Sandpipers and Plovers in Netherlands Antilles (Caribbean) (2 Viewers)

[sander_p]

Hi everybody,

Last year I did some birdwatching on the islands of Curaçao and Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) in the Caribbean, just north of Venezuela.

During a visit to the saltpans of St. Willibrordus, I photographed some Sandpiper and Plover individuals, which I still haven't identified with 100% certainty. Hope you can help me!

First five photos are attachments of this thread, the rest can be viewed here:
http://home.wanadoo.nl/~pieterse/calidris_spp_pictures

Here's what I think so far:

Pic 1 & 2 - Same type of Calidris peep, I'd guess. Semi-palmated, maybe?
Pic 2 - Also has three Plovers. The above one is Charadrius wilsonia (Wilson's Plover), but I'm not too sure about the two others.
Pic 3-11 - Other species of Calidris. Western Sandpiper maybe?
Pic 9 - Also has another unidentified sandpiper.

Help would be much appreciated!

 

[birderbf]

The first may even be a Sanderling. All your plover look good for Wilson's, and at the end, the last three photos are of a Least.

 

[sander_p]

Thanks for your reply. When I first looked at these photographs (pic 3-11; see also link in my original post) a year ago, I also thought about a Least. I admit that this was mainly because I thought some pictures showed a yellow-greenish leg color. However, other birders I showed these pics to in the Netherlands thought of a Western Sandpiper, judging by e.g. bill size and shape. I myself have still not been able to figure it out.

I'm wondering, why do you opt for Least?

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I also vote for least sands. The yellow legs are the key feature.

And I agree with Wilson's for the other plovers, too.

 

[sander_p]

3x Wilson's Plover seems correct to me, too.

As for Least Sandpiper, that would confirm my initial suspicion.

However, what about the Calidris species in pictures 1, 2 and 9? We've still got to solve those.

 

[sander_p]

Time to bump this post and see if time has brought us new ideas.

 

[Jim M.]

However, what about the Calidris species in pictures 1, 2 and 9? We've still got to solve those.

Hi,

I think you forgot to tell is when these photos were taken -- which is sometimes useful information.

Regarding the bird in photos 1 and 2, I think it is not a Sanderling because, inter alia, it looks smaller than the Wilson's Plovers (Sanderling should be the same size or larger) and because I believe I see a hind toe in one of the photos, which a Sanderling does not have. So I believe the bird is either a Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper. I would lean towards western based on the longish bill, which appears to be drooping at the end.

Best,
Jim

 

[sander_p]

Hi,

I think you forgot to tell is when these photos were taken -- which is sometimes useful information.

Regarding the bird in photos 1 and 2, I think it is not a Sanderling because, inter alia, it looks smaller than the Wilson's Plovers (Sanderling should be the same size or larger) and because I believe I see a hind toe in one of the photos, which a Sanderling does not have. So I believe the bird is either a Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper. I would lean towards western based on the longish bill, which appears to be drooping at the end.

Best,
Jim

Thanks for the info! I could look up the exact date, but these pics were taken near the end of July or beginning of August.

 

[Jim M.]

Looking at these photos again, I noticed something I did not notice the first time. The bird in photo #1 looks to have a short straight bill typical of a Semipalmated Sandpiper. The bird in photo #2 looks to have a longer bill typical of a Western Sandpiper. (I was focusing on photo #2 when I said I was leaning towards Western in my previous post). If they are in fact the same bird, I would now lean toward Semipalmated Sandpiper because photo #1 shows the bill better, and photo #2 represents some sort of distortion. If they are different birds, I would lean toward Semipalmated for photo #1 and Western for photo #2.

Sorry for the confusion,
Jim

 

[birderbf]

Looking at these photos again, I noticed something I did not notice the first time. The bird in photo #1 looks to have a short straight bill typical of a Semipalmated Sandpiper. The bird in photo #2 looks to have a longer bill typical of a Western Sandpiper. (I was focusing on photo #2 when I said I was leaning towards Western in my previous post). If they are in fact the same bird, I would now lean toward Semipalmated Sandpiper because photo #1 shows the bill better, and photo #2 represents some sort of distortion. If they are different birds, I would lean toward Semipalmated for photo #1 and Western for photo #2.

Sorry for the confusion,
Jim

I fully agree with what has been said here. Not sure what I was thinking way back when... the heat was probably getting to me.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Right hand plover in the second photo looks like Snowy/Kentish to me?

Sean

 

[birderbf]

Right hand plover in the second photo looks like Snowy/Kentish to me?

Sean

I was wondering about that myself. The beak is very thin on that one and the one on the far left. However, Snowies in this area don't usually display the reddish cap typical of Kentish, as far as I know.

 

[njlarsen]

The snowy I have seen in the Caribbean was truly snowy, so white that apart from the black mark on the breast it was difficult to see against the salt flats ... Looked very different from the Kentish I am familiar with from Europe.

Niels

 

[sander_p]

Looking at these photos again, I noticed something I did not notice the first time. The bird in photo #1 looks to have a short straight bill typical of a Semipalmated Sandpiper. The bird in photo #2 looks to have a longer bill typical of a Western Sandpiper. (I was focusing on photo #2 when I said I was leaning towards Western in my previous post). If they are in fact the same bird, I would now lean toward Semipalmated Sandpiper because photo #1 shows the bill better, and photo #2 represents some sort of distortion. If they are different birds, I would lean toward Semipalmated for photo #1 and Western for photo #2.

Sorry for the confusion,
Jim

I do not dare to say with 100% certainty whether or not the birds in #1 and #2 are the same individual... I thought so when photographing (I think), but I don't recall this exactly.

How about pic 3-11 - you agree that's a Least?

And what about picture 9?

(see the URL I posted in my original post for the full list of pictures; the thumbnails only show the first five)

 

[Jim M.]

How about pic 3-11 - you agree that's a Least?

And what about picture 9?

(see the URL I posted in my original post for the full list of pictures; the thumbnails only show the first five)

I agree with the previous identifications of Least Sandpiper. Regarding the bird on the right in photo #9, I am not sure. It looks as though it may be larger than the little peeps, with longer legs, so perhaps it is one of the large peeps, such as White-rumped Sandpiper(??).

I also agree with the previous comments that some of the plovers might actually be snowy.

best,
Jim