Audubon Print: Pectoral Sandpiper

This vintage ornithological book plate features a beautifully preserved, colored illustration of the Pectoral Sandpiper (Pisobia melanotos), depicting two specimens standing along a coastal shoreline scattered with shells. The historical print provides detailed species documentation, noting a breeding range extending from Siberia to Southampton Island and a wintering range spanning from Peru and Bolivia to Patagonia, while highlighting its status as a rare migrant on the Pacific coast.

According to the text, the bird favors shallow pools, tide flats, and grassy habitats, and can be identified by its resemblance to a large Least Sandpiper, distinctive yellowish legs, and a dark breast pattern extending over the pectoral muscles. Measuring approximately 8½ inches in length, the species is characterized by a loud, rolling voice, a diet of insects, crustaceans, and seeds, and a nesting habit of laying four eggs in a ground hollow.

This clean, well-preserved vintage page features crisp typography and sharp artistic details, making it an excellent piece for framing, gallery walls, or collectors of natural history and wildlife illustrations.

Measures: 12.5” L x 9.25 W