Knee Deep in Waders: Bird Identification Guide

Continuing with my identification guides, this week I thought I would take a look at some of the waders that we see locally. Waders alone compose a large part of our species total, and so there are far too many to go over individually. I will try to cover some of our regular species, as well as some rarer species that can be easily mixed up with them.

I should say that this is purely based on my experiences as a birdwatcher, and the best way to ID birds is still with a field guide. However, when you're out and about, you may not always have access to one, and so it's helpful to know some tips that can assist in your identification. I would recommend having a bird guide on hand whilst reading this, as many of the features I describe are better understood with a picture. I am pitching this more towards beginner birdwatchers, so will be mostly considering birds in their adult plumages, however, I will also mention some more unusual rarities, so hopefully there is something for everyone!

It would be wrong to talk about waders without at least mentioning Oystercatchers. Dressed smartly in black and white with their orange bills, they are perhaps our most common species, indeed they inhabit coasts and wetlands all over the country. This widespread distribution means they are likely well known to all of us; their unique colour pattern is unmatched by any other wader, and so they are easy to distinguish even at a great distance.

Oystercatcher (left) and Curlew

Another common species to identify are the Curlews, which stand out with their large size and great curved bills. They are the largest of our waders, and so easy to pick out amongst the crowd. They aren't without dissimilar species however, as during late spring we also get Whimbrels. Seen alone they are almost identical to Curlews, however side-by-side they are noticeably smaller, and their bills are shorter and only bend towards the tip. If there is any doubt, then they also have a more prominent dark eye stripe and a different call (though if you're like me - that's too subtle of a difference to tell).

Moving into the general-sized waders, and fortunately, one family have their own distinctiveness, the plovers. Whilst initially they can fall under the "small brown/grey wader" category, they have some standout features that are very recognisable. Ringed Plovers are so-called because they have a dark ring running around the base of their neck. This dark band is very noticeable and is their most distinctive feature when viewed from far away. Our other Plovers are the Grey and Golden Plovers. Both fall into a "medium wader" size category, larger than Ringed Plovers or Turnstones, but not as large as Curlews or Oystercatchers. In summer, both have stand-out black bellies running from their face to their feet and can be separated by the colours in their names. In winter they have very neatly spotted patterns on their backs, and colour differences remain with Golden Plovers appearing to be browner. We occasionally get records of American Golden Plovers, often amongst the Golden Plovers themselves. These can be harder to identify, but generally are slightly smaller and more slender than Golden Plovers, and overall are greyer and less golden. 

Golden, Grey (Winter plumage), and Ringed Plover from left to right

Our other common species in this size bracket is the Redshank. Fortunately, this species lives up to their namesake and have orangey-red legs which stand out against their otherwise dull brown bodies. Whilst not as common, we get semi-regular records of Greenshanks. Once again the name is a bit of a giveaway, however, the greenish-grey legs can be harder to pick out. They are also slightly larger than Redshanks and could be considered more grey than brown.

All that's left to mention now are the small waders. How unfortunate that these are the most numerous, and there are too many small, grey and brown waders to cover. Around the Wig, we do have a few that could be considered regular species, first of which are the Turnstone. The hardest part of identifying these birds can be finding them in the first place! Their dark mottled backs are the perfect camouflage amongst the seaweed and beach debris, and so often the first you know of them is the pebbles seeming running down the beach. They share a dark ring similar to Ringed Plovers and are often seen feeding alongside them. However, in winter their the Turnstones backs are much darker, and in summer they become patterned orange and black.

Turnstone (Summer), Dunlin (Winter) and Dunlin (Summer) from left to right

The final species I will mention is the Dunlin, whose varied plumages can make identifying it very difficult. Indeed, perhaps the best way to go about it is ruling out the things it can't be! In winter it is the stereotypical small grey wader, and it will appear very plain compared to the other species I've mentioned. In summer, it like some other waders also gained a black belly. However, unlike the aforementioned plovers, this only extends from the legs to mid breast, and so is noticeably smaller than other species. Its summer plumage is also a lot more patterned than its winter and has a hint of red-brown to it. With juveniles having both brown and grey stages, they can appear very similar to other small waders, however familiarity with Dunlins will do a long way in helping to identify many similar, rare waders.

And that's all I have time for this week. There are loads of waders that I have had to miss, including Godwits, Sandpipers and other species like Knot and Sanderling. By having gone over the most common birds I hope that you are able to go out and see some of them for yourself to practise on. If you chance upon an unfamiliar wader then be sure to record things like size, colour, pattern and beak size, as these will be most helpful in identifying it from a guide later. Or perhaps by that time, I'll have got another article out covering all these waders that remain...

(All photo's belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them)