ID TIPS: Surfbird
KEY FIELD MARKS
1. Short, stout bill with swollen tip, black with yellow at base
2. In winter plumage, mostly unmarked dusky gray on chest and upperparts
3. No strong head pattern in any plumage
4. White belly, variably marked with black
5. White rump (often hidden at rest) above black tail
6. Relatively short, thick, yellow legs
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Medium-sized sandpiper with very stocky, heavy-bodied shape, emphasized by short bill and legs.• Short and very thick, with blunt, bulbous tip. Mostly black, with yellow at base of lower mandible.• Relatively short and thick, and dull to bright yellow.• Mostly dark dusky gray for most of the year. Patterned with black stripes and spots, and with reddish-brown scapulars in breeding plumage. Juveniles are a more• Bold white stripe across dark wings. White rump contrasts with dark gray back and black tail.
