Answers to Bird Quiz #3: Loafing Shorebirds

Okay, time for the answers!
 
If you haven’t taken our loafing shorebirds quiz, check it out here first – Bird Quiz #3: Loafing Shorebirds.
 

Mystery Loafer #1

SANDERLING

 
The reddish-orange feathering throughout the face and head, breast, and upperparts – combined with the crisp, white flanks and belly – point toward this being a Sanderling in alternate (breeding) plumage. The brightness of these rufous tones varies greatly among individuals. Sanderlings also sport short, jet-black legs.
 
A behavioral clue to look for in the Sanderling is its tendency to chase the ocean surf back and forth in a fast run. Sanderlings are the only sandpiper to lack a hind toe, which – according to the reference database Birds of North America – aids their ability to run on the sand. If you look closely at the bird above, you can see it only has three toes pointing forward.

Sanderlings breed far north in the arctic tundra. Though the breeding plumage of a Sanderling is full of reddish-orange tones, birds in winter are plainly gray and white. Throughout the year, the belly and flanks remain bright white, and the bill and legs remain black.

 

Mystery Loafer #2

DUNLIN

 
Once molted into breeding plumage, a black belly-patch gives the Dunlin away. Dunlin in alternate plumage also have a reddish-orange back and crown.
 
When not tucked away, you can see an obvious droop in the Dunlin’s relatively long, black bill.

Dunlin in the Americas breed in the tundra of the northernmost parts of Alaska and Canada. In winter, Dunlin are much drabber, with a brownish-gray head and back. However, the droopy bill, black legs, and overall plump and hunched appearance are clues to look for in all seasons.

 

Mystery Loafer #3

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER

 
The features of this bird that point toward one of the dowitchers are the yellow legs, combined with extensive orange on the back, face, breast and flanks. Short-billed Dowitchers are notoriously difficult to sort out from Long-billed Dowitchers. Several clues lead us to believe this individual is a Short-billed:

• Primary projection: The primary wing feathers extend to (and even a bit beyond) the tail
• Flanks and side of breast: Dark spotting versus barring; tips of feathers generally not fringed with white
• Lower breast and belly: Lots of white versus mostly orange or red
• Coloration: Soft orange-toned versus more reddish-toned
• Habitat: Coastal salt water versus fresh water

 
Short-billed Dowitchers breed in boggy areas of the boreal forest of Canada and southern Alaska. In all seasons, both species of dowitcher sport yellow legs and long, straight bills. In the photo below, the individual on the far left is still in basic (nonbreeding) plumage, as evidenced by the overall grayness and lack of orange. The other two individuals are farther along into their transition to breeding plumage.

Mystery Loafer #4

MARBLED GODWIT

 
Marbled Godwits are large, buffy-cinnamon shorebirds with long, gray legs. When not showing its long, two-toned, slightly upturned bill, a Marbled Godwit can appear confusingly similar to a tucked-in Whimbrel.
 
Only a slight difference shows between a Marbled Godwit’s basic and alternate plumages. In breeding season, the underparts can be a bit more orange and some slight barring can appear on the breast and flanks. In the photo above, light barring is apparent on the bird to the left.
 
Marbled Godwits breed in the prairies of southern Canada and northern-central United States (mostly in Montana and the Dakotas). Winter birds – like the individual below – show a duller cinnamon and lack barring on the underparts.

In flight, Marbled Godwits show cinnamon-orange on both their upper and underwings.

Mystery Loafer #5

WESTERN SANDPIPER

 
Western Sandpipers in breeding plumage show bright rufous tones on their back, crown, and auriculars. The dark, chevron-shaped markings on their breasts and flanks help tell them apart from other small sandpipers, like the Sanderling.
 
The Western Sandpiper breeds in far northwestern Alaska. In all seasons, it has black legs and a relatively longer bill with a slight droop at the end, which helps distinguish it from the similar Least Sandpiper.

Mystery Loafer #6

WILLET

 
This loafer gave us the benefit of all its tell-tale characteristics – long gray legs, straight dark bill, and overall brownish-gray body. The mostly unmarked Willet can show some darker barring or mottling in alternate plumage, as seen in the individual above.
 
Willets of the western United States breed in prairies and wetlands in the interior U.S. and southern Canada. Notice the smooth grayness and general lack of markings on these Willets below, photographed in winter.

Throughout the year, the Willet features a striking wing pattern seen during flight. The white stripe in the middle of its black primaries is visible from a distance.

Hope you enjoyed the quiz! How’d you do???
 
We’ll leave you with this beautiful Coastal Sand Verbena.