CHARADRIUS.
No hind toe ; blunt knob on bend of wing ; tarsus with hexagonal scales ; bill short and straight ; outer and middle toes united at base by membrane (in "semipalmatus" also inner and middle toes.) Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula. L. RINGED PLOVER. Fr. Pluvier t collier ; Ger. Ilalsbandregenpfeifer ; Ital. Corriere grosso ; Swed. StOrre-Strandpipare.
? adult. Greyish brown ; forehead white ; forecrown, face, forebreast, and fore part of back black ; throat, collar, breast, and abdomen white ; shaft of each primary in part white, outer web of inner primaries white. Bill black, orange at base. Eye-rim, legs and feet orange. Wing a 131-141, ? 127-137. Tarsus 24-26. Bill t3-15. Young : brown where black in adult.
hreeds.—Coasts of N. Europe east to White Sea; Spitzbergen, Bear Island, Iceland, Faroes, British Isles, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, S. France, N. Italy, N. Sardinia, Spain and Portugal (rare), Russia (rivers). Largely migratory ; occurs Rumania, Bulgaria, Malta on passage. Winters Africa south to Cape Colony but also in Mediterranean Basin, Azores, Madeira, and W. European Coasts north to Britain.
C. hiaticula tundr (Lowe). Generally smaller and shorter winged. Wing 117-132. Upper parts somewhat darker.
Breeds.—N.E. Russia, Archangel to Petchora, and also W. Siberia ; possibly Nova Zembla, Waigatz and Kolguev. Winter visitors to E. Mediterranean, Egypt, and E. Africa are chiefly of this race, but it also comes westward and occurs Norway and Britain on passage and in winter.
Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte.
9 Closely resemble "hiaticula" but differ as follows : smaller, bill shorter and comparatively thicker ; more white on shaft of 1st primary ; a small but distinct web between inner and middle toes. Wing 122-135 (H.).
An American species ; has occurred once in England.
Charadrius dubhis curonicus Gmelin. LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. Fr. Petit Pluvier a collier ; Ger. Flussregenpfeifer ; Md. Corriere piccolo ; Swed. Mindre Strandpipare.
Smaller than "hiaticula" and without white patch on outer webs of inner primaries ; shaft of 1st primary white at all ages, of other primaries brown. Bill slender, black with a yellow spot at base below. Eye-rim yellow. Legs and feet yellow. Wing d 9 109-119. Tarsus 24-25. Bill 12-14.
Breeds.—Continental Europe from 62' in Sweden, 67° in Finland, and in Russia south to Mediterranean, Black Sea and Caucasus ; Mediterranean Islands ; N. Africa (Egypt to Morocco); also widely in Asia. Migrates; occurs in winter in tropical Africa and Asia. Rare visitor to British Isles, Madeira, Azores, Canaries.
The typical form "C. d. dubius" is E. Asiatic.
Charadrius alexandrinus alexandrinus L. KENTISH l'1.1vER. Ger. Seeregenpfeifer ; //a/. Fratino.
4 Above light brown ; forehead and eyebrow white ; fore crown, lures, car coverts, and patches on sides of neck black ; crown and nape rufous ; nuchal collar and underparts white. Bill black. Legs and feet greyish black. In y black on head replaced by brown. Wing ? 107-114. Tarsus 28-30. Bill 14-15.5. young like ? but feathers have lighter tips and brown patches on neck do not meet to form a pectoral band.
Rreeds.—S.\\'. Norway, S. Sweden, Denmark (few), S. England, Coasts of Continental Europe generally from Baltic south to Mediterranean ; Mediterranean Islands, Azores, Madeira, Canaries ; N. Africa (Morocco to Egypt) ; Black and Caspian Seas and in C. Asia. Migratory ; occurs in winter in tropical and S. Africa and in S. Asia ; many remain in Mediterranean Basin.
Charadrius pecuarius allenbyi N icoll.
? Above brown ; forehead and eyebrows meeting behind at nape white ; forecrown and band from bill under eye round nape black ; carpal coverts black ; outer webs of inner primaries white at base ; beneath white tinged orange buff on breast. Bill black. Legs and feet greenish grey. Wing 102-111, y 104-112 (Nicoll). Tarsus 30-32. Bill 15-5-17. Many examples lack the black under eye, apparently not due to age or sex.
Preeds.—Egypt. Apparently resident.
Is the Northern form of "C. p. pecuarius," an African Plover, from which it differs by its longer wing ; in the typical race wing d 98-106, ? 98-110.
Charadrius mongolus atrifrons Wagler.
summer. Above light brown ; forehead, throat, foreneck, and abdomen white ; forecrown and face black ; crown, stripe behind eye, neck and breast chestnut. In winter the black and chestnut are replaced by brown. Bill black. Legs and feet greyish brown. Wing 125-131. Tarsus 32-35. Bill 17-20.5 (IL). b'reeds.—Central Asia. Winters in S. Asia and E. Africa ; occurs Egypt on passage.
The typical race "C. in. mongolus" occurs in E. Asia.
Charadrius leschanaultii Lesson.
Resembles "C. in. atrifrons " but is larger. Wing S 136-149. Tarsus 36-39. Bill 22.5-27 (H.).
Breeds.—Persia and C. Asia. Chief migration is to south-east
but many migrate to Africa ; it occurs in Egypt on passage.
Charadrius morinellus L. DOTTEREL. Fr. Pluvier guignard ; Ger. Mornellregenpfeifer ; I1a1. Piviere tortolino ; Swed. Fjallpipare.
summer. Above grey brown, wing coverts, scapulars, and secondaries with cinnamon margins ; crown black, supercilia (meeting at nape) white, face and throat white spotted brown ; chest grey brown, pectoral band white, breast and flanks chestnut, centre of abdomen black, under tail coverts buff. Bill black. Legs and feet brownish yellow. Wing 145-157. Tarsus 35-37. Bill 15-16. In winter no black on crown ; above grey brown . with rusty margins to feathers, face dull white streaked brown, breast light brown with buff tips and a faint white band, abdomen white, flanks pale brownish grey, under tail coverts buff or white. Young : above brown (almost black on crown and upper back) with buff margins ; beneath, breast and sides buff.
fireeds.—Norway south to 6o°, Finmark, N. and C. Sweden, Lapland, tundras of N. Russia, Kolguev and Waigatz Islands, Mountains of Germany and Austria (local), Scottish Mountains, English Lake District (rare), and widely through N. Asia. Migrates ; winters in Mediterranean Basin, N.W. Africa, Egypt.
Charadrius asiaticus asiaticus Pallas. CASPIAN PLOVER.
4 ? adult, summer. Above brown ; supercilium, forehead, lores, face and throat white ; breast chestnut, pectoral band black, abdomen white, axillaries white. Bill black. Legs and feet greenish to yellowish grey. Wing 150-155. Tarsus 4o-42. Bill 19-5-21.5 (H.). In winter feathers above have lighter edges, fore head, lores and supercilium are buff; underparts white tinged buff, breast-band light brown. Young : like adult in winter dress, but feathers above have rufous margins and breast-band is rusty brown.
Breeds.—Volga and Ural districts in Russia and in W. Asia. Winters in E. Africa south to Cape. A rare visitor to W. Europe, has been obtained four times in England.
Charadrius vociferus L. KILLDEER PLOVER.
9 Somewhat resemble "C. hiaticula," and distinguished by a double band of black on the chest, cinnamon rump and upper tail coverts. Wing 16o-175. Tarsus 35-37. Bill 18-2o.
An American species breeding as far north as S. Canada. Has occurred six times in Britain.
Charadrius apricarius apricarius L. GOLDEN PLOVER. Fr. Pluvier dort! ; Ger. Goldregenpfcifer ; /led. Piviere ; Swed. Ljung-pipare.
summer. Above black brown spangled with gold ; line at base of bill across forehead, lores, face, throat and underparts black ; forehead, supercilium (continued down sides of neck and breast), under wing coverts and axillaries white ; tail barred blackish brown and white. 9 has the chin white and sometimes a few white feathers on underparts. In winter all black is lost ; neck and breast grey brown suffused with yellow and with dark shaft streaks ; abdomen white. Bill black. Legs and feet dark blackish brown. Wing d 9 177-192. Tarsus 38-41. Bill 22-24. Young are like adults in winter plumage but yellow is more intense.
Breeds.-.Bear Island, Iceland, Faroes ; Continental Europe north from Holland (rare), Denmark, N. Germany, Poland and about 580 N. in Russia ; also in N. Asia east to Yenisei. Migratory ; winters chiefly in Mediterranean Basin, but also in British Isles ; occasional in N. Africa, Canaries, Azores, and Madeira.
C. apricarius oreophilus A. C. Meinertzhagen. Upper parts darker, dark centres to feathers more conspicuous and yellow markings richer and smaller. in summer black band on forehead and white band from eye down sides of neck and breast absent or only slightly indicated. 9 in summer, white band down sides of neck absent and sides of breast golden spotted sepia. In winter both sexes are indistinguishable from 8 9 Breeds.—British Isles, N. and W. Jutland. Exact distribution is still uncertain.
6 ? Like "apricarius" but under wing coverts and axillaries pale grey brown. Wing 176-187.
reeds.—Arctic N. America. Migrates south in winter ; of exceptional occurrence in Europe ; recorded once Heligoland and four to five times in British Isles.
C. dominicus fulvus Gmelin. Asiatic Golden Plover. 8* 2 Axillaries and under wing coverts as in "dominicus" but has a shorter wing. Bill and tarsi are as long. Wing 16o-175.
Breeds.—E. Siberia and W. Alaska. Migrates south through Asia ; of rare occurrence in Europe. Has been recorded from Poland, Norway, Heligoland, Malta, British Isles and Spain, and once from Algeria.