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Little stint ot Semipalmated sandpiper? (1 Viewer)

Little stint or Semipalmated sandpiper?

Help.

A week ago i photographed this sandpiber as a odd juvenile little stint. Looking at the pictures make me doupt this id - having absolutely no experience with Semi, I hope that somebody, with experience in both species can help.
 

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Having never seen Little Stint before, and understanding how difficult juvenile plumages can be in stints and sandpipers, it sure looks like a Semialmated Sandpiper to me. White supercilium and dark-centered feathering on the back giving this bird a scaled appearance are good marks for semi.
 
Yes it was taken in Denmark. In Denmark there is only two previous records of Semi, one of them a juvenile ealier this year. So it is a big rarity in Denmark, why identification must be done with great care.

One more picture of the bird to consider. Pleas let me hear som more arguments. It would also be nice to hear, if you have experience with both species.

Thanks
 

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Hi Thomas,

Great photo that last one, and a big help. Unfortunately, your bird doesn't show semi-palmations, and has the feet of a Little Stint (see http://www.birdingworld.co.uk/images/LStint1salthouse.jpg)

I'd been concerned about the length of the primary projection in the first pic, plus the quite dark row of pale tipped scaps, so IMO it's a Little Stint... Going out alone on this one!!
 
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I too would expect palmations to show in that second photograph! Though the general structure looks good for SP, however I'd like to see a deeper bill-base/blobbier tip.
 
Hello Thomas,
I will leave the intricacies of the wader id to the experts but I did notice that this is your first post to BirdForum. Welcome to a very friendly forum with lots of very knowledgeable people. Look forward to more posts and discussion from you and hope you get the answer to this one which is looking good.
 
Strong pale mantle lines and long primary projection/tertail tips favour Little!
The impression of 'anchor' shaped markings in the upper lower scapulars seems more like those of Little Stint - more full and rounded, not really 'anchor' shaped with an obvious dark shaft line. But see in the first image the lower rear scapular. Bill
/bill tip difficult to evaluate since the look different in both images. Webbing also difficult to be sure of - although in the second image there´s a slight webbing in the righ foot, but not seen in the left.

JanJ
 
OK, Thanks!

I would also have liked to hear from some more experienced US birders.

Now I will write you my opinion. I think it looks more like a Semi rather than a Little Stint – but I have definitely not set my to it, so any help from you will still be appreciated!

The sandpiper/stint was photographed in very bright sunlight.

The Bill: It doesn’t seem as thin and pointed as on little stint - it looks a bit blunter. This feature, I admit is not objective, and looking at pictures of Semi, they also often have bill appearing both thin and pointed.

The legs: I have tried to the bird in question out I Photoshop, and put it in together with a picture of little stint. The leg seems thicker and the knee much stronger.

Webbing: I know that the webbing on semi is very difficult to see. If you look at the second picture, the left foot does not show webbing, but couldn’t the be because what you actually se is the split between the hind toe and the long toes? I have the impression, that the shape of the split between the toes on the right foot shows webbing (maybe it is jus me really wanting to have seen a semi in Denmark???)

Length of wings: The wings does not reach tip of tail. I had an idea that this was an important feature for Semi.

Lower scaps: On the first picture, the light hits the bird, so that it is possible to se the markings on the feathers rather well. Especially the rear of lower scaps shows "anchor" marking. As for the rest of lower scaps, the have some kind of markings at centres no solid as in little (question, how big is variation on little?)

Upper scaps: on Little stint edges should be: for lower part of feather white and for upper part of feather warm buff. Solid centres as in this bird, seems normal for Semi (only experienced this form pictures found on the net).

Coverts does not look solid, but dark centred getting paler and paler towards the sides and ending as a pale whitish tip to coverts.

V-marking on back obvious, but quite narrow: in my opinion only half the width as little stint. It seems that semi normally does not show that much, but also for that part, I have found pictures of semi on the net with similar.

Supercilium: At first I thought, that the supercilium was all wrong. The first pictures of semi that I consulted, had a faint and broken supercilium. But variation on Semi appears to be much bigger than in little stint (which by the way varies a lot, especially in adult/2K plumage!). And my conclusion is that the supercilium is good for Semi.

OK enough for now – hope for some good advice and explanations.
 
I've seen thousands of Little stint and approximately 10 Semip in Britain, plus flocks of Semip in South america 20 years ago (so they don't count!)

To me it is a Little stint. I could be wrong, but my intial "feel" was that the bird was LS but without any rufous tinges to the upperparts.

Reasons (no reference to literature so forgive any mistakes)

1. No webbing between toes
2. Clear (but narrow) double scapular lines
3. Large "splodge" of sreaks on breast sides with finer streaked breast around
4. Strongly capped appearance
5. Evenly curved bill with no blunter tip
6. Lack of contrast between upper and lower capulars and the wing coverts (would expect juv Semip to have dark scaps and contrastingly paler-centred wing covs)
7. General "cute and fluffy" feel if you know what I mean
8. Scapular "anchors" are consistent across the wing, although one or two do look more like semip than Little.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse.

Sean
 
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