Sharp-tailed sandpiper on Kauai's north shore? (1 Viewer)

[stuey]

Saw this little fella in Princeville, Hawaii, USA just a few minutes ago. My best guess is sharp-tailed sandpiper, would've said pectoral sandpiper if its bill were much longer.

(Am I right about this? Its head seems fuzzy enough like it might be a juvenile of a different species, but it was by itself and the legs seem sandpiper-like. There were some tiny zebra doves nearby as well.)

 

[Paul Chapman]

Pacific Golden Plover

All the best

Paul

 

[stuey]

Hmmm... OK, but you allow the similarity, yes?

Was my call wrong because a sandpiper's neck would be longer, or because sandpipers are less likely to be here this time of year?

(Or neither? : / )

 

[johnallcock]

There is some similarity but there are also a few features that allow ID as Pacific Golden Plover rather than Sharp-tailed Sandpiper:

• The bill on Sharp-tailed Sandpiper would be longer and slightly downcurved. usually slightly paler at the base.
• The legs are grey on your bird but would be pale yellowish-green on the sandpiper.
• The upperpart pattern is different - your bird shows a yellow spotted pattern on the upperpart feathers but the sandpiper should have more uniform fringes to the feathers with a slightly more ginger-rufous tone (this varies a bit seasonally - they are greyer in winter).
• Another useful feature on your bird is the dark spot at the rear of the cheek - this is a common feature of Pacific Golden Plover in non-breeding plumage.

Here's some Sharp-tailed Sandpipers to compare, to illustrate these points:

ML627191582 - Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML627191582; © James Levison; Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

ML625145647 - Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML625145647; © Jim Denny; Kauai, Hawaii, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

ML629539932 - Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML629539932; © Paul Rowan; Greater Geelong, Victoria, Australia

macaulaylibrary.org