Page 427 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WADERS
Family Scolopacidae Species Calidris bairdii Family Scolopacidae Species Calidris fuscicollis
Baird’s Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper
Of the vagrant small North American sandpipers, Almost as slim and tapered as Baird’s Sandpiper, the
Baird’s Sandpiper is the buffiest and longest-tailed, juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper in autumn is told
looking low-slung and tapered, with a short black bill by its less scaly upperside, with more rufous and black,
and short blackish legs. Immatures have particularly a tiny pale bill base, a whiter stripe over the eye, and
well-marked pearly white, scaly feather edges on the white “V” lines on the back.Adults are plain and grey
upperparts and a buff breast above very white in winter, also with long, tapered wingtips. In flight,
underparts. In flight, the rump is mostly dark and the the white patch above the tail is an obvious feature.
wings have a thin white stripe. OCCURRENCE Very rare in W Europe, in autumn,
OCCURRENCE Rare vagrant from short black bill from North America.
North America, mostly in autumn. VOICE Thin, sharp, squeaky tzeet.
VOICE Short, purring trill, trreeet.
ADULT (WINTER) short
scaly back bill
JUVENILE long wings
very long
wings
black
short legs
legs

Length 14–17cm (5 1 ⁄2 –6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 30–33cm (12–13in) Length 14–17cm (5 1 ⁄2 –6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 30–33cm (12–13in)

Family Scolopacidae Species Calidris pusilla Family Scolopacidae Species Calidris maura
Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper
This is like a dull Little Stint (see p.181) with less clear Very rare in Europe, and very difficult to tell from
pale “V”s above, a thicker, blunter bill, and with tiny a Semipalmated Sandpiper or Little Stint (see p.181),
webs between the toes. Bright juveniles have some the Western Sandpiper is a tiny, stint-like wader with
gingery rufous on the head and back, others are long legs and a slim, quite long, slightly curved bill. It
greyer with a little buff around the neck and chest has a slight pale “V”on its back in autumn,with a band
sides.Western Sandpipers are very similar, with of rufous feathers on each side, a broad pale band over
slightly longer bills and more distinct streaks on the the eye, and tiny webs between its toes.
long, slightly
sides of the breast. OCCURRENCE Very rare vagrant curved bill
OCCURRENCE Rare vagrant from North America. in W Europe, in autumn, from
VOICE Short, muffled tchrp, stint-like tip. North America.
greyish or gingery VOICE High, thin,
rufous back rough jeet.
JUVENILE
ADULT
thick,
blunt tiny webs
bill
partly between
webbed toes
toes

Length 13–15cm (5–6in) Wingspan 25–30cm (10–12in) Length 14–17cm (5 1 ⁄2 –6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 28–31cm (11–12in)
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