Shorebird Identification
9 >50% of All Species Have Declined Over the Past 30 Years
MAV = 500,000
• 40 Species Common to NA • 31 Migrate Through the Tennessee River Valley
*Your Requirement = 17
Plovers Family Charadriidae ¾ Required: 3 Species Piping Plover Small, plump-bodied Short, thick bills Forage visually Often heard before seen (e.g., Killdeer)
Killdeer
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
1 Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius 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.
Stilts & Avocets Family Recurvirostridae ¾ Required: 2 Species • Sleek, Graceful Waders • Long, Slender Bills • “Spindly” Legs
Black-necked Stilt
Normally forage out in shallow water (not on mudflats) American Avocet
2 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
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers and Phalaropes ¾ Required: 15 Species • Inhabit Mudflats and 9 Very Diverse Group Sandy Shorelines • Many Adapted for High- Speed Flight
Semipalmated Sandpipers
Greater Yellowlegs
3 Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa 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
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) Length = 7 in Usually Solitary and Often Bobs Tail BOLD White Eye Ring
9 Short, Olive-Colored Legs 9 White Underside
4 Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis 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 (Calidris pusilla) Length = 5 in • Overall Grayish in Color • Thin, White Wing Stripe • Thin, Dark Bill
Dark (Black) Legs (Very Small Shorebird)
Least Sandpiper (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)
5 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
Long-billed Dowitcher (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
6 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 Snipe (Gallinago 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” habitat
American Woodcock (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
7 Other Resources:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bird 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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