DOCSLIB.ORG

The Long-Toed Stint Erolia Subminuta in Southern Victoria by F

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Long-Toed Stint Erolia Subminuta in Southern Victoria by F 132 SMITH, Long-toed Stint [ Bird Watcher The middle of the week, then, when the"birds died, was a time of extremely dense fog over Corio and Port Phillip Bays. The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works Farm near Werribee is a well favoured roosting haunt of the Straw-necked Ibis. Each evening, flocks of birds return to the swamps to roost after spending all day feeding in the adjacent pasture lands. They become a familiar sight to travellers along the Princes Highway, and on the Bellarine Peninsula many flocks of birds feed each day. During the week of fog, Ibis were seen as usual on the Bellarine Peninsula, but presumably because of the fog, they were forced in some instances to roost in trees around Drysdale where they had not previously done so. This was noted by a Drysdale resident, Mr. B. Crowe, who remarked that the birds "appeared lost", and they were seen to roost in a pine tree on his proper,~y for the first time. The possibility that the birds had died after feeding on sprayed insects or insect larvae is always present. However to have such a large group of birds die virtually simultaneously is not very likely. unless there had been a very heavy aerial spraying just prior to the birds feeding, but this would be impossible as the lack of suitable aircraft flying conditions at this time would prevent such a spraying. I believe that the birds became confused in the fog, and that they either mistook the waters of the Bay for their more familiar swamps and landed confidently in deep water, or they accidentally came down in the Bay. The fact that Herons, Magpies, Ravens and a Kite were with them gives strength to the latter suggestion. The seabirds, Gulls and Cormorants, would probably be incidental to the others, as these species are not infrequently found washed onto these shores. The Long-toed Stint Erolia subminuta in Southern Victoria By F. T. H. SMITH, Kew, Victoria. The Metropolitan Farm begins approximately 20 miles south­ west of Melbourne, and continues for another ten miles in a southerly direction. This huge sewerage farm has several miles of sewage treatment ponds, some of which are straight-edged and deep, and are relatively unattractive to waders, whilst others are shallow and have well vegetated margins. To these latter ponds, each year, come large numbers of the migratory Charadriiformes. The more common of these waders, Sharp-tailed Sand pipers Erolia acuminata, Curlew-Sandpipers E. ferruginea and Red-necked Stints E. ruficollis, usually occur in thousands, with lesser numbers of several other species. In this area ornithological rarities have appeared from time to time. It is, in fact, so vast, the habitat so varied, and the waders in such large numbers, that birds unusual to Australia, vagrants and the like, are with little doubt missed by observers each year. December J SMITH, Long-toed Stint 133 1968 One of the best feeding areas for big concentrations of waders during the migratory wader season, August 1965 to April 1966, was a long sewage pond running south from the main treatment lagoon, known as Lake Borrie. This particular pond was bordered on the east side by a wide, raised gravel roadway; the western margin being muddy and pro­ fusely over-grown by many varieties of mostly introduced weeds. In the pond were several flat muddy islets, some small, others covering a considerable area. The islets were sparsely vegetated with green weeds and littered with vegetable debris, such as pieces of stems and leaves which were mixed with and protruding from the mud. Some of the islets met the edge of the gravel roadway in places. On January 9, 1966, R . T. Sympson and I walked along the road­ way observing the many bird species in the vicinity. Just after 11 a.m. a group of some 20 small waders flew up from a small area of the wide muddy edge adjoining the roadway, and came down again in a similar position a short distance farther away. Close examination of the birds revealed Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a much smaller wader. The small bird was nearer the size of a Red-necked Stint but, obviously, was not that species. After some manoeuvring we reached an excellent observation position on the road, approximately 35 feet from the bird. The little wader, which was in full sunlight, stood at rest on one leg. We were not able immediately to determine the leg colour as it was shaded by the bird's body. In general appearance it was rather greyish all-over, being much darker above. There was a broad greyish band across the breast. The head seemed small and rounded with a short, fine, black bill. Shortly the retracted leg was put down in sunlight showing it to be greenish-yellow in colour. For nearly an hour we watched the bird closely with 8 x 40, 10 x 50 and 15 x 50 binoculars, during which time much written informa­ tion was recorded. The bird stood quietly in an open position on the damp, almost solid mud. The vegetation on the muddy-edge consisted mainly of sparsely distributed seedling plants, up to six inches high, of ink­ weed Phytolacca octandra and fat-hen Chenopodium album, with dead pieces of various weeds scattered about. It then walked a few inches, showing the yellowish leg colouring to advantage, and then stood still again on one leg, for a few minutes. The toes of the folded leg hung loosely below the body and showed them to be remarkably slender in appearance, with the middle toe noticeably longer than the others. Once it turned its back to us and stretched the left wing full out and down, showing some white tipping across the greater wing-coverts, which gave the impression of a fi ne white line across the wing. The left leg was extended backwards, towards us, revealing the widely separated, long, thin toes. The Sharp-tailed Sandpipers gradually left the area, leaving the small wader alone. It was keeping a wary eye on us, but soon began 134 SMITH, Long-toed Stint [ Bird Watcher to feed over the islet and along the edges. Its feeding posture was crouched and hunched, but sometimes it raised its head to watch us. It moved about slowly, picking here and there and looking some­ what mouse-like. This illusion was heightened by the general duski­ ness and hunched posture. A few times it went on the long-legged, long-necked alert and then seemed considerably larger. In this stance it resembled a small Pectoral Sandpiper Erolia melanotos, even to the fairly sharp cut-off of the greyish breast-band from the whitish under parts. Sometimes it went behind small plants where it was seen to stretch upright and peer at us over a plant, or through gaps between the higher leaves. It watched us for a few seconds and then relaxed, coming out feeding into the open again. Suddenly, it would crouch right down in small depressions, or among short weeds, where it disappeared from our view for seconds at a time. Once it went into a small area of fat-hen, where it turned and faced us, on a tiny patch of mud. Putting its breast to the ground, with its rear section slightly elevated, it remained in this position for several minutes. Although completely unobscured in this atti­ tude it, nevertheless, blended well with the surroundings, and was most inconspicuous. This action is used, apparently, when tempor­ arily concealing itself from danger. We were to see it demonstrated again later, at Lake Murcteduke. Although we were in full view the little wader was not too appre­ hensive, and mostly fed and rested in front of us unconcernedly. We were now almost satisfied that the bird was a Long-toed Stint, and later we were certain of this conclusion after confirma­ tion from literature. Sympson remarked that it was a pity that there was not a Red­ necked Stint nearby, with which to compare the rarer stint. He had no sooner spoken when in came a Red-necked Stint and alighted on the mud near the Long-toed Stint. Soon both birds were close together, and extremely good comparative views were obtained. Once the Long-toed Stint flew up from near the Red-necked Stint and then dropped down on that bird, striking it sharply with its feet. The attacker then moved away feeding, and the Red-necked Stint remained as if nothing of great moment had occurred. In the crouched position subminuta seemed slightly smaller than ruficollis. It was duskier generally, particularly about the head, face and sides of the neck. The bill was shorter and finer in appearance when compared with that of ruficollis, and the greenish-yellow legs of the former stood out from the black legs of the latter. Without any warning the Long-toed Stint flew off rapidly in an erratic manner. It called as it went, a loud "Chee-chee-chee", a few times. We lost sight of it and did not relocate it that day. During this encounter, when the bird was on the upright alert, it brought to mind the Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis. Possibly December ] SMITH, Long-toed Stint 135 1968 this was due to the small, somewhat rounded head, the short dark bill, the yellowish legs and the alert stance being similar to Tryn­ gites. When relaxed it was more like a miniature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in the non-breeding plumage. With F. Anderson and H. E.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Promiseuous Pectoral Sandpiper
    BEHAVIOR The promiscuous Pectoral Sandpiper "nothing evolvesNorth Slope tundra more certainly than a male Pectoral Sandpiper, hooting through chilled Alaskan mist" J.P. Myers [sBARROW,ALASKA, the Pectoral a pendulous, fat-filled organ hanging deep o6-ah, o6-ah, o6-ah each syllable andpiper seasonbegins with a few prominently even while the male stands separated by a moment's silence and distant hoots sometime between the 5th immobile (Fig. 1). Its outline is en- repeatedtwo or three timesper second and 10thof June. At first hearing one has hanced by sharp contrast with the white for l0 to 15 seconds½Fig. 3 and record). difficulty accepting its source as arian. vent, and more still by the way the male Viewing this display in profile is star- The hoot is a fog horn, a sonar beam, an erects his feathers to expose their tling, but imagine what a female Pec- electronic oscillator bearing no relation darker base. toral sees. More often than not she to the sounds about it. Even after bird But the sac comes into its own when serves as the focus of his flight: the and call are linked it seems preposter- the male takes flight to hoot (Fig. 2). He male's path takes him directly over her ous. The way the call is made, the bodily flies low over the tundra, often within a in mid-hoot, perhaps only 5 cm from her distortions that male goes through to few centimeters of the upper blades of head as she feeds in the grass. He make its hoot, are visually just as odd as grass and sedge.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Caribbean Shorebirds: ID Guide
    Common Caribbean Shorebirds: ID Guide Large Medium Small 14”-18” 35 - 46 cm 8.5”-12” 22 - 31 cm 6”- 8” 15 - 20 cm Large Shorebirds Medium Shorebirds Small Shorebirds Whimbrel 17.5” 44.5 cm Lesser Yellowlegs 9.5” 24 cm Wilson’s Plover 7.75” 19.5 cm Spotted Sandpiper 7.5” 19 cm American Oystercatcher 17.5” 44.5 cm Black-bellied Plover 11.5” 29 cm Sanderling 7.75” 19.5 cm Western Sandpiper 6.5” 16.5 cm Willet 15” 38 cm Short-billed Dowitcher 11” 28 cm White-rumped Sandpiper 6” 15 cm Greater Yellowlegs 14” 35.5 cm Ruddy Turnstone 9.5” 24 cm Semipalmated Sandpiper 6.25” 16 cm 6.25” 16 cm American Avocet* 18” 46 cm Red Knot 10.5” 26.5 cm Snowy Plover Least Sandpiper 6” 15 cm 14” 35.5 cm 8.5” 21.5 cm Semipalmated Plover Black-necked Stilt* Pectoral Sandpiper 7.25” 18.5 cm Killdeer* 10.5” 26.5 cm Piping Plover 7.25” 18.5 cm Stilt Sandpiper* 8.5” 21.5 cm Lesser Yellowlegs & Ruddy Turnstone: Brad Winn; Red Knot: Anthony Levesque; Pectoral Sandpiper & *not pictured Solitary Sandpiper* 8.5” 21.5 cm White-rumped Sandpiper: Nick Dorian; All other photos: Walker Golder Clues to help identify shorebirds Size & Shape Bill Length & Shape Foraging Behavior Size Length Sandpipers How big is it compared to other birds? Peeps (Semipalmated, Western, Least) Walk or run with the head down, picking and probing Spotted Sandpiper Short Medium As long Longer as head than head Bobs tail up and down when walking Plovers, Turnstone or standing Small Medium Large Sandpipers White-rumped Sandpiper Tail tips up while probing Yellowlegs Overall Body Shape Stilt Sandpiper Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Probes mud like “oil derrick,” Willet, rear end tips up Dowitcher, Curvature Plovers Stilt, Avocet Run & stop, pick, hiccup, run & stop Elongate Compact Yellowlegs Specific Body Parts Stroll and pick Bill & leg color Straight Upturned Dowitchers Eye size Plovers = larger, sandpipers = smaller Tip slightly Probe mud with “sewing machine” Leg & neck length downcurved Downcurved bill, body stays horizontal .
    [Show full text]
  • The All-Bird Bulletin
    Advancing Integrated Bird Conservation in North America Spring 2014 Inside this issue: The All-Bird Bulletin Protecting Habitat for 4 the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Bolivia The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Conserving the “Jewels 6 Act (NMBCA): Thirteen Years of Hemispheric in the Crown” for Neotropical Migrants Bird Conservation Guy Foulks, Program Coordinator, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Bird Conservation in 8 Wildlife Service (USFWS) Costa Rica’s Agricultural Matrix In 2000, responding to alarming declines in many Neotropical migratory bird popu- Uruguayan Rice Fields 10 lations due to habitat loss and degradation, Congress passed the Neotropical Migra- as Wintering Habitat for tory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). The legislation created a unique funding Neotropical Shorebirds source to foster the cooperative conservation needed to sustain these species through all stages of their life cycles, which occur throughout the Western Hemi- Conserving Antigua’s 12 sphere. Since its first year of appropriations in 2002, the NMBCA has become in- Most Critical Bird strumental to migratory bird conservation Habitat in the Americas. Neotropical Migratory 14 Bird Conservation in the The mission of the North American Bird Heart of South America Conservation Initiative is to ensure that populations and habitats of North Ameri- Aros/Yaqui River Habi- 16 ca's birds are protected, restored, and en- tat Conservation hanced through coordinated efforts at in- ternational, national, regional, and local Strategic Conservation 18 levels, guided by sound science and effec- in the Appalachians of tive management. The NMBCA’s mission Southern Quebec is to achieve just this for over 380 Neo- tropical migratory bird species by provid- ...and more! Cerulean Warbler, a Neotropical migrant, is a ing conservation support within and be- USFWS Bird of Conservation Concern and listed as yond North America—to Latin America Vulnerable on the International Union for Conser- Coordination and editorial vation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
    [Show full text]
  • Biogeographical Profiles of Shorebird Migration in Midcontinental North America
    U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division Technical Report Series Information and Biological Science Reports ISSN 1081-292X Technology Reports ISSN 1081-2911 Papers published in this series record the significant find­ These reports are intended for the publication of book­ ings resulting from USGS/BRD-sponsored and cospon­ length-monographs; synthesis documents; compilations sored research programs. They may include extensive data of conference and workshop papers; important planning or theoretical analyses. These papers are the in-house coun­ and reference materials such as strategic plans, standard terpart to peer-reviewed journal articles, but with less strin­ operating procedures, protocols, handbooks, and manu­ gent restrictions on length, tables, or raw data, for example. als; and data compilations such as tables and bibliogra­ We encourage authors to publish their fmdings in the most phies. Papers in this series are held to the same peer-review appropriate journal possible. However, the Biological Sci­ and high quality standards as their journal counterparts. ence Reports represent an outlet in which BRD authors may publish papers that are difficult to publish elsewhere due to the formatting and length restrictions of journals. At the same time, papers in this series are held to the same peer-review and high quality standards as their journal counterparts. To purchase this report, contact the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161 (call toll free 1-800-553-684 7), or the Defense Technical Infonnation Center, 8725 Kingman Rd., Suite 0944, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6218. Biogeographical files o Shorebird Migration · Midcontinental Biological Science USGS/BRD/BSR--2000-0003 December 1 By Susan K.
    [Show full text]
  • The World's First Known Juvenile Cox's Sandpiper
    British Birds VOLUME 81 NUMBER 6 JUNE 1988 The World's first known juvenile Cox's Sandpiper P. A. Buckley or once, the North Americans have beaten the British by being first Fto find a spectacular vagrant Asiatic shorebird away from the Alaskan out-islands.1 This time we outdid everyone, producing a juvenile Cox's Sandpiper Calidris paramelanotos in Massachusetts. This individual, depicted in colour in plate 145, is not only the first of this recently described species from the Western Hemisphere, but also only the second away from its Australian wintering grounds (an adult was reported from Hong Kong in spring 1987: Brit. Birds 80: 391). The firsts continue, however, for, until this individual, Cox's juvenile plumage was unde- scribed, and, until this photograph, there have been, to my knowledge, no published colour photographs of Cox's Sandpiper in any plumage, let alone that of a juvenile. I am exceedingly grateful to the bird's discoverer, Mark Kasprzyk, for much background information, and to Simon Perkins, for permission to reproduce here his splendid colour photograph. This bird was first mist-netted at night, on 15th September 1987, at Duxbury Beach, a long barrier spit separating Plymouth Bay (where the Mayflower Pilgrims landed in 1620) from Cape Cod Bay/Atlantic Ocean waters. It was ringed as a Pectoral Sandpiper C. melanotos (understandable, at 03.00 hours), but photographed in the hand nonetheless, carefully measured, and then released. Nagging identification doubts soon set in, and efforts to relocate the bird were successful by daylight on 15th. Several observers examined it at close range over the next few days, and it went on the Massachusetts rare bird telephone-tape, finally, as an adult 1 This is actually not the first, truth to tell.
    [Show full text]
  • The Occurrence and Identification of Red-Necked Stint in British Columbia Rick Toochin (Revised: December 3, 2013)
    The Occurrence and Identification of Red-necked Stint in British Columbia Rick Toochin (Revised: December 3, 2013) Introduction The first confirmed report of a Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) in British Columbia was an adult in full breeding plumage found on June 24, 1978 at Iona Island (see Table 1, confirmed records item 1). Recently another older sighting has been uncovered that fits the timing of occurrence for this species in BC and may be valid (see Table 2, hypothetical records item 1). Since the first initial sightings in the late 1970s, there has been a slow but steady increase in observations of this beautiful Asian shorebird in British Columbia and, indeed, across the whole of North America. With an increase in both observer coverage and the knowledge of observers, this species is now known to be of regular, and probably annual, occurrence during fall migration in coastal British Columbia. Additionally, this species is now recorded occasionally during spring migration, indicating that at least a few individuals may be successfully wintering farther south in the western hemisphere. Identification of this species is straightforward when presented with a full breeding- plumaged adult, but identification of birds in juvenile and faded breeding plumage can be very complicated due to the close similarities to other small Calidris shorebirds. This paper describes the distribution and occurrence of the species in B.C., and also examines the similarities of all plumages of Red-necked Stint to species with which it might be confused, most notably Little Stint (C. minuta), Semipalmated Sandpiper (C. pusilla), and Western Sandpiper (C.
    [Show full text]
  • First Record of Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris Melanotus for Bali Island, Indonesia, at Serangan Island in Benoa Bay
    short communication Wader Study 123(1): 153 –155. doi:10.18194/ws.00030 First record of Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotus for Bali Island, Indonesia, at Serangan Island in Benoa Bay Steve Jones 1 & Colin R. Trainor 2,3 1stevejones19510@gmail.com 2Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, NT 0909, Australia. Halmahera@hotmail.com 3Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University Australia, Mt Helen, VIC, 3350, Australia Keywords: Pectoral Sandpiper, vagrancy, migrant, Bali Island, Indonesia On 19 August 2015, SJ visited Serangan Island, Bali Island, only record is of an adult present at Tanah Merah from Indonesia (8°44'22''S, 115°13'13''E; Fig. 1), making an 26 November 1999 to 3 January 2000 (Seng 2009). Robson initial stop at a large pond in the centre-west near Benoa (2005) lists it as a vagrant for Peninsula Malaysia and Bay. The pond is also part of a project to reclaim parts of Singapore; and there are no published records for Borneo Benoa Bay and is ‘land under reclamation’; it is landlocked (Phillipps & Phillipps 2009). and fed by rainwater and not affected by tidal movements. The first Pectoral Sandpiper record for the Indonesian As the tide recedes thousands of shorebirds and waterbirds archipelago was a single bird at Lake Laga, Timor-Leste, disperse to all areas of Benoa Bay, and return again to on 2 December 2004 (Trainor 2005). The first national these ponds on the incoming tide. Shorebird species that record for Indonesia was of one at Kali Progo Delta, Java, stay at the ponds during low tide are usually quieter and on 12 October 2012 (Assiddiqi et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Four Problem Stints
    British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 12 DECEMBER 1986 Four problem stints P.J. Grant his paper discusses four records of stints Calidris, the identification of T which has been much debated. All demonstrate the advances which have been made in recent years, especially including the publication of Lars Jonsson's stint paintings (Jonsson & Grant 1984). Reference to that paper will be useful when considering the records described here, as many of the identification points are illustrated and more fully described therein. Several important lessons can be learned from these case histories. The last three in particular demonstrate some of the major pitfalls and difficulties occasionally involved in stint identification, and the high degree of care necessary with some problem stints. Also well demonstrated is the importance to the identification process of good photographic evidence, and it is again urged that positive steps be taken to obtain a representative series of photographs (preferably colour transparencies) when a rare stint is suspected or identified. (Naturally, such steps should always have due regard for bird, habitat and other observers.) 1. Dungeness, Kent, 6th to 9th September 1965 The identity of this bird has been discussed in detail already (Brit. Birds 59: 543-547, plate 79; 72: 264-275, plates 127-129). It is again portrayed here (plate 306). It was originally identified as a Baird's Sandpiper C. bairdii, but [Brit. Birds 79: 609-621, December 1986] 609 610 Four problem stints 306. Juvenile stint Calidris (left), now identified as Little Stint C. minuta, with Dunlin C. alpina, Dungeness, Kent, September 1965 (Pamela Harrison).
    [Show full text]
  • Peeps and Related Sandpipers Peeps Are a Group of Diminutive Sandpipers That Are Notoriously Hard to Tell Apart
    Peeps and Related Sandpipers Peeps are a group of diminutive sandpipers that are notoriously hard to tell apart. They belong to a subfamily of subarctic and arctic nesting sandpipers known as the Calidridinae (in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae). During their migrations, when most residents of North America have the opportunity to watch them, mixed flocks of calidridine sandpipers scurry about on mudflats, feeding at the edge of the retreating tide, or swarm aloft, twisting and turning like a dense school of fish. These traits, in a group of birds that look so much alike to start with, give bird watchers nightmares. Fortunately for Alaskans and visitors to our state, Alaska is an excellent location to view and identify calidridine sandpipers. The early summer breeding season is the easiest time of the year to distinguish the various species, not only because they are in breeding plumage and are more approachable than at other times of the year, but also because each species performs a characteristic courtship display with unique vocalizations. For the avid birder, Alaska has the additional attraction of being one of the best places in North America to view exotic Eurasian species. General description: Three peeps are abundant summer residents and breeders in Alaska—the least, semipalmated, and western sandpipers (Calidris minutilla, C. pusilla, and C. mauri) [all lists in order by size]. Another four species from Eurasia may also be seen—the little, rufous-necked, Temminck's, and long-toed stints (“stint” is the British equivalent for peep) (C. minuta, C. ruficollis, C. temminckii, C. subminuta). These seven species range from 5 to 6½ inches (15-17 cm) in length, and weigh from 2/3 to 1½ ounces (17-33 g).
    [Show full text]
  • Seven Deadly Stints and Their Friends an Introduction to Calidris Sandpipers – Part 1 Jon L
    Seven Deadly Stints and their Friends An Introduction to Calidris Sandpipers – Part 1 Jon L. Dunn Larry Sansone photos 13 October 2020 Los Angeles Birders Genus Calidris – Composed of 23 species the largest genus within the large family (94 species worldwide, 66 in North America) of Scolopacidae (Sandpipers). – All 23 species in the genus Calidris have been found in North America, 19 of which have occurred in California. – Only Great Knot, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, and Spoon-billed Sandpiper have not been recorded in the state, and as for Great Knot, well half of one turned up! Genus Calidris – The genus was described by Marrem in 1804 (type by tautonymy, Red Knot, 1758 Linnaeus). – Until 1934, the genus was composed only of the Red Knot and Great Knot. – This genus is composed of small to moderate sized sandpipers and use a variety of foraging styles from probing in water to picking at the shore’s edge, or even away from water on mud or the vegetated border of the mud. – As within so many families or large genre behavior offers important clues to species identification. Genus Calidris – Most, but not all, species migrate south in their alternate (breeding) or juvenal plumage, molting largely once they reach their more southerly wintering grounds. – Most species nest in the arctic, some farther north than others. Some species breed primarily in Eurasia, some in North America. Some are Holarctic. – The majority of species are monotypic (no additional recognized subspecies). Genus Calidris – In learning these species one
    [Show full text]
  • Hybrid Sandpipers Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris Melanotus
    The Australian Bird Guide Species accounts CURLEW SANDPIPER Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea undertail-coverts clean white, occasionally with sparse incon- Juv worn, Oct–Nov spicuous dark streaks (Sharp-tailed has distinct streaking on Wing 126–136 mm Bill 34–44 mm Wt 55–93 g undertail-coverts, often a helpful ID cue from behind). long-winged: tips of white rump and Smallish, slim sandpiper with long blackish legs. Long, fine- ♂ ~10% taller than ♀. All plumages quite similar to one primaries usually project wing-bar tipped, down-curved black bill (~15% longer in ♀). In flight, beyond tail-tip our only regularly occurring small sandpiper with white another, unlike Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in which Ad br and rump-patch. Ad br mainly chestnut. Confusion only possible Juv plumages distinctive. In flight rarely separable from with larger, stockier, short-billed Ad br Red Knot. Ad non-br Sharp-tailed except on call, but has brown (not white) shafts paler grey above than most Aus shorebirds, with clear white to inner primaries. Ad br bright rufous edges to upperparts feathers, strongly marked breast; little yellow at base of bill. Juv fresh, supercilium; white below; grey-brown streaking on sides of Sep–Oct breast varies but paler and less extensive than Sharp-tailed. Ad non-br bare parts brighter than Ad br, but plumage duller mainly plain pale grey rufous Juv peach-buff wash across breast when fresh, and white- with lighter breast streaking; rufous edging to feathers of upperparts Ad br worn scalloped upperparts with anchor-shaped markings within upperparts much reduced or absent.
    [Show full text]
  • Shorebird Identification 5 SHOREBIRD IDENTIFICATION Usually Over 20 Mm Except in Least, Semipalmated and Buff­ Breasted
    4 EBBA News February 1973 Shorebird Identification 5 SHOREBIRD IDENTIFICATION usually over 20 mm except in Least, Semipalmated and Buff­ breasted. Neck medium to long. 4 toes (except 3 in Sanderling) • BY CHANDLER S, ROBBINS* Back speckrea-or streaked in small species (indistinct markings on Spotted Sandpiper, and on Sanderling in winter). The superfamily of shorebirds is a heterogeneous group. Family Recurvirost ridae : Avocets, Stilts (7 species, 2 in Althou?h most members of this group are zeadily recognized as North Amer ica). Bi ll long, very slender; fegs very long and shoreb1rds, there are few distinctive characters that are pos­ slender, tarsus over 80 mm. 3 toes (stilt or 4 (avocet). sessed ~y all ~pecies. For example, nearly all shorebirds have long po1nted.w1ngs, but the woodcocks and lapwing have decided­ Family Phal aropodidae: Phalaropes (3 species, 3 in North ly rounded w1ngs. Most shorebirds have slender, soft bills, America). 4 toes , the front ones lobed, semipalmate. Female but the oystercatchers have heavy bills that are greatly com­ brighter colored than male. pres~ed l~ter~lly. The phalarope family has lobed toes, each spec1es w1th 1ts own particular type of lobe. The turnstones and most plovers have 3 toes, and most sandpipers have 4 toes Identifying Shorebirds to Species but one genus in each family does not conform to the general ' rule. The purpose of this paper is to assist banders in identi­ fying, to species, shorebirds that are in the hand. These pages The oystercatchers, avocets and stilts are so distinctive are not a substitute for a field guide or for manuals such as in all plumages that they will not be discussed in detail; Roberts, Forbush, Ridgway, or Coues.
    [Show full text]