Sandpiper Confirmation

[takkatakka]

Hi again,

I saw this one in a small flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers, but it doesn't seem right to me. The bill seems too long in comparison to other individuals in the flock and off of photos online. Also, the crown and cheeck seem to have too much rusty colouring. It's probably just another Semi but I thought I'd double-check.

Thanks for any comments, Jax

[Shortsighted]

Needless to say ... it is hard to say.
A shot of it beside confirmed SPSP would help.
Black legs, longish, slightly curved bill, elongated body, all might
suggest Western sandpiper but size is unknown. White-rumped
is much more common but tends to have more breast detail and
I also see no yellow or orange colour at the base of the bill.
ID of sandpipers can drive you nuts and let face it, I'm already there.

[Dinusaur]

Could it be some kind of hybrid? Shorebird Hybridization is an interesting topic. Only two days ago a hybrid between Dunlin and White-rumped was seen in Tommy Thompson Park.

[Shortsighted]

There you go again Dinu, muddying the waters with logic and creative thinking.
With the barriers to hybridization I would imagine that examples are uncommon.
I guess it is lazy thinking to exclude the uncommon. If only there were more photos
or perhaps even video. Every digital camera takes video but who ever thinks to
deploy it when Id becomes an issue. I remember taking a shot of a Least SP merely
because the much larger SPSP in the background (out of focus) offered a point-of-
reference, although some of it might be due to focus breathing.

[Shortsighted]

If there is indeed a considerable amount of ruddy colour on this sandpiper,
implying more red than seen on this single pic, then this bird might even
be a Sanderling in an early transitional stage.

[takkatakka]

Thanks for the responses. The patterning doesn't seem to fit with Sanderling, but I cannot find any in transitional stages online. The hybrid theory is interesting, but I still can't think of what hybrid it might be. Nonetheless, it is an interesting challenge.

[takkatakka]

I'll also try and see if I got any other pictures of the bird, including one with a Semipalmated Sandpiper for comparison.

[Kris Ito]

You can easily rule out Sanderling by the feet that are visible in your photo. Sanderlings do not have a "hind toe". The Sibley Guide describes Semipalmated as "variable in colour; some show strong rufous tones similar to Western". I think you can rest easy that your bird is a Semipalmated Sandpiper.

[takkatakka]

Sorry for the late response. Thanks for the input and I'll put it down as a Semipalmated.

Thanks, Jax