Bird of Interest: Baird's Sandpiper

01 // Bird of Interest

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Photo: Stephan Sprinz / CC BY 4.0

Bird ID

This week's Bird of Interest is the small shorebird, Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii). Intel confirms this species is part of the Calidris genus, which absorbed Erolia in 1973, and the genus name itself traces back to an Ancient Greek term used by Aristotle.

Visual signatures

• Black legs and a short, straight, thin dark bill.
• Long wings that extend beyond the tail when the bird is on the ground.
• Dark brown upperparts contrasting with a mainly white underside and a black rump patch.
• Head and breast are light brown, marked with dark streaks.

Acoustic signatures

Collection gap — use the audio links below.

Listen: xeno-canto · eBird species page

Pattern of life

• Nests on the ground, typically in dry locations with low vegetation.
• Forages by moving across mudflats, locating food visually.
• Diet is composed mainly of insects, supplemented by small crustaceans.
• Classified as a long-distance migrant.

F2T — where it's been reported (Clark County, last 30 days)

• Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve — last reported 02 Oct

Decoys (look-alikes)

• White-rumped sandpiper: Distinguished by its namesake white rump patch.

Full bintel (Wikipedia)

02 // Bird Order of Battle

206 species reported across Clark County in the last 7 days. Notable sightings (rare or out of season) flagged by eBird:

Bird	Location	Date
Yellow Grosbeak	Clark County	15 Oct
Rock Pigeon	Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs	15 Oct
Ash-throated Flycatcher	Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve	15 Oct
Hammond's Flycatcher	Desert NWR--Corn Creek (Field Station)	14 Oct
Gray Flycatcher	Desert NWR--Corn Creek (Field Station)	14 Oct
Purple Finch	Searchlight Park	14 Oct
Lawrence's Goldfinch	Searchlight Park	14 Oct
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs	14 Oct

Source: eBird.org

03 // Migration Estimate

Fall migration is underway, bringing passage migrants and winter visitors. Possible arrivals include the Common Loon and Red-breasted Merganser, while summer visitors such as the Willow Flycatcher and Indigo Bunting appear to have moved on. Keep an eye out for these signatures as the season progresses.

Possible arrivals

• Burrowing Owl
• Common Loon
• Red-breasted Merganser

Possible departures

• Willow Flycatcher
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Hermit Warbler
• Hooded Oriole
• Indigo Bunting
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird
• Calliope Hummingbird

From eBird reports compared with the same weeks last year. Reporting is uneven, so treat these as indicators, not a census.

04 // NAI of the Week

Corn Creek, Desert National Wildlife Refuge

The site is an ideal staging ground, offering springs, ponds, and old trees in the open desert—a natural magnet for migrants in the Mojave. Expect high activity and excellent signatures, with recent reports including Steller's Jay, White-faced Ibis, and Anna's Hummingbird. This area is a prime zone for pattern of life observation.

114 species reported here in the last 14 days, including:

• American Pipit
• Anna's Hummingbird
• Barn Swallow
• Black-headed Grosbeak
• Black-throated Gray Warbler
• Brewer's Blackbird
• Cassin's Vireo
• Clark's Nutcracker

eBird hotspot · Site info

05 // Bird VR

Make the call. Answer in next week's BINTSUM.

Photo: Mdf, derivative work by Donkey shot / CC BY-SA 3.0

• A. Black-and-white Warbler
• B. Ladder-backed Woodpecker
• C. Wilson's Snipe

Last week's answer: Lesser Nighthawk

06 // TTP of the Week

Exploit the morning window

Bird activity peaks in the first few hours after sunrise, especially in desert heat. The same spot that looks empty at noon can be full of movement at 0630.

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Sighting data provided by eBird.org. Bird facts adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each image. Written by a local AI model, so double-check anything that matters.