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"Numenius longirostris. Long-billed Curlew. Sickle-bill. Plumage very similar to that of the Godwit, Limosa faeda: prevailing tone rufous, of varying intensity in different specimens, usually deepest on the lining of the wings, which are little varied with other color. Primaries varied with rufous. Top of head variegated with blackish and rufous or whitish, without distinct pale median and lateral lines. Upper parts brownish-black, speckled with tawny or cinnamon-brown, each feather having several indentations or broken bars of this color; rufous prevailing on wing-coverts. Tail-feathers and secondaries cinnamon-brown, with pretty regular dark bars throughout. Under parts rufous or cinnamon of varying intensity, usually deepening to chestnut under the wings, fading to whitish on throat; the jugulum and fore-breast with dusky streaks which tend on the sides of breast and body to arrowheads or more or less complete bars; lining of wings, axillars, and crissum, mostly unmarked, though some spots may appear. No white on rump, tail, or wings. Bill black, much of under mandible pale-flesh-color or yellowish; legs dark. Little variation in plumage with sex, age, and season. Chicks hatch in whitish down, thickly blotched above with brownish-black; the bill straight, an inch long." Elliot Coues, 1884

long-billed Curlew

"Numenius longirostris. Long-billed Curlew. Sickle-bill. Plumage very similar to that of the Godwit,…

"Limosa fedoa. Great Marbled Godwit. Marlin. Feathers not extending on side of lower mandible to a point far beyond those on upper. no white anywhere; rump, tail, and its coverts barred throughout with blackish and the body-color. Lining of wings chestnut; axillars the same, more or less barred with black. General color rufous or light dull cinnamon-red, uniform and nearly uninterrupted on all the under parts, richer and more chestnut on the lining of the wings and axillars; somewhat marked with dusky on the sides of the breast and body; on the whole upper parts variegated with the brownish-black central field of each feather, the blackish predominating, leaving the rufous chiefly as scallops and tips of the feathers. This rufous very variable in intensity; usually paler on upper than on under parts, and strongest under the wings. Primaries rufous, successively darkening from the last to first, the outer webs and ends of the few outer ones blackish, the shaft of the first white. Bill livid flesh-colored, blackish on about terminal third; legs ashy-blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Marbled Godwit

"Limosa fedoa. Great Marbled Godwit. Marlin. Feathers not extending on side of lower mandible to a point…

"Charadrius dominicus. American Golden Plover. Field Plover. Bull-head Plover. Upper parts black, everywhere speckled with golden-yellow, and mostly also white, the brighter color in excess. The markings of individual feathers are a tipping and one or several paired scollops. Hind neck less strongly marked than crown or back. Forehead, and long stripe over eye snowy-white. Region immediately around bill, sides of head to include eyes, and entire under parts, glossy brownish-black. Lining of wings, and axillars, sooty-gray or ashy. Tail dusky grayish-brown, with numerous irregular pale gray bars, and reddish-brown shafts; upper tail-coverts and rump like back. Primaries fuscous, blackening at tips and whitening at bases of inner webs, though without definite white spaces; shafts white for space. Secondaries and many of the coverts, like the primaries, plain fuscous, without the golden and white fretwork of the back. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

American Golden Plover

"Charadrius dominicus. American Golden Plover. Field Plover. Bull-head Plover. Upper parts black, everywhere…

"Squatarola helvetica. Swiss Plover. Black-bellied Plover. Bull-head Plover. Whistling Field Plover. Ox-eye. Upper parts fretted with blackish and ashy-white, the feathers being basally, then black, tipped and usually scalloped with white. Upper tail-coverts mostly white, with few dark touches. Fore-head, line over eye and thence more broadly over side of neck, the lining of wings, tibiae, vent and under tail-coverts, white. Sides of head to an extent embracing the eyes, axillary plumes, and entire under parts (except as said), black. Tail closely barred with black and white. Primaries dark brown, blackening at tips, with large basal areas and a portion of their shafts, white. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-bellied Plover

"Squatarola helvetica. Swiss Plover. Black-bellied Plover. Bull-head Plover. Whistling Field Plover.…

"Aegialites vociferus. Kildeer Plover. Above, grayish-brown, with an olive shade, and in high plumage a slight bronzy lustre. Rump and upper tail-coverts bright-colored, very variable in tint, from tawny or orange-brown to cinnamon-brown or chestnut. Forehead with a white band from eye to eye, more or less prolonged as a superciliary streak, and a black band above it. A white collar around hind neck, continuous with white of the throat. A black collar around back of neck, continuous with a black pectoral band. Back of the latter a black pectoral belt. Thus the fore-parts are encircled with one complete black ring, behind which is a black half-ring on breast, before which is a complete white ring. A white stripe over and behind eye; a dusky stripe below eye. Under parts entirely pure white, except the two pectoral belts. Primary quills blackish; a white space on the outer webs of the most of them, forming an oblique series, and a longer white space on their inner webs. Secondaries mostly white, but with black areas in increasing size from within outward. Long inner secondaries, or tertiaries, like the back. Tail-feathers singularly variegated; several inner pairs like the back, insensibly blackening towards ends, then lightning again, and usually with rusty tips; lateral ones gaining more and more of the bright color of the rump, with more definite black subterminal bars, and pure white tips; outermost pair mostly white, with the rufous shade, and several broken black bars. The effect of all this variegation is very striking when the pairs are displayed in flight. Bill black; eye black, with a bright ring around it; legs pale." Eliot Coues, 1884

Kildeer Plover

"Aegialites vociferus. Kildeer Plover. Above, grayish-brown, with an olive shade, and in high plumage…

"Calidris arenaria. Sanderling. Ruddy "Plover". Adult in summer: Entire upper parts and neck all round variegated with black, light ashy and bright reddish; on the back and scapulars each feather having a central black field, and being broadly margined and tipped with ashy or reddish. Under parts white, immaculate. Outer webs an tips of primaries deep brownish-black, inner light ashy. A white spot at base of inner primaries. Secondaries mostly pure white; the outer vanes and part of inner on the latter half dusky. Greater coverts dusky, broadly tipped and narrowly edged with pure white. Rump, upper tail-coverts and central tail-feathers dusky, tipped and narrowly edged with ashy-white; lateral tail=-feathers very light ash, nearly white. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sanderling

"Calidris arenaria. Sanderling. Ruddy "Plover". Adult in summer: Entire upper parts and neck all round…

"Tryngites rufescens. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Above, brownish-black with a greenish gloss, every feather broadly margined with tawny or yellowish-brown, the latter the prevailing tone. Under parts buff or fawn-colored, without markings except a few small blackish spots on sides of breast. Central tail-feathers greenish-brown, blackening at ends; others paler, often rufescent, with white or tawny tips and subterminal black bar; and usually, also, some black marbling or streaking/ Primaries and secondaries ashy-brown blackening at end, the extreme tip white - most of the inner webs of the primaries, and both webs of the secondaries pearly white, speckled and marbled with black. This curious tracery, best seen from below, is diagnostic; though the precise pattern varies interminably. The patch of under coverts at the bases of the primaries have the same character. Axillars white, lining of wings white or rufescent. Iris brown. Bill brownish-black; legs greenish or yellowish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

"Tryngites rufescens. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Above, brownish-black with a greenish gloss, every feather…

A water wading bird mostly found in Europe. Has a dark green back and grey head.

Solitary Sandpiper

A water wading bird mostly found in Europe. Has a dark green back and grey head.

"Rhyacophilus solitarius. Solitary Tattler. American Green Sandpiper. Solitary Sandpiper. Above, dark lustrous olive-brown, streaked on the head and neck, elsewhere finely speckled, with white; no continuous white on rump or upper tail-coverts. Below, white; the jugulum and sides of neck shaded with brownish and streaked with dusky; sides, axillars, and `lining of wings regularly barred with dusky. Rump and upper tail-coverts like back; tail beautifully and regularly barred throughout with black and white; white prevailing on the outer feathers, where the dark bars may be broken, and white reduced to a series of marginal spots on the middle feathers. Primaries and edge of wing blackish, unmarked; secondaries like back, mostly unmarked, the inner ones gradually gaining white spots. Bill blackish; legs dull greenish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Solitary Sandpiper

"Rhyacophilus solitarius. Solitary Tattler. American Green Sandpiper. Solitary Sandpiper. Above, dark…

"Tringoides macularius. Spotted Sandpiper. Above, silken ashen-olive (quaker-color- as in our cuckoos) with a coppery lustre, finely varied with blackish, in streaks on head and neck, elsewhere in wavy or otherwise irregular cross-bars. line over eye, and entire under parts, pure white, with numerous sharp circular black spots, larger and more crowded in the female than in the male. Secondaries. and their coverts broadly white-tipped; some white feathers along bend of wing; axillars and lining of wings white, the latter with an oblique dusky bar. Primaries and most of the secondaries brownish-black, with brown shafts and large white basal spaces, concealed in the folded wing, conspicuous in flight. Upper tail-coverts and middle tail-feathers like back; lateral ones successively acquiring white tips; outer with several incomplete white bars. Feet pinkish-white, drying yellowish. Bill flesh-color, black-tipped; sometimes much of culmen dusky; sometimes much of under mandible orange." Elliot Coues, 1884

Spotted Sandpiper

"Tringoides macularius. Spotted Sandpiper. Above, silken ashen-olive (quaker-color- as in our cuckoos)…

"Micropalama himantopus. Stilt Sandpiper. In summer: blackish, each feather edged and tipped with white and tawny or bay, which on the scapulars becomes scalloped. Auriculars chestnut; a dusky line from bill to eye, and a light reddish superciliary one; upper tail-coverts white with dusky bars. Primaries dusky with blackish tips; tail-feathers 12 ashy-gray, their edges and a central field white; under parts mixed reddish, black, and whitish, in streaks on the jugulum, elsewhere in bars; bill and feet greenish-black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Stilt Sandpiper

"Micropalama himantopus. Stilt Sandpiper. In summer: blackish, each feather edged and tipped with white…

"Gallinago wilsoni. American Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. "English" Snipe. Jack-Snipe. Crown black, with a pale ochrey middle stripe. upper parts brownish-black, varied with bright bay and tawny, the scapular feathers smoothly and evenly edged with tawny or whitish, forming two lengthwise stripes on each side when the wings are folded. Quills and greater coverts blackish-brown, usually with white tips, and outer web of first primary usually white. Lining of wings and axillars white, fully and regularly barred with black. Rump black, the feathers with white tips. Upper tail-coverts tawny with numerous black bars, and tail-feathers black basally, then bright chestnut, with a narrow subterminal black bar, their tips fading to whitish; some of the lateral ones white, with little rufous tinge and several instead of one black nearly white; sides of body shaded with brown, and with numerous regular dusky bars throughout; crissum more or less rufous, with numerous dusky bars." Elliot Coues, 1884

Small Wilson's Snipe

"Gallinago wilsoni. American Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. "English" Snipe. Jack-Snipe. Crown black, with a…

"Gallinago wilsoni. American Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. "English" Snipe. Jack-Snipe. Crown black, with a pale ochrey middle stripe. upper parts brownish-black, varied with bright bay and tawny, the scapular feathers smoothly and evenly edged with tawny or whitish, forming two lengthwise stripes on each side when the wings are folded. Quills and greater coverts blackish-brown, usually with white tips, and outer web of first primary usually white. Lining of wings and axillars white, fully and regularly barred with black. Rump black, the feathers with white tips. Upper tail-coverts tawny with numerous black bars, and tail-feathers black basally, then bright chestnut, with a narrow subterminal black bar, their tips fading to whitish; some of the lateral ones white, with little rufous tinge and several instead of one black nearly white; sides of body shaded with brown, and with numerous regular dusky bars throughout; crissum more or less rufous, with numerous dusky bars." Elliot Coues, 1884

Wilson's Snipe

"Gallinago wilsoni. American Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. "English" Snipe. Jack-Snipe. Crown black, with a…

"Gallinago wilsoni. American Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. "English" Snipe. Jack-Snipe. Crown black, with a pale ochrey middle stripe. upper parts brownish-black, varied with bright bay and tawny, the scapular feathers smoothly and evenly edged with tawny or whitish, forming two lengthwise stripes on each side when the wings are folded. Quills and greater coverts blackish-brown, usually with white tips, and outer web of first primary usually white. Lining of wings and axillars white, fully and regularly barred with black. Rump black, the feathers with white tips. Upper tail-coverts tawny with numerous black bars, and tail-feathers black basally, then bright chestnut, with a narrow subterminal black bar, their tips fading to whitish; some of the lateral ones white, with little rufous tinge and several instead of one black nearly white; sides of body shaded with brown, and with numerous regular dusky bars throughout; crissum more or less rufous, with numerous dusky bars." Elliot Coues, 1884

Family of Snipes

"Gallinago wilsoni. American Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. "English" Snipe. Jack-Snipe. Crown black, with a…

"Symphemia semipalmata. Semipalmated Tattler. Willet. Adult in summer: Upper parts ashy, confoundedly speckled to greater or less extent with blackish; this sometimes giving the prevailing tone, but in lighter colored cases the blackish restricted to an irregular central field on each feather, throwing out angular processes and tending to become traverse bars. When such dark fields prevail, the upper parts become quite blackish, speckled with ashy-white, like Totanus melanoleucus, for example. Furthermore, there is often a slight rufescence. Under parts white, sometimes with a rufous or brownish tinge, the jugulum and breast spotted and streaked, the sides barred or arrow-headed, with brownish-black. Axillars and lining of wing, edge of wing and primary coverts, sooty-blackish. Primaries blackish, with a great space white at base, partly overlaid and concealed by the primary coverts, partly showing conspicuously as a speculum; shafts white along this space. Most secondaries white most upper tail-coverts white, the shorter ones dark like rump, the longer ones barred like tail. Tail ashy, incompletely barred with blackish; lateral feathers pale, or marbled with white. Bill dark; legs bluish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Willet Head

"Symphemia semipalmata. Semipalmated Tattler. Willet. Adult in summer: Upper parts ashy, confoundedly…

"Symphemia semipalmata. Semipalmated Tattler. Willet. Adult in summer: Upper parts ashy, confoundedly speckled to greater or less extent with blackish; this sometimes giving the prevailing tone, but in lighter colored cases the blackish restricted to an irregular central field on each feather, throwing out angular processes and tending to become traverse bars. When such dark fields prevail, the upper parts become quite blackish, speckled with ashy-white, like Totanus melanoleucus, for example. Furthermore, there is often a slight rufescence. Under parts white, sometimes with a rufous or brownish tinge, the jugulum and breast spotted and streaked, the sides barred or arrow-headed, with brownish-black. Axillars and lining of wing, edge of wing and primary coverts, sooty-blackish. Primaries blackish, with a great space white at base, partly overlaid and concealed by the primary coverts, partly showing conspicuously as a speculum; shafts white along this space. Most secondaries white most upper tail-coverts white, the shorter ones dark like rump, the longer ones barred like tail. Tail ashy, incompletely barred with blackish; lateral feathers pale, or marbled with white. Bill dark; legs bluish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Willets

"Symphemia semipalmata. Semipalmated Tattler. Willet. Adult in summer: Upper parts ashy, confoundedly…

"Philohela. American Woodcock. First three primaries emarginate, attenuate and falcate, abruptly shorter and narrower than the 4th. Wings short and rounded; when folded, the primaries hidden by the coverts and inner quills. Legs short; tibiae feathered to the joint; tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw, scutellate before and behind; toes long and slender, cleft to the base Bill much longer than head, perfectly straight, stout at base, where the ridge rises high, knobbed at end of upper mandible, very deeply grooved nearly all its length, the culmen and line of gonys also furrowed toward end; very soft and sensitive; gape very short and narrow. Head large; neck short; ear under the eye, which is very full, set in back upper corner of the head. Sexes alike; Female largest." Elliot Coues, 1884

American Woodcock Head

"Philohela. American Woodcock. First three primaries emarginate, attenuate and falcate, abruptly shorter…

"Philohela minor. Woodcock. Bog-sucker. Colors above harmoniously blended and varied black, brown, gray, and russet; below, pale warm brown of variable shade, not barred. A dark stripe from bill to eye. Crown from opposite eye with black and light bars; along the inner edges of the wings a bluish-ashy stripe; lining of wings rust-brown; quills plain fuscous; tail black, spotted, and tipped; bill brownish flesh-color, dusky at end; feet pale reddish flesh-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

American Woodcock

"Philohela minor. Woodcock. Bog-sucker. Colors above harmoniously blended and varied black, brown, gray,…

"Philohela minor. Woodcock. Bog-sucker. Colors above harmoniously blended and varied black, brown, gray, and russet; below, pale warm brown of variable shade, not barred. A dark stripe from bill to eye. Crown from opposite eye with black and light bars; along the inner edges of the wings a bluish-ashy stripe; lining of wings rust-brown; quills plain fuscous; tail black, spotted, and tipped; bill brownish flesh-color, dusky at end; feet pale reddish flesh-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

Probing American Woodcock

"Philohela minor. Woodcock. Bog-sucker. Colors above harmoniously blended and varied black, brown, gray,…

"Totanus melanoleucus. Greater Tell-tale. Greater Yellow-shanks. Long-legged Tattler. Stone-snipe. Bill straight or slightly inclined upwards, not with regular curve, but as if bent near the middle, black or greenish-black. Legs very long and slender, chrome-yellow. Above, blackish, more or less ashy according to season, everywhere speckled with whitish, in a series on indentations along edge of each feather; the markings spottle on the back and wings, streaky on the head and neck. A slight white superciliary line. Upper tail-coverts mostly white. Under parts white, the jugulum and fore-breast streaked, the sides and flanks, lining of wings and axillars barred and arrow-headed with the color of the back. Tail like back,with numerous white bars, generally broken on the middle feathers. Primaries blackish, with black shafts, mostly with white tips; secondaries and their coverts the same, but their edges marbled, spotted, or broken-barred with white. The seasonal changes of plumage are inconsiderable, consisting chiefly in the tone of the upper parts, more blackish and white in summer, more gray and ashy in winter and in the young; and in the emphasis of the dark markings of the under parts." Elliot Coues, 1884

Greater Yello-shanks

"Totanus melanoleucus. Greater Tell-tale. Greater Yellow-shanks. Long-legged Tattler. Stone-snipe. Bill…