-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Little stint ot Semipalmated sandpiper? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Thomas W. Johansen
- Start date
Thomas W. Johansen
Member
It is of course not a sanderling. I know that sanderlings easily are confused with a number of species, so it can always be taken into account.
I post a new picture, that i havn't posted becouse the contrast on the picture gives an wrong impression of the bird. Very black and white, when it was indeed much greyer.
I post a new picture, that i havn't posted becouse the contrast on the picture gives an wrong impression of the bird. Very black and white, when it was indeed much greyer.
Attachments
Julian H
Well-known member
It's a "grey" juvenile Little Stint, one deficient in feather coloring. The head pattern, lacking a distinct capped effect and any dark wash to the ear-coverts, coupled with a rather whitish forehead (contra Semi-p) and a diffuse split here reaching back over the eye are all Little Stint. Lack of any breast markings, or restricted breast markings at the carpal are also Little Stint.
One other obvious things to my eyes, favoring Little Stint, is the amount ox exposed primaries, good for Little but probably not typical of Semi-p.
The upperpart feathers also show the whitish tramlines on the mantle and also on the outer fringes to the scaps, again good for Little and not good. The dark centres to the rear lower scapulars are "hour-glass" shaped and rather solid, again, good for Little and not Semi-p.
The third shot I jus saw, shows no semipalmations, which clinches the id.
Semi-ps occurr in "grey" morphs too, and I agree if I had seen this bird, I would definitely need to rule Semi-p out. It would probably get passed off here in the US as a Semi-p unless you were specifically looking for Little Stint.
Overall, the clean, pale look to the face and greyish crown initially point in favor of Little rather than Semi-p, since even grey-ones here still have dark crowns, darker ear-coverts etc.
Good challenge!
One other obvious things to my eyes, favoring Little Stint, is the amount ox exposed primaries, good for Little but probably not typical of Semi-p.
The upperpart feathers also show the whitish tramlines on the mantle and also on the outer fringes to the scaps, again good for Little and not good. The dark centres to the rear lower scapulars are "hour-glass" shaped and rather solid, again, good for Little and not Semi-p.
The third shot I jus saw, shows no semipalmations, which clinches the id.
Semi-ps occurr in "grey" morphs too, and I agree if I had seen this bird, I would definitely need to rule Semi-p out. It would probably get passed off here in the US as a Semi-p unless you were specifically looking for Little Stint.
Overall, the clean, pale look to the face and greyish crown initially point in favor of Little rather than Semi-p, since even grey-ones here still have dark crowns, darker ear-coverts etc.
Good challenge!
JANJ
Well-known member
Yes - third image clear up things better and characters like the projection of primaries past longest tertial tip (they seem to be intact) is not good for SPS (!) along with scapular pattern and those mentioned by JH makes this stint a Little. Note how the seemingly lack of hindtoe on the right foot can trick you in the 2nd image - just to emerge when the bird change position in image 3 - although on the left foot it´s more difficult to observe a hindtoe in any of the images.
Nice one Thomas - og takk for den.
JanJ
Nice one Thomas - og takk for den.
JanJ
it's a Little Stint!Thomas W. Johansen
Member
OK.
Thanks a lot.
I'm very happy with the explanations given by some of you. I have two questions though: About the length of the tertials compared to little stint. What are the rules here? And what about primaries/tail projection. I thought that primaries on little stint was suppose to reach well byond tip of tail?
Thanks a lot.
I'm very happy with the explanations given by some of you. I have two questions though: About the length of the tertials compared to little stint. What are the rules here? And what about primaries/tail projection. I thought that primaries on little stint was suppose to reach well byond tip of tail?
Thomas W. Johansen
Member
Forgot to ask. Can anyon give me a link to a picture of similar juv. little stint?
