Bird Guide

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper vs Upland Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Calidris acuminata

Medium66 gWetland

A small-medium wader, the portly sandpiper has a pot belly, flat back and somewhat drawn-out rear end. It has a mottled chestnut-brown upper body with sharp-looking feathers with a dark centre, a chestnut cap on its head and a brown stripe through each eye. Its bill is dark grey to black and straight, and its legs are olive- to yellow-coloured. The underparts are white or paler in colour, with the mottling similar to that on the breast and sides of the belly. The plumage is more vivid during the breeding season and duller in its winter plumage.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: William Harland (william-harland) · CC BY 4.0
Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicauda

Medium159 gGrassland

An adult is roughly 30 cm (12 in) long with a 66 cm (26 in) wingspan. The average weight is 170 g (6 oz). This odd bird has a small dove-like head on a long neck. It is heavily marbled black and brown on the back and wings. The neck is streaked with dark brown which continues down to the breast and on to the flanks. The belly and undertail coverts are white, and the tail is quite long for a sandpiper. The upland sandpiper also has a white eye-ring and long yellow legs. Voice: Upland sandpipers can be identified by a distinctive call, sometimes called a "wolf whistle", which features a long, ascending whistle followed by a second rising and/or falling call. These sounds are often made while the bird is landing or while flying high.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Upland Sandpiper.