Field identification of shorebirds Cin-Ty A. Lee Rice University copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 1 Gestalt Instead of worrying about every feather detail Identifications can be based on general impression = GESTALT Shape Posture Behavior Facial impression copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 2 Who are these people? copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 3 Can gestalt be used as a field mark? Drawbacks no single gestalt field mark is conclusive gestalt field marks are hard to quantify gestalt field marks can vary Advantages when gestalt field marks are used together, one has a powerful tool for field ID copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 4 OBJECTIVES •Quantify gestalt •Emphasize holistic field identification copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 5 Picking out birds from a flock is all about gestalt birding Gestalt birding is not meant to replace looking at details They should complement each other copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 6 Basics Bill shape, size, leg length copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 7 Basics Habitat Least Semipalmated Western copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 8 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 9 Back Curvature Imagine a rolling ball copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 10 Feeding Angle Imagine a line drawn from wingtip to base of bill Western Semipalmated Least copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 11 Calidris copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 12 Least Semipalmated Western copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 13 Copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 14 Semipalmated Western copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 15 Least, Semipalmated, Western Sandpipers Western Semipalmated Least Least Semipalmated Western copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 16 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 17 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 18 Nov 26, 2004 - Bolivar copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 19 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 20 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 21 Baird’s Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 22 White-rumped Sandpiper Baird’s Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 23 Dunlin versus Western Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 24 Nov 26, 2004 - Bolivar August, 2003 Bolivar copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 25 Stilt Curlew Dunlin copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 26 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 27 June 3, 2006 – Bolivar Flats, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 28 Ruff Sharp-tailed Pectoral Sandpiper Sandpiper Buff-breasted Upland Sandpiper Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 29 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 30 Hudsonian Marbled copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 31 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 32 Long-billed Dowitcher Short-billed Dowitcher copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 33 July 31, 2005, Bolivar, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 34 Sep 4, 2004 – Brazoria, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 35 Aug 6, 2005 – Bolivar, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 36 Short-billed Long-billed copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 37 Lesser Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 38 Dec 11, 2004 - Galveston copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 39 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 40 European American Golden- Pacific Golden- Black-bellied Golden-Plover Plover Plover Plover copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 41 Semipalmated Piping Snowy Plover Plover Plover Lesser Greater Sand-Plover Sand-Plover Wilson’s Plover copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 42 Semipalmated Piping Snowy Plover Plover Plover Lesser Greater Sand-Plover Sand-Plover Wilson’s Plover copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 43 Be aware of seasonal status copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 44 Pectoral Sandpiper 200 180 160 140 120 juvenile arrival N 100 80 60 40 20 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 45 Practice makes perfect copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 46 Aug 11, 2004 – San Diego, CA Aug 11, 2004 – San Diego, CA copyrightJan, 2005 Cin-Ty – Lee Bolivar, 2007 TX 47 Aug 7, 2004 - Bolivar copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 48 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 49 Bar-tailed Hudsonian Black-tailed Marbled copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 50 Bar-tailed Black-tailed Marbled Hudsonian copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 51 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 52 Rufous-necked Stint Little Stint Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 53 Bristle-thiged Long-billed Whimbrel Curlew Curlew Upland Eskimo Little Sandpiper Curlew Curlew copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 54 Least Sandpiper Long-toed Stint Temminck’s Stint copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 55 Ruff Sharp-tailed Pectoral Sandpiper Sandpiper Buff-breasted Upland Sandpiper Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 56 Pectoral Sandpiper Buff-breasted Upland Sandpiper Sandpiper copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 57 Center of Mass copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 58 Copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 59 Aug 11, 2005 – Bolivar, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 60 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 61 copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 62 Aug 25, 2005 – Bolivar, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 63 Short-billed Dowitcher Aug 11, 2004 – San Diego, CA copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 64 Sep 4, 2005, Bolivar, TX copyright Cin-Ty Lee 2007 65.