Calidris alpina
I.D.: Sexes similar: downcurved, black bill; black legs. Breeding: jet black belly; rusty wings and crown; lightly streaked, white breast. Non-breeding: gray-brown upperparts; light underparts; light brown streaking on the breast and nape. In flight: white wing stripe; white rump is split by a black line. Size: L 71/2-9 in. (19-23 cm). Range: very rare migrant throughout the Rockies. Habitat: mudflats and shorelines of ponds and lakes up to the montane. |