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Thread: Shorebird Identification Quiz #5

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    Default Shorebird Identification Quiz #5

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    Okie dokie. The last one was child's play. Julian, please wait three days before playing unless I screw up!

    Your job: Identify and age each of the 16 birds. See Pane #2 for the numerbing system.

    Have fun boys and girls.
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    OK, have at it! Ah, almsot forgot: Jamaica Bay WR, QUeens, NY. August 26, 2003.
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    What's with all the shyness? Here's a head start: 15 and 16 are farily fresh juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers.....
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  4. #4
    Julian Hough
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    I can't count past 10..I'm handicapped already... :)

    I'll have a dabble later...

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    Not shyness, will be back after trick-or-treating...:D:)

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    Good for you both. I believe that there is only one difficult one. Another clue: I think that there are 3 species in the photo.
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    Hey All,

    Will be back with answers later tonight or tomorrow.This one is a little more difficult due to how small the birds are in frame.Structure will be important for this one.

    Dave Brown

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    Here's my first look:

    1 juv. White-rumped
    2 juv. Semipalmated
    3 juv. Sanderling?
    4 ad. Semipalm
    5 juv. Semipalmated
    6 juv. White-rumped?
    7 juv. Least
    8 juv. Least
    9 ad. Semipalmated
    10 ad. Sanderling?
    11 juv. White-rumped
    12 juv. White-rumped
    13 juv. Semipalmated
    14 juv. Semipalmated
    15 juv. White-rumped
    16 juv. Semipalmated

    I'm quite puzzled by the Sanderlings? The birds look white but are way too small.

    Cheers,

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    I was gonna wait and let others try first but I guess I'll have a go. For me there might be a couple of tricky birds and even as I write this I'm not sure I see a third species.

    1) Adult White-rumped Sandpiper
    2)Juv Semi Sand
    3)Adult Semi Sand
    4)Juv Semi Sand ( looks slightly long billed and long legged)
    5)Juv Semi Sand
    6)Adult Semi Sand
    7)extra bright Juv Semi Sand( bill looks a bit fine tipped too,but breast is paler amoung other things than I would expect for Least Sandpiper
    8)Juv Semi Sand
    9)Juv Semi Sand
    10)Adult Semi Sand
    11)Juv Semi Sand
    12)Adult Semi Sand
    13)Juv Semi Sand
    14)Juv Semi Sand
    15)Juv Semi Sand
    16)Juv Semi Sand

    Dave Brown

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    Well, at least was have some players: Ilija: what do you know about the timing of migration of adult and juvenile White-rumps? (You have white-rumps on the brain!)

    I do believe however that Ilija got two right that Dave got wrong.... And I believe that I had one of those two wrong.

    ps: Size and structure first, patterning second.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur Morris View Post
    Well, at least was have some players: Ilija: what do you know about the timing of migration of adult and juvenile White-rumps? (You have white-rumps on the brain!)
    I don't know if there's difference in timing between juvs. and adults. I'll have to take a look.

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    It's in that book... And the timing of adult and juvenile migration is often an ID key (as it is here with bird #1).
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    Artie,

    So,do I have 14/16?? Perhaps I never gave this enough attention. After all is said and done if #7 is a Least Sand I'd be interested in talking a bit more about it. Things are winding down in Newfoundland in terms of shorebirds-95% of our shorebirds present now are juv WRSA.

    Also some horrible,yet unrelated news,They are shutting off our serwer outflow in St.John's harbour.This might just be the best place in the world to photograph Black-headed Gulls and Kumliens Iceland Gulls in flight.It's a real shame :(

    Dave Brown

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    Unfortunately I don't have access to the book, :) I took a quick look today between t-o-t-ing.
    I still think 1 is WR and I think I got the Leasts right. All other may be Semipalms but 15 has primaries
    fully uncovered. What do you think about that?

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    OK. #1 is an adult WRSP. It has the classic grey-hooded look + the conspicuous eye line and you can see the long wings. Juvie white-rumps do not show up until late September at the earliest. #s 3 & 10 are adult Semipalmated Sandpiper for sure (I think) and probably #6 as well. Kudos to Dave for those. We can leave %6 for Julian... #7 is surely a juvie Least--reddish brown with a fine-tipped bill. #8 is tricky; I originally thought semi but Ilija got me thinking that it might be a least but I will stick with semi, probably a young bird. The only bird that really bugs me is #14; not sure if it is larger than #12; it has a wide bodied look. I will leave that one for Julian also.

    So Dave likely got at least 14 and probably 15 (and should have got #7 right too!)

    As for #15, I am 99% sure that it is a juvie semi regardless of how the feathers are arranged. Why? It is not a juvenile WRSP--far, far too early, and it is not a juvenile Baird's. I am not sure how to rule out juvie Little Stint (they would be brighter I think) or juvie Red--necked Stint--upperparts somewhat like a juvie Western ???) I'll stick with juvie semi.

    Again, not positive about #8 Ilija......
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    Very cool, and scary:D I didn't know about juv. WRs timing. That makes things bit easier.
    Thanks for this one, I think we should have more of this level of difficulty, along with easier ones.
    I'd like to revisit 15 again at some point if you don't mind.

    Cheers,

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    We should be hearing from Julian soon on #s 8, 15, etc. I do not have many images like this.... There are lots of shorebird species where the timing of migration can help or determine the aging and sometimes the ID.
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  18. #18
    Julian Hough
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    #4, #15 and #8 are my possible stumbling blocks, since there's not much to go on with the images. I had my best guess. #15 looks long-winged, but not sure why, since it doesn't fit Baird's and juv. White-rumped is out due to date, but I'll stick with a grey-semi, even though there seems to be some primaries exposed.

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    Hi Guys,

    I don't see anything really unusual about #15 for a Juv Semi Sand. I have seen lots of birds like this in Newfoundland this summer/fall with tertials that do not completely cover the primaries.Since this is a Juv,perhaps it's possible that the tertials aren't completely grown yet. I know this can be the case for some shorebirds,such as Golden Plovers, not sure about the smaller peep. I don't seen anything there suggesting that this would be one of the longer winged species such as White-rumped or Baird's. My guess is that either the tertials aren't fully grown in or they are misplaced in some way,thereby exposing the primaries a little more than usual. As well, there appears to be some variability in wing length in Semi Sand. I have seen some birds with wings that priject slightly beyond the tail and oftten these birds have primaries that a re more visible and dwon;t show that "bunched feather" that is typical of the species.

    Dave Brown

    PS: perhaps I have no excuse for not identifying #8 correctly- the bird appears very pale breasted and seems to show a lot of white in the face,including the supercilium for Least.Other features of course,bill etc, look fine for the species. This was a good one Artie!

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    Good points by Dave. No excuse for missing the least (other than that we all do it once in a while!

    Julian, The birds that are facing us give me the most problems....

    #1: How are you aging #s 12 and 14? 14 seems to have a back without the fringing....
    #2: With #4 are you going strictly by the bill???
    #3: What makes 8 a semi not a least?
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    Hi Guys,

    Since I have the same answers as Julian for a couple of these, I thought I'd provide my justification then we can see if it is consistent with his.

    #12- back looks dark and there appears to be some fine streaking visible extending down off the birds shoulders.I can imagine if this bird took it's head out of the water it's breast would look quite similar to #3. Also compare the birds crown,color and pattern to bird #3,both are very gray with a pretty distinct supercilium almost appearing split.Juv Semi sand have quite a bit if rufous in their crown feathers,this bird looks too gray to be a juv Semi sand in late August to me.

    #14) lots of rufous in the crown and upperparts- too much for an adult Semi sand I would think.

    #8) rufous upperparts with narrow white edges,but lack strong "braces" that are often shown by fresh Least Sandpiper( might want to take this with a grain of salt considering I'm the only one who botched the easy Least Sand ID

    #4) I was suspicious of this bird as soon as I saw it.I never see Western Sands,but this bird looked a bit more long and droopy billed and long legged. Given my lack of experience with the species it was just a hunch though.

    Maybe we do gulls next???

    Dave Brown

  22. #22
    Julian Hough
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    Julian, The birds that are facing us give me the most problems....

    #1: How are you aging #s 12 and 14? 14 seems to have a back without the fringing....

    #12 has a a more "striped" looking back, so I think it's an adult, since the feathers wear in late summer -the paler areas become paler and the darker areas become darker so you end up with a bird that has more contrast and looks "streakier" so I think that's an adult. Compare it with #14 which has a nice uniform "bloom" to the back, no real contrasting colors, which would be fitting for a juv. since the feathers are all neat and uniform in quality with no wear.


    #2: With #4 are you going strictly by the bill??? The bill is definitely the first indicator, but not diagnostic since Semi-ps can overlap and have longish bills (see#2). It's the overall Jizz of the bird, with a rangier feel to it. The bird has a less-rounded head, cleaner ear-coverts (not dark-washed as in Semi), paler crown and white bulging onto the forehead. These subtle marks all combine to give Western a slightly different look which is what I see on this bird. It's more those reasons than any real tangible feather detail which isn't visible on this bird.

    #3: What makes 8 a semi not a least?
    Just looks less "rufous" - more a gut decision than anything.

    The above are just my comments - the id. of some of them could be slightly questionable from what we can see of some of the birds - no disrespect to the photographer - so some of them, mostly the ones described above are "best-guessed" on the info that is visible.

    Now, we have to work on Artie, to get his fieldcraft up, so he can make closer images...I have a great book for reference entitled the "Art of Bird Photography" which someone once gave me...:):p:)

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