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Pectoral Sandpiper

Status Fairly common transient. It has been occasionally recorded in spring since 1963, between 7 April and 23 May. It is a fairly common fall migrant, with a few first birds often occurring before mid-July (average 17 July, earliest 5 July); one on Sable Island on 26 June 1977 may have been a non-breeder. It is more regular from mid August on, with greatest numbers usually present in September, sometimes in October, and with a very few remaining some-years until November. There is a later record of two on 17 December 1979 at Port l'Hebert, Shelburne County.

Description Length: 20-23 cm. Adults in spring: Upperparts dark brown striped with buff, with buff feather edges; dark brown stripe through eye is bordered above by white; below, breast and foreneck marked with buff band, heavily and evenly striped with brown; belly white, contrasting sharply with lower breast; bill greenish yellow, lighter at base, darker toward end; legs greenish yellow. Adults in autumn: Similar but buff on upperparts replaced by rufous; breast heavily washed with buff.

Range In North America, breeds in the low Arctic and subarctic from Alaska to Hudson Bay. Winters in South America.

Remarks This sandpiper is seldom found on sand beaches. It much prefers salt marshes after the hay has been cut, or freshwater marshes where one might expect to flush Common Snipe. It is because of a general similarity to the snipe in appearance and its choice of habitat that it has been given the colloquial name "grass snipe." Larger than our smallest sandpipers, it is distinguished by its broad and strongly striped buff breast band.