On 2nd of September 2019 at Reiffel Bird Sanctuary, Vancouver, British Colombia : Stilt Sandpiper ? (3 Viewers)

[Peyodanduche]

It seems I never saw that wader ? could it be a Stilt Sandpiper ? long tibia, bars well marked on the belly, face pattern with black lore and white, strong base of the bill ..
Thanks a lot for your comments

 

[Bewick]

Dowitcher sp.

 

[DHayden]

The bill is too long and straight for a Stilt, your bird is most likely a Long-billed Dowitcher. I would expect to see more Long-billed than Short-billed Dowitchers in September along the west coast.

 

[Peyodanduche]

Thanks a lot !!

 

[Peyodanduche]

Merci beaucoup ! All the best DHayden

 

[Brian J Small]

It looks like a juvenile and so on the longest tertial there appears to be an internal 'waved' line that is typical of Short-billed Dowitcher...

 

[Peyodanduche]

 

[Peyodanduche]

Thanks Brian, is it more obvious on this photo ? The bill is not so long too ?

 

[Brian J Small]

Short-billed ML625932711 - Short-billed Dowitcher - Macaulay Library

Long-billed ML624409319 - Long-billed Dowitcher - Macaulay Library

 

[Peyodanduche]

Excellent. So except for juveniles, the visual ID seems very difficult (Dowitcher sp. as Bewick said). Thanks all of you

 

[THE_FERN]

Excellent. So except for juveniles, the visual ID seems very difficult (Dowitcher sp. as Bewick said). Thanks all of you

I think the current consensus is that you need a suite of characters to identify adults (or extremes---e.g. an extremely long bill must be long-billed). Much of what has been published is now thought to be unreliable. Call and juvenile plumage are reliable though