Thumbnail Quiz

[Limeybirder]

With nothing better to do than tax the brains of fellow birders here are 5 thumbnails of shorebirds for you to have a crack at.

Be careful number 3 was taken near dusk and the sunset was very orange.

My only other clue is Eastern USA. :eat:

[lou salomon]

short-billed dowitcher
sb dowie or ?
least
dunlin
no idea - a peep?

[Limeybirder]

short-billed dowitcher
sb dowie or ?
least
dunlin
no idea - a peep?

short-billed dow - correct
incorrect
incorrect
dunlin - correct


6 is the same bird as 3 taken a few seconds later, Ive added 7 just to make it more confusing!!

[Bluetail]

5. Spotted Sandpiper

[Limeybirder]

5. Spotted Sandpiper

good job Spotted Sandpiper it is, a male as well (ascertained from biometrics)

[Bluetail]

3. Baird's Sand? (wings look too short though)

PS Just noticed the extra pics! I'll go for Baird's.

[Limeybirder]

3. Baird's Sand? (wings look too short though)

not a Baird's, wish it was though, extremely rare in NE USA in spring

[Bluetail]

White-rumped then?

[Limeybirder]

White-rumped then?

nope! sorry

[lou salomon]

the right bird seems to be a western sand but is it the same as the left one (no 3)?

[Limeybirder]

the right bird seems to be a western sand but is it the same as the left one (no 3)?

like Baird's, Western Sandpiper is an extreme rarity in the NE USA during spring. 3, 6 & 7 are all Semipalmated Sandpipers. 3 & 6 are tricky due to the light and the dark appearance of the bird. It is probably a male and looks chunky. Semi's double there body weight in the Delaware Bay (where I took these pics) so during late May/ early June they often look a bit porky. Some of the individuals we caught for banding weighed as much as 45 grams! Typically when they arrive in New Jersey they weigh around 20 grams. This weight gain is achieved in about 2 weeks and changes their overall shape and jizz considerably. Male Semipalms (easy to ascertain through bill and wing chord measurements) often appear darker than the larger females. Here are two pictures of a male and female (left) Semipalmated Sand.
Nobody has gotten number 2 correct yet - a species more familiar to europeans than yanks!

[Limeybirder]

Here are a few more Semipalm pics.

[Bluetail]

I'll bid you a Bar-tailed Godwit for no.2.

[Limeybirder]

I'll bid you a Bar-tailed Godwit for no.2.

I wish much rarer over here than the species it is.

[Michael W]

How about Hudsonian Godwit? :D

[Limeybirder]

How about Hudsonian Godwit? :D

Nobody has gotten number 2 correct yet - a species more familiar to europeans than yanks! :D


no I hope european birders wouldn't be too familiar with Hudsonian Godwit as I think its only occurred on that side of the pond 1 or 2 times.

Keep trying guys, even though its in a diffcult pose thought it wasn't that hard but I know what it is!!!! :h?:

[Michael W]

Curlew Sandpiper perhaps? (I know one was there because I've seen your photo of it)

[Limeybirder]

Curlew Sandpiper perhaps? (I know one was there because I've seen your photo of it)

correctimundo yep its the same male Curlew Sand I photgraphed at Nummy's Island in Cape May. One of two birds present and found on World Series day. o:)

heres a thumbnail of the other bird, if you look in the first pic the male is at the top of the pic, I tried real hard to get them in the same frame but they mostly kept away from each other. :-C

[lou salomon]

oh, shoot, i knew it...haha - semipalm, male with long bill? :clap: :clap:

[Limeybirder]

oh, shoot, i knew it...haha - semipalm, male with long bill? :clap: :clap:

The females actually have longer bills Lou. There is considerable overlap between the eastern Semipalms and Western Sandpipers, which breed in Alaska. Alaskan Semipalms have shorter bills so they aren't competing for the same food source as the predominant Western whilst on the breeding grounds. Eastern Semipalms have got it all to themselves so they have longer bills, some females (like the one in the thumbnail) have Western like bills, which often causes confusion.

[lou salomon]

The females actually have longer bills Lou. There is considerable overlap between the eastern Semipalms and Western Sandpipers, which breed in Alaska. Alaskan Semipalms have shorter bills so they aren't competing for the same food source as the predominant Western whilst on the breeding grounds. Eastern Semipalms have got it all to themselves so they have longer bills, some females (like the one in the thumbnail) have Western like bills, which often causes confusion.

thanks Limeybirder, i knew there was sth about bill length in genders but didn't remember well, having been birding only on pacific coast (bay area); interesting and informative!

[Limeybirder]

heres the next challenge all from the USA

[Bluetail]

1. Dickcissel
2. Primary projection looks too long, but- Solitary Sandpiper
3. Savannah Sparrow?
4. Gull-billed Tern
5. Pine Siskin

[Limeybirder]

1. Dickcissel
2. Primary projection looks too long, but- Solitary Sandpiper
3. Savannah Sparrow?
4. Gull-billed Tern
5. Pine Siskin

4 out of 5 Bluetail

[Bluetail]

Just bumping this up because I want to know which one I got wrong!

[lou salomon]

3. so let's try with song sparrow

[Limeybirder]

Just bumping this up because I want to know which one I got wrong!

number one

[Bluetail]

In that case, I guess it's got to be a Bobolink, but I don't see how it can be...

[Bird_Feak1]

Seaside Sparrow

[Bluetail]

Seaside SparrowHmm, yes, I think you could be right.

[Bluetail]

Come on, Andy, put us out of our misery!

[Larry Lade]

I'll venture a Bachman's Sparrow.

[youngbirder92]

Larry Lade is right. It is got to be a Bachmans. note the yellow in the alular bend. Also I have banded a few myself, so im pretty familiar with them and had a chance to study them up close.

[youngbirder92]

here are some bachmans for comparison

[JANJ]

Yes, what else could it be but Bachman´s?
http://www.roysephotos.com/BachmansSparrow.html
JanJ

[Progne Subis]

Looks like it's a Bachman's for sure, I agree.

[erizzo]

Another vote for Bachman's

[Larry Lade]

Have not heard from Andy, so I guess Bachman's Sparrow is the correct ID.