Audubon Centennial Edition – The Birds of America

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Plate: 208
Esquimaux Curlew
 
Plate: 223
Pied oyster-catcher
 
Plate: 220
Piping Plover
 
Plate: 268
American Woodcock
 
Plate: 231
Long billed Curlew
 
Plate: 288
Yellow Shank
 
 
Curlew Sandpiper
 
Havell Name   Havell Plate No.   Paper Size
Curlew Sandpiper 263 28" x 39"
 
Common Name Price Image Size
Curlew Sandpiper $ 600 9" x 17"
 


 


Ornithological Biography
In the course of my extensive rambles along our coasts and in the interior, I have seen only three birds of this species, all of which I have kept with care, considering the Cape Sandpiper or Pigmy Curlew as the rarest of its genus with us. It appears to resort to particular districts; two of my birds were shot at Great Egg Harbour in New Jersey, in the spring of 1829, the other on Long Island near Sandy Hook. No other birds were near them, and I approached them without much difficulty. They were wading along the shores up to the knees, picking up floating garbage and sand-worms. In their stomachs I found fragments of minute shells, slender red worms, and bits of marine plants. The one killed on Long Island was a fine male in full plumage, and from it I made the figure that has been engraved in the plate. The others were females or young birds of the preceding year. One, in plain plumage, was drawn; the other, mottled beneath with patches of white and dull rufous, I considered as a female which might perhaps have perfected its colouring that season. I have seen a few specimens in New York, and two in Boston; and my friend JOHN BACHMAN has one or two in his possession.

TRINGA SUBARQUATA, Bonap. Syn., p. 317.

CAPE CURLEW or SANDPIPER, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. P. 104,

CURLEW SANDPIPER, Tringa subarquata, Aud. Orn. Biol., vol. iii. p. 444.

Accidental on the Florida coast in winter, rare on those of the middle districts. Breeds in high latitudes. Migratory.

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