Identifier: birdsthathuntar00blan (find matches)
Title: Birds that hunt and are hunted;
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Blanchan, Neltje, 1865-1918
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, Doubleday, Page & company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ersawl. This bill, which is of extreme sensitiveness, probes themud in the shallows where the birds wade about for food.Sometimes called wading snipe, they swim, when necessary, aseasily and gracefully as they walk. Their plumage may differwith the season, but the sexes and young are alike. American Avocet Black-necked Stilt Snipe, Sandpipers, etc. (Family Scolopacidce) Generally the sensitive bill is long and straight, often severaltimes longer than the head, and frequently curved slightly up-ward or downward. With this tool these birds probe the sandor mud for food, feeling for what they want, and using the billalso as a forceps. Often the upper prong may be bent at will forhooking the earthworms out. Birds of this numerous familyhave four toes instead of three; but, in most instances, the struc-ture is very like that of the plovers. Plumage, which is plaincolored, varies with the season, but little with the sexes or withage. Usually the female is the larger. These birds average 192
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Shore Birds small, the least sandpiper being the smallest of our water fowl.With few exceptions they keep near the waters edge or whereverthe ground is soft enough to be easily probed, whether by thesea and rivers or in inland bogs, moist meadows, and thickets.Exclusive when nesting, but not often solitary at other seasons,they are generally gregarious, strongly attached to their compan-ions, and migrate in large flocks. The voice is a mellow pipe,a sharp bleat, or a harsh scream, according to the species,says Dr. Coues. Few birds surpass the snipe in sapid qualityof flesh, and many kinds rank high in the estimation of thesportsman and epicure. Woodcock Wilsons or Jack Snipe Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Stilt Sandpiper Knot or Robin Snipe Pectoral Sandpiper White Rumped Sandpiper Bairds Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Red-backed Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Semipalmated Sandpiper Sanderling or Surf Snipe Marbled Godwit or Brown Marlin Greater Yellowlegs Yellowlegs Solitary Sa

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