Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), Willow Lake, Yavapai County

This Semipalmated Sandpiper was found and photographed by Felipe Guerrero on 09 August 2016

A rare, but regular, fall transient in Arizona.

Semipalmated Sandpiper always shows black legs and a short, stout, straight bill without any droop to the tip, helping to separate it from Western Sandpiper in any plumage. This is a juvenile, indicated by the fresh buffy fringes on the upperparts. Semipalmated Sandpiper is a black legged, grayish, short billed peep. The short, straight bill, black legs, the lack of heavier black streaking or chevrons on the lower flanks, the short wing projection, and the lack of rufous edging on the back, scapulars, crown, and ear coverts all point to Semipalmated and away from any of the similar species. Note especially the bill shape in comparison to the Western Sandpiper: shorter, straighter, and more blunt-tipped.

09 August 2016, photo by Felipe Guerrero

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