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Least Sandpiper (Calidris Minutilla) Breeding in Massachusetts

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Least Sandpiper (Calidris Minutilla) Breeding in Massachusetts Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla breeding in Massachusetts A breedingrange extension southwestward of 480 kilometers; thefirst known UnitedStates breeding record Kathleen S. Anderson HELEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minu- firreed as a Calidris minutilla chick ap- Clement (1961) reported a brood of tilla) breedsfrom subarcticAlaska proximately 3 days old (Jehl, pers. Least Sandpiper chicks as early as June to Newfoundland, with Cape Sable Is- comm.). The specimenhas been donated 11 at Cape Sable Island. Miller (1977) •n- land and Sable Island, Nova Scotia the to the Museum of Comparative Zoology dicated that clutchesare completed from southernmost limits of the reported at Harvard University. May 23 to June 24 which, given 14-17 breedingrange (Godfrey 1966:155).Re- Monomoy Island is a typical Atlantic days for incubation (Jehl, 1970) would cent seasonal reports from American barrier beach of sand dunes and marsh mean young hatch between June 6 and Btrds(Finch 1971, 1975),indicate an in- extending in a north-south direction July 11 at that location. creasein breeding recordsfrom coastal from the elbow of Cape Cod at I thank Richard A. Harlow and Tabor Halifax County, Nova Scotia, but this Chatham. Once a peninsula,Monomoy Academy for providing transportanon may representintensified search rather recently (c. 1959) became an island to Monomoy Island, Brian A. Harr- than a population change (McLaren, about 16km long. On February 8, 1978, ington for his editorial help, and pers.comm.). Reportsfrom New Bruns- a severestorm causeda cut through the William H. Drury, Jr., for suggesting•n- wick do not suggest breeding there middle of the island dividing it into two stantly the probable identification from (Christie, pers. comm.). The discovery islands. Marshes bordering the leeward a telephoned description. of a recentlydead Least Sandpiper chick side of the north island are dominated o, Monomoy Island off Cape Cod, by Spartina alterniflora with S. patens LITERATURE CITED Massachusettshere reported extendsthe growing on small elevated areas. A nar- BAILEY, W. 1955. Birds in Massachusetts breeding range 480kin (260 nautical row sandy ridge separates the marsh 101. South Lancaster, Mass. from the waters and mud flats of CHRISTIE, D. S. 1980. Personal com- males)southwestward, and is the first munication. known breedingrecord of this species Chatham Roads. CLEMENT, R.C. 1961. Aud. Field Notes south of the Canadian border. 15(5):451. FINCH, D.W. 1971. The Nesting Season, June l-July 31, 1971. Am. Btrds On July 12, 1979, the author accom- THOUGHTHE EXACT LOCATION was 25(5):834. paniedRichard Harlow and a group of ot noted, the Least Sandpiper ß 1975. The Nesting Season, June 1- Tabor Academy studentson a field trip chick is believed to have been found on a July 31, 1975. Am. Birds 29(3):747. to Monomoy Island, BarnstableCoun- slightly elevated portion of the marsh GODFREY, E.W. 1966. The Birds of Can- ty, Massachusetts.In mid-afternoon at adjacent to the ridge. Least Sandpipers ada. Ottawa, The Queen's Printer. 428 pp. the northwestern end of the island, stu- in scattered flocks (an estimated 370, HARRISON, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the dent Timothy Smaldownfound a fresh- presumedmigrants) were scatteredover Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North ly-dead shorebird chick in a Spartina muddy areasof the marsh, but there was American Birds. Collins. 416 pp. marsh. The chick was completely no recognized indication of agitated JEHL, J.R., JR. 1970. Sexual Select,on for Size Differences in Two Species of downy, smaller than a ping-pongball, adults or other young. Sandpipers. Evolution 24:311-319. and had a tiny black bill and thin dark Least Sandpipersoccasionally linger ß 1980. Personal communication. legs; it was white below and a dark on the Massachusetts coast through McLAREN, I.A. 1980. Personal cornmum- chestnut brown above, with the down June with earliest autumn migrants ar- cation. white-tipped on the back wings and riving during the first week of July MILLER, E.H. 1977. Breeding Biology of the Least Sandpiper (Calidris minuttlla) crown, giving it a "spangled" appear- (Snyder& Griscom,1955; Bailey, 1955), (Vieill), on Sable Island, Nova Scotm ance[very similarto the illustrationin A but there has been no previoussuspicion (Ph.D. thesis, Dalhousie University) Fteld Guide to the Nests, Eggs and of breeding. At Sable Island, Miller SNYDER, D. and L. GRISCOM. 1955. The Nestlingsof North American Birds by (1977) found that the speciesnests most Birds of Massachusetts:103. Salem, The Peabody Museum. Colin Harrison (1978)]. The bird was abundantly in vegetation near fresh subsequentlypreserved by an injection ponds, but that it also nestsin extremely --Mahomet Bird Observatory of 40% formaldehydesolution and con- dry, sparsely-vegetated,sandy areas. Mahomet, Mass. 02345. Volume34, Number6 867 .
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