Shorebirds Quiz

Ready for a challenge?  The shorebirds in the following quiz are commonly found across much of the Gulf Coast.  See how many of them you can identify.

1.  Although some features of this resting bird are hidden, the relevant field marks are still visible.

2.  This tiny shorebird has a larger relative that is abundant across much of North America.

3.  After the first two, this next shorebird should be a relatively easy ID!

4.  A black-and-white shorebird flying low...

1. This individual is chunky with drab, brownish upperparts, a white belly, grayish legs, and a semi-long bill that droops at the tip: all features of the Dunlin.  This species spends the winter on the coast before migrating to Alaska and northern Canada for the breeding season.

2.  Piping Plovers are related to the Killdeer, an abundant and widespread plover species.  Unlike Killdeer, though, Piping Plovers have incomplete breast-bands.  They also have orange legs, unlike the slightly larger Snowy Plover, which has grayish legs.  Like the Dunlin (but unlike the Snowy Plover), Piping Plovers do not remain on the Gulf Coast to breed.

3.  The moderately short, slightly decurved bill; short, yellow legs; and warm-brown upperparts help to distinguish the Least Sandpiper from other shorebirds.  Its small size is a useful field mark, as well.  Like the Piping Plover and the Dunlin, the Least Sandpiper migrates north in the spring.

4. The American Oystercatcher is a large shorebird with bold black-and-white-and-brown plumage.  Its almost clownish-looking red bill makes it unlikely to be confused with any other species!  Oystercatchers are year-round residents of the Gulf Coast, and they do indeed eat oysters.

Sunset

I love walking on the beach near sunset, especially when the weather isn’t too warm.  The sand feels delightfully soft and cool, the clouds stretch across the sky in gorgeous pastel shades, and waves provide a relaxing soundtrack as they steadily lap the shoreline.

The seashore birds’ calls—some raucous, some guttural, and some piping—punctuate the sounds of the water and wind.  Black-bellied Plovers may look fairly drab in their winter plumage, but their plaintive, whistling notes are anything but dull.  These close relatives of the familiar, pasture-loving Killdeer remain on the Gulf Coast through the winter, but migrate north in the spring.  It amuses me that this bird doesn’t have a black belly at all during this time of year.

Black-bellied Plover at the shoreline

Like most egrets and herons, the Snowy Egret has a very unmelodious—even grating—call.  But few people would deny its elegance as it gracefully strides through the tide pools, hunting for small fish and invertebrates.  Although the water is a bit too cold for me, the Snowy Egret appears to pay it no mind.  Black legs ending in bright yellow feet are one of its identifying features.

Snowy Egret striding

While the egret moves off, the small, browinish Dunlin comes forward to prod the mud near the edge of the pool with its pointed beak.  The Dunlin is a common winter visitor and migrant on the Gulf Coast, and, on most beaches, only the grayish but equally small Sanderling outnumbers it.  These species may mingle with each other, but the Dunlin tends to feed in somewhat deeper water, as the slightly greater length of its bill would suggest.

Snowy Egret and Dunlin foraging

As I look up and slightly to the right, I see several more species of shorebirds, including Marbled Godwit, Willet, and Semipalmated Plover.  The larger individuals, such as the godwits and the willets, forage in the deeper water, while the smaller plovers and dunlins stay in the shallower sections.  The names godwit and willet may seem strange, but they were intended as transcriptions of the birds’ calls.  I hear neither of these species calling at the time, but the persistent chirps and whistles of the others more than make up for that.

Shorebirds foraging in the tide pools

The sun starts to drop below the horizon, signaling that it’s time for me to leave.  I will miss the sights, sounds, and sensations of the beach, and I hope that I can re-experience them soon.