Ken’s helpful class handout on the GISS of Washington Shorebirds
GISS General impression structure shape
Black Bellied Plover: 240gms., about size of G. Yellowlegs, larger than A.Gold.Pl., chunky large headed, thick chest, primaries slightly past tail. run stop feeding.
Am. Gold.Pl.: 145gms., attenuated, slim neck & chest,long legs-toes completely past tail in flight, usually 4 primaries exposed, wings 1/2″ or more past tail tip. run stop feeding, upland also.
Pac. Gold. Pl.: 130 gms., same size as American, recalls BB Pl. ie front heavy upright, rounded body, heavy chest, ie. dumpy, 3 primaries exposed, 1/2″ or less beyond tail, long tertials, run stop feeding, upland.
Snowy Pl.: 40gms., slightly smaller than semi-palm, rounded front heavy, large headed slim billed, run stop plucking beaches, salt lakes, alkali flats, light backed
Semi-Palm. Pl.: 45 gms, intermediate between peep and sanderling, chunky but attenuated, round head, stubby bill, run-stop feeding beaches, mudflats, scattered flocks.
G. Yellowlegs: 160gms., 2x weight of Lesser, long legs, neck & bill, prominent adams apple, active feeder, walks steadily picks at surface, often runs frantically to chase fish, flooded fields, marshes, tidal creeks. bill upturned.
L. Yellowlegs: 80gms., slightly smaller than dowitchers, delicate, slim chest & smoot body contours, small head, slim straight bill. walks rapidly and methodically, picking, seldom runs, flooded fields, shallow ponds, mudflats.
Solitary Sand.: 50gms., Midway between peep & Lesser Yellowlegs, compact, short wings, legs & neck, slightly larger head, moves slowly and nervously picking at surface, ponds, creeks, marshs, solitary, spotted above.
Willet: 215 gms. near G. Yellowlegs, stocky and more compact than G.Y. larger head, thick neck & bill, walks steadily picking, shallow probes, tidal creeks & flats.
Wandering Tattler: 110gms, close to red knot, slim & attenuated, short legs, medium lengh bill, horizontal stance, walks quickly over rocks, teeters like spotted, picks & probes, usually solitary, loose flocks. largest rock piper.
Spotted Sand: 40gms. slightly larger than peep, short legs & bill, horizontal stance, active walks quickly picking, shallow fluttery flight close to water surface.
Whimbrel: 390gms., larger than willet, smaller than LB curlew, bulky & attenuated, long neck decurved bill, stipes on head, walks steadily, picking & probing, mudflats, marshes.
LBilled Curlew: 590gms, distinctly larger than Godwit or Whimbrel, heavy body, long decurved bill, no stripes on head, walks steadily picking & probing, mudflats, pastures.
Hudsonian Godwit: 300gms, willet size, heavy chest, long pointed wings, upturned bill, white rump & wingstripe, walks steadily, deep prober, mudflats, flooded fields, very rare. 15.5″.
Marbled Godwit: 370 gms, larger than willet, bulky body, long legs, abreviated supercilium, upturned bill, steadily walks, probing deeply, mudflats.
Bar-tailed Godwit: 340gms, between Marbled and Hudsonian in size, shorter neck and legs than Hudsonian but longer bill, walks steadily probes deeply, mudflats, tidal flats, widening supercilium behind eye.
Ruddy Turnstone: 110 gms, slightly larger than sanderling, chunky short legs & neck, short bill, low croucher, flips debris, digs in sand also cobbled habitats.
Black Turnstone: 120gms., chunkier than ruddy, short neck & legs, chisel like short bill, croucher, flips debris, rocky areas.
Surfbird: 190gms., 10″, 2nd largest rock piper, chunky, short stout plover like bill. Active, walks quickly over rocks, tugs or pecks.
Rock Sandpiper: 70 gms., slightly larger than dunlin, chunky and rounded, medium to long droopy bill, croucher, walks steadily, picking, hops & fluttters from rock to rock.
Red Knot: 135 gms., dowitcher size, chunky, short legs, medium bill, horizontal stance, walks slowly picking and probing, sandy beaches, mudflats.
Sanderling: 60gms, size of dunlin, larger than peep. chunky rounded body, large head, thick neck. medium bill, picks at surface, chases waves. whitest shorebird in winter.
Semi-Palm Sand: 25gms, 6.25″, slightly larger than least, plump body, not as front heavy as Western, straight blunt-tipped bill, deeper at base than western. walks steadily, picks nervously, aggressive mudflats.
Western Sand: 26gms, 6.5″, front heavy, larger head, longer droopy finer tipped bill, roosting birds more upright than Semi-palmated sandpiper, picks & probes shallow, large flocks migration, with dunlin winter, mudflats.
Least Sand: 20gms. 6″, medium bill fine tipped, roosts more upright than S-P, crouches when feeding, bill tip close to toes, walks steadily, picking broad mudflats close to shore, often higher on mudflats.
Baird’s Sand: 38gms, 7.5″, slightly larger than peep, steep forehead, straight fine tipped bill, long wings often crossed, walks steadily, picking, dry edges of mudflats, short grass.
Pectoral Sand: 73gms., 8.75″, Larger than dunlin, Males largest, bulky broad chested, but attenuated. small head, longer neck and legs than Baird’s. Primaries to tail tip. picks at surface, mudflats, pastures, ponds.
Sharp-Tailed Sand: 68gms, 8.5″, similar to Pectoral, more rounded body, longer legs, shorter slimmer bill, not 2 toned, red cap, buffy chest, with Pectorals usually.
Dunlin: 60 gms, 8.5″, Sanderling size, chunky, short thick neck, long droopy bill, dun colored, rapidly picks & probes, winters here in good numbers, large flocks by default.
Stilt Sand: 58gms, 8.5″, dunlin sized, smaller than dowitchers, long legs, fine tipped droopy long bill. walks steadily with bill down, probes deeply or picks at surface, often belly deep in ponds, shallow water, submerges head.
Buff-breated Sand: 63gms, 8.25″, size of Pectoral, sleek, attenuated, squarish head, short straight bill, upright stance, walks quickly with pigeon-like gait, (head bobbing), short grass, plowed fields, dry sandflats.
Ruff: 150gms, 11″, female close to Lesser Yellowlegs, male close to Greater. chunky, round body, long legs & neck, short droopy bill, hunches when feeding, upright when alert. active, wanders continuouly, picking & probing, ponds, marshes, flooded fields often with yellowlegs.
Short-Billed Dow: 110gms, 11″, size of Lesser Yellowlegs, chunky but attenuated, short legs, long bill, horizontal stance, usually slimmer and flatter backed than LB in relaxed feeding pose, bill shorter, thicker at base, with longer curve at base, probes deeply, sewing machine in shallow water. mostly coastal, salt water.
Long-Billed Dow: 115gms, 11.5″, chunky, round back, indented near tail base, bill longer, thinner based, flatter for longer distance than S-B. ie curves more quickly from head. Only winter time dowy, fresh water, ponds, sheltered tidal, sewing machine feeding.
Wilson’s Phalarope: 60gms, 9.25″, longest bill, needlelike, small head, long neck, spins in water, picking, usually inland.
Red-Necked Phalarope, 35 gms., 7.75″, smallest, compact with slim neck, small head. medium length bill, spins also, inland, coastal, pelagic. Striped back.
Red Phalarope: 55gms., 8.5″, similar to sanderling, 40% larger than R-N, bulky, heavy chested, thick neck, large head, heavier plover like bill, 2 toned. plain back, spins, mostly pelagic, coastal after storms.
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