Spring Shorebirds

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.

Killdeer in background, to the right

 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. 

Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

 

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.

 

Wilson's Phalaropes

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. 

 

Solitary Sandpipers

 

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.

 

Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers

 

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. 

 

Long-billed Dowitchers and Lesser Yellowlegs

 

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.

 

Greater Yellowlegs

 

 I enjoyed seeing how the Greater Yellowlegs dwarfed their relatives. 

 

Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs

 

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.

 

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).