Tringa leucophæa Pallas, in Vroeg's Catal. (1764), 32.
Trynga alba Pallas, Vroeg's Catal. Adumbr. (1764), 7; Sherborn,
Smiths. Misc. Colls. (1905), 47, 341.
Tringa arenaria Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 12 (1766), 1, 251.
Calidris arenaria Oates, Bds. Brit. Burmah (1885), 2,
398; Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 52; Sharpe, Cat. Birds
Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 526; Hand-List (1899), 1, 163.
Calidris alba Richmond, Smiths. Misc. Colls. (1905), 47, 347.
Calidris abba McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 27 (error).
Calidris leucophæa A. O. U. Committee, Auk (1908), 25, 367.
Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor). Arctic regions; in winter to Africa,
South America, Marshall Islands, Indian Peninsula to Australia.
"Winter plumage.--Forehead, face, and the whole lower plumage pure
white; crown, nape, hind neck, back, and scapulars pale ashy, the crown
with well-defined black shaft-streaks, the other parts with narrower
and less distinct shaft-streaks; wing-coverts blackish, the median
and greater coverts broadly edged with white; primaries dark brown,
blacker on the tips and outer webs, the shafts white, a portion of the
outer webs of the later ones white; secondaries black, whitish at base
and tipped with white; tertiaries rather broadly edged with white; tail
pale brown on the outer webs, more or less white on the inner. 'Iris
dark brown; bill, legs, feet, and claws black.' (Armstrong.) Length,
190; tail, 51; wing, 122; tarsus, 25; bill from gape, 28." (Oates.)
"Male in summer plumage.--Differs from the winter plumage in being
mottled and not uniform, the upper surface being cinnamon-rufous,
mottled with black centers to the feathers, which have hoary whitish or
ashy edges; the inner secondaries cinnamon-rufous like the scapulars
and back; sides of lower back and lateral upper tail-coverts pure
white; sides of face, throat, and sides of breast deep cinnamon-rufous,
mottled with black centers to the feathers; rest of under surface
white. Length, 165; culmen, 23; wing, 124; tail, 48; tarsus, 23;
middle toe with claw, 19.
"Female in summer plumage.--Similar to the male but has not quite so
much bright rufous in the plumage, the fore neck being barred with
blackish. Length, 203; culmen, 27; wing, 124; tail, 49; tarsus, 25;
middle toe with claw, 20.
"Young.--Somewhat similar to the winter plumage of the adult but
not so uniform above; entire under surface pure white, as also the
forehead and sides of face; center of forehead mottled with blackish
to base of bill; a dusky streak between bill and eye, as well as
along upper edge of ear-coverts; on sides of breast and on fore neck
a tinge of vinous-buff or vinous; sides of upper breast and of neck
distinctly spotted with black; upper surface black, mottled with
spots of white or sandy whitish, these spots being mostly terminal
on back and scapulars; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy
with a sandy buff tip and a subterminal spot of black, and fringed at
the tips with a narrow blackish line, giving the rump the appearance
of being lined transversely with black; feathers of head blackish,
varied with brown or whitish edges, and forming a more or less distinct
cap, which is separated from mantle by the light color of hind neck;
mantle ashy streaked with dusky brown; wings much as in the winter
plumage of the adult but the greater and median coverts, and inner
secondaries mottled like the back." (Sharpe.)
A male taken near Manila in March measures: Wing, 118; tail, 52;
exposed culmen, 24; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 19.
Genus PISOBIA Billberg, 1828.
Bill slender and straight, a little longer than tarsus; hind toe
small and elevated; small sandpipers about 127 mm. in length.
Species.
a1. Outer tail-feathers pale smoky or ashy brown.
b1. Feet blackish; middle toe with claw not over 19 mm.
c1. Tarsus slightly more than 20 mm.; sides of face and throat
slightly rufescent in summer; rufous color predominating over
the black above. ... minuta (p. 134)
c2. Tarsus shorter, about 19 mm.; entire throat and chest bright
rufous in summer. ... ruficollis (p. 135)
b2. Feet olive-brown; middle toe with claw about 23
mm. ... damacensis (p. 136)
a2. Outer tail-feathers pure white. ... temmincki (p. 137)