Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis)

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a denizen of drier upland shortgrass habitats, unlike most sandpipers. It migrates chiefly through the middle of North America, both spring and fall. Some juveniles stray to other routes on their initial southbound migration. The few Arizona records of this species have come in years when they occurred in above-average numbers along the west coast of the U.S. The first documented and accepted Arizona record was of a juvenile in an alfalfa field near Gila Bend in September 2002. The second accepted record came in that same month at a sod farm east of Scottsdale.

In 2007 juveniles again occurred in increased numbers in California. With that in mind, Arizona birders looked for and found 4 more Buff-breasted Sandpipers in the state. The first of these was a bird found and photographed by Mark Stevenson and Molly Pollock north of Marana, in Pinal County on 8/31/07. The bird was seen there through 9/4/07 when it relocated to another alfalfa field about a mile south, in Pima County. Two more were found not far from the 2002 site near Gila Bend by Bill Grossi on 9/11/07 and another was on the same sod farm east of Scottsdale when found by Kurt Radamaker on 9/25/07.

Documentation of these rare birds has been submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee.

Identification of this species is covered in all field guides to North American birds.

Above two photos (c)Mark Stevenson taken 4 September 2007 in Marana, Pima County, AZ

Rousseau Sod Farm 29 September 2007, photo by Dale Clark.