Heavy rains in the springtime often lead to flooding in
fields and meadows, which, in turn, attracts migrating shorebirds. Although I’ve discussed shorebird identification
in previous posts, my focus has been primarily coastal species. However, many other shorebirds pass through
inland regions on their way to their nesting grounds (which are also often
inland), so you definitely don’t have to be a coastal resident or tourist to see
them. I’ve observed many in
northeast-central Mississippi, including in the fields at the Mississippi State
University research farms. In late
April, 2020, one of those fields became a stopover for these migrating groups
of shorebirds.
To an untrained eye, the field wouldn’t have looked
particularly special. There were ridges
of mud and multiple tussocks of grass above the water, and the small, brown
birds seemed well camouflaged—at least until they moved! In this photo, you might be able to make out some
of the many shorebirds feeding in the mud.
There were even a few Killdeer—common, familiar birds of pastures and
grasslands—at the edges of the puddles.
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Killdeer in background, to the right
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One of the easiest species to pick out from the rest was the
Long-billed Dowitcher, a rust-colored, comparatively chunky bird with a bill
over twice the length of its head.
I
described Short-billed Dowitchers in an earlier post, and most of what I said
about their appearance applies to the Long-billed species, as well.
The Long-billed Dowitcher’s habits and vocalizations
differ drastically from that of its cousin, though: Long-billed Dowitchers are far
more likely to be found in freshwater habitats, and their call is high-pitched
and sharp.
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Long-billed Dowitcher
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Long-billed Dowitcher
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Another species that stood out from the rest was the Wilson’s
Phalarope. As you can see in the photo
below, the strongly contrasting head markings of this species are very
distinctive. Surprisingly, the more
colorful of the two phalaropes (the one on the left) was actually a female,
while the drabber bird was a male.
Phalaropes exhibit polyandry, which simply means that a female bird will
mate with multiple males and lay several clutches of eggs. The males are responsible for incubating the
eggs and, later, raising the young.
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Wilson's Phalaropes
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Solitary Sandpipers lurked at the edges of the field, feeding
mainly in the weedier areas.
Although
these birds aren’t truly “solitary” much of the time, they do tend to avoid
mingling with larger flocks.
Some of
their distinctive field marks are white bellies, dark brown backs, finely
stippled necks, white eye-rings, greenish legs, and black bills.
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Solitary Sandpipers
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In the next photo, the bird in the middle is a different
species from the Solitary Sandpipers standing behind it. It has far heavier white spotting on its
back, and its legs are yellow instead of grayish-green. The color of the legs actually provides an
important clue to the bird’s identification: this was a Lesser Yellowlegs.
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Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers
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As it turned out, there were many Lesser Yellowlegs in the
flooded field. They made long strides
while foraging, frequently passing though the groups of Long-billed Dowitchers.
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Long-billed Dowitchers and Lesser Yellowlegs
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Smaller numbers of the Greater Yellowlegs prowled the field,
as well. In addition to the size difference,
the heavier barring on the underparts and the proportionally longer bill helped
to distinguish the Greater Yellowlegs from the Lesser.
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Greater Yellowlegs
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I enjoyed seeing how the Greater Yellowlegs dwarfed their relatives.
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Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs
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Last but not least, there were a couple of Dunlin in the
flooded field. Yes, I often see these on
the coast, but I’ve also found them inland on several occasions. As I’ve mentioned before, their stocky build,
relatively short legs, and drooped-tip bills make them distinctive. They typically occur on the coast in the
winter, but, when spring rolls around, they begin to make their way up to the
arctic to breed, passing over and through large expanses of inland territory. Marshes, wetlands, shallow ponds, and flooded
fields provide important stopover sites for these migratory birds.
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| Dunlin |
The last photo shows three species. Can you identify them?
Answer:
Long-billed Dowitcher (left), Wilson’s Phalarope (two birds
at center), and Lesser Yellowlegs (right).
