IDENTIFICATION OF "PEEP" SANDPIPERS (C) DUSTIN HUNTINGTON 1984 THIS KNOWLEDGE BASE WILL PROVIDE THE MOST LIKELY IDENTIFICATION OF A "PEEP" SANDPIPER (LEAST, WESTERN, SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S, WHITE-RUMPED AND PECTORAL) BASED ON INPUT OF A DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO SPECIFY THE PLUMAGE THE BIRD WAS IN (BREEDING, WINTER, OR JUVENILE). THE FOLLOWING LIST OF SPECIES AND PLUMAGES IS IN ORDER OF PROBABILITY. SPECIES WITH EQUAL SCORES ARE EQUALLY PROBABLE AND THEIR RELATIVE POSITION DOES NOT INDICATE INCREASED PROBABILITY. CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF INPUT MAY HAVE ELIMINATED ALL SPECIES. RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST, AMERICAN BIRDS AUG 75 THERE ARE A FEW RECORDS OF WINTERING SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS IN SOUTH FLORIDA AMERICAN BIRDS - AUG 75 RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST ADULTS WILL HAVE MOLTED TO WINTER PLUMAGE BY SEPTEMBER RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST LARGE NUMBERS OF WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS MAY BE SEEN IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING ONLY STRAY INDIVIDUALS REACH THE WEST COAST. A LARGE FLOCK WOULD BE EXTREMELY UNLIKELY. AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING VERY FEW PECTORAL SANDPIPERS OCCUR ON THE WEST COAST IN SPRING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING LEAST AND PECTORAL HAVE YELLOWISH LEGS AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING THE LEG COLOR CAN BE DECIEVING, HOWEVER LEAST AND PECTORAL HAVE YELLOWISH LEGS AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING WESTERN, SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S AND WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS ALL HAVE BLACKISH LEGS AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING LEG COLOR CAN BE DECIEVING, HOWEVER WESTERN, SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S AND WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS ALL HAVE BLACKISH LEGS. AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING A BLUNT STRAIGHT BILL IS VERY CHARACTERISTIC OF A SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING THE SEMIPALMATED IS THE ONLY PEEP TO APPEAR SHORT BILLED AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING A LONG NECKED POSTURE IS UNIQUE TO THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER PERSONAL OBSERVATION AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING FRESH FEATHERS SHOWING CONTRASTING EDGES IN THE FALL STRONGLY SUGGEST A JUVENILE PLUMAGE BIRD RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST BACK FEATHERS THAT SHOW CONTRASTING EDGES IN THE FALL BUT WHICH ARE VERY WORN SUGGEST A BREEDING PLUMAGE BIRD THAT IS GETTING READY TO MOLT INTO WINTER PLUMAGE RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST SOME PEEPS RETURN IN THE SPRING STILL IN VERY WORN WINTER PLUMAGE RARE BIRDS OF THE WEST COAST AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING LEAST SANDPIPER NEVER APPEAR LARGE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER SHOREBIRDS, PECTORALS OFTEN DO. AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING PECTORALS APPEAR TO BE LARGE FOR A PEEP. AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING AUDUBON SOCIETY MASTER GUIDE TO BIRDING THE SEASON THE BIRD WAS SEEN WAS WINTER (NOV-MAR) SPRING (APR-MAY) SUMMER (JUNE-JULY) FALL (AUG-OCT) THE LOCATION WAS ON THE EAST COAST ON THE WEST COAST INLAND IN SOUTH FLORIDA THE MONTH OF THE SIGHTING IS AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER THE NUMBER OF IDENTICAL BIRDS IN QUESTION SEEN WAS ONE A FEW UP TO A FEW DOZEN MORE THAN 50 THE LEG COLOR WAS BLACKISH YELLOWISH NOT SEEN THE LEG COLOR WAS SEEN VERY CLEARLY WELL POORLY THE BIRD'S BILL SHAPE WAS SLIGHTLY DROOPING AT THE TIP STRAIGHT SLIGHTLY CURVED DOWNWARDS NOT SEEN THE TIP OF THE BILL WAS BLUNT (NOT MUCH NARROWER THAN THE MIDPOINT OF THE BILL) TAPERED (TIP NOTICEABLY SMALLER THAN THE MIDPOINT OF THE BILL) THE BILL LENGTH WAS PROPORTIONALLY SHORT PROPORTIONALLY LONG AVERAGE NOT SEEN THE BIRD'S POSTURE APPEARED LONG NECKED WHEN THE BIRD WAS DISTURBED ALWAYS APPEARED SHORT NECKED THE BODY SHAPE WAS LOW, SLIM AND HORIZONTAL ROUNDER THE WING TIPS EXTENDED BEYOND THE TIP OF THE TAIL DID NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE TIP OF THE TAIL WERE NOT SEEN THE BACK FEATHERS WERE DARK WITH CONTRASTING LIGHT EDGES UNIFORM GRAY/BROWN WITHOUT PRONOUNCED LIGHT EDGES NOT SEEN THE BACK FEATHERS APPEARED FRESH AND CLEAN OLD AND WORN THE FLANKS WERE CLEARLY STREAKED OR SPOTTED DARK ON WHITE VERY FAINTLY STREAKED PLAIN WHITE NOT SEEN THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE BIRD, AS COMPARED TO OTHER SHOREBIRDS, WAS LARGE MEDIUM SMALL THE BREAST WAS BROADLY STREAKED DARK ON WHITE FINELY STREAKED DARK ON WHITE STREAKED DARK ON BUFF BUFFY WITH LITTLE IF ANY STREAKING STREAKED OR DARKER ONLY ON THE SIDES OF THE BREAST WHITE NOT SEEN THE BREAST STREAKING ENDED IN A SHARP LINE ON THE BELLY DID NOT END IN A SHARP LINE ON THE BELLY WAS NOT SEEN THE BACK FEATHERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF RUFOUS DID NOT SHOW SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF RUFOUS WERE NOT SEEN THE CENTER OF THE RUMP WAS WHITE DARK NOT SEEN THE RUMP WAS SEEN VERY CLEARLY WELL POORLY LEAST SANDPIPER, BREEDING PLUMAGE LEAST SANDPIPER, WINTER PLUMAGE LEAST SANDPIPER, JUVENILE PLUMAGE WESTERN SANDPIPER, BREEDING PLUMAGE WESTERN SANDPIPER, WINTER PLUMAGE WESTERN SANDPIPER, JUVENILE PLUMAGE SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, BREEDING PLUMAGE SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, WINTER PLUMAGE SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, JUVENILE PLUMAGE BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, BREEDING PLUMAGE BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, WINTER PLUMAGE BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, JUVENILE PLUMAGE WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, BREEDING PLUMAGE WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, WINTER PLUMAGE WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, JUVENILE PLUMAGE PECTORAL SANDPIPER, BREEDING PLUMAGE PECTORAL SANDPIPER, WINTER PLUMAGE PECTORAL SANDPIPER, JUVENILE PLUMAGE THIS KNOWLEDGE BASE WILL PROVIDE THE MOST LIKELY IDENTIFICATION OF A "PEEP" SANDPIPER (LEAST, WESTERN, SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S, WHITE-RUMPED AND PECTORAL) BASED ON INPUT OF A DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO SPECIFY THE PLUMAGE THE BIRD WAS IN (BREEDING, WINTER, OR JUVENILE). THE PROGRAM CAN ALSO IDENTIFY BIRDS BASED ON MEASUREMENTS MADE IN THE HAND. THE BIRD WAF MEASURED IN THE HAND OBSERVED IN THE FIELD THE BIRD WAS MEASURED IN THE HAND THE LENGTH OF THE BIRD'S BILL FROM THE BASE OF THE FEATHERS TO THE TIP OF THE BILL ALONG THE TOP OF THE BILL, MEASURED IN MM THE SHORT LENGTH OF THE BILL MEASUREMENT SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MEASUREMENT ERROR OR THE BIRD MAY NOT BE A PEEP SANDPIPER ALL U.S. PEEP SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 15 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS HAVE BILLS OF 22 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE LENGTH OF THE BIRD'S WING, FLATTENED AND STRAIGHTENED, FROM THE BEND OF THE WING TO THE TIP MEASURED IN MM SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 93 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 104 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF WING AND BILL ELNGTHS FOR A SEMIPALMATED GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF WING AND BILL LENGTHS FOR A SEMIPALMATED WESTERN SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 21 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN WESTERN SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 30 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE LONG LENGTH OF THE BILL MEASUREMENT SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MEASUREMENT ERROR OR THE BIRD IS NOT A U.S. PEEP SANDPIPER WESTERN SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 94 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN WESTERN SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 103 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF BILL AND WING MEASUREMENTS FOR A WESTERN SANDPIPER GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN LEAST SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 16 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN LEAST SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 20 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN LEAST SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 86 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN LEAST SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 95 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF WING AND BILL MEASUREMENTS FOR A LEAST SANDPIPER GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 22 MM OR MORE GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 26 MM OR LESS GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 118 TO 129 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 118 TO 129 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF BILL AND WING LENGTHS FOR THE WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 21 TO 24 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS HAVE BILL LENGTHS OF 21 TO 24 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 119 TO 135 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS HAVE WING LENGTHS OF 119 TO 135 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF BILL AND WING LENGTH FOR THE BAIRD'S SANDPIPER GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE BILL ELNGTH OF A PECTORAL SANDPIPER IS 24 TO 30 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE BILL LENGTH OF A PECTORAL SANDPIPER IS 24 TO 30 MM THE BILL LENGTH OF A PECTORAL SANDPIPER IS 24 TO 30 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE WING LENGTH OF A PECTORAL SANDPIPER IS 126 TO 150 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE WING LENGTH OF A PECTORAL SANDPIPER IS 126 TO 150 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THIS IS THE PROPER COMBINATION OF BILL AND WING LENGTH FOR A PECTORAL SANDPIPER GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE SHORT LENGTH OF THE WING MEASUREMENT SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MEASUREMENT ERROR OR THE BIRD MAY NOT BE A U.S. PEEP SANDPIPER ALL U.S. PEEP SANDPIPERS HAVE WING MEASUREMENTS BETWEEN 86 AND 150 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN THE LONG LENGTH OF THE WING MEASUREMENT SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MEASUREMENT ERROR OR THE BIRD MAY NOT BE A U.S. PEEP SANDPIPER ALL U.S. PEEP SANDPIPERS HAVE WING MEASUREMENTS BETWEEN 86 AND 150 MM GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND AGEING OF HOLARCTIC WADERS BY PRATER, MARCHANT AND VUORINEN IDENTIFICATION OF "PEEP" SANDPIPERS LEG COLOR CAN BE DECEIVING, HOWEVER WESTERN, SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S AND WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS ALL HAVE BLACKISH LEGS. THE LEG COLOR CAN BE DECEIVING, HOWEVER LEAST AND PECTORAL HAVE YELLOWISH LEGS 