BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 16, 2024
Approximately 30 shorebird species pop up somewhere in our state every year, and they can look annoyingly similar. No wonder some frustrated birders just tear out the shorebird pages from the field guide and give up. To better identify a shorebird, don’t identify it. First, assess what you’re looking at, and make a judgment about size, shape and location. Sort it into a pile with similar shorebirds. Then, instead of sorting through 30 birds, you’re only picking it out of half a dozen or so. To tell apart all the similar-looking shorebirds, there are plenty of field guides available. ~ Bob Duchesne