1022. Squatarola helvetica

1022. GREY PLOVER.
SQUATAROLA HELVETICA.
Squatarola helvetica (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 250 (1766) ; Audub. B. Am. pl. 334 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pls. 36, 37 ; Dresser, vii. p. 455, pls. 515 tig. 2, 517 fig. 1, 518 fig. 3, 519 fig. 1 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 182 ; Newton, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 398, pl. 39, fig. 2 (egg) ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. O. p. 835 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 236 ; Saunders, p. 551 ; Lilford, v. p. 41, pl. 15 ; Poynting, p. 55, pls. 13, 14 ; Ch. squatarola (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 252 (1766) ; Naum, vii. p. 249, Taf. 178 ; Ridgway, p. 173.
Vanneau-Pluvier, French ; Tarambola, Portug. ; Avefria, Span, ; Pivieressa, Ital. ; Kibitz-Regenpfeiffer, German ; Goud-kievit, Dutch ; Strand-brokfugl, Dan. ; Kust-brokfugl, Norweg. ; Kust-pipare, Swed. ; Rantakurmitsa, Finn. ; Rshanka-tules, Russ. ; Barra-batan, Hindu.
Male ad. (Spain). Forehead, sides of crown and of neck, flanks, abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts white ; crown, hind neck, and upper part black spotted and banded with white ; tail white barred with black ; sides of face, throat, and breast black ; under wing-coverts white or whitish ; axillaries black ; bill black ; legs greyish black ; iris dark brown. Culmen 1.2 wing 7.5, tail 2.8, tarsus 1.65, hind toe 0.15 inch. Sexes alike. In winter the upper parts are greyish brown marked with darker brown and white, the under parts white, the throat striped with ashy brown, the breast and flanks indistinctly mottled with greyish brown. In all plumages this species is recognizable by its black axillaries and small hind toe.
Hab. The extreme northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America ; in winter migrating south throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America.
In general habits it resembles G. pluvialis, but it is more of a shore bird than that species. Its call-note is a sharp whistle readily distinguishable from that of G. pluvialis. Its food consists of insects, worms, small shell-fish, &c. It breeds in the high north of Eastern Europe, Asia, and America, and like the Golden Plover it makes its nest, which is a mere depression scantily lined with grass-bents, moss, or leaves, on the ground, and deposits in June, or early in July, 4 eggs, which are intermediate in coloration and marking between those of the Lapwing and Golden Plover, but are subject to considerable variation ; in size they average 2.0 by 1.35.