A number of people have responded to my inquiry about the long-billed peep at Rock Point Provincial Park, Ontario which was seen on Sept. 6. Some responses were summarized on the OFO web site where a few photos of the bird were also posted. Here I wish to summarize more responses and give some of my own views about this bird.
For simplicity I will break these down into the Western camp, the Semipalmated camp, and the undecided. It should be recognized that some opinions expressing either Western or Semi. were not firmly held. PRO-WESTERN: 1) My guess is your bird is a Western Sandpiper based on the rufuos coloring on the scapulars. I think the bill is also tapered like a Western. Having said that I have seen several birds very similar to this in Western New York. I think it's really impossible to seperate all Western/Semis. 2) I would lean towards Western for the following reasons: a. It has the classic Western bill profile: relatively heavy based with an even slope, it also lacks the slightly bulbous tip typical of Semi. b. The rufous tones in the crown feathers and scapulars (but noted your caveat on tones). c. Apparent lack of semipalmations. d. Sharply defined streaks on upper breast. The relatively "short" bill suggests a male. All of this caveated: I spent 3 years in the Caribbean in Barbados where there is about a 50/50 split between Western & Semi and concluded that about one third are unidentifiable, at least in winter plumage. Yours is pretty close to the line between the two. 3) There is no question in my mind about the ID to species of this bird... Western SP in adult basic plumage. To go further out on the limb, I have NEVER seen a Semi-Sand with a honker bill like that! The bill shape especially, in length, depth and size, really speaks "Western" and not Semi-Sand, to me. 4) Bird to me looks like a Western. Some points in favor, I believe, include a bill with a tip down at the end and also appears thick at the base. I wonder, when the bird was in the water, if it was picking or probing - Westerns as you know often dunk their heads under the water while feeding. Don't like to ignore the rufous on the back, as you say one should, in the places, as someone has said already, where it should be rufous. PRO-SEMIPALMATED 1) My first concern was that the bill on this bird seemed to be on the thick side rather than the thin, drooped at the end, bill I look for in a WESA. Secondly, WESA always appear to me to be on the plump or chunky side. I don't get that feeling about this bird. 2) Looked again at your pics. I think 'birder #5' is right that the flare at the tip of the bill is more appropriate for Semi than Western (I was commenting more on length and droop). The hints of red on the crown and at the bases of a few alternate scapulars (middle pics) seem well in the range for Semi. The extent of the dark centers of these feathers also seems good for Semi. 3) I think I'd have just looked at the dingy gray of the head with lack of prominence of the supercillium and at the bill and called it a Semipalmated and moved to other birds without getting wrapped up with the other details. The very little reddish in the crown or scapulars combined with the amount of smudging or streaking on the breast, as noted by at least one of the others, would also have worked to put me off even having Western come to mind. 4) I would probably pass on a definitive ID, but my gut feel is that the bird is a Semipalmated. The bill seems somewhat blunt at the tip, although consistent with the photographs of Western in the Facts on File North Atlantic Shorebirds book. One of your observers notes that Semi's do get streaks on the flanks, which was news to me. The streaks that are visible seem to be just that, streaks, rather than the chevrons of Western. The vast majority of birds that I ID as Western annually show at least some telltale rufous, which you said this bird did not show. On occasion I have seen adults in breeding or faded breeding plumage, although not recently. They always show some rufous on the cheeks or scapulars, and usually the cap. Of course if they are even more faded and didn't have any color, I have probably passed them by as Semi's, which are abundant around here. 5) Another point that I have been discussing is the geographic variability in Semipalmated Sandpiper bill length. The easternmost breeding populations have the longest bills - such that female Semi's overlap a fair bit with male Westerns. I think Kaufman discusses this in his "Advanced Birding" book. One possibility for the discrepancy in responses from the interior vs. the coast may be that shorter-billed birds prevail in the interior, while we may see longer-billed individuals on the coast? This website has some info on relative bill sizes, although I'm not sure of the source: http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/XKiiPeep2.htm I did a web search for Semi Sand images to see what variability there was in plumage color & underparts variation. Lo & behold, I found a nice variety of pictures right on Angus Wilson's website! See here: http://www.oceanwanderers.com/SemiSand1.html I would say that Bird #1 is probably about the brightest extreme in terms of head/face color - none of the rest, however, would be unexpected in spring. Note also the underparts markings on figs 2, 3, 7, 8 etc. Arrow like chevrons on the breast and distinct, thin streaks down the flanks are quite common. Obviously these plumage characters would need to be "translated" into late fall plumage but I think they give some idea of the variability. Angus Wilson also has a few pictures of adult Western Sandpipers from early August here: http://www.oceanwanderers.com/WestSand.1.html These again would need to be mentally advanced by about a month but the state of molt of your bird (alternate vs. basic feathers) seems closest to figs 1 & 3 - these retain a number of extensively red-based scapulars and thick chevron-like underparts markings. 6) I think the red tones are a little misleading (?). To me, your bird is a Semi-p, probably female based on bill length. In my eyes, other than the bill, there is nothing to suggest Western, and bill length is too variable to use as a basis for separating both species. I see birds with bills like this regularly. To me, the head pattern, particularly the pale eyering and brown washed ear coverts, combined with the shape of the supercilium is typical Semi-p. The state of the moult is more in line with Semi-p, which moult later than Westerns (which should be largely more advanced into winter by this date) The pattern of the underparts is typical Semi-p, with streaking more or less forming a pectoral band and the lower breast and belly white. Westerns would show a more varied pattern of markings, with more defined chevrons/marks on the lower underparts. A couple of things I feel is not understood from reading the posts of those that favor Western are: Alternate Semi-ps are incredibly variable in late summer. Semi-ps do consistently show flank streaking, some more than others but it is not at all unusual. Semip-s do have paler areas at the bases of alternate scapulars. Semi-ps do show bills as long as Westerns and they are not unusual. Moult timing can help in the id of birds (particularly juveniles). Female Semi-ps can be bigger, longer-legged and long-billed and using size and structure on these birds is not easy due to the difference in morphometrics. UNDECIDED 1) I don't believe anyone will be able to tell. Too much overlap in plumage and the bill is intermediate. If anyone can prove it one way or another, I'd like to know about it, because I'll learn something. MY OPINION After having considered all of the responses, I now believe this bird is a Semipalmated Sandpiper in spite of its bill. My reasons follow. A) I suspect that Atlantic coastal birders see more long-billed Semi's than birders around the Great Lakes so they are less prone to be swayed by that feature. It should be noted, however, that even a couple of coastal birders felt the bill supported Western. Opinions were split on this bird's bill-shape. Some felt it looked like what a Western's should, lacking a bulbous tip, and others felt it looked okay for a Semi, with a wider tip. I think the bill was long, slightly drooped, and finer at the tip than most Semi's - thus, more like a Western but not the "classic" Western shape with a very fine tip as shown by the juvenile Western seen near this bird. B) From studying the birds at the links provided by responder #5 under Semipalmated above, I would expect a moulting adult Western with as much retained alternate plumage as this bird has, to show at least a few chevron-shapes on the sides, below the concentration of markings on the breast. Note that Semi's can show chevrons on the sides of the upper breast and apparantly even further down in fresh alternate plumage, as shown by some of the photos on Angus Wilson's web site. C) I saw an adult Semi with the long-billed peep at Rock Point that showed even more extensive lower flank markings. As others have indicated, this is not indicative of Western. D) When Jim Pawlicki and I studied this bird in the field, we detected no red. I admit that because I was trying to get photos, I could have missed seeing this. But I doubt that Jim would also, as he was really looking hard at the bird. And I know my camera - even characters that are warm brown may appear somewhat rufous after my camera gets through with it. Would an adult Western lose all, or almost all of its rufous by this stage of its moult? One observer suggested that that was not likely. But another told me verbally that some adult Westerns do lose all rufous by early September - perhaps he was referring to birds in more advanced moult? E) The heavily marked ear coverts and shape of the supercilium also support Semi. Thanks to everyone who sent in comments and a special thanks to the Ontario Field Ornithologists for hosting the photos and discussion on their web site and to Sandra Eadie who does such a great job as their web master. Good birding! Willie -------------- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, N.Y. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
