Baird's Sandpipers breed on Arctic tundra in the far north of Alaska and Canada with some in eastern Siberia and Greenland. Their most distinctive feature is really long wings, much longer than the tail, a feature that they share with White-rumped Sandpiper. But unlike White-rumped, Baird's has unstreaked flanks and Weetabix-like plumage. They are not particularly common and many overfly the USA en route to and from their wintering grounds in South America. This one was photographed on its South American wintering grounds. I was pleased with the position here which shows its distinctive long wings and clean flanks. They are a rare but regular wanderer to Britain, usually lost juveniles in autumn.
Baird's Sandpiper was first discovered by an 18 year old Elliott Coues who was working at the Smithsonian Institute at the time under the guidance of Spencer Fullerton Baird. Coues discovered it in 1861 while cataloging a collection of birds made at Great Slave Lake (by Robert Kennicott and Bernard Ross). Coues was indebted to Baird for his kindness and encouragement so he dedicated the name of this new species to his mentor. Both its scientific and vernacular name still commemorate Baird (Baird's Sandpiper- Calidris bairdii). At this time a closely related species was known as Bonaparte's Sandpiper after Charles Bonaparte (Napoleon's nephew). But unfortunately for him, this species became better known for its distinctive field mark, so is now known as White-rumped Sandpiper. Luckily for Baird, his sandpiper has a black centre to its rump like most sandpipers.
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