Shorebird Identification Webinar 1: The Most Important Things Kevin J. McGowan Sponsored by How do you identify shorebirds? Size Shape Color pattern Markings Behavior Habitat Calls Kevin s rule of 3 for beginners 1. Pick 1 Identify 1 bird at a time 2. 2 many birds Identify to a broad category, then narrow to a smaller group 3. Look for 3 Find 3 clues or more 1
How do you identify shorebirds? Size Shape Color pattern Markings Behavior Habitat Calls Shape Bill length Bill curvature (up/down; curve/droop) Bill tip (blunt/pointed) Leg length Neck length Body shape (compact/elongated) Basic Shorebird Diversity Plovers Peeps Curlews and godwits Tringines Snipe Phalaropes Others 2
Plovers Mountain Plover Semipalmated Plover Wilson s Plover Kildeer American Golden Plover American Golden Plover Black bellied Plovers Piping Plover Snowy Plover Marie Lehmann Semipalmated Sandpiper Peeps Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Sanderling Pectoral Sandpiper Baird s Sandpiper Laura Erickson Dunlin White rumped Sandpiper Curlews and Godwits Hudsonian Godwit Marbled Godwit Whimbrel Long billed Curlew 3
Tringines Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Willet Spotted Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Wandering Tattler Solitary Sandpiper Snipes Short billed Dowitcher Long billed Dowitcher Wilson s Snipe American Woodcock Phalaropes Red necked Phalarope Red Phalarope Wilson s Phalarope 4
Others Upland Sandpiper Buff breasted Sandpiper Laura Erickson Stilts and Avocets Black necked Stilt Donald Dvorak American Avocet Donald Dvorak Turnstones Black Turnstone Jack Doyle Ruddy Turnstone Surfbird Daniel Tinoco 5
Oystercatchers Black Oystercatcher Mary Jo Adams American Oystercatcher James Hendrickson How do you identify shorebirds? Size Shape Color pattern Markings Behavior Habitat Calls Willets and Short billed Dowitcher Size 6
Size Shorebird Yardstick Size Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Species Length (inches) Least Sandpiper 6 Semipalmated Sandpiper Snowy Plover Western Sandpiper Baird s Sandpiper White rumped Sandpiper Semipalmated Plover 7.5 Red necked Phalarope Spotted Sandpiper Sanderling 8 Wilson s Plover Species Buff breasted Sandpiper Dunlin 8.5 Solitary Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper turnstones 9.5 Surfbird Lesser Yellowlegs Red Knot Length (inches) Killdeer 10.5 7
Size Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs American Oystercatcher Species Lesser Yellowlegs Length (inches) Species Willet 15 Length (inches) Red Knot Killdeer 10.5 golden plovers dowitchers Wandering Tattler 11 Black bellied Plover Greater Yellowlegs 14 Hudsonian Godwit Whimbrel Marbled Godwit American Avocet American Oystercatcher 18 Long billed Curlew 23 Black necked Stilt How do you identify shorebirds? Size Shape Color pattern Markings Behavior Habitat Calls Spotted Sandpiper 8
Behavior scratching Semipalmated Plover Greater Yellowlegs Behavior scratching Ruddy Turnstone Flight style Behavior Wilson s Snipe Spotted Sandpiper 9
Bobs and twitches Behavior Spotted Sandpiper Killdeer A Behavioral Guide to Shorebirds Plovers run and stop Semipalmated Plover 10
Peeps head down, walk, pick, probe Semipalmated Sandpiper Sanderling Run away! run down run away! Sanderling Purple Sandpiper rock and roll! Purple Sandpiper 11
Yellowlegs Stroll and pick Greater Yellowlegs Dowitchers Sewing machine probing Long billed Dowitchers White rumped Sandpiper tip up White rumped Sandpiper 12
Sanderling Run away! run down run away! Sanderling Purple Sandpiper rock and roll! Purple Sandpiper Phalaropes swim and run Red necked Phalarope 13
Wilson s Phalarope swim and spin Wilson s Phalarope Identify one shorebird at a time Use shape to narrow to group Compare size with other birds Watch for color patterns, especially when it flies Notice how it forages Notice where it forages Listen for calls http://macaulaylibrary.org/guide/voices of shorebirds 14
birds.cornell.edu/courses 15