Calidris pusilla HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 5 inches * Very small shorebird * Short, thin, dark bill not obviously thinner at tip than at base * Dark legs * Thin, white wing stripe * Black line on rump extends onto tail * Sexes similar Adult alternate: * Black back feathers and wing coverts with gray edges * Some black streaking on breast * White underparts * Indistinct white supercilium, gray crown and cheeks Adult basic: * Back and wing coverts gray with narrow black centers * Faint, partial gray breast band * White underparts * Indistinct white supercilium, gray crown and cheeks Juvenile: * Black-based back feathers and wing coverts with white and gray edges * May have faint orangish wash to upperparts and breast * Faint, partial gray breast band * White underparts * Dark crown contrasts with pale supercilium Similar species: The Semipalmated Sandpiper is one of a group of very similar small shorebirds called "peeps". The Sanderling is obviously larger with a bolder wing stripe. White-rumped and Baird's Sandpiper are larger and appear especially longer-winged. Least Sandpiper is browner, has yellow legs (unless stained by mud), and a slightly decurved bill. Western Sandiper is most similar and is told in alternate plumage by its rufous upperparts and in juvenile plumage by its rufous scapulars. In basic plumage and in-between plumages note that the Western often has an obviously longer, thinner-tipped bill with a droop at the tip, a more square-shaped head, and sometimes retains a few dark chevrons on the flanks. The juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper has a darker crown than the basic plumage Western Sandpiper. The very rare Little and Rufous-necked Stints are more rufous in alternate and juvenile plumages, the Semipalmated lacking any rufous coloration. In basic plumage, they are very similar. Full_View |
HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 5 inches * Very small shorebird * Short, thin, dark bill not obviously thinner at tip than at base * Dark legs * Thin, white wing stripe * Black line on rump extends onto tail * Sexes similar Adult alternate: * Black back feathers and wing coverts with gray edges * Some black streaking on breast * White underparts * Indistinct white supercilium, gray crown and cheeks Adult basic: * Back and wing coverts gray with narrow black centers * Faint, partial gray breast band * White underparts * Indistinct white supercilium, gray crown and cheeks Juvenile: * Black-based back feathers and wing coverts with white and gray edges * May have faint orangish wash to upperparts and breast * Faint, partial gray breast band * White underparts * Dark crown contrasts with pale supercilium Similar species: The Semipalmated Sandpiper is one of a group of very similar small shorebirds called "peeps". The Sanderling is obviously larger with a bolder wing stripe. White-rumped and Baird's Sandpiper are larger and appear especially longer-winged. Least Sandpiper is browner, has yellow legs (unless stained by mud), and a slightly decurved bill. Western Sandiper is most similar and is told in alternate plumage by its rufous upperparts and in juvenile plumage by its rufous scapulars. In basic plumage and in-between plumages note that the Western often has an obviously longer, thinner-tipped bill with a droop at the tip, a more square-shaped head, and sometimes retains a few dark chevrons on the flanks. The juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper has a darker crown than the basic plumage Western Sandpiper. The very rare Little and Rufous-necked Stints are more rufous in alternate and juvenile plumages, the Semipalmated lacking any rufous coloration. In basic plumage, they are very similar. Full_View |
Limnodromus griseus HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 9.5 inches * Medium-sized shorebird * Long, straight bill * Dull, yellowish legs * White rump extends in wedge onto back * Tail barred black and white * Sexes similar * Several different races Adult alternate: * Reddish underparts * Dark crown and eyeline with reddish supercilium * Black bases to back feathers with reddish edges * "hendersoni" race has reddish belly and black spots on sides of breast and flanks * "griseus" race has white belly and densely spotted foreneck and barred flanks * "caurinus" race has small white belly and densely spotted foreneck Adult basic: * Pale gray head with white supercilium * Pale gray breast with faint spotting * Gray upperparts * White belly and undertail coverts Juvenile: * Back feathers dark with broad orange edges * Tertials dark with orange stripes * Head and breast with orange wash and scattered spots Similar species: The most distinctive feature of dowitchers is their long bill. Godwits also have extremely long bills but their bills are bicolored and they are larger. In flight, dowitchers can be picked out of mixed shorebird flocks by the white "v" extending up the back. The Long-billed Dowitcher is very similar to the Short-billed Dowitcher. In alternate plumage, the Long-billed Dowitcher has barred flanks and a reddish belly; some races of the Short-billed Dowitcher have barred flanks and some have reddish bellies but not on the same bird. Juvenile Short-billed Dowithchers have a more orange plumage than juvenile Long-billed Dowithcers. The best field mark for separating the juvenile plumages is the appearance of the tertials. In the Short-billed they have internal orange stripes while in the Long-billed they have a thin brown fringe with no internal markings. Winter plumage dowitchers are very similar. Full_View |
Tringa solitaria HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 7 inches * Fairly small, long-legged shorebird * Greenish legs * Bold white eye ring * Dark rump * Dark tail has black bars on the white outer tail feathers * Dark underwing * Sexes similar * Juvenile similar to basic-plumaged adult * Usually solitary, often bobs tail Adult alternate: * Head, neck, and chest streaked with dark brown and white * Dark brown back and upperwings with small white spots * White belly * Whitish supraloral stripe, dark lores Adult basic: * Smooth gray-brown head and neck fading to white belly * Gray-brown back speckled with white Similar species: Yellowlegs are similar but have yellow (not green) legs and white rumps, visible in flight. Spotted Sandpiper has a white wing stripe visible in flight and a dark back without white spots. Two European species, the Green Sandpiper and the Wood Sandpiper are easily separated by tail pattern, underwing color and head pattern. Full_View |
Actitis macularia HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 6.25 inches * Fairly small, short-legged shorebird * Yellowish or pinkish legs * White wingstripe visible in flight * Teeters tail when feeding and walking * Distinctive, stiff winged, fluttery flight on bowed wings * Sexes similar * Juvenile similar to basic-plumaged adult Adult alternate: * Orange bill with a black tip * Pale supercilium and dark eyeline * Brown head, hindneck, back, and upperwings with small black bars * White throat, breast and belly with bold black spots Adult basic: * Variably dark bill with pale base * Pale brown head with dark eyeline and pale supercilium * Plain dark back, upperwings with dark and buff bars * Sides of breast brown, with finger of white extending up in front of leading edge of wing when at rest * Throat, breast, and belly white, without dark spots Similar species: Solitary Sandpiper is larger and has a bold eyering, no wing stripe, white-spotted upperparts and a different flight style. The Eurasian Common Sandpiper, a rare migrant, is very similar to basic and juvenile-plumaged Spotted Sandpipers. The Spotted Sandpiper has a shorter tail, shorter white wing stripe, more barred wing coverts and, as a juvenile, tertials that are marked with buff only at the tip. Full_View |
Calidris himantopus HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 7.25 inches * Medium-sized shorebird * Long bill decurved at tip * Greenish legs * White rump * Sexes similar Adult alternate: * Reddish-brown crown and cheeks * White supercilium * Black bases to back feathers with thin pale edges * Neck and breast heavily spotted with black * Underparts heavily barred with black Adult basic: * Gray head with white supercilium * Gray breast with indistinct streaking * Gray upperparts * White belly and undertail coverts Juvenile: * Similar to adult basic * Mantle feathers with black bases and contrasting buff and rust edges * Head and breast with brownish wash Similar species: In alternate plumage, the heavy barring on the underparts is diagnostic. Juvenile and basic plumages are similar to other species. Dowitchers have longer, straighter bills while yellowlegs have brighter, yellow legs and straight bills. Dunlins and Curlew Sandipipers also have decurved bills but have dark legs and thinner bills. Dunlin has a dark rump. Full_View |
Bartramia longicauda HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 10 inches * Long-legged, small-headed, long-necked shorebird of grasslands * Legs yellow * Thin, short bill * Very large dark eye stands out against pale face * Black rump and long tail, with dark bars * Dark outer wing contrasts with brownish inner wing in flight * Often perches on fence posts or stumps * Sexes similar Adult: * Dark cap * Pale head and neck streaked with brown * Whitish eyering and throat, pale lores * Brown back and wing coverts with pale edges and black bars * Buff neck and breast and white belly with dark chevrons on neck, breast and flanks Juvenile: * Very pale head without the contrast between the cap and face of the adult Similar species: Buff-breasted Sandpiper has a similar shape, but is much smaller and has a plain buff face and underparts, with spots rather than chevrons on sides of neck and breast, a shorter tail, and bright silvery wing linings. Full_View |
Calidris mauri HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 5.25 inches * Very small shorebird * Short, thin, dark bill thinner at tip than at base and often with a slight droop * Dark legs * Thin, white wing stripe * Black line on rump extends onto tail * Sexes similar Adult alternate: * Rufous scapulars, crown and ear coverts * Black back feathers and wing coverts with white edges * Much black streaking and spotting on breast * Black chevrons on flanks * White underparts * Indistinct white supercilium Adult basic: * Back and wing coverts gray with narrow black centers * Faint, partial gray breast band * White underparts * Indistinct white supercilium, gray crown and cheeks Juvenile: * Rufous scapulars * Black-based back feathers and wing coverts with white and gray edges * Faint, partial gray breast band * White underparts * Indistinct gray crown and pale supercilium Similar species: The Western Sandpiper is one of a group of very similar small shorebirds called "peeps". The Sanderling is obviously larger with a bolder wing stripe. White-rumped and Baird's Sandpiper are larger and appear especially longer-winged. Least Sandpiper is browner, has yellow legs (unless stained by mud), and a slightly decurved bill. Western Sandiper is told from the similar Semipalmated Sandpiper in alternate plumage by its rufous upperparts and in juvenile plumage by its rufous scapulars. In basic plumage and in-between plumages note that the Western often has an obviously longer, thinner-tipped bill with a droop at the tip, a more square-shaped head, and sometimes retains a few dark chevrons on the flanks. The juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper has a darker crown than the basic plumage Western Sandpiper. The very rare Little and Rufous-necked Stints have rufous in the throat in alternate plumage, and lack the rufous scapulars in juvenile plumage. In basic plumage, they are very similar. Full_View |
Numenius phaeopus HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 14 inches * Large shorebird * Long decurved bill * Dark legs * Grayish-white and brown head stripes * Brown upperparts with small light and dark spots * Brown streaked neck and breast * White belly and undertail coverts * Plain upperparts, no wing stripe and dark rump (most birds in US) * Juvenile has larger buff spots on the upperparts Similar species: Long-billed Curlew is larger, has longer bill, and lacks head stripes. In Alaska, Bristle-thighed Curlew has rusty tail and rump. Full_View |
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BLACKBEARD !!