Sandpiper identification
Posted by Matthew Wojtyla on June 2, 2008
Q: Good Morning,
This past weekend I was walking with my family along the east shore of the bay of Green Bay. We came across several flocks of sandpipers; mostly Dunlin and Ruddy Turnstones. But among the flock was a sandpiper that I can not identify. I snapped a few photos to be able to figure it out later, but I am still not sure. The bird in question appears front and center in the shots. There are a few turnstones back to the left and a Dunlin right behind it. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Matt Wojtyla
Habitat: pond/lake
State: Wisconsin
Habitat: pond/lake
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A: Oh boy, you threw a difficult one at us. Sandpipers are notoriously difficult to ID but I'll give it a whirl. The bird in question is very similar in size to the Dunlins so that helps. It also looks like a rather stout, straight, black bill. As best I can tell from what I can see in your two photos, the bird looks like a female Sanderling (Calidris alba) to me. Males at this time have a lot of reddish brown coloration, but females do not. Take a good look at your own field guide and see if this hits the mark. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( June 2, 2008)