IDENTIFICATION

Field identification of smaller sandpipers within the genus C/dr/s

Richard R. Veit and Lars Jonsson

Paintings and line drawings by Lars Jonsson

INTRODUCTION the hand, we recommend that the reader threeNearctic species, the Semipalmated refer to the speciesaccounts of Prateret Sandpiper(C. pusilia), the Western HESMALL Calidris sandpipers, affec- al. (1977) or Cramp and Simmons Sandpiper(C. mauri)and the Least Sand- tionately referred to as "peeps" in (1983). Our conclusionsin thispaper are piper (C. minutilla), and four Palearctic North America, and as"stints" in Britain, basedupon our own extensive field expe- species,the primarily western Little Stint haveprovided notoriously thorny identi- rience, which, betweenus, includesfirst- (C. minuta), the easternRufous-necked fication problemsfor many years. The handfamiliarity with all sevenspecies. Stint (C. ruficollis), the easternLong- first comprehensiveefforts to elucidate We also examined specimensin the toed Stint (C. subminuta)and the wide- the picturewere two paperspublished in AmericanMuseum of Natural History, spread Temminck's Stint (C. tem- Brtttsh Birds (Wallace 1974, 1979) in MuseumOf ComparativeZoology, Los minckii).Four of thesespecies, pusilla, Much the problemwas approachedfrom Angeles County Museum, San Diego mauri, minuta and ruficollis, breed on the Britishperspective of distinguishing Natural History Museum, Louisiana arctictundra and are found during migra- vagrant Nearctic or eastern Palearctic State UniversityMuseum of Zoology, tion in flocksof up to thousandsof indi- speciesamongst groups of migrantLittle BritishMuseum (Natural History), and viduals on extensive tidal flats. Two oth- Sums(Calidris minuta). A secondmajor theMuseum of NaturalHistory in Stock- ers, minutilla and subminuta, breed contributionto the identificationof spe- holm, studied numerousphotographs, farthersouth, in marshyareas of the bor- ciesin this group(and to the identifica- anddiscussed many points with individ- eal andsub-arctic zones, and, during mi- tion of shorebirdsin general) was the uals,who, through their travels, had spe- gration,are usuallyless gregarious and publicationof A Guideto theAgeing and cial familiaritywith oneor anotherplum- prefergrassy marshes and flooded fields Identificationof Holarctic Wadersby age that we lacked. for foraging.The seventhspecies, tem- Prater et al., in 1977. The detailed de- Becausemost of our field experience minckii, is primarily an arctic and sub- scriptionsof shorebirdplumages and hasbeen in easternNorth America (Veit) arcticbreeder but is rathersolitary dunng molt contained in that work are indis- and westernEurope (Jonsson), a biased migration,when it is most often found pensableto the shorebirdenthusiast and perspectiveon the comparativeappear- aroundfreshwater pools and in grassy arealso particularly useful for thecorrect ance of each of these birds has been in- marshes. identification of small calidridines in the evitable. Therefore, the identification Amongshorebirds, the specieswithin hand. A new paper in British Birds pointsdiscussed in this papertend to re- thisgroup are probably the mostdifficult (Grant 1984), has used the samepaint- flect comparisonswith the common to identify.When in breedingplumage, ingsby Jonssonthat appearhere. North Americanspecies. Such a bias, we the species-specificcolor patterns are Our approachis to define and summa- have assumed,is largely sharedby the rather obvious, and render identification nze thosecharacters by whichpeep sand- readers of American Birds. straightforward.But at other seasons, pipersmay be distinguishedfrom onean- thesespecies are extremely similar to one other in the field. We have avoided SPECIES TREATMENT anotherand usuallyrequire considerable detailed discussions of characters that previousexperience, exceptional view- wouldbe of usein thehand, both to keep ing conditions,and a healthyamount of thetext within a manageablelength, and ECOVER theidentification ofseven patienceto identifycorrectly. In the fol- also becausewe lack extensiveexperi- Holarcticspecies in the genusCa- lowingsections, we identifythose mor- ence with live birds in the hand. For iden- lidris that are collectivelycharacterized phologicalfeatures most critical to the tificationof specimensor of live birdsin by their very small size. These include properidentification of thesespecies.

Volume 38, Number 5 853 TOPOGRAPHY (Figure 1) way up the crown. The "forecrown"re- tion"is thedistance between the tip of the fers to the featherinnimmediately above longestprimary and the tip of the longest N OURdescriptions of plumages and the base of the bill. tertial. molts, we follow the terminologyof Upperparts:The "V" marksare whitish Humphreyand Parkes (1959), further stripeson theback of somepeeps that are SIZE discussedas it appliesto shorebirdsby derivedfrom white fringesto the mantle Palmer (1967). feathers,scapulars, or both. Depending LTHOUGHTHErange in sizebetween In discussionsof peepidentification, it on how thesefeathers are lying, the "V" the largest species(Western Sand- is convenientto speakof certaingroups marksmay appearsharp or diffuse.We piper)and the smallest(Least Sandpiper) of feathersthat are similarly coloredor refer to "mantle" or "scapular.... V" is substantial, size differences between patterned,but which are not ordinarily marks,depending on which feathersare otherspecies are smalland usuallydiffi- referred to under a collective term. For involved. cult to judge. The sandpipersin this example,of the five rowsof scapularson Underparts:The "breastsides" include groupare sexuallydimorphic in size (fe- peeps,the upper three rows are often col- the featherinnabove the flanks, or just malesslightly larger), and the apparent ored differently from the lower two. aheadof andabove the bendof the wing. size of an individualbird can vary ac- Therefore,we speakof the "upper"and Wings:On peeps,the middleand greater cordingto the positionof its feathersand "lower" scapulars(Fig. 1). Some other secondarycoverts are frequentlyvisible to otherspecies with whichit is associat- instancesof terminologypeculiar to this on a standingbird, andtheir coloration is ed. Minor differences in the distance be- text are as follows: frequentlycritical in the identificationof tween birds, which to the observer are Head: The "lateral crownstripes"are somespecies. For convenience,we refer foreshortenedby opticalequipment, can pale, usuallywhitish, lines which paral- to theseas simply "greatercoverts" or resultin a significantdistortion in the ap- lel the superciliumabout one-third of the "middlecoverts." The "primaryprojec- parentrelative size of birds that seemto

supercilium lateralcrown stripe cro•wn / / aur!cul.ars. • • .- ..i / ninanectc . •,-,$•/•.•/• "V"mark jorecrown•f• •' .'/• / •ntle lores• '•:•" • • •- • • upperscapulars cutmen•. _• .-•T'.•:" .... : lowerscapulars chin• • •' .f • •' ' •:• .• • projection upperbreasf :•' '• '• ' ' • ' "•

' ' undertail coverts lowerbreas,•lesser coPerrs Pe•l fianks••• • xmedian covertsgreater coverts bel• • t • • •FS•S i•r toe •

midd•outer toet• •• • hindtoe

Figure 1. Topographyof a Calidris.

854 AmericanBirds, September-October1984 be standingnext to oneanother. There- Westernsandpipers. One shouldbeware Little stints,by comparison,have finely forethe proportions, rather than the size of birdsthat lack webbingbut acquirea tippedbills. perse, are more useful in determining the "club-footed" look as a result of mud The extent of the folded primary tips species. caked to their toes. beyondthe tip of thelongest tertial seems The shapeof the bill, while it varies to be of some use in the field, but vari- with sex, age, and in somecases, geo- ation in this feature has not been thor- STRUCTURE AND POSTURE graphical origin, is a species-specific oughlyinvestigated. The LeastSandpip- character and is often the first clue to the er and Long-toedand Temminck's stints NMANY cases, identification ofpeeps presenceof a rare species.Critical as- have very little, if any, primary projec- dependsupon structural characters of pects include the overall length, the tion. Of the black-leggedspecies, Little thebill, legsand feet (Fig. 2). Two North amountof curvature,and the degreeof and Rufous-neckedstints usually have Americanspecies, pusilia and mauri, pointednessas observed both from above greaterprimary projection than Semipal- havepartial webbing between the toes, and from the side. Lateral expansionof mated and Western sandpipers.This whichthe similarPalearctic species, min- the bill tip, resultingin a slightlyspatu- charactershould probably be usedonly uta and ruffco!Ils,lack. This featureis late condition,is typicalof the Semipal- forjuveniles in fall, asone cannot assume surprisinglyeasy to see,once one is fa- matedSandpiper but is only visible when thatthe primariesare completelygrown miliar with the differencein appearance the bird is viewed head-on. A blunt- in birdsof other ages. between webbed and unwebbed feet tippedprofile, onlyvisible from the side, The shapeof the body and the stance (Fig. 3). North Americanobservers can is characteristicof the Semipalmated typicallyassumed both lend a greatdeal usefullystudy this distinction by compar- Sandpiperand Rufous-necked Stint. The to the appearanceof a sandpiperand ing the feet of Leastrs. Semipalmated/ Least Sandpiperand the Long-toedand thereforeprovide useful clues to its iden-

Figure2. Typicalsilhouettes of four black-leggedpeeps. Little Stint(top left) and Rufous-necked Stint(top right) in first alternateplumage; Western Sandpiper (bottom left) in drab alternateplumage; Semipalmated Sandpiper (bottom righO in lypicalalternate plumage.

Volume38, Number5 855 tity. For example, the difference in crown profile is useful for separating LeastSandpipers from Long-toedStints, andthe horizontalposture of the Rufous- necked Stint differs from the more erect stance of the Little Stint. However, the postureof a particularbird will vary ac- cordingto its behaviorand to the weath- er. Alert or frightenedbirds standerect with neck extended, while those that are restingor feeding in windy conditions tend to crouch and retract their necks (Fig. 4). A bird's posturewill alsoaffect theway the feathers lie; on a relaxedbird, Figure 3. Conlparisonof webbed(a) and unwebbed(b) feet the scapularsfluff out and concealthe wings(Fig. 4b) while a tensebird will flattenthe scapularsand exposemost of the wing (Fig. 4a).

BEHAVIOR

ACHSPECIFS ofCalidris behaves ina somewhat characteristic fashion, which may be helpful in its identifica- tion. For example, foragingLittle Stints tendto pick at the surfacemore quickly or nervously than do Semipalmated Sandpipers.Least Sandpipersand Tem- minck's Stints tend to fly straightup- Figure4. Variationin posture of juvenile Little Stint: a. alert. ereclbird with scapulars flattened wards on flushing, while most other andwing exposed; b. crouchingbird withneck retracted and plumage fiuffed out to species fly low and horizontally. conceal wing. Throughoutour speciesaccounts, we al- ludeto behavioralaspects that have been ascribedto oneor anotherspecies. Since tiffcation.The color, and pattern of col- reveal that bird's identity. For example, most of the available information on this oration,on the mantle,scapulars, tertials juvenileWestern Sandpipers retain a few subjectis anecdotal, we would advise andsecondary coverts are especially per- distinctiverulescent scapulars until the discretionin using behavioralcues for tinent in calidridine identification. When late fall and are therefore still identifiable identification.For example,at Newbury- the distinctivepatterns have mostlydis- by this character. port Harbor, Massachusetts,Least Sand- appearedfrom individualbirds during Thehead pattern varies in a predictable pipersfeed in the fall almostexclusively periodsof molt, the retentionof a few fashionbetween species and is usually in Spatrinagrass at the edgeof the tidal characteristicallycolored feathers may useful for identification. The dark fore- flats, while in springthe same species feedsprimarily at the seawardedge of the flats. Other conflictingdescriptions of shorebirdfeeding behavior in the litera- turesimilarly suggest that their' habitat choiceis opportunistic.For this reason, behavioralcues are probably the least usefulfor identificationof any features we discuss.

COLORATION

HECOLOR nomenclature we use is modified from Smithe (1975). One of the predominantcolors in all of the cali- dridines is closest to Smithe's "cinna- mon/rufous," which for convenience we shall refer to as "rufous." For other co- lors, we closelyfollow his terminology. Featherand soft-partcoloration is, of course,of vital importancein peep iden- Figure 5. JuvenileSemipalmated Sandpiper. New York.September. PhotoIT. H. Davis.

856 American Birds. Seplember-Oclober1984 thanthose in definitivealternate plum- age, becausethey grow basic-patterned feathers during the first pre-alternate molt.Others, however, are frequently in- distinguishablefrom adults. The sequenceof calidridineplumages is as follows: The juvenal plumageis the first set of contourfeathers grown. Birds in juvenal plumage(= juveniles) are recognizable with practicebecause they are bright and neat looking. The upperpartshave fine, palefringes to the feathersthat produce a scalyimpression, and the upperbreast is washedwith buff in most species. Thefirst basicplumage includes a gen- erationof bodyfeathers grown during the first fall. First basicbirds are often sep- arablefrom adultsbecause they retain the juvenal wing and tail feathers.In some Figure6. JuvenileSemipalmated Sandpiper. New York,late August.Photo/P. A. Buckley. species,the first pre-basicmolt is com- plete, includingremiges and rectrices. Thefirst alternate plumage,acquired crown of Long-toedStints differs from feathersthat contribute most significantly by a partial molt involving the body that of Least Sandpipers,and the facial to the appearanceof the bird. Thus, when feathering,takes place during the bird's patternsof juvenile SemipalmatedSand- we specify the timing of a particular first spring,but may continuethrough the pipersand Little Stints are more distinct molt, we refer to that time of year when summer.Ordinarily, the feathersgrown than those of Western Sandpipersand the visible body feathersare replaced. at this stageare not as bright as thoseof Rufous-necked Stints. The flight feathersof shorebirds,for ex- the adults. The coloration of calidridines varies ample. are often molted later in the au- The definitive basic plumage is ac- considerablybetween individuals. There tumnthan the bodyplumage. We discuss quiredin the first completemolt, the pre- is very little, if any, consistentsexual molt of wing feathersonly in circum- basicmolt, whenthe bird isjust over one dimorphismwith respectto colorin these stanceswhere comparativewear of the year old. birds,so variation such as that in juvenile primaries is useful for determining a The definitive alternate plumage, SemipalmatedSandpipers (Figs. 5, 6) is bird's age. which is acquiredin a molt that involves due to some other factor. Molting is frequently affectedby the mainly the body feathering, is then as- Leg colorationquickly separatesthese migratory pattern of individual birds. sumedeach subsequent spring, and is the birds into two groups, the "yellow- Generally speaking, shorebirdsdo not "breeding"or "nuptial" plumage. legged"and the "black-legged"species. molt flight feathers while migrating. The "black-legged"species (mauri, pu- Therefore,sandpipers that winter at lo- silia, minuta and ruffcol!is) show vari- calities far from their breedinggrounds Molt ation in leg color, as thoseof juveniles molt on a different schedule from those range from dark olive to dark neutral thatwinter closerby. For example, adult Molt is a complexand variableproc- gray. Yellow legs can look dark if cov- Least Sandpipersthat winter in South ess. In our above definitions. we describe ered with mud. Aberrationsin soft-part America postponemolt until after they the typicalsequence for populationsas a colors have also been recorded, such as arriveon theirwintering grounds (usually whole, anddo not point out extremesof black legs on Temminck's Stints (Ruck after September),whereas those winter- individualvariation. As molt is largely 1977). The only significantvariation in ing in California begin molting in July. governedby a bird's hormonalstate, and bill color among peeps is in the Long- Similar differencesapply to most other is successfullycompleted only by healthy toedStint, whichhas a yellowishbase to species. birds, individuals that occur far outside the lower mandible. their normal range are probably some- Ag/ng what more prone to peculiar molts. For AGING, MOLT AND WEAR example, some vagrantjuvenile stints The juvenal, definitive basic, and de- have been found to retain their juvenal NOWINGTHE age or plumageof a finitivealternate plumages of calidridines featheringlonger than usual. bird is usuallythe first steptowards are almost always identifiable in the There is evidence that the amount of reaching a correct identification. Each field. Distinguishingfirst basicplumage colorpresent in growingfeathers is also plumagehas its own characteristicfea- from definitivebasic is usuallypossible under hormonal control (Voitkevich turesthat must be comparedwith the cor- becausefirst-year birds retain their juve- 1966). Thus, the coloration of alternate responding plumage of each other nal wing covertsand sometimes,the ju- bodyfeathering is governedby hormones species. venal tertials, which contrast with the that are highly concentratedjust prior to In our abbreviateddiscussion of plum- newly grown basicfeatures. Birds in first the breedingseason. In immaturebirds, agesand molts, we concentrateon those alternateplumage are often much duller hormonallevels may be muchlower than

Volume 38, Number 5 857 Plate1. Juvenalplumages. a. Rufous-neckedStint, fresh plumage, August. b. Rufous-neckedStint, typical, August-September. c. SemipaimatedSandpiper, rather worn, September-October. d. Semipaimated Sandpiper, typical, August- September.e. SemipaimatedSandpiper, unusually rusty. f. WesternSandpiper, fresh, August.g. Western Sandpiper,typical, with a few basicfeathers coming in amongupper scapulars.

ternate-patternedfeathers. moreclosely. Featherwear alsotends to Differencesin molt sequenceare use- alterthe appearance of thefacial pattern. ful in identification.For example,in de- We havepurposely avoided evaluating finitive alternateplumage, Little Stints recent North American records .of va- have alternate-patterned,while Rufous- grantstints, and have only briefly sum- neckedStints have basic-patterned, wing marized their occurrence. We would, covel ts. however, be most interested to hear of futurerecords of Palearcticspecies in 3 Wear North America, so that an eventual clari- ficationof theirstatus may be published. The appearanceof shorebirdsis con- tinuallymodified by featherwear. This inevitableprocess has evolved to the SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER bird's advantagein the caseof alternate Calidris pusilia plumages. For example, Little Stints havefragile whitish tips to the feathersof Distribution Figure 7. Variationin color of tertials of Ru- the upperpartsthat wear off by the time fous-neckedStint in alternateplumage. Num- the birdsarrive on the breedinggrounds, The SemipalmatedSandpiper is oneof bersshow sequence of molt. 1. Basic-likeand revealing the bright underlying colors. the most numerous and familiar shore- stronglyabraded. 2. Basic-like but slightly Feathersgrown earliestin the pre-alter- birds of eastern North America. It occurs more strongly marked, showing change in natemolt havethe widestfringes, so that duringmigration in flocksof tensof thou- hormonal balance; somewhat abraded. 3. sands on tidal sand and mud flats. The Freshfeather showingmaximum coloration. the entireplumage is exposedby wear at the sametime (Fig. 7). speciesbreeds in North America from Juvenilesgradually lose the brightly western Alaska, extreme northern in adults,so that growing feathers are not coloredspecies-specific fringes to their Keewatin and southern Baffin Island asbrightly colored. Even in adults,some featheringduring the courseof the fall south to the southern shore of Hudson alternatefeathers appear early in spring, (cf. Figs.5 and8). Thus,late migrantsof Bay and coastal Labrador. Hamngton and look more like those of the basic all speciestend to resembleone another andMorrison (1979) have showna clinal plumage (Fig. 7). Temminck's Stint shows this sort of "partial" alternate plumage most obviously among the peeps. The amountof color and patternin the first alternateplumage varies consider- ably. Most Little, Long-toedand Tem- minck's stints seem to accompanythe adultsto thebreeding grounds and there- foreacquire a plumagevery similarto the adults.Semipalmated and Western sand- pipers,however, usually spend their first summeron the wintering groundsand producealternate feathering more similar to the basicplumage. Among one-year-old Rufous-necked Stints,those that remain on the wintering groundsduring the summergrow alter- nate feathers that are almost identical to the basic feathers, while those that mi- gratenorthwards attain a partialbreeding condition,and thereforegrow many al- Figure8. JuvenileSemipalmated Sandpiper. Massachusetts. early September. Photo/R. R. Veit.

858 AmericanBirds, September-October 1984 f

Volume 38, Number 5 859 Plate 2. Juvenal plumages.a. Little Stint, pale bird; b. Little Stint, typical,August-September; c. Little Stint,fresh, July- August;d. Long-toedStint. typical rather dark bird. August-September;e. Least Sandpiper.typical, August- September;f.Temminck's Stint, fresh, August. Head-on views of.' g. Semipalmated;h. Western;i. Rufous-necked; j. Little; k. Least; l. Long-toed.

variationin bill length, which increases eastward across Canada. Females from the Ungava Peninsulaarea, therefore, overlapin bill length with small male WesternSandpipers (C. mauri). Semi- palmatedSandpipers winter along both coasts of South and Central America Figure 9. Heads of Western(a) from Mexico and Trinidad south to and Semipalmated(b) sandpip- southern Brazil and southern Peru. On ers in basic plumage. migration,most occur east of the Rocky Mountains.In spring, they are evenly distributedthrough the eastern United Statesin suitablehabitat, but in fall most occurclose to the Atlantic coast. Many passingthrough eastern Canada fly non- stopfrom the Bay of Fundyto the Carib- bean and South America. DefinitiveAlternate Plumage (Plates6a, springmigrants have a few grayishscap- Structure b; 3c) ularsand mantle feathers, which produce an irregularpattern on the upperparts The SemipalmatedSandpiper is struc- Acquiredby a partial molt between (Plate6b). Southboundmigrants in July turallymost similar to the WesternSand- Februaryand April, thismolt involvesall and August appeardusky brown on the piper. Both specieshave blackishlegs of the body plumage,the inner greater upperpartsuntil they acquirea few basic and partial webbingbetween the toes, and middle coverts, and two or three ter- feathers(Plate 3c). heavy-setbodies, and a rather upright tials. The upperpartsof the alternate stancewhen at rest.The Semipalmatedis plumageconsist of duskybrown feathers DefinitiveBasic Plumage(Plate 3d) typicallymore chunky, an effect that is with smoke-grayedges, so that Semipal- enhancedby the stubbybill, which is matedSandpipers appear brownish gray This plumageis acquiredby a com- straightand blunt-tipped,and also ap- whenfresh (in spring)and warmer brown plete pre-basicmolt betweenJuly and pearsblob-ended when viewed head-on. by the time they reach the breeding September.Most individualsbegin to Short-billed individuals have an almost grounds.In this plumage,Semipalmated molt the body plumagewhile still in conical bill, a characteristicnot ap- Sandpipersare most readily told from NorthAmerica, but the remigesand rec- proachedclosely by any otherpeep. Oth- Westernsby the lack of brightcinnamon- tricesare not ordinarilymolted until the er characters which differ between Semi- /rufoustones on the scapulars,and by the birds have arrived on their wintering palmated and Western sandpipersare reducedamount of heavy markings on grounds.The basicplumage of the Semi- discussedunder the latter species. the flanks. Some Semipalmatedsattain palmatedSandpiper is extremelysimilar an unusuallybright rulescentcast to the to that of the Western Sandpiper,and, Calls upperparts,most intense on the sidesof exceptfor structuraldifferences, these the crown, the auriculars, nape, and twospecies are most difficult to separate. The most characteristic call note of the scapulars,and even occasionally extend- In a direct comparisonSemipalmateds SemipalmatedSandpiper is a low-pitched ing to the upper breastand inner wing appearwarmer or browneron the upper- and somewhatcoarse, rolling "chrrup." coverts. This rufescent coloration, how- parts,so that the dark shaftstreaks are Another common call is a shorter and ever, is usually paler than the tawny or difficultto discern,and they usually lack moreabrupt "tchet" or "chip," similarto chestnuttones of Western Sandpipers, crispstreaks on the breastsides. Other that of the Little Stint but lower-pitched. and is more uniformly distributed,not charactersare illustratedin Figure 9 and A trebled"chi-pi-lip" is also utteredby concentratedin discretescapular, crown, discussedunder the WesternSandpiper. flushedbirds; an extremelysimilar call is and auricularpatches as on Westerns, Theselast details are of only averageuse- alsouttered by flocks of WesternSand- which always have grayishinner wing fulnessand are subjectto modification pipers. coverts. In May, many northbound throughwear.

860 AmericanBirds, September-October1984 ,/

c

Volume38, Number5 861 Plate3. Basicplumages. a. Rufous-neckedStint, adult in latestages of pre-basic molt; b. Rufous-neckedStint, typical adult; c. SemipalmatedSandpiper, adult in advancedpre-basic molt. August: d. SemipalmatedSandpiper, typical adult; e. WesternSandpiper, first basicplumage with retained juvenal wing coverts, breast pattern, anda few anteriormost scapulars;f. WesternSandpiper, typical adult.

Little apparentbetween the pale grayish head in SouthAmerica during their first sum- and the dark mantleand scapulars.Both mer(Phillips 1975). They undergoa par- Semipalmated specieshave white "V" marksalong the tial molt of the body, tertials, coverts, scapularsin fresh plumage, although and rectrices,and thus generallyresem- these are less obvious than on Little ble basicadults, but grow a few alternate Stints, Least Sandpipers,or Long-toed feathers. Some of these one-year-old Stints. Of the dark-legged peeps, the birdsappear in the United Statesduring Rufous-necked Semipalmatedshows the most contrast in Western May and June. Some individualsfrom the face pattern.The crown, lores and easternCanadian populations, however, auricularsare dark, especially when breedin theirfirst summerand acquirea comparedto most Western Sandpipers, full alternateplumage (J.P. Myerspers. whichhave pale facesand beady eyes. coremo ). On freshSemipalmateds, the dark feath- Least Long-toed eringsurrounding the eye accentuatesthe WESTERN SANDPIPER whitisheye ring, especiallyabove the Calidris mauri eye. This portionof the eye ring is ordi- narilyinvisible on Westerns.As thejuve- Distribution nal plumageis abraded,the scaly effect Temminck' s onthe upperparts disappears. but the con- Western Sandpipersseem to be the trast in the facial area increases. westernecological counterpart of Semi- A usefuldifference between juvenile palmatedSandpipers. They breed in Semipalmated Sandpipers and Little northeasternSiberia (Chukotskiy Penin- Stintsis thepattern of thehindmost lower sula)and in northernand westernAlaska, and winter in the southern United States Figure 10. Lower scapularsof small Calidris scapulars.Those of Little Stints show .weeies. broad,dusky, oval patches,while those north to California and North Carolina, of SemipalmatedSandpipers are paler, so and south to southern Peru and Suriname. thatthe dark subterminal patch is reduced Mostmigrate along the Pacificcoast, but to an anchor-shapedmark (Fig. 10). The some occur east to the Atlantic coast be- greater coverts and tertials are pale enoughso that the dark shaft streak is ordinarilyvisible at closerange, a pattern JuvenalPlumage (Plates lc, d, e; 2g) sharedby WesternSandpipers and Ru- fous-necked Stints. When fresh, juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipershave bright buff breastbands First Basic Plumage(Not illustrated) andappear uniformly grayish above with pale buff or whitish feather edgings Probablyacquired between October throughout,together creating a "scaled" andDecember, this plumage involves the effectsimilar to that of juvenileBaird's body leathering,tertials and some co- Sandpipers(Calidris bairdii). Compared verts.In North America,juvenile Semi- to mostWesterns of the sameage, this palmatedSandpipers very seldomshow uniformi• of coloration,and the neatly evidenceof molt, andthen not until early scaled appearanceof the mantle and October at the earliest. Birds in first basic scapulars,are diagnostic. Some Semipal- plumageare distinguishablefrom adults matedshave a brightrulescent cast to the only if contrastbetween the retainedju- upperparts(e.g., Fig. 6), but the tone of venalcoverts and fresh basic scapulars is the rufousis alwayspaler, or lesschest- apparent. nut, than on Westerns, and also extends to the auriculars and crown. On West- FirstAlternate Plumage (Not illustrated) erns, the darker chestnut coloration is re- Figure1 I. WesternSamlpiper molting from strictedto the scapulars,mantle and ter- Someimmature Semipalmated Sand- juvenalto first basicplumage. New York,late rials, so that a striking contrast is pipersremain on theirwintering grounds September.Photo/T. H. Davis.

862 AmericanBirds, September-October1984 Volume 38, Number5 863 Plate4. Basicand juvenal plumages. a. LittleStint, first basicplumage with retained juvenal wing coverts and tertials: b. LittleStint. adult basic plumage, without dark centers to feathers of upperpartsand with complete breast band; c. Long-toedStint, o'pical adult basic plumage; d. Long-toedStint. juvenile in ss•rkplumage, October; e. Least Sandpiper,fresh basic plumage. with a few retainedwing coverts. September: f. LeastSandpiper. first basic plumagewith worn upperparts and retained juvenal wing coverts and tertials; g. Temminck'sStint. adult basit. plumagewith a few retainedlesser wing coverts. August-September

tween New Englandand Florida, espe- flockcalls of SemipalmatedSandpipers, lars, auriculars,and crown feathersap- cially in the fall. During migrationand but which are slightlyhigher-pitched. pearearly in the pre-alternatemolt, ren- winter,Western Sandpipers frequent ex- deringpartially molted Westerns quickly tensive tidal flats. When Western and DefinitiveAlternate Plumage distinguishablefrom Semipalmateds. Semipalmatedsandpipers occur together, (Plate 5f, g) The lower scapularsare particularlylong the Westernsfrequently feed fartheroff- and pointed, and frequently reveal a shorein slightlydeeper water than the This plumageis acquiredby partial bright tawny central patch, which is re- Semipalmateds,as one might reasonably molt, involvingthe body feathers, tertials tainedeven in heavily abradedbirds in predictbased upon their longerbills and anda fewgreater coverts, during the peri- July and August. Some of the anterior- tarsi. Westernsdiffer most consistently od Februaryto April. This molt usually mostscapulars are amongthe last feath- from Scmipalmateds,and from all other occurs somewhat earlier (sometimes in ers to be replacedduring the pre-basic peeps,in theirexceptionally longer bill, January)in Westernthan in Semipalmat- molt, so that somefall Westernsappear whichis noticeablydrooped at thetip and ed sandpipers. completelygray, with a single rufous is alsogradually attenuated to a fine point In freshplumage, Westerns are easily fleck just above the bend of the wing. when viewed in profile. Particularlyon told from Semipalmatedsby the bright the East Coast of North America, where tawny patchesin the scapulars,auricu- Definitive Basic Plumage (Plate 30 femaleSemipalmateds tend to haveespe- lars,and sides of crown, andby the bold cially long and even slightly drooped patternof triangularspots that extend This plumageis acquiredby a com- bills, one mustrely more upon plumage across the breast and down the flanks, pletemolt during the periodJuly to Octo- charactersand voice to separatethese two sometimes as far as the undertail coverts. ber (those wintering in the U.S. and species. The tawny scapularscontrast strongly Mexico) or September to December w•ththe cold gray wing coverts,and also (thosewintering in SouthAmerica). Dur- Structure with the grayishnape and interscapular ing the winter, Western Sandpipersare region. Westernsnever show buff on the best told from Semipalmatedsby bill The body shape and stance of the sidesof the breast.A few tawny scapu- structure and voice. When direct com- WesternSandpiper is subtlydistinct from parison is possible. fresh-plumaged that of the Scmipalmatcd Sandpiper. Westernscan be told from Semipalmat- Westerns have proportionatelyshorter edsby the followingcharacters (Fig. 9): wingsthan Semipalmateds, and this, in I. Theentire upperparts of Westernsare a combinationwith the long bill, yields a cleaner, colder gray, so that the dark bow-heavycarriage. As thetarsi of West- shaftstreaks appear darker and finer. 2. erns are slightly longer than those of The head, neck, and breastare liberally Semipalmateds,the legs project farther sprinkledwith fine blackishshaft streaks, beyondthe tip of the tail in flight. The whereason Semipalmatedsthe markings overall effect is rather Dunlin-like, with a in those areas are more blurred and indis- long and decurved bill, angular head tinct. While in completebasic plumage, shape,a thick neck, and heavy "shoul- most Westerns have a necklace of ders." streaks,normally lacking in Semipalmat- eds. However, Westerns in their first Calls winterdo not acquirethe necklaceuntil Januaryor February,by which time Se- The most characteristic call of the mipalmatedsbegin to acquiretheir "nup- WesternSandpiper is a thin and high- tial" necklace. 3. Westerns tend to lack a pitched"jeet" or "cheep"that in quality conspicuouseye ring becauseof thepale- resemblesthe call of the White-rumped ness of the entire face. Sandpiper(C. fuscicollis), but is some- what shorterand less sibilant. In large, JuvenalPlumage (Plates If, g; 2h) single-speciesflocks, however, West- erns frequentlygive calls which to our Figure 12. Little Stint in &fi,itive alternate Freshjuvenile Western Sandpipers are earsare practicallyinseparable from the plumage.Sweden. May. Photo/M.Marend. brightlycolored on theupperparts and are

864 AmericanBirds, SeptembersOctober1984 ß

g

Volume 38, Numbcr 5 865 Plate 5. Adult alternate plumages.a. Little Stint,fresh, May-June;b. Little Stint,somewhat worn, July; c. Little Stint, worn, with incomingbasic feathers on head, mantle, and scapulars,August; d. Rufous-neckedStint, full alternate plumage,June-July; e. Rufous-neckedStint, less colorfid bird in fresh plumage,May; f. WesternSandpiper, typicalalternate plumage, June; g. WesternSandpiper, very worn, starting to molton mantleand scapulars, late July-August.

mid- to late September,individuals re- semblingthe ones depictedin Plate 3e and Figure 11 are not uncommonamong mixed flocks of peeps in the United Statesin fall. Most of the juvenal wing coverts, and sometimes the juvenal breastpattern, are retaineduntil Febru- ary. Thus,young are usually distinguish- able from adultsduring the winter.

First Alternate Plumage (Not illustrated)

Like SemipalmatedSandpipers, some WesternSandpipers acquire a partial al- ternateplumage during their first sum- L mer, while othersacquire feathers that closelyresemble those of the basicplum- age.This differenceis apparentlyrelated to summeringlocality: thosethat remain within the southernportion of the winter Figure 13. JuvenileLittle Stints.Sweden, late September.Photo/U. Olsson. rangemost closely resemble basic adults throughoutthe summer,while thosethat migratenorth acquire varying numbers of muchbrighter, on average,than juvenile eds,begins during migration in the Unit- alternatefeathers. Birds appearingto be SemipalmatedSandpipers. Schematical- ed States.The first feathersreplaced are in basic plumage, probably one-year- ly, the patternof the upperpartsresem- those of the crown, mantle, and some of olds, frequently occur in the southern bles that of juvenile Rufous-necked the lower scapulars.The onset of molt United Statesduring spring. Stints, althoughthe rufescenttones on thus accentuatesboth the general pale- Westernsare darker, or tawny, rather nessof WesternSandpipers, and the con- LITTLE STINT than cinnamon/rufous.In young West- trastbetween the retainedtawny scapu- Calidris minuta erns there is a pronouncedcontrast be- lars and the grayish wings. Like adults, tween the upper scapulars,which have juvenileWesterns retain the anteriormost Distribution blackishcenters and tawny fringes, and juvenalscapulars longer than the restof thelower scapulars and middle and great- the upperparts,which accountsfor the Little Stintsbreed on high arctictundra er coverts,which are all neutralgray with tendencyof fidd-guide artiststo depict from extreme northern Scandinavia and darkcentral streaks and pale buff or whit- "winter"Westerns with tawny scapulars. NovayaZemlya east alongthe Siberian ishedges. This contrast is alwayslacking The hindmostlower scapularsof juvenile coastto about145 ø eastlongitude. They in SemipalmatedSandpipers. Compared Westerns have anchor-shapedsubter- winter mainly aroundthe Mediterranean with Semipalmateds,the face of Western minal marks that are even more promi- Basin, in Africa, and from Saudi Arabia Sandpipersappears pale or washedout, nent than those in Semipalmateds(Fig. east to India. In spring,most migrants andif anyrufous is presenton the crown, 10). Boththe scapularsand the tertialsof passnorthward to the eastof westernEu- it is muchpaler than the tawny scapulars Westerns have more pointed tips than rope. In fall, there is a displacementof (cf. Semipalmated).The eye appears those of Semipalmateds. Very fresh juvenilesto the west, so that flocksof up beadybecause it is not surroundedby the Westernsshow bright white scapularand to 300 occur in Scandinavia and western dark lores and auriculars as in the Semi- mantle "V" marks, although these are Europe.Little Stintshave occurred as va- palmatedSandpiper. The upper half of neveras bright as thoseon Little Stints. grantson both coastsof North America, the eye ring, frequently apparent on andalso once in the interior.During mi- Semipalmateds,is usually invisible on First Basic Plumage (Plate 3e) gration and winter, their behavior and Westerns. habitatpreferences in generalresemble The first pre-basicmolt of Western Becausethe first pre-basicmolt of those of Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers,unlike that of Semipalmat- WesternSandpipers is oftencomplete by sandt>ipers.They are mostnumerous on

866 AmericanBirds, September-October1984 Volume 38, Number 5 867 Plate6. Adultalternate plumages. a. SemipalmatedSandpiper, full alternateplumage, June: b. SemipalmatedSandpiper, birdwith retained basic feathers on upperparts, April; c. LeastSandpiper, full alternateplumage, June: d. Least Sandpiper,bird more worn and less colorful than c, July;e. Long-toedStint, full alternateplumage, May-June ;f . Temminck'sStint, worn and less colorful than g; g. Temminck'sStint, typical alternate plumage, June.

extensivetidal flats, where they forage energetically,rapidly picking food items from the surface.

Structure

Little Stints have blackish legs and lack webbingbetween the toes (Fig. 3). Theyare more delicately built thanSemi- palmatedSandpipers, with slender and veryfinely pointedbills andlengthier pri- mary projectionbeyond the folded ter- tials.The bill mayoccasionally appear to have a blunt tip, but is never as deep at the baseas that of SemipalmatedSand- pipers, and usually appearsthinner and more finely pointed than the bill of the Rufous-neckedStint. Compared with Rufous-necked Stints, Little Stints have a somewhatless steep forehead, a less elongatedbody, a more erect stanceand longertarsi. Thus, the stanceof Rufous- neckedStints, when comparedwith Lit- ties, tendstowards the elongatedimpres- sion seenin White-rumpedSandpipers. Figure 14. JuvenileLittle Stint. England,September. Photo/R. J. Chandler.

Calls

The usualflight call of the Little Stint is a sharp, high-pitched"tit," rather re- semblingthe call notes of either Red- neckedPhalaropes (Phalaropus lobams) or Sandealings(Calidris alba). Generally speaking,the call note of the Little Stint does not seem to vary outside of the breedingseason, but in our experience,a jingling"tilililili" is occasionallyuttered.

DefinitiveAlternate Plumage (Plate 5a, b; Figure 12)

This plumageis acquiredby a partial molt, includingthe bodyplumage, mid- dle and lesser coverts, tertials, and cen- traltail feathers,during February through May. Adult Little Stintsin late spring appearstrikingly rufescent on the upper- parts,particularly when comparedwith flocksof any North Americanspecies. Figure 15. JuvenileLittle Stintof "graymorph." England, September. Photo/R. J. Chandler. The overall colorationis paler, almost more orange, than the tones of Western

868 AmericanBirds, SeptemberqDctober 1984 Volume 38, Number 5 869 tialsof adultLittle Stintstend to be dusky brownwith broad,bright rufous fringes, while those of Rufous-neckeds tend to be lightergray with narrowrufous edges or no rufousedges. For Little Stints which are very heavily worn, or in advanced pre-basicmolt (Plate 5c), the coloration of the middleand greatercoverts is the most consistent distinction from the Ru- fous-necked Stint. 4. The rulescent cast in Little Stintsis lighter,or moreyellow- ish, than that of the Rufous-necked Stint. 5. Little Stints, when fresh, show mantle and scapular"V" marks, and theseare frequentlyapparent even on abraded birds. Rufous-necked Stints show, at most, one set of "V" marks, and then onlyin veryfresh plumage. 6. The crown of Little Stints is more uniformly dark than that of the Rufous-neckedStint, and Figure 16. Rufous-neekedStint in alternateplumage. Alaska, May. Photo/P.A. Buckley. a chainof specklesoccurs frequently on the crownand lores,as in the Long-toed Stint.

Definitive Basic Plumage(Plate 4b)

This plumageis acquiredby a com- pletemolt betweenAugust and October. Becausethe distinctiveinner wing co- verts (see under AlternatePlumage) are often shed last, some basic-plumaged adultsin fall can still be separatedfrom Rufous-neckedStints by this character. In basicplumage, Little Stintsare gener- ally darker.with a moreolive cast,on the upperpartsthan the other black-legged peeps.Many individualshave a patchy appearanceon the upperparts,including the scapulars,because of the indistinct, "blobbed" shaft streaks(Plate 4a). Little Stintsoccasionally show an incomplete Figure 17. JuvenileRufous-necked Stint. Japan September.Photo/T. Shioto. breastband of duskyspeckles. which Ru- fous-neckeds seldom have. Many basic-plumaged, dark-legged stintsthat lack webbingbetween the toes Sandpipers,and is much brighter than maximum amount of rufous about the may be unidentifiablein the field. How- any Least Sandpiper.The cinnamon/m- head, neck, and upper breast. Little ever, sucha bird with a strongsuggestion fouscoloration is brighteston the auricu- Stints in such condition differ from Ru- of a breastband as well asprominent dark lars,crown, scapulars, and tcrtials• but is fous-neckedsin the following ways: 1. centerson the feathersof the upperparts presem throughoutthe upperpartsand The throat is always white in the Little would likely be a Little Stint. Compared usually continuesas a suffusionacross Stintand usually rufescent in the Rufous- with Little Stints, basic Rufous-neckeds the upper breast. Early in spring, when necked. 2. The rufous lace and neck of seemto havea dingierface pattern,with thcplumage is fresh,the rulescentcolor- the Little Stint are always streaked or a more obscuresupercilium, and look ation is somewhatconcealed by whitish spottedwith duskybrown, while thisarea moredingy and smudgedon the sidesof tips to the feathersof the upperparts,so in the Rufous-neckedis clearand unspot- the breast, but these differencesrequire that the bird appearslightly dustedwith ted. Assessingthis particularfeature, of further study. flour. The extensive rulescent tones on course, requiresan exceptionallyclose the face and breast of adult Little Stints view. 3. The inner wing covertsof Little JuvenalPlumage (Plate 2a, b, c, j; make them most likely to be confused Stintsare light to duskybrown with rath- Figure 13) with Rufous-necked Stints. This similar- er broad buff5'or rufous edges, while ity is most obvious during mid- to late those of Rufous-neckedsare cold gray At first glance, juvenile Little Stints summer, when feather wear reveals the with dark shaftstreaks. Similarly, the ter- appearvery brightly colored, with con-

870 AmericanBirds, Septembe•Oclober1984 trastinglypatterned upperparts and bright FtrstAlternate Plumage (Not illustrated) Calls buffy breastbands. They schematically resemblejuvenile LeastSandpipers, but Unlike mostother stints, one-year-old Two callsare regularly given in flight aremore brightly colored and are whiter Little Stintsusually follow the adultsto a rolling "chirrk," higher-pitchedand on thebreast and face. By September,the the breedinggrounds. Some individuals more squeakythan the call of the Semi- plumagemay be very faded. The four acquirea first alternateplumage that is palmatedSandpiper; and a drier, flatter charactersmost typical of juvenileLittle indistinguishablefrom that of the adults, "chit"or "chut,"with the qualityof the Stint are: 1. Two distinct "V" marks on while othersare very similar to winter- Little Stintbut not aspiercing. The latter the upperparts,one of theseformed by plumagedbirds. call is sometimes uttered in a series. white tips on the outermantle feathers, andthe secondby white tipson the lower RUFOUS-NECKED STINT DefinitiveAlternate Plumage row of upper scapulars.2. The greater (Plate 5d, e) and middle coverts,particularly the an- Calidris ruficollis teriormostones, and the lower scapulars, Distribution This plumageis acquiredby a partial have broad, dusky brown centers that molt, includingthe entire body plumage concealthe shaft streak, buff or rufous andsome wing coverts,during March to Rufous-neckedStints are a high arctic edges,and sometimes,whitish tips. The May. Individuals in full plumage are species, breeding along the northern tertlalsare also patternedlike the lower easilyidentified by the brightrufous or coastof Siberiafrom the Taymyr Penin- scapulars---darkbrownish black with tawny "gorget," which is clear and un- sula east to the Chukotskiy Peninsula, bright but narrow rufous edges. Some streakedon the throat, sidesof neck, and and also in western and northern Alaska birds have covertsthat closelyresemble thefacial region just belowthe eye. The alongthe coastsof the SewardPeninsula those of the Rufous-neckedStint (Fig. readershould beware, however, of sche- and aroundPoint Barrow. They winter 14, PI. 2a). Suchindividuals pose very maticallysimilar, althoughlarger, San- mainlyin southeastAsia, from China and difficult identificationproblems. They derlings.A bandof duskyspots, largest usually lack the distinctive anchor- Burma east throughMalaysia to New and most intense at the sides of the Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. The shapedsubterminal spots seen on the breast,encircles the upperbreast below largestnumbers of migrantsare record- coverts of Rufous-neckeds, and have the gorget, but does not extend onto the ed, in bothspring and fall, in Japan,Chi- paler faces, buffier (not dirty gray) throat. Thus, an abrupt demarcationis na, andthe Philippines. Migrants are reg- breasts,and crisper markingson the apparentnear the center of the breast ular in the AleutianIslands and along the breastsides. 3. Little Stintshave a gray Thereis a vaguewhitish patch encircling napethat contrasts strongly with the dark westcoast of Alaska. Vagrantshave been the base of the bill.The other most strik- seen in North and South America, in crown and bright mantle. 4. The very ing featureof the Rufous-neckedStint is westernEurope, and in South Africa. darkcrown forms a dark ridge, which is the strongcontrast between the dusky emphasizedby a bright whitish lateral brown scapularsand the pale gray or crownstripe (cf. PI. 2i andj). Structure brownishgray wing covertsand tertials The breastof juvenile Little Stints is Some unusuallybright individualsmay washedwith buff, brighterthan the gray Compared to Little Stints, Rufous- have a few middle and greatercoverts wash of Rufous-neckeds,and tendsto be neckedStints have a moreelongated and thatare "summer"-patterned (i.e., dusky more clearly streakedwith duskybrown squatbody shape,an effect that is en- withrufous fringes), thus resembling the at thesides. The lackof grayon thebreast hancedby the shorter tarsi and longer coverts of Little Stints, but such individ- of Little Stints resultsin a noticeably ualswill be sobright about the headas to white-frontedappearance. Furthermore, wings. Like Little Stints, they have blackishlegs and lack webbingbetween be unmistakable.Fresh-plumaged indi- the anteriormostwing coverts of Little the toes. The central tail feathers are vidualshave a frostedappearance (Fig Stints are especiallydark, sometimes comparativelylong, sometimesproject- 16)due to whitish tips to theentire upper- giving a dark-shoulderedlook reminis- ing beyondthe primarytips. The wings parts,so that they lack the two discrete centof a Sandefiing.An occasionalLittle "V" marks of Little Stints. Stint(Fig. 15) lacksrufescent fringes to of Rufous-neckedStints are longer than thoseof any othersmall Calidris, so that the upperpartsand looks exceedingly pale Suchbirds, which presumably are their hind end is particularlyattenuated. DefinitiveBasic Plumage(Plate 3a, b) Rufous-necked Stints have rather ab- the basisfor allusionsto "gray-phase" Little Stints,perhaps represent a poly- ruptly slopingforeheads and shortbills This plumageis acquiredby a com- with stoutbases, and so are more like the morphismor an aberrantlack of melanin. pletemolt of the bodyplumage between SemipalmatedSandpiper than the Little Julyand October. The primariesmay be Stintin headshape. The bill of the Ru- replacedeither on the winteringgrounds Ftrst Basic Plumage (Plate 4a) fous-neckedis usuallystraight, but is oc- or during migration (Cramp and Sim- casionallyslightly drooped.The extent mons 1983). The feathers of the fore- This plumageis acquiredby a com- of variationin bill size is enoughso that neck,the innerwing coverts,and the ter- plete molt, the body feathersbetween distinctionfrom eitherheavy-billed Lit- tialsare ordinarily the lastto be replaced, Octoberand December and the primaries tlesor short-billedSemipalmateds is not so that birds in advancedmolt (Plate 3a) betweenDecember and April. The juve- possibleon thischaracter alone. Western canbe identifiedreadily. nalwing coverts are retained until at least andSemipalmated sandpipers usually ap- The basicplumage is palergray above December,sometimes until April, which pearlonger-legged and have a moreerect than that of Little Stints, and is less fre- permitsaging of mostwinter birds. stance than Rufous-necked Stints. quently"blotched" on the upperpartsbe-

Volume 38, Number 5 871 cause the dark feather centers are reduced usuallyless prominent than that of Semi- vetobet.As the pale fringesto the wing to fine shaft streaks. Rufous-necked palmatedSandpipers, mainly because the covertsare quickly lost through abrasion, Stintswith patchyor blotchedupperparts auricularsare paler in the former species birds in firs! basic plumage are usually in the British Museum collection exam- and therefore contrast less. On Rufous- difficultto distinguishfrom adultsin the ined by Jonssonproved to be misidenti- necked Stints, the dark lores and white field unless the contrast between coverts fled Little Stints. However, the feather- forecrownare the two most prominent and mantle can be discerned. ing may darkenwith wear, which would featuresin the facial region. tend to obscure this difference. For separationof juvenile Rufous- First AlternatePlumage (Not illustrated) The followingpoints of distinctionbe- necked Stints from Little Stints, the color tween basic-plumagedRufous-necked patternof the wing coverts,lower scapu- Acquiredby a partialmolt, including and Little stintshave been drawn partly lars, tertials, and sides of the breast are the bodyfeathers, tertials, and rectrices, from discussions between .Ionsson and critic•il: I. Rufous-necked Stints have thisplumage varies in intensityof color- Killiam Mullarneyin 1984. 1. The gray- palegray wing covertsthat lack contrast- ation. One individual seen at Monomoy ish patchesat the sidesof the breastof ingly dark centersand bright buff or ru- island, Massachusetts, in late June 1980, Rufous-neckedStints are more promi- fousfringes. Fresh individuals have pale (¾eit and Petersen1982) was a bit paler nent than those on Little Stints, due to a buffyedges and tips to the wing coverts, thanthe adult in Plate5. The intensityof clearer white wedge that extends up- but thesewear off quickly. Little Stints, the plumagecoloration attained reflects wardsin front of the bendof the wing. 2. on the other hand, have brightly pat- the hormonal condition of the bird. Thus, The grayishbreast patches, auriculars, ternedwing coverts,which, becauseof thosewintering in the southernmostpor- nape, and hindneck are less heavily theirdark centers. are patternedmore like tion of the winter range look most like streaked on the Rufous-necked. 3. The the upperparts.The three anteriormost basic-plumagedbirds during their first loresand feathering in front of the eye are middle and greater coverts on the Ru- summer. These birds look like basic darker on Rufous-neckeds, and enhance fous-neckedStint usuallylack the solid adults,but the feathersof the upperparts the whitish forecrown. 4. Some Little dark centers of those of Little Stints, so have more extensive dark centers. Thus, Stintsdevelop a completepectoral band that the dark shaft streak can be discerned in springthey resembleSemipalmated of duskyspeckles, white Rufous-neckeds in goodlight. 2. Similarly, the tertialsof Sandpiperson the upperparts,but lack never do. Rufous-neckedStints are pale gray with heavystreaking on thebreast and flanks. Rufous-neckedStints in basicplumage visible shaft streaks, while those of Little in Australiaduring June through August, are very difficult to distinguishfrom Stints are solidly dark. 3. Each of the all individualsin first alternateplumage SemipalmatedSandpipers on plumage lower scapularsof Rufous-neckedStints show "some" rufous on the facial area charactersalone, and one mustthus rely is palegray with a suffused,dark, subter- and scapulars(Paton and Wykes 1978). on lack of webbing in the Rufous- minal spot,much less extensive than the necked. correspondingdark centers of Little Stintsand not soclearly anchor-shaped as Juvenal Plumage (Plates la, b; 2i) on SemipalmatedSandpipers (Fig. 10). 4. The pectoralband of Rufous-necked Schematically,the upperpartsof juve- Stintsis grayish,with faint and diffuse nile Rufous-necked Stints are most simi- streaks towards the sides and a blush of lar to thoseof Western Sandpipers,but palebuff in freshindividuals. The breast the brightnessof their upperparts,com- band is distinctlydarker and grayer, not bined with the short bill and lack of web- as buffy as that of a Little Stint in fresh bing of Rufous-neckeds, make them plumage.5. The whitishtips to the upper most similar to Little Stints. Many Ru- scapularsand mantle feathersnever con- fous-neckedStints, especially worn indi- vergeas two distinct"V" marks, as they viduals,appear grayish and nondescript, usually do on Little Stints, but appear and are therefore more similar to Semi- rather as a diffuse series of speckles. palmatedSandpipers than to Little Stints. Some juvenile Rufous-necked Stints If the presenceof webbingcannot be havewing covertsand tertials that lookas confirmedon a bird in question,the fol- darkas those of typicalLittle Stints.This Figure 18. Lea.•t Sandpiper in fir.•t basic lowing plumagecharacters are useful in may be a result of feather wear. Such phtmage.California, October;Photo/L. Jons- separatingjuvenile Rufous-neckedStints Rufous-neckedsusually differ from Lit- 3011. fromjuvenile SemipalmatedSandpipers. ties in having smudged grayish breast 1. Rufous-neckedStints normally have sidesand a more diffuse face pattern. bright cinnamon/rufousfringes to the One such bird (Fig. 17) shows all the crown, mantle, scapulars,and tertials. charactersof the Rufous-neckedexcept The rufouscoloration is most prominent that the covertsand tertialsappear dark. on themantle and upper scapulars, where LEAST SANDPIPER thefeather centers are contrastinglydark. Calidris minutilla This last area contrastsstrongly with the First Basic Plumage (Not illustrated) pale gray lower scapularsand wing cov- Distribution erts; sucha contrastis not normally evi- This plumage,consisting of new body dentin SemipalmatedSandpipers. 2. The featheringand one or two tertialsand tail This abundantand widespreadNorth facial patternof Rufous-neckedStints is feathers,is acquiredin Octoberand No- American speciesbreeds in sub-arctic

872 AmericanBirds, SeptembersOctober1984 Leastshave very slender, finely pointed ing of thesefeathers is such that when bills, which appearto curve gradually worn,by lateJuly, the entireupperparts throughouttheir length, due mainly to the appearsolidly dusky (even darker than upwardcurvature of the lower mandible. Plate 6d). From a distance,Least Sandpipers'bills are so tiny as to be almost invisible, DefinitiveBasic Plumage(Plate 4e) whichis not the casewith Semipalmated or Western sandpipers. This plumageis acquiredby a com- When flushed, Least Sandpipersrise plete molt mainly betweenAugust and almost vertically from the ground in a October. Birds that winter in South seriesof horizontallurches ("towering") Americapostpone the body molt until rather than flying directly away. The their arrivalthere in mid-August,while wingbeatslook weak and fluttery when thosewintering in California begin re- the bird flushesin this fashion.The light placingbody feathers in July. Therefore, wingbar is less obvious than on other basic-plumagedbirds are rare in the Figure 19. Typicalstance and headpattern of NorthAmerican peeps, but more promi- Northeast,but are frequentelsewhere. juvenile Long-toed Stint. nent than in the Long-toedStint. Overall, basic-plumagedLeast Sand- In mostcircumstances, Least Sandpip- pipersappear dark brownishgray and ers are easily identifiableand are only rather blotchedon the upperpartsand andboreal regions, farther south than ei- liablebe confusedwith Long-toedor pos- have a completedusky pectoralband. ther Westernor Semipalmatedsandpip- sibly Temminck'sstints because of their The blotchingor heavy spottingon the ers, from westernAlaska, Southampton yellowishlegs. In Least Sandpipers,the upperpartsis the resultof broadand dif- Island, and northern Labrador, south to legs vary from a pale olive green to a fuse shaft streaks, rather than of uniform- northwesternBritish Columbia, northern clear dull yellow, but sometimeslook ly duskyfeather centers, as in Long-toed Ontario, and Nova Scotia. They winter, dark when coveredby mud, in which Stints.By January,however, when new, mainlyin coastalareas, along the Pacific Leastsfrequently forage. dark-centeredalternate feathers begin to coastof North Americanorth to Oregon, appear,and old basic feathersare abrad- alongthe EastCoast north to North Caro- Calls ed, the overall coloration resembles that lina, and also in Central America, the of the Long-toedStint moreclosely. In West Indies, and in South America south The most frequentlyuttered call is a freshplumage, the pectoralband looks to southern Peru and Suriname. high-pitched, drawn out and rolling uniformly dusky, but it becomesmore On migrationthrough North America, "chrreep," or sometimes a disyllabic streakedduring the courseof the winter LeastSandpipers usually avoid the open "kre-ep." Leasts also give a fainter as alternatefeathers grow in. A grayish tidalflats preferred by Semipalmatedand "kleep"or "chuip"without the rolling "r" superciliumand whitish eye ring arerath- Westernsandpipers, and feed insteadin quality. Compared with the Long-toed er pronounced compared with dark- grassypools at the upperreaches of salt Stint's, the Least Sandpiper's call is leggedpeeps, but are not sodistinct as in marshes, among Spartina grasses on higher-pitchedand less musical; com- the Long-toedStint. ' marshes,and aroundthe edgesof fresh- paredto thatof Temminck's,it is slightly The patternof the upperparts,in addi- water pools. This behavior, however, lower in pitch and less ringing. tion to that of the facial area described varies from location to location and be- underthe juvenal plumage(Fig. 18), is tween seasons.For example, springmi- the best means of distinction from a ba- grantLeast Sandpipers feed on tidal flats DefinitiveAlternate Plumage sic-plumagedLong-toed Stint, which is in Newburyport,Massachusetts, in May, (Plate 6c, d) also somewhatpaler on the breast. butforage among the Spartina during the fall. Despitethese differences in foraging The definitivealternate plumage is ac- Juvenal Plumage (Plate 2e, k) behavior,Leasts frequently roost at high quired in a partial molt involving the fidein mixedflocks with otherspecies of body plumage, tertials, central rectrices JuvenileLeast Sandpipersstand out peeps. andoften severalwing coverts,between clearly in flocks of Semipalmatedor Januaryand April. Westernsandpipers because of their dark Behavior and Structure In alternateplumage, Least Sandpipers rufescent upperparts and complete, look dark brown from any distance. speckledpectoral bands. On fresh indi- Least Sandpipersdiffer behaviorally Bright cinnamon/rufousbarring on the viduals,white tips to the mantlefeathers from the largerNorth Americanpeeps in scapulars,tertials, mantle, crown, and andscapulars converge to form two strik- that they usuallyprefer the more grassy auricularsgive someindividuals a rules- ing "V" marks, so that from above, they partsof marshes,rather than the exposed cent cast, so that they approachLong- schematicallyresemble juvenile Little tidalflats. Their comparativelyhunched toed Stintsin upperpartcoloration. The Stints. posturegives them a creepingappearance headand breast look dingy, and are heav- JuvenileLeast Sandpipersmost close- as they feed. The neck is short, the bill ily streakedwith dusky.The supercilium ly resemblejuvenile Long-toedStints. small, and the primarieshardly project is dirty gray, and thereforenot promi- The most consistent differences are: 1. beyondthe tail. The foreheadis very nent. The tiger-stripingof the scapulars, Head pattern: Least Sandpipershave steep,as the peakof the crownis located tertials,and somegreater coverts is more "dirtier"facial patterns and are less crisp- forewardof theeye (cf. Long-toedStint). complexthan on other speciesof peeps ly streakedon the cheeksthan Long-toed Comparedto SemipalmatedSandpipers, exceptthe Long-toedStint. The pattern- Stints.The groundcolor of the face is a

Volume 38, Number 5 873 dirty gray, rather than whitish, as on Long-toedStints. On Leasts,the auricu- lars are darkest at the rear end, so that the auricularpatch appears removed from the eye (cf. Plate 2d, e). The Ioral region of Least Sandpipersis dark, broad, and straight,and connectsthe eyes with the bill as a "mask." The eye ring is obvious, and the eye itself appearsoval; the com- Figure20. Comparisonofjuvenile Long-toed Strut (a} armLeast Sandpiper (b). bined effect is a somewhat oriental ex- pression.The foreheadis light enoughso dyrskaya, the Commanderand Kuril Is- by the crouchingLeast Sandpiper. thatthe superciliaappear continuous over lands, and the northern Sea of Okhotsk, The legsrange from olive or dull yel- the bill, whereasin the Long-toed Stint andalso south to Lake Baikal. Very little low in juvenilesto dull orangein breed- the forecrownis dark. 2. The wing cov- informationis availableon the breeding ing adults. In flight, Long-toedStints erts of Least Sandpipersare pale gray of Long-toedStints, and Dement'ev et lookvery dark, with conspicuouslydark- with completebuff or cinnamon/rufous al. (1959) list about six known recordsof bandedunderwings, and a very faint fringesthat give the wing a warm brown nests,most from the "alpinezone of east wingstripe. They occasionallyflick their cast.Long-toed Stints, on theother hand, Siberia." The evidence available sug- wingsrigidly, as do SpottedSandpipers havedarker gray wing covertswith whit- geststhat Long-toedStints breed in habi- (Actiris macMaria). The toes protrude ish edgesthat are brokenat the tip, alto- tatssimilar to thoseused by Least Sand- beyondthe tail, which is neverthe casein gethergiving a colder,blacker cast to the pipers. any otherpeep except the WesternSand- wings. Long-toedStints winter in southeast piper. Asia, from southern India, southeast Chi- First Basic Plumage (Plate 4f) na, andthe Philippinessouth through the Calls Malay Penninsula,Java, and Borneo to This plumageis acquiredby a molt that northernAustralia. Migrants occur regu- Themost typical call is a softlyrolling is eithercomplete or partial;those winter- larly in the westernAleutian Islandsdur- "chrrup,"somewhat resembling that of ing in SouthAmerica replace all feathers ing spring and fall, and vagrantshave the Curlew Sandpiper(Calidris ferru- except some outer primaries and wing appearedwest to Swedenand Britain and ginea), andobviously lower-pitched and covertsbetween September and Novem- eastto Oregon. more liquid, or musical, than that of a ber, while thosewintering in California Leasl Sandpiper. molt only the body plumageduring the Behavior and Structure sametime period. DefinitiveAlternate Plumage (Plate 6e) First-winterbirds retain the juvenal The scantinformation available sug- wing coverts,and sometimesa few ter- geststhat migrant Long-toedStints feed The definitivealternate plumage is ac- tials, so that thesebirds may be distin- in inland, grassypools more often than quiredby a partial molt, involvingthe guishedfrom adults if the pale buffy on opentidal flats. and thusseem closest bodyplumage, tertials, centralrectrices, fringesof thecoverts and tertials have not to the LeastSandpiper in habitatprefer- and most wing coverts, from March to wornoff. Agingby thesecriteria is possi- ence. May. Long-toedStints in this plumage ble until at leastJanuary. Long-toedStints owe much of their appearbright rulescent above, including rather distinctiveshape and postureto somewing coverts,and thereforeresem- First AlternatePlumage (Not illustrated) theirespecially long toes (mainly the cen- ble alternate-plumagedLittle Stints. tral one) and legs. If the feet can be seen This plumage,which closely resem- clearly, the spindlytoes give the impres- blesthe definitivealternate, is acquired sionof an awkwardly large foot, as on a by a partial molt between Mamh and gallinuleor jacana. Long-toedsalso ap- May. or about one month later than pearto have comparativelysmall heads, adults.Age determinationof suchbirds is thin necks, and a short stern, so that the not ordinarilypossible in the field. overall shape is more suggestiveof a Sharp-tailedSandpiper (Calidris acumi- nata) thanof a LeastSandpiper. The bill is typicallystraighter than that of a Least Sandpiper,due to less curvaturein the lowermandible, and is very finely point- LONG-TOED STINT ed. There is a dirty yellowishbase to the Calidris subminuta lower mandible. The forehead is less abruptthan on a Least Sandpiper:this, Distribution particularlywhen the neck is extended, gives the bird a delicate appearance. The Long-toedStint is the leaststudied When in an alert posture, Long-toed of all the smallCalidris. Its breeding Stintsare vaguelyreminiscent of a small Figure 21. JuvenileTemminck's Stint. British rangeis quitelarge, extending from the Tringa, suchas a Solitary Sandpiper(T. Columbia,earh' St•vtembet:Photo/D. Paul- Ob River in central Russia east to Ana- solitaria),an impressionnever conveyed SOIl.

874 AmericanBirds. September-October 1984 Some specimenswe have examined, The supercdiumis broad and whitish, TEMMINCK'S STINT which may be one-year-olds,are rather andextends beyond the auricularsto the Calidris temminckii drababove due to extensivegray-brown back of the head. There are two distinct, fringesto the feathersof the upperparts. whitish,lateral crown stripes(Fig. 19). Distribution Most individuals,however, are boldly Thebreast is finely streaked,more exten- stripedwith blackishand rufous, and are sivelythan in a LeastSandpiper, so that Temminck's Stint is a widespread thereforemuch more vividly patterned the streaks more often continue to the Palearcticspecies, breeding in arcticand thanany Least Sandpiper. The headpat- center. The feathersof the upperparts sub-arcticregions from Scotland and tern is distinctive: the crown is dark have dark brown centers, cinnamon/ru- centralScandinavia east along the coastal brown with fine rufous streaks and bor- fousfringes, and whitish tips on thescap- portionsof northernRussia to Anadyrs- dered below by a broad, whitish, and ulars. The intensityof the fringesvaries kaya and the ChukotskiyPeninsula It sharplydefined supercilium that extends froma pale, almostorange-buff to a dark wintersin tropicalsub-Saharan Africa, in well beyondthe eye andgives the bird a rufousor tawny. The individualin Plate the Mediterranean Basin, the Arabian distinctlycapped appearance. The crown 4d is abraded;fresh individuals are much Peninsula,India and southeastAsia south is darkall the way to the baseof the bill, brighter.Two setsof "V" marks, one on throughoutthe Malay Peninsula. Mi- andto thelores, so that there is no whitish the mantleand one on the scapulars,are grants occur regularly in the western forecrownas in a Least Sandpiper(Fig. usuallymore conspicuousthan thoseon Aleutian Islands, and vagrants have 18) The continuousdusky coloration be- LeastSandpipers, but aresimilar to those reached the northwestern coast of the tween the lores and forecrownis only of Little Stints. United States.They are nowhereespe- sharedby somealternate-plumaged Little The followingcharacters are the most cially numerous,flocks of 100 to 200 Stints. consistentdifferences between Long- birdsbeing unusual at anylocation. Most The breastis clearly streakedat the toedStints and Least Sandpipers:1. The seem to be found singly or in small sides,but usually unmarked in the center, greater,middle, and lesserwing coverts groupsat inlandsites along the muddy andIs entirelysuffused with a cinnamon/ of Long-toedStints are slate gray with marginsof freshwaterlakes, ponds,and rufouswash. The breastpattern thus re- broad whitish or cream-colorededges rivers, or at poolsin grassymarshes. semblesthat of juvenile Sharp-tailed that are brokenat the tips. The coverts Sandpipers.A yellowish"V" mark is of- therefore contrast as colder than the ru- ten obvious on the mantle. fousand blackish scapulars. Least Sand- Structure and Behavior pipershave completewarm buff or ru- fousfringes to the wing coverts,so that Temminck's Stint is the most distinc- DefinitiveBasic Plumage (Plate 4c) there is no strongcontrast between the tive of all the peeps,and is thereforeusu- wingsand scapulars. 2. The headpattern allycomparatively easy to identify.It has This plumageis acquiredby a com- of thetwo speciesis quitedifferent (Fig. a crouching,horizontal posture, with an pletemolt of thebody feathers in August 20). On Long-toedStints, the darkcrown elongated silhouette suggestiveof a and September.A few alternate-pat- and whitish, black-fleckedsupercilium Baird'sSandpiper. The neckis short,the ternedfeathers are foundon winter speci- producea stronglycapped effect not un- head small and rounded, and the bill mens,and appearto be newly grown. like that of juvenile Sharp-tailedSand- short, finely pointed, and slightly de- The Long-toedStint has the darkest pipers. In Long-toeds,the dark crown curved due to a curvature in the lower upperpartsof any basic-plumagedpeep. continuesto the base of the bill, and the mandible. The bill often has an olive The only likely confusionat this stage loresare whiter than in LeastSandpipers. cast,particularly toward the base.The would be with a Least Sandpiper. legsare relativelyshort for a peep, and The patternof the feathersof the up- vary in colorfrom olive to dark yellow perpartsis differentfrom that of Leasts First BasicPlumage (Not illustrated) When flushed, Temminck's Stints (Plate4c, f). Long-toedStints have broad "tower" as do Least Sandpipers,with dark centersand discretepale fringesto Thisplumage is acquiredby a partial fluttery,energetic wingbeats, often call- thesefeathers, while on Leaststhe dusky molt, involvingmost of the bodyfeath- ing repeatedly. shaft streaks are diffuse and the feathers ers, sometertials, and somerectrices, be- becomegradually paler toward the edge. tween Septemberand November.The Calls The headpattern differs from that of wing coverts,as well as one or two ter- LeastSandpipers as it does in juvenile tials, are usually retained, permitting plumage,but is somewhatless clearly identificationof youngbirds in mid-win- The typicalflight call is a characteris- marked. ter. tic short"trree," with a ratherhigh, ring- ing quality.This call is oftenrepeated In rapid series. JuvenalPlumage (Plates4d; 2d, 1) FirstAlternate Plumage (Not illustrated)

JuvenileLong-toed Stints are most This plumage,acquired by a partial DefinitiveAlternate Plumage similarto LeastSandpipers of the same molt during April and May, resembles (Plate 6f, g) age, but are more contrastinglycolored the definitive alternateplumage except andgenerally more striped above, recall- for the retainedjuvenal flight feathers, This plumageis acquiredthrough a lng vaguelythe patternof juvenile Pecto- tertials,and wing coverts.Some individ- partialmolt includingmost body feath- ral Sandpipers(Calidris melanotos). The ualsacquire featbering that moreclosely ers, wing coverts,and central tail feath- capIs verydark with fine rufousstreaks. resemblesthe basic plumage at thisstage. ers, duringthe periodFebruary to May

Volume 38, Number 5 875 Birdsare especially drab on theupper- permostscapulars are the broadest,pro- LITERATURE CITED partsat this stage,compared with other ducinga dark-spottedeffect. There is an CRAMP, S. and K. E. L. SIMMONS (Eds) peeps, lacking strong rufous tones or olive castto the entireplumage, and the 1983. The Birds of the Western Palearctic whitishtips to the feathers.The mantle feathers also lack extensive dark centers. Vol. III. OxfordUniversity Press, Oxford andscapulars include a variablenumber The headappears very uniform,lack- DEMENT'EV, G.P. et al. 1959. Birds of the of basic-patternedgray feathersmixed ingany distinctive pattern. There is a pale SovietUnion. Vol. III. IsraelProgram for with alternate-patternedones, which are superciliumthat extendsslightly beyond ScientificTranslations, Jerusalem. blackish in the center with rufous and GRANT, P. J. 1983. Size illusion. British the eye. As in basicplumage, there is a Birds 76: 327-334. buff fringes. Some individualsacquire a brownish wash on the upper breast, --. 1984.Identification of stintsand peeps "full" alternateplumage, but a "mixed" which extends down each side in lateral British Birds 77: 293-315. impressionillustrated by Plate6f andg is patches,similar to the patternof non- HARRINGTON, B. A. and R. I. G. MORRI- moretypical. There is a dirty gray, faint- breedingSpotted Sandpipers. SON. 1979. SemipalmatedSandpiper m•- ly streaked"bib" acrossthe upperbreast grationin North America. Studiesin Arian thatsuggests the analagouspattern in ju- First Basic Plumage (Not illustrated) Biology 2: 83-100. HUMPHREY, P.S. and K. C. PARKES venile SpottedSandpipers. Unlike all 1959. An approachto the studyof molts other peeps, Temminck's Stints lack This plumageis acquiredin a partial and plumages.Auk 76: 1-31. prominentstreakings at the side of the moltduring August to December,and in- PALMER, R. S. 1967. Speciesaccounts, pp breastin alternateplumage. There is a cludesthe bodyfeathers, some wing cov- 143-267.In G. D. Stout(Ed.). The Shore- conspicuouseye ring in this and other erts, and the central tail feathers. It seems birds of North America. Viking Press, plumages,but the superciliumis incon- unlikely that iramaturescan be distin- New York. PATON, D.C. and B.J. WYKES. 1978 Re- spicuous. guishedfrom adults after the basic plum- appraisalof moultof Red-neckedStints m The tail is ratherlong and the outer two age is acquired. southern Australia. Emu 78: 54-60. pairs of tail feathersare white, unlike PHILLIPS, A. R. 1975. SemipalmatedSand- thoseof all otherspecies, in whichthese First AlternatePlumage (Not illustrated) piper:identification, migrations, summer feathersare gray. This characteris strik- andwinter ranges. Am. Birds29:799-806 ing on individualsflushed at closerange, This plumageis acquiredin a partial PRATER, A. J., J. H. MARCHANT, and J VUORINEN. 1977. Guide to the Identifi- but is otherwise difficult to see. molt of the body feathers,wing coverts, cation and Ageing of Holarctic Waders and tertialsduring April to June.These BTO Field Guide 17. British Trust for Or- DefinitiveBasic Plumage (Plate 4g) individualsare inseparable from adultsin nithology,Beech Grove. the field. RUCK, A. T. M. 1977. Temminck's St•nt This plumageis acquiredby a com- with blacklegs. British Birds 70:392 pletemolt of the bodyplumage between SMITHE, F. B. 1975. A Color Guide for Nat- Julyand September, although the prima- uralists. American Museum of Natural ry molt may be arrestedand then not History, New York. VEIT, R. R. and W. R. PETERSEN. 1982 completeduntil April. First and second records of Rufous-necked ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In basicplumage, Temminck's Stints Sandpiper(Calidris ruficollis)for Massa- are uniformlydark neutral gray on the chusetts.Bird Observerof Eastern Massa- upperpartsand upper breast. The uni- ARIOUSDRAFTS of this manuscript chusetts 2: 75-77. formity of the colorationon the breast werecritically read by Per Alstr6m, VOITKEVICH, A. A. 1966. The Feathers givesthe bird a hoodedappearance. Ba- P. A. Buckley, ThomasH. Davis, Ben andPlumage of Birds.Sidgwick and Jack- King, Guy McCaskie, William C. Rus- son, London. Slc-plumagedTemminck's Stints are WALLACE, D. I. M. 1974. Field identifica- sell, Guy A. Tudor, and an anonymous only likely to be confusedwith Least tionof smallspecies in thegenus Cahdrts Sandpipersand Long-toedStints. Tem- reviewer, whosecomments substantially British Birds 67: 1-17. rmnck'sStints differ from both those spe- improvedits contents.P. A. Buckley, 1979. Review of British records of ciesin: 1. Lackinga superciliumbehind Thomas Carm6n, Ed Greaves, Richard SemipalmatedSandpipers and clmmed Red-necked Stints. British Birds 72: 264- theeye. 2. Lackingpronounced streaking C. Chandler, Per Alstr6m, Takeshi 274. or specklingon the breast. 3. Lacking Shioto, Thomas H. Davis, Urban Ols- conspicuousdark feather centerson the son, M. Marend, and Dennis Paulson upperparts.Temminck's Stints also have kindly providedphotographs, some of a rather prominenteye ring. Question- which appear here. We gratefully ac- ablebirds can always be flushedto reveal knowledgethe professionalassistance in the color of their outer tail feathers. typing,editing, and retyping provided by Barbara M. Braun and Diana Mullis. JuvenalPlumage (Plate 2f, Figure 21) John Farrand, Jr., Mary LeCroy, and --Dept. Ecol. & Evol. Btol , Stuart Keith (American Museum of Nat- Univ. of Califorma, Juvenile Temminck's Stints are the ural History), RaymondA. Paynter, Jr. Irvine, CA 92717 (Velt), mostdistinctive of all peeps.The most (Museum of Comparative Zoology), Norrgarde,Hamra, S-62010 strikingaspect of this plumageis the RalphW. Schreiber(Los AngelesCoun- Burgsvik, Sweden(Jonsson) presenceof dark subterminalbars and ty Museum), and Carl Edelstam(Natur- bufffringes on the mantle,scapulars, and historiskaRiksmuseet, Stockholm) pro- tertlals, schematicallyresembling the vided valuable assistance and extended patternof juvenileRed Knots(Calidris every courtesyin allowingus accessto canutus).The subterminalbars on the up- collectionsin their charge.

876 AmericanBirds, September-October 1984