen white. In winter, the lower parts are pale grey, the upper parts have the purplish tints much fainter, the white edgings substituted by dull grey.