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question about white-rumped sandpiper vs semipalmated sandpiper (1 Viewer)

T

tom baxter

Well-known member
Both sp. are usual in my part of southern New Jersey during the spring migration season. I am rather inexperienced with white-rumped sandpiper though. I have heard something about the wingtips being different when folded (not in flight). I don't remember what it was, what are good ways of identifying these two sp. other than size, without direct comparison? Is the size a give away? With the individuals that have been pointed out to me the size did not jump out as strikingly different. All help appreciated.
 
The tips of the folded wing project well beyond the tail in the White-rumped, are about even with it in the Semipalmated.
 
fugl said:
The tips of the folded wing project well beyond the tail in the White-rumped, are about even with it in the Semipalmated.
Click to expand...

Because of the difference in the length of the folded wing White-rumped always has a long tail end. It takes a bit of practice (shorebirds always do) but, after a while, you'll be able to spot the difference almost immediately.

Chris
 
* On birds in breeding (alternate) plumage.

Another characteristic which I find help full is the distinctive streaking on the flanks of the White-rumped Sandpiper which if found at all on the Semipalmated Sandpiper is minimal. Also, in flight the White-rumped shows, as you would guess, a white rump! The Semipalmated has black feathering running down the middle of the rump & tail.
 
White-rumps have this really neat habit of sort of tottering forwards and showing their wing tips crossed up in the air while feeding. I'll see if I can find a video
 
I took an image a few years ago which I think demonstrates what Jane is taking about; the White-rumped is in the green rectangle, and there is a Semi-palmated immediately in front of it on the left.

The actual white rump can actually be really tricky to see, but the overall shape of the two species is quite different - the White-rumped Sandpiper being a long, "pointy" bird, while the Semi- looks short and plump by comparison.

Peter C.
 

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Yes Peter that is exactly what i meant. Its easy to see the length of the wings side on... but when the bird is facing head on and it it does a little curtsey it shows crossed wing tips.
 
Peter it looks like you have some other waders in your photo in addition to the White-rumped and Semiplamated. There are some Least Sandpipers and a Sanderling.
 
Larry Lade said:
Peter it looks like you have some other waders in your photo in addition to the White-rumped and Semiplamated. There are some Least Sandpipers and a Sanderling.
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Hi Larry,
Yes, you got them ... almost all of them, anyway... ;)

It was a very lucky shot, because we had a great gathering of small shorebirds that day - never before, nor since, have I had all of these together in one frame!

I had this photo ready (with the handy green rectangle on it), because I used it years ago as the subject of a quiz on another forum. There are, in fact, five different species here - although the fifth (in the purple ellipse), is more than a little tricky to ID, given the pose.

In fact, I put this image in (for my quiz) only to show how deceptive photos can be; in this image, I find this bird looks very much like a Semi-palmated in size and shape, although it most definitely is not one. Here's another view of the same individual:

Peter
 

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Thanks Peter and Jane....good information...I in in jersey too and have a difficult time with id'ing the white rumped... will look for at Forsythe as there are thousands of shorebirds now.... jim
 
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