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Home , Actitis, Dowitcher, Greater yellowlegs, Killdeer, Least sandpiper, Pectoral sandpiper

Shorebird Identification

• 40 Common to NA • 31 Migrate Through the Tennessee River Valley

*Your Requirement = 17

9 >50% of All Species Have Declined Over the Past 30 Years

Migratory Stopovers: Critical for Survival MAV = 500,000

Replenishment of ! Fat Reserves 6 grams/day + 2 grams/day 8 grams/day (Loesch et al. 2000)

x Stopover Duration (Pectoral ) Shallowly Flooded Mudflats = 8-12 days Tennessee River Valley (Lehnen & Krementz 2005)

These areas serve as “re-fueling” areas between breeding and wintering grounds

Plovers ¾ Required: 3 Species Piping Small, plump-bodied Short, thick bills Forage visually Often heard before seen (e.g., )

Killdeer

1 Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Dark, Thick Bill Mainly Coastal but frequent lakeshores and White Wing Stripe agricultural fields (visible in flight)

WINTER

Black Legs

White Rump BREEDING

Semipalmated Plover ( semipalmatus)

Length = 5.75 in Short, Orange Bill About ½ the size Upperparts = Brown/Gray of Killdeer WINTER

1 Breast Band

BREEDING

Orange Legs Underparts = White

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) Reddish Eye Rings Length = 8 inches

2 Breast Bands

White Wing Stripe (visible in flight)

Rust-colored Rump

Very Common in U.S.

2 Stilts & Avocets Family Recurvirostridae ¾ Required: 2 Species • Sleek, Graceful • Long, Slender Bills • “Spindly” Legs

Black-necked Stilt

Normally forage out in shallow water (not on mudflats) American Avocet

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

Length = 13 in Long and Very Thin Black Bill

9 Black Cap With White Spot LONG Above Eye PINK IN FLIGHT LEGS Legs Extend Well Past Tail

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) Length = 15 in Very Thin, “Upturned” Bill

White Back Bordered by 2 Longitudinal Black Stripes

BREEDING

9 White Rump & Tail

WINTER Long, Blue/Gray Legs

3 Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers and ¾ Required: 15 Species • Inhabit Mudflats and 9 Very Diverse Group Sandy Shorelines • Many Adapted for High- Speed Flight

Semipalmated Sandpipers

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs ( melanoleuca)

Length = 11 in Long, Thin Bill Curved Black and White Slightly Upward “Flecking” on Back Bill Length = 1.5X’s Length of Head

1 1.5

Bright Yellow Legs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Length = 8.75 in (Tringa flavipes) • Bill Not Upturned Bill Length • Similar Flecking = Length of Head 1 1

Roughly Half the Size of Greater Yellowlegs

4 Solitary (Tringa solitaria) Length = 7 in Usually Solitary and Often Bobs Tail BOLD White Eye Ring

9 Short, Olive-Colored Legs 9 White Underside

Spotted Sandpiper ( macularius) 9 Distinctive, “Fluttery” Flight Length = 6.25 in 9 Bobs tail during feeding BREEDING Orangish Tone to Bill

Spots on Chest

Yellow/Orange Legs

WINTER Little, If Any Flecking on Back

Semipalmated Sandpiper ( pusilla) Length = 5 in • Overall Grayish in Color • Thin, White Wing Stripe • Thin, Dark Bill

Dark (Black) Legs (Very Small Shorebird)

5 (Calidris minutilla)

Very Common in east TN Overall, Brownish in Color with White Underparts Length = 4.75 in • Thin, White Wing Stripe

Yellow Legs

9 Very Small Shorebird Very Thin, Dark Bill (Smallest in NA) (Slightly Decurved)

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Length = 7.5 in Very Similar to Least in Appearance but Significantly Larger (~Killdeer-size) • Orange Bill

Distinct Division Between Brown Breast and White Belly Yellow Legs

Dunlin (Calidris alpina) Length = 7 in 9 White Wing Stripe BREEDING Thin, Dark Bill with Droop at Tip

Black Legs

Medium-Sized WINTER Shorebird

6 Long-billed (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Length = 10 in 9 Long Straight Bill WINTER 9 Dull Yellow Legs

BREEDING

Tail Barred Black and White Barred Upper Chest Call: Single Sharp “Keek” AND Red Belly

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) Length = 9.5 in Call: Quick Mellow “tu-tu-tu” 9 Long Straight Bill BREEDING 9 Dull Yellow Legs

Barred Upper Chest BARS SPOTS -OR- Red Belly (Not Both) 9 Similar Winter Plumage

Wilson’s ( delicata) Length = 9 in • Brownish Appearance • Pointed Wings and a Rapid Zigzag Flight • Very Long, Straight Bill

“Stocky” Appearance With Short, Olive-Colored Legs Found in “marshy”

7 American (Scolopax minor)

Length = 8.25 in • Very Long, Straight Bill More of a Grayish Overall Appearance • Stocky and Short-legged

Black Nape Crossed by Pale Lines

Found in Woodlands/Shrubby Fields

Other Resources:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Identification Center http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/infocenter.html

Shorebird Photo Quiz http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/4413/sb_quiz.html

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