[birdky] Answer to August Photo Quiz

From: David Roemer <dlroemer@xxxxxxxxx>
To: bird ky <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 06:18:09 -0700 (PDT)
The correct answer to the August Photo Quiz is Stilt
Sandpiper, identified as a juvenile by the crisp
whitish edges to the feathers of the upperparts.  A
few gray first-basic scapulars can be seen which the
bird has molted in.  A link to the original quiz is
copied below.

http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos/whatisit.html

Clues to the identity are the long yellow legs and
relatively long bill.  Species most likely to be
confused with juvenile Stilt Sandpiper are both
yellowlegs, dowitchers, and Curlew Sandpiper.  

The bill is too short for a dowitcher and the legs are
too long.  Our bird appears more slender than a
dowitcher.  Juvenile dowitchers typically show more
buff on the underparts, particularly Short-billed
which also exhibits bright internal markings on the
tertials.

Our bird could be mistaken for either yellowlegs
species, but a look at the feather edges of the
upperparts provides a valuable clue for distinguishing
them.  Both yellowlegs show whitish scalloped edges to
the scapulars, greater coverts, and tertials where our
quiz bird shows clean crisp edges.  This is a very
good way to separate these birds in the field, even at
a great distance.

The quiz bird closely resembles a juvenile Curlew
Sandpiper, but that species typically has dark legs. 
Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper also has dark anchor-shaped
subterminal marks to many of the feathers of the
upperparts.

This juvenile Stilt Sandpiper was photographed at a
wet weather pond in Warren County on 26 September
2003.

David L. Roemer
Bowling Green, Ky.






                
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[birdky] Answer to August Photo Quiz

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