Common Sandpiper question (1 Viewer)

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Jul 3, 2009

• #1

See plenty of Common Sandpipers like these, where the white shoulder flash is missing and the bib extends much further down the breast. Am I right in assuming they are females who moult into this prior to sitting on a nest in order to increase camouflage? If so why don't fieldguides ever point this out rather than simply stating the white patch is a key id feature?

 

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Last edited: Jul 3, 2009

C

Cheshire Birder

Well-known member

• Jul 3, 2009

• #2

As far as i was aware, you carnt sex Common Sand i the field (although i'm sure i'll be proven wrong!). The plumage suggests it could be a juvenile bird.

 

Keith Dickinson

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Jul 3, 2009

• #3

Just trawled through BWPi, both pictures and both Concise and Full articles, Jim and cannot find anything to support your assumption. No differentiation between sexes at all from that source.

 

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Jul 3, 2009

• #4

Cheshire Birder said:

As far as i was aware, you carnt sex Common Sand i the field (although i'm sure i'll be proven wrong!). The plumage suggests it could be a juvenile bird.

Click to expand...

That was my initial thought but a juvenile CS has the white shoulder patch and a much scalier back.

I saw two birds that look like this on Wednesday night, both were extremely protective of a very small area circling around me as I walked past and trying to make me follow them away from the area, earlier I'd seen exactly the same behaviour from a redshank that was trying to distract from its chick.

 

Last edited: Jul 3, 2009

Keith Dickinson

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Jul 3, 2009

• #5

Also been through, Shorebirds by Hayman et al and Waders by Message & Taylor. No mention of this being anything other than an occasional plumage variation in Shorebirds, the other doesn't even give it as an option.

 

M

Marcus Conway - ebirder

Well-known member

• Jul 3, 2009

• #6

jtw521 said:

See plenty of Common Sandpipers like these, where the white shoulder flash is missing and the bib extends much further down the breast. Am I right in assuming they are females who moult into this prior to sitting on a nest in order to increase camouflage? If so why don't fieldguides ever point this out rather than simply stating the white patch is a key id feature?

Click to expand...

Is this the same bird?

 

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Jul 3, 2009

• #7

Yes, but there was another very close with the same type of plumage.

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Jul 4, 2009

• #8

these birds have the white shoulder flash though?? and they're adult ('scribbly' markings across the plumage and no scaly patterning)

 

James Thomas

Well-known member

• Jul 4, 2009

• #9

Some close ups below, there's obviously something of a shoulder patch but its not as clear as you'd normally expect. My thoughts were that a bird ssat on a nest would show the white flash and present an obvious target hence it disappears at breeding season? I don't know and can't find any info regarding this.

 

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