Hi Dave,

During fall migration the first step in any shorebird ID is
determining age. Both of your birds are juveniles based on the
fresh crisp unworn plumage. Note how all the feathers look clean
and uniform. Adults will have worn plumage with possibly some
/molted/basic/winter feathers mixed in. Once you determine age it
limits the possibilities by eliminating other ages/plumages, in
your case adult and basic plumage. Hope this helps.

Cliff

Ken,

 

Thanks
for the ID help especially listing the traits you are
looking at as well as including the pictures for
comparison.  I really enjoy the Macaulary Library images,
once you have a species to look at you can find pictures
from the same time of year and find good matches.  My only
problem is narrowing it down, before you do that it can be a
little overwhelming with all the changing plumages
throughout the year.

 

I
always enjoy learning and the helpful people here on IBLE.

 

Dave
Pace

Idaho
Falls, ID

 

From:
IBLE@groups.io [mailto:IBLE@groups.io] On Behalf Of
Ken Miracle via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2024 2:10 PM
To: IBLE@groups.io
Subject: Re: [IBLE] Shorebird ID help

 

Top bird in first photo looks like a
Baird’s Sandpiper notice dark face, buffy breast, wing tips
longer than tail.

Lower bird looks like a juvenile western
notice the rufous suspenders on shoulders and stout slightly
drooping bill.

 

iper Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology allaboutbirds.org

 

Western Sandpiper Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology allaboutbirds.org

 

On Sep 15, 2024, at 1:55 PM, Dave
& Brenda Pace via groups.io <dbpace@…>
wrote:

 

Hi all,  We were out at Market
Lake WMA north of Idaho Falls back on 8-16 and saw a
fair number of shorebirds.  I am not as familiar
with them in their fall plumage so was hoping for
some help IDing several we took pictures of  These
two birds were moving together when we observed
them.  The lighter one was a bit smaller.  The
plumages look similar to me, kind of like a light
and dark morph raptor but of course they are
shorebirds.  Can you guys help with their IDs, are
they an adult and juvenile or two separate species.

 

Thanks,

 

Dave Pace

Idaho Falls, ID

 

Ken Miracle
chukar28@…
208-570-2780
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to
claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency
is from God” 2COR 3:5

 

-- 
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@...