Bird Guide

Purple Sandpiper vs Temminck's Stint

Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Medium65 gGrassland

Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black. They measure 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 in) in length and 42–46 cm (17–18 in) across the wings, and weight is from 50–105 g (1.8–3.7 oz).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jochem Verweij · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Cole Wolf · CC BY 4.0
Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii)

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Small23 gGrassland

These birds are very small waders, at 13.5–15 cm (5.3–5.9 in) length. They are similar in size to the little stint (Calidris minuta) but shorter legged and longer winged. The legs are dull yellowish or brown, and the outer tail feathers white, in contrast to little stint's black legs and grey outer tail feathers. This is a rather drab wader, with mainly plain brown upperparts and head, and underparts white apart from a darker breast. The breeding adult has some brighter rufous and/or blackish mantle feathers to relieve the generally undistinguished appearance.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Sonothèque ADVL · CC0
Photo: renshuchu · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Purple Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint.