Trinidad - Shore Bird Identification (2 Viewers)

[Dabs]

The bird in the attached photos was seen in a river foraging with Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs nearby. Its size seemed to me to be comparative to a Greater Yellowlegs. The legs are distinctly yellow, but it definitely is not a Yellowlegs species, with that "heavy" bill an overall appearance. I have received feedback that it could be a Willet.

I would appreciate assistance with the bird's ID.

Thanks

Brian

 

[Butty]

Straight evenly-tapering bill = willet.

 

[Indobirder]

I'm not sold on Willet... It gives me more of a Short-billed Dowitcher feel:

short yellowish legs (interestingly one looks hurt)
markings on the sides/flanks looks better for Dowitcher to me

 

[THE_FERN]

Not a worry where the pale loral area only extends to the front of the eye. Here it extends over it. Dowitcher looks a good shot

 

[lockbreeze926]

On a quick glance, it's very Willety, but do they ever have yellow legs?

SB Dowitcher seems an okay alternative.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Looks to have one juv Short-billed Dowitcher looking tertial on left side.

 

[Prestdj]

has it got yellow legs?

 

[Prestdj]

Straight evenly-tapering bill = willet.

willet no long billed dowitcher

 

[Bewick]

willet no long billed dowitcher

?

 

[jmepler]

It is definitely a dowitcher. I agree with JWN Andrewes that there appears to be one juvenile tertial retained on the left side. Also, Long-billed Dowitcher, from what I can ascertain, has never been reported in Trinidad. Short-billed Dowitcher is a safe bet.

 

[Ruff-Leg]

The barring on the tail (photo 8173) is inconsistent with Willet at this time of year, but that is one Willet-y looking dowitcher.

 

[njlarsen]

It is definitely a dowitcher. I agree with JWN Andrewes that there appears to be one juvenile tertial retained on the left side. Also, Long-billed Dowitcher, from what I can ascertain, has never been reported in Trinidad. Short-billed Dowitcher is a safe bet.

I would be very surprised if there are no Long-billed D on T&T, given that they occur with intervals (but not every year) in Barbados. SbDo certainly are much more common!
Niels

 

[petemorris]

Looks to have one juv Short-billed Dowitcher looking tertial on left side.

Is it actually a 1cy bird though, or a moulting adult?

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Definitely a dowitcher, not a Willet. And it sounds like Short-billed is the more expected.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Is it actually a 1cy bird though, or a moulting adult?

I thought the longitudinal markings in the tertial was a better fit for 1cy, with an adult tertial having more transverse markings, but I'm happy to be educated! It is perhaps rather early for a juvenile to be so advanced in moult.

 

[Butty]

It is perhaps rather early . . .

Or might be if we knew the date.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Or might be if we knew the date.

True! Lazy assumption on my part that it was contemporary.

 

[jmepler]

I would be very surprised if there are no Long-billed D on T&T, given that they occur with intervals (but not every year) in Barbados. SbDo certainly are much more common!
Niels

I would be surprised as well. But, Short-billed Dowitcher does travel further south in the winter than Long-billed does. There are just a handful of LBDO sightings in South America, compared to hundreds of SBDO at hundreds of locations.

It could also be that people are just reporting what they expect to see without proper scrutiny.

 

[njlarsen]

It could also be that people are just reporting what they expect to see without proper scrutiny.

A difficult to recognize species (except by voice) would certainly easily be overlooked.
Niels