Home › R › Range (Eastern North America breeding) (VI)

Range (Eastern North America breeding) (VI)

Eastern North America, breeding from Virginia to Newfoundland; winters from Florida southward. Long Island, not uncommon S. R., Mch. through Sept. Sing Sing, A. V. Eggs, three to four, creamy white, finely spotted or speckled with chocolate, 1.24 x 95. The Piping Plover resembles the Ring-neck in habits but not in notes. Mr. J. H. Langille writes that it "can not be called a 'whistler,' nor even a 'piper,' in an ordinary sense. Its tone has a particularly striking and musical quality. Queep, queep, queep-o, or peep, peep, peep-lo, each syllable being uttered with a separate, distinct, and somewhat long-drawn enunciation, may imitate its peculiar melody, the *tone of which is round, full, and sweet, reminding one of a high key on an Italian hand organ or the hautboy in a church organ. It is always pleasing to the lover of Nature's melodies, and in the still air of the evening it is very impressive." 277a. Æ. m. circumcincta Ridgw. BELTED PIPING PLOVER.- Closely resembles the preceding, from which it differs in having the bands on either side of the breast joined, forming a continuous breastband.