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gemfyreNOTE : Ugh, this one sat around, about 3 quarters complete for months. I finally got up the motivation to finish it off. This one is looong, I have a special interest in migratory waders. :)
When learning birds, groups like parrots and large waterfowl are easy. Birders dread having to ID Little Brown Jobs, Pelagics (the hardest group in my opinion) and Migratory Waders.
The Trials of Life for a Migratory Wader
Migratory Waders breed in the northern hemisphere, mostly on the Siberian Tundra, many fly way up into the Arctic Circle. They live in an endless summer. Summer on the Tundra means hordes of mosquitoes, which provides easy food for breeding pairs and newly hatched young. Once the summer begins to draw to a close and the hatchlings (often referred to as runners in the wader world) fledge, they all take off to wing thier way south once more. How the youngsters know where to go - nobody really knows.
The trip south is usually non-stop - the birds have gorged on insects in the north and can make it all the way in one go and gorge again once they get to "macrobenthically diverse" (i.e. they have lots of little critters living in them) mudflats such as Roebuck Bay. Roebuck Bay is situated on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway - they flyway I'm most familiar with. Other birds will fly up the eastern side of Australia and across the Pacific Ocean, some fly between Africa and Europe and some fly between the Americas.
The trip north is more hazardous. Birds travelling north are busily molting into thier breeding plumage and must maintain their condition so they can breed once they get to their destination. To do this they stop a few times along the way and refuel at mudflats. Unfortunately - on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway at least - these refueling areas are located on mudflats on the shores of the Yellow Sea, where human populations in China, Japan and Korea are booming and "reclaimation" (really, it's just "claimation", it was never ours in the first place to reclaim) of mud-flats is occuring at shocking speeds. A wader cannot feed on a reclaimed mudflat, these areas are rendered lifeless, and fewer waders are surviving the trip north or not breeding successfully. If you want to read more about this just Google "Saemangeum estuary".
In Australia they spend thier time feeding at low tide and roosting at high tide - at least that's the plan. Again, human interference prevents them doing this as much as they should be. Low flying aircraft (and a hovercraft in the Broome area) disturb feeding waders. Roosting at high tide is even more hazardous - fisherpeople, unleashed dogs and sand-cowboys in their four-wheel drives cause constant disturbance during vital resting times. Many of these people aren't even aware of the birds that they are doing so much damage to (and unfortunately, some just don't care).
Here is a site detailing various threats to waders.
Okay, enough of the depressing news. Onto actually identifying these guys!
Identification
For this lesson I'm just focussing on the migrants regularly found around Perth. A lot more species are found frequently further north - like at 80 Mile Beach and Roebuck Bay. If you really want to get into wader watching I recommend investing in a spotting scope - waders are skittish birds and are usually either feeding on mud flats, where it is easiest to view them from the shore, or roosting on the shore at high tide - in which case you'll want to be back from the shore or further down the beach so as not to scare them. Some of the best places for wader watching around Perth include Alfred Cove, Woodman Point - as long as there are no kite surfers in the vicinity (they scare waders away), and large lakes such as Herdsman, Monger, Joondalup and Bibra Lake. Waders like some mud, so if the lake is overful the waders will be elsewhere. If you want to go a little further abroad, the beaches near Lancelin often host some waders, and to the south is Lake McClarty, probably the best spot to see waders within a day trip from Perth.
Waders vary greatly in size, but they are predomimantly greyish or brownish (some come into redder/more patterned breeding plumage in late summer - making the job a bit easier). One of the best features to look at is the bill, the length and shape go a long way towards IDing the species. But one thing you learn once you start wader watching is that those bills are often buried in mud, or hidden underneath a wing. I find when identifying migratory waders there are a few thing you need to look at -
- beak - shape, length and colour.
- legs - length and colour.
- plumage colour and pattern - this varies throughout the year, you'll mostly see relatively dull non-breeding plumage, but just after their return and before they leave to migrate again, you can see the beginnings of breeding plumage.
- feeding strategy - this is related to beak shape.
- where they roost on the beach - this is related to leg length.
Once you have these details (or as many as you can gather), you can go about identifying your wader.
Banding and flagging
In many parts of the world there is concerted effort in place to find out more about these birds in an effort to conserve them (unfortunately governments won't throw money at conservation projects unless they have a lot of info to start with). This usually involves cannon netting large flocks of waders, taking biometric data and banding and flagging birds. Metal bands allow recaptured individuals to be identified and lightweight, coloured flags are visible to people viewing birds through scopes and binoculars, allowing data to be gathered without recapturing birds. In the north-west of Australia, larger waders are sometimes equipped with an alpha-numeric flag that is readable through a scope - allowing individuals to be IDed without having to recapture them. Flags are colour coded according to the place where the bird was first banded - birds with a yellow flag over an orange flag have been banded in South-western Australia and birds banded in the North-west have a single yellow flag - see all the colour codes here.
Photo by Rob Gegg.
Measuring the head-bill length of a Great Knot. You can clearly see the alpha-numeric flag on the leg.
If you see a colour banded wader, you can report your sighting to the Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG). You can also get involved in netting if you are interested - volunteers are welcome and you can usually be accomodated at any skill level. I recommend attending a netting session in Broome. You get to experience the excitment of a cannon net and see the birds close up. Die-hard banders pay money to head to Broome for 3 weeks during February (the hottest time of year) to get up at the crack of dawn every day preparing to net birds, and then spend the rest of the day processing them - they certainly do it for the love of the birds! For more info check out the AWSG website linked above. The Broome Bird Observatory website also has info for the curious.
Large waders
Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica
Photo by Bobby6425 of Birdforum.
The Bar-tailed Godwit (affectionately known as the Barwit) is the most common large wader in the Perth area. They can often be seen at Alfred Cove. In the Perth area there is really only one species these can be confused with - and that is the Black-tailed Godwit. So, how do you tell a Barwit?
- Long, black legs and a big body compared to most waders.
- Long, slightly upturned bill. Pink at the base and black at the tip - female birds are slightly larger and have longer bills.
- Will roost closer to the water because they have legs long enough to hold thier bodies out of the surf.
- Feed by poking their bills into the mud to feel for morsels of food.
- Non-breeding plumage is grey-brown, with well defined feather margins. When they come into breeding plumage the chest and head will become rufous.
- When in flight, and sometimes when they are roosting, you can clearly see the barring on the tail.
The Bar-tailed Godwit is a pretty impressive bird - read about an individual dubbed "E7" here who was tracked on a record breaking flight.
Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa
Photo by pete-c of Birdforum.
The Blackwit is a bit less common than the Barwit, and a very similar bird. There are a few features that distinguish them though.
- When the tail is visible, it is clearly black on the end, not barred (ironically - this is not the easiest way to tell a Blackwit from a Barwit).
- Plumage is an overall smoother grey. Again, in breeding seasons these birds go a lovely rufous colour.
- The bill is slightly shorter and noticeably straighter.
Medium Waders
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Photo by Neil of Birdforum.
The Common Greenshank is frequently seen on lakes in the summertime, I find they like to hang out with Black-winged Stilts. They are smaller and drabber than the stilts, with greenish-grey legs instead of pink legs. When alarmed they give a distinctive "Tiew-tiew-tiew" call. Also look for -
- long grey/black, slightly upturned bill.
- Greyish plumage above, white below.
- In flight, the white rump is clear, look for a triangular shape of white.
Great Knot - Calidris tenuirostris
Photo by Neil of Birdforum. The blurry bird in the foreground is a Grey Plover.
The Great Knot is one of the species being severely threatened by the incessant reclaimation works in the China/Korea area. Numbers in Australia have dropped significantly since the completion of the Saemangeum Seawall was completed. It is the larger of the two knots, both which can be seen in Australia, and they are both much easier to identify if they happen to be side-by-side. Look for these features -
- Large, dumpy bird on medium length legs. The body is about the same size as that of a Godwit, but the legs are shorter.
- The bill is black, droops ever so slightly and is just longer than the head.
- Speckling on the chest - in the breeding season these speckles become more dense on the upper chest and delightful heart shapes on the lower chest.
- In the breeding season the Great Knot also develops red patches on the upper body, in the non-breeding season the bird is overall drab greyish/brown, with white underparts (that stay white all year round).
Photo by DaninJapan of Birdforum. These knots are in breeding plumage.
Red Knot - Calidris canutus
Photo by Roy Halpin of Birdforum.
In my opinion, Red Knots are one of the trickiest waders to identify in Australia. When they come into breeding plumage they look like the bird in the above photo - a little red football on legs. Unfortunately, during most of their stay in Australia they look like this -
Photo by Mahsleb of Birdforum.
So, how do you pick a Red Knot out of a flock?
- They are an overall dumpy bird, with much shorter legs than those of a Godwit.
- The black bill is relatively straight and is not longer than the head.
- The grey wash on the chest does not have as defined spots as the Great Knot.
Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
Photo by bobsofpa of Birdforum.
Ruddy Turnstones are probably the easiest wader to identify, even in non-breeding plumage the striking pattern of thier plumage is evident. Turnstones feed by turning stones to expose the potential prey beneath - hence the name - and are surprisingly strong. I once watched one flip a rock about twice the size of its head. Because of this habit you are more likely to find them on rocky or debris strewn shores (keep an eye peeled for them foraging in banks of washed up seagrass). So, what defines a Ruddy Turnstone -
- bright orange legs.
- rufous on the back, white underneath.
- black and white head pattern, more defined in the breeding season.
- slightly wedge-shaped bill, designed for wedging under rocks and debris and flipping them.
- general short, dumpy appearance.
Photo by Robb Gegg. This is me holding a Ruddy Turnstone coming into breeding plumage. As another demonstration of strength, a few seconds after this shot was taken this bird flapped it's wings and managed to escape my grip.
Photo by Rob Gegg. Another turnstone caught at the same netting session. This one is in the drabber brown non-breeding plumage.
Small Waders
I find that these smaller waders are often found in freshwater environments, but that doesn't mean you won't find them on the coast.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Calidris acuminata
Photo by smp of Birdforum.
The "Sharpie" is often found in numbers (10 to hundreds of birds at one site). Their defining feature is the chestnut head. Also look for -
- feathers sharply defined with white borders.
- streaking on the chest.
- olive legs.
- in flight the rump is white, with a dark central stripe.
- slightly downcurved bill.
Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola
Photo by mikemik of Birdforum.
The Woodie is uncommon, but usually seen in small groups when it is spotted (I have seen them multiple times at Herdsman Lake). Look for a bird that stands slightly taller than a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and has telltale white spots on it's wings, like it got caught in a light snow flurry. Also look for -
- straight bill, not too long, not too short.
- streaks on the breast but white underneath.
- yellowish legs.
- in flight a white patch on the rump is visible, along with bars on the tail.
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Photo by rdavis of Birdforum.
The Common Sandpiper is easily identified by three features -
- usually seen alone, sometimes in pairs. Very rarely in large groups. Often when there are no other waders in sight, you will find a single Common Sandpiper skulking about on a rock wall near water.
- telltale white shoulder patch (this shows clearly in the photo, and really sticks out when viewing these birds).
- incessant tail bobbing. If it's wiggling it's bum it's most likely a Common Sandpiper.
Also look for -
- general impression of a dumpy grey wader with white underneath.
- when put into flight they fly close to the water, with jerky wingbeats. Upon landing they will teeter their tails like crazy.
Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea
Photo by Florin Chirila of Birdforum.
Non-breeding plumage.
Curlew Sandpipers seem to be just as likely to hang out on a beach as they are on a freshwater wetland. Superficially they look a lot like Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, but they have a few distinguishing features -
- comparitively long, downcurved bill.
- in flight the rump is white, with a dark tail.
- breeding plumage is bright chestnut, they look like small Red Knots when in full breeding plumage.
Photo by Razvan Zinica of Birdforum.
A "Curly" in full breeding plumage.
Photo by Rob Gegg.
A freshly banded and flagged Curlew Sandpiper makes it's way away from the banding site.
The bird in my icon for this post is also a Curlew Sandpiper.
Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis
Photo by Seashore of Birdforum.
The Red-necked Stint is common in the Perth area in Summer and usually found in large numbers. Milyu Estuary - walking down beside the freeway from Narrows Bridge - is a particularly good spot for them. The Stint is the smallest of the migratory waders seen in Australia. Amazingly, this bird which weighs no more than two 50c pieces, flies all the way from coasts all around Australia to northern Siberia to breed. They don't seem to be fussy about whether they hang out near salt or freshwater, as long as there is mud to forage on and safe roosting sites. How to spot a Red-necked Stint -
- if a shore looks like it has many rocks strewn over it, look closer, it's quite possible the "rocks" are hundreds of stints busily foraging in the mud.
- overall they give the impression of a small, busy, nondescript grey-brown bird with a white underside.
- the beak is straight and short.
- in breeding plumage the "Red-necked" part of their name makes sense, as a rufous wash covers the neck area, and also adds a splash of colours to the back feathers.
Plovers
While there are a few other plovers you may see around Perth, I'll only detail the two most common species here.
Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
Photo by I4ani of Birdforum.
In the northern hemisphere the Grey Plover is also known as the "Black-bellied Plover", due to the striking black face and belly it develops in the breeding season. Unfortunately in Australia we usually only see the fading drabs of this outfit as the bird molts into non-breeding plumage for it's stay here. The Grey Plover is by far the most common migratory plover you will see around Perth, and it is pretty easily identified -
- large plover (short beak, big eye) - much larger than the resident Red-capped Plover (which I covered in a previous Birding Lesson).
- pale eyebrow.
- grey plumage on back with fine spotting.
- in flight Grey Plovers can be positively identified by their black armpits.
Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva
Photo by firecrest15 of Birdforum.
The Pacific Golden Plover is less common than the Grey Plover, but very similar. Look for the following to differentiate it -
- a golden wash over the entire bird.
- no black armpit in flight.
Gosh! That was an ordeal! I hope you enjoyed reading about these awesome birds. Please let me know if there are errors in this post, however slight, so I can fix them up. If you want to know more about waders - click the links throughout the post or ask me.
When learning birds, groups like parrots and large waterfowl are easy. Birders dread having to ID Little Brown Jobs, Pelagics (the hardest group in my opinion) and Migratory Waders.
The Trials of Life for a Migratory Wader
Migratory Waders breed in the northern hemisphere, mostly on the Siberian Tundra, many fly way up into the Arctic Circle. They live in an endless summer. Summer on the Tundra means hordes of mosquitoes, which provides easy food for breeding pairs and newly hatched young. Once the summer begins to draw to a close and the hatchlings (often referred to as runners in the wader world) fledge, they all take off to wing thier way south once more. How the youngsters know where to go - nobody really knows.
The trip south is usually non-stop - the birds have gorged on insects in the north and can make it all the way in one go and gorge again once they get to "macrobenthically diverse" (i.e. they have lots of little critters living in them) mudflats such as Roebuck Bay. Roebuck Bay is situated on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway - they flyway I'm most familiar with. Other birds will fly up the eastern side of Australia and across the Pacific Ocean, some fly between Africa and Europe and some fly between the Americas.
The trip north is more hazardous. Birds travelling north are busily molting into thier breeding plumage and must maintain their condition so they can breed once they get to their destination. To do this they stop a few times along the way and refuel at mudflats. Unfortunately - on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway at least - these refueling areas are located on mudflats on the shores of the Yellow Sea, where human populations in China, Japan and Korea are booming and "reclaimation" (really, it's just "claimation", it was never ours in the first place to reclaim) of mud-flats is occuring at shocking speeds. A wader cannot feed on a reclaimed mudflat, these areas are rendered lifeless, and fewer waders are surviving the trip north or not breeding successfully. If you want to read more about this just Google "Saemangeum estuary".
In Australia they spend thier time feeding at low tide and roosting at high tide - at least that's the plan. Again, human interference prevents them doing this as much as they should be. Low flying aircraft (and a hovercraft in the Broome area) disturb feeding waders. Roosting at high tide is even more hazardous - fisherpeople, unleashed dogs and sand-cowboys in their four-wheel drives cause constant disturbance during vital resting times. Many of these people aren't even aware of the birds that they are doing so much damage to (and unfortunately, some just don't care).
Here is a site detailing various threats to waders.
Okay, enough of the depressing news. Onto actually identifying these guys!
Identification
For this lesson I'm just focussing on the migrants regularly found around Perth. A lot more species are found frequently further north - like at 80 Mile Beach and Roebuck Bay. If you really want to get into wader watching I recommend investing in a spotting scope - waders are skittish birds and are usually either feeding on mud flats, where it is easiest to view them from the shore, or roosting on the shore at high tide - in which case you'll want to be back from the shore or further down the beach so as not to scare them. Some of the best places for wader watching around Perth include Alfred Cove, Woodman Point - as long as there are no kite surfers in the vicinity (they scare waders away), and large lakes such as Herdsman, Monger, Joondalup and Bibra Lake. Waders like some mud, so if the lake is overful the waders will be elsewhere. If you want to go a little further abroad, the beaches near Lancelin often host some waders, and to the south is Lake McClarty, probably the best spot to see waders within a day trip from Perth.
Waders vary greatly in size, but they are predomimantly greyish or brownish (some come into redder/more patterned breeding plumage in late summer - making the job a bit easier). One of the best features to look at is the bill, the length and shape go a long way towards IDing the species. But one thing you learn once you start wader watching is that those bills are often buried in mud, or hidden underneath a wing. I find when identifying migratory waders there are a few thing you need to look at -
- beak - shape, length and colour.
- legs - length and colour.
- plumage colour and pattern - this varies throughout the year, you'll mostly see relatively dull non-breeding plumage, but just after their return and before they leave to migrate again, you can see the beginnings of breeding plumage.
- feeding strategy - this is related to beak shape.
- where they roost on the beach - this is related to leg length.
Once you have these details (or as many as you can gather), you can go about identifying your wader.
Banding and flagging
In many parts of the world there is concerted effort in place to find out more about these birds in an effort to conserve them (unfortunately governments won't throw money at conservation projects unless they have a lot of info to start with). This usually involves cannon netting large flocks of waders, taking biometric data and banding and flagging birds. Metal bands allow recaptured individuals to be identified and lightweight, coloured flags are visible to people viewing birds through scopes and binoculars, allowing data to be gathered without recapturing birds. In the north-west of Australia, larger waders are sometimes equipped with an alpha-numeric flag that is readable through a scope - allowing individuals to be IDed without having to recapture them. Flags are colour coded according to the place where the bird was first banded - birds with a yellow flag over an orange flag have been banded in South-western Australia and birds banded in the North-west have a single yellow flag - see all the colour codes here.
Photo by Rob Gegg.
Measuring the head-bill length of a Great Knot. You can clearly see the alpha-numeric flag on the leg.
If you see a colour banded wader, you can report your sighting to the Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG). You can also get involved in netting if you are interested - volunteers are welcome and you can usually be accomodated at any skill level. I recommend attending a netting session in Broome. You get to experience the excitment of a cannon net and see the birds close up. Die-hard banders pay money to head to Broome for 3 weeks during February (the hottest time of year) to get up at the crack of dawn every day preparing to net birds, and then spend the rest of the day processing them - they certainly do it for the love of the birds! For more info check out the AWSG website linked above. The Broome Bird Observatory website also has info for the curious.
Large waders
Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica
Photo by Bobby6425 of Birdforum.
The Bar-tailed Godwit (affectionately known as the Barwit) is the most common large wader in the Perth area. They can often be seen at Alfred Cove. In the Perth area there is really only one species these can be confused with - and that is the Black-tailed Godwit. So, how do you tell a Barwit?
- Long, black legs and a big body compared to most waders.
- Long, slightly upturned bill. Pink at the base and black at the tip - female birds are slightly larger and have longer bills.
- Will roost closer to the water because they have legs long enough to hold thier bodies out of the surf.
- Feed by poking their bills into the mud to feel for morsels of food.
- Non-breeding plumage is grey-brown, with well defined feather margins. When they come into breeding plumage the chest and head will become rufous.
- When in flight, and sometimes when they are roosting, you can clearly see the barring on the tail.
The Bar-tailed Godwit is a pretty impressive bird - read about an individual dubbed "E7" here who was tracked on a record breaking flight.
Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa
Photo by pete-c of Birdforum.
The Blackwit is a bit less common than the Barwit, and a very similar bird. There are a few features that distinguish them though.
- When the tail is visible, it is clearly black on the end, not barred (ironically - this is not the easiest way to tell a Blackwit from a Barwit).
- Plumage is an overall smoother grey. Again, in breeding seasons these birds go a lovely rufous colour.
- The bill is slightly shorter and noticeably straighter.
Medium Waders
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Photo by Neil of Birdforum.
The Common Greenshank is frequently seen on lakes in the summertime, I find they like to hang out with Black-winged Stilts. They are smaller and drabber than the stilts, with greenish-grey legs instead of pink legs. When alarmed they give a distinctive "Tiew-tiew-tiew" call. Also look for -
- long grey/black, slightly upturned bill.
- Greyish plumage above, white below.
- In flight, the white rump is clear, look for a triangular shape of white.
Great Knot - Calidris tenuirostris
Photo by Neil of Birdforum. The blurry bird in the foreground is a Grey Plover.
The Great Knot is one of the species being severely threatened by the incessant reclaimation works in the China/Korea area. Numbers in Australia have dropped significantly since the completion of the Saemangeum Seawall was completed. It is the larger of the two knots, both which can be seen in Australia, and they are both much easier to identify if they happen to be side-by-side. Look for these features -
- Large, dumpy bird on medium length legs. The body is about the same size as that of a Godwit, but the legs are shorter.
- The bill is black, droops ever so slightly and is just longer than the head.
- Speckling on the chest - in the breeding season these speckles become more dense on the upper chest and delightful heart shapes on the lower chest.
- In the breeding season the Great Knot also develops red patches on the upper body, in the non-breeding season the bird is overall drab greyish/brown, with white underparts (that stay white all year round).
Photo by DaninJapan of Birdforum. These knots are in breeding plumage.
Red Knot - Calidris canutus
Photo by Roy Halpin of Birdforum.
In my opinion, Red Knots are one of the trickiest waders to identify in Australia. When they come into breeding plumage they look like the bird in the above photo - a little red football on legs. Unfortunately, during most of their stay in Australia they look like this -
Photo by Mahsleb of Birdforum.
So, how do you pick a Red Knot out of a flock?
- They are an overall dumpy bird, with much shorter legs than those of a Godwit.
- The black bill is relatively straight and is not longer than the head.
- The grey wash on the chest does not have as defined spots as the Great Knot.
Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
Photo by bobsofpa of Birdforum.
Ruddy Turnstones are probably the easiest wader to identify, even in non-breeding plumage the striking pattern of thier plumage is evident. Turnstones feed by turning stones to expose the potential prey beneath - hence the name - and are surprisingly strong. I once watched one flip a rock about twice the size of its head. Because of this habit you are more likely to find them on rocky or debris strewn shores (keep an eye peeled for them foraging in banks of washed up seagrass). So, what defines a Ruddy Turnstone -
- bright orange legs.
- rufous on the back, white underneath.
- black and white head pattern, more defined in the breeding season.
- slightly wedge-shaped bill, designed for wedging under rocks and debris and flipping them.
- general short, dumpy appearance.
Photo by Robb Gegg. This is me holding a Ruddy Turnstone coming into breeding plumage. As another demonstration of strength, a few seconds after this shot was taken this bird flapped it's wings and managed to escape my grip.
Photo by Rob Gegg. Another turnstone caught at the same netting session. This one is in the drabber brown non-breeding plumage.
Small Waders
I find that these smaller waders are often found in freshwater environments, but that doesn't mean you won't find them on the coast.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Calidris acuminata
Photo by smp of Birdforum.
The "Sharpie" is often found in numbers (10 to hundreds of birds at one site). Their defining feature is the chestnut head. Also look for -
- feathers sharply defined with white borders.
- streaking on the chest.
- olive legs.
- in flight the rump is white, with a dark central stripe.
- slightly downcurved bill.
Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola
Photo by mikemik of Birdforum.
The Woodie is uncommon, but usually seen in small groups when it is spotted (I have seen them multiple times at Herdsman Lake). Look for a bird that stands slightly taller than a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and has telltale white spots on it's wings, like it got caught in a light snow flurry. Also look for -
- straight bill, not too long, not too short.
- streaks on the breast but white underneath.
- yellowish legs.
- in flight a white patch on the rump is visible, along with bars on the tail.
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Photo by rdavis of Birdforum.
The Common Sandpiper is easily identified by three features -
- usually seen alone, sometimes in pairs. Very rarely in large groups. Often when there are no other waders in sight, you will find a single Common Sandpiper skulking about on a rock wall near water.
- telltale white shoulder patch (this shows clearly in the photo, and really sticks out when viewing these birds).
- incessant tail bobbing. If it's wiggling it's bum it's most likely a Common Sandpiper.
Also look for -
- general impression of a dumpy grey wader with white underneath.
- when put into flight they fly close to the water, with jerky wingbeats. Upon landing they will teeter their tails like crazy.
Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea
Photo by Florin Chirila of Birdforum.
Non-breeding plumage.
Curlew Sandpipers seem to be just as likely to hang out on a beach as they are on a freshwater wetland. Superficially they look a lot like Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, but they have a few distinguishing features -
- comparitively long, downcurved bill.
- in flight the rump is white, with a dark tail.
- breeding plumage is bright chestnut, they look like small Red Knots when in full breeding plumage.
Photo by Razvan Zinica of Birdforum.
A "Curly" in full breeding plumage.
Photo by Rob Gegg.
A freshly banded and flagged Curlew Sandpiper makes it's way away from the banding site.
The bird in my icon for this post is also a Curlew Sandpiper.
Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis
Photo by Seashore of Birdforum.
The Red-necked Stint is common in the Perth area in Summer and usually found in large numbers. Milyu Estuary - walking down beside the freeway from Narrows Bridge - is a particularly good spot for them. The Stint is the smallest of the migratory waders seen in Australia. Amazingly, this bird which weighs no more than two 50c pieces, flies all the way from coasts all around Australia to northern Siberia to breed. They don't seem to be fussy about whether they hang out near salt or freshwater, as long as there is mud to forage on and safe roosting sites. How to spot a Red-necked Stint -
- if a shore looks like it has many rocks strewn over it, look closer, it's quite possible the "rocks" are hundreds of stints busily foraging in the mud.
- overall they give the impression of a small, busy, nondescript grey-brown bird with a white underside.
- the beak is straight and short.
- in breeding plumage the "Red-necked" part of their name makes sense, as a rufous wash covers the neck area, and also adds a splash of colours to the back feathers.
Plovers
While there are a few other plovers you may see around Perth, I'll only detail the two most common species here.
Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
Photo by I4ani of Birdforum.
In the northern hemisphere the Grey Plover is also known as the "Black-bellied Plover", due to the striking black face and belly it develops in the breeding season. Unfortunately in Australia we usually only see the fading drabs of this outfit as the bird molts into non-breeding plumage for it's stay here. The Grey Plover is by far the most common migratory plover you will see around Perth, and it is pretty easily identified -
- large plover (short beak, big eye) - much larger than the resident Red-capped Plover (which I covered in a previous Birding Lesson).
- pale eyebrow.
- grey plumage on back with fine spotting.
- in flight Grey Plovers can be positively identified by their black armpits.
Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva
Photo by firecrest15 of Birdforum.
The Pacific Golden Plover is less common than the Grey Plover, but very similar. Look for the following to differentiate it -
- a golden wash over the entire bird.
- no black armpit in flight.
Gosh! That was an ordeal! I hope you enjoyed reading about these awesome birds. Please let me know if there are errors in this post, however slight, so I can fix them up. If you want to know more about waders - click the links throughout the post or ask me.
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:D!!!!
Date: 2011-11-17 09:57 am (UTC)http://bird-o.com/2011/11/11/another-first-eurasian-hoopoe-in-broome/
even though im nowhere near there i nearly peed my pants in excitement! They are one of my favourite birds!!!!
Re: :D!!!!
Date: 2011-11-17 10:32 am (UTC)Apparently it hasn't been seen for the last two days, but there are daily updates on the list.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-17 01:10 pm (UTC)Waders are our weakest point - so this is fantastic!