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PLATE 47: RARE SANDPIPERS AND PAINTED-SNIPE
Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii V
L: 15. W: 38. Fairly small sandpiper with distinctive shape created by long wing projection beyond
tip of tail and rather short legs. Most likely to occur in region in juvenile plumage, when told by
shape, scaly upperparts (white fringes to grey-buff feathers), faintly streaked breast on buffish
ground colour, pale spot above lores (at close range), dark legs and bill. In flight, looks long-winged
with poorly marked wing-bar and poorly defined tail/rump pattern. Voice Short, rolling krru.
Habitat Sandy shores, lagoons, wetland margins. Note Vagrant Oman.Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos pm
L: 21. W: 42. Long-winged, brown sandpiper, larger than Dunlin with short, slightly decurved bill
and, when not feeding, often with rather long-necked appearance. Told in all plumages by clearly
demarcated streaked breast contrasting with white belly, dull yellowish legs and faint wing-bar.
Voice Loud kreet in flight. Habitat Marshes, pools with grassy edges. Note Rare Oman; Vagrant
UAE.Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata V
L: 20, W. 43. Similar to Pectoral Sandpiper in structure and plumage but with longer legs and shorter
bill. Differs in all plumages by lack of sharp demarcation between streaked breast and white
belly, white supercilium accentuating rufous crown and, at close range, white eye-ring. Adult in
summer has dark arrow-shaped marks on underparts, which are lost in winter to give finely grey-
streaked breast-sides. In winter, upperparts lack any rufous, becoming grey with darker feather-
centres. In first autumn, bright rufous-and-buff-streaked upperparts with whitish lines on mantle
and scapulars; upper breast with noticeable pale orange wash. Voice Flight call short, soft, metallic
pleep, often rapidly repeated. Habitat Marshes, pools with grassy edges. Note Vagrant Oman,
Yemen.Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis V
L: 19. W: 45. Slender, buffish Ruff-like wader with small, rounded head with buff face and prominent
black eye. Short, straight bill and bright yellow-ochre legs; upperparts distinctly scaly, and
underparts from head to undertail buff with fine spotting on breast-sides. In flight, appears rather
plain with no white in wings or tail. Juvenile similar to adult. From young female Ruff by smaller
size, shorter straight bill, rounded head, clean buff face, spotted breast-sides, brighter yellowish
legs and different upperpart pattern in flight. Habitat Fields, short grass, in preference to shores.
Note Vagrant Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Formerly placed in genus Tryngites.Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis V
L: 25. W: 52. Skulking; when flushed note dangling legs, short tail, rounded wings and rather
slow flight. Bill pale, shorter than Common Snipe and slightly decurved at tip. Distinctive head
markings, buff ‘V’ on mantle and white line in front of wing; dark foreparts contrast sharply with
white belly. Male has prominent buff eye-ring and streak behind eye. In flight, shows golden-
buff spotted barring on forewing and flight feathers, and black wing-bar; also Ruff-like white rump
pattern. Larger and brighter female mainly greeny-bronze with chestnut head and neck with
distinctive white marks (similar to male). Habitat Marshes with muddy patches, reedbeds; will feed
on open fields. Note Vagrant Iran, Oman, SW Saudi Arabia, UAE.