Please help strange calidris (1 Viewer)

wildtuinman · Jan 8, 2015

Good day fellow birders.

I saw this calidris in Durban, South Africa in December. I am hoping that an id can be made from the angle of which the bird was photographed on. Unfortunately it did not stick around for long as a Black Sparrowhawk came cruising in overhead and flushed most of the waders before I could move into a position to get more photos of it. The bird in question is between the Common Greenshank preening and the Terek Sandpiper on the right.

What are your thoughts on this bird?

Thank you very much in advance.

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/unidentified/wader.jpg

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/unidentified/wader1.jpg

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/unidentified/wader2.jpg

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/unidentified/wader3.jpg

Andy Hurley · Jan 8, 2015

I'm seeing a Marsh Sandpiper, I think.

Richard Prior · Jan 8, 2015

I was thinking it looks more like a Dunlin!

Valéry Schollaert · Jan 8, 2015

Andy Hurley said:
I'm seeing a Marsh Sandpiper, I think.

No, there is a small wader, such Little Stint with fairly contrasted pectoral band. Can't tell more with those photos, probably Little Stint indeed, but tough to exclude a rarer one.

wildtuinman · Jan 8, 2015

Hi Andy, thanks the reply, but unfortunately it is not a Marsh Sandpiper which has a much more narrower and longer bill.

chris butterworth · Jan 8, 2015

Dunlin for me. The bill is too narrow / fine tipped and downcurved and, compared to the Greenshank and Terek Sand, it looks too large for a Stint. There again, it is a bit far south for Dunlin so, can Western Sandpiper be ruled out?

Andy Hurley · Jan 8, 2015

wildtuinman said:
Hi Andy, thanks the reply, but unfortunately it is not a Marsh Sandpiper which has a much more narrower and longer bill.

It helps if I read all your post, Ithought you meant the preening birdB

wildtuinman · Jan 9, 2015

No worries Andy. :t:

Chris and others, what would rule out White-rumped Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper?

chris butterworth · Jan 9, 2015

wildtuinman said:
No worries Andy. :t:

Chris and others, what would rule out White-rumped Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper?

It's difficult to be 100% sure but, the bill tip looks very fine. I'd expect White-rumped / Birds to have a straighter / blunder tipped bill.

lupokatja · Jan 9, 2015

And what rules out Curlew Sandpiper (which would be the local default I guess)?

Lutzen Portengen

rockfowl · Jan 9, 2015

lupokatja said:
And what rules out Curlew Sandpiper (which would be the local default I guess)?

Lutzen Portengen

Exactly

wildtuinman · Jan 9, 2015

Compared to the Terek Sandpiper, wouldn't this bird be too small for a Curlew? And isn't the bill to straight and too short for a Curlew?

sicklebill · Jan 10, 2015

I'd go for Curlew Sand too, now I've got the right bird! Bill looks slightly thickened at base, and I suspect the legs are greenish which all fit.

wildtuinman · Jan 15, 2015

Thanks sicklebill and others,

I am very much aware that the Curlew's bill and the size of the bird may be very variable. But compared to the Terek Sandpipers (22-25cm) this bird is considerably smaller! Too small for a Curlew Sandpiper (18-23cm) and the bill is much shorter than the shortest bill I have seen on a Culrew Sandpiper. Furthermore to that, the demarcated breast pattern and seemingly streaked flanks would also be atypical for Curlew Sandpiper or for a Little Stint for that matter.

At the time of this sighting, there were many Curlew Sandpipers on another mudflat and none of them had any resemblance to this particular bird. I will post a photo of the typical Curlew Sandpipers on the other mudflat in a bit.

Kind regards

Valéry Schollaert · Jan 15, 2015

sicklebill said:
I'd go for Curlew Sand too, now I've got the right bird! Bill looks slightly thickened at base, and I suspect the legs are greenish which all fit.

Curlew Sandpipers have black legs

wildtuinman · Jan 15, 2015

Here are some of the Curlew Sandpipers taken at the same time on an adjacent sandbank. None of the them showed any resemblance to the bird in question.

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/unidentified/Curlew Sandpipers - Bayhead.jpg

wildtuinman · Jan 15, 2015

Photo attached

sicklebill · Jan 15, 2015

Valéry Schollaert said:
Curlew Sandpipers have black legs

Actually some of the Cairns birds show dark greenish occasionally, which is why I mentioned it

petemorris · Jan 15, 2015

wildtuinman said:
Chris and others, what would rule out White-rumped Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper?

Not a lot from what I can see, but not easy to judge from these pics... Certainly looks short-billed for Dunlin/Curlew Sand...

KenM · Jan 16, 2015

petemorris said:
Not a lot from what I can see, but not easy to judge from these pics... Certainly looks short-billed for Dunlin/Curlew Sand...

I agree the bird does look distinctly odd! If possible...might be worth trying to get more images?

Cheers

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