Submission No 358: Dunlin Calidris alpina, Peterborough, VIC, 1st November 2002.

Verdict: Not Accepted

This submission concerns the claimed sighting of a Dunlin Calidris alpina associating with Hooded Plovers Thinornis rubricollis at close range for approximately 15 minutes at the mouth of the Curdies River, Peterborough, VIC on the 1st November 2002. Three observers including 2 experienced with Dunlins from the U.K saw the bird.

The description provided is very brief describing the bird as "slightly smaller than Hooded Plover, with shorter legs than Curlew Sandpiper C. ferruginea. General colour was in shades of grey, without traces of brown. Bill black, shorter and heavier than Curlew Sandpiper with a down-turned tip. Legs black". Dorsal colour was grey with some feathers fringed pale grey. Crown untidily marked, without clear delineation of eyebrow. Overall the bird appeared 'dumpy' and relatively pale. It was pale below with streaking present on the sides of the breast. The bird was purposely flushed to ascertain the rump pattern, which revealed a broad dark line down the rump and tail. The wing-bar was similar to that of a Curlew Sandpiper but the primaries and secondaries appeared darker.

All three observers were very confident of the identification carefully ruling out Sanderling C. alba, Curlew Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper C. mauri and the hybrid 'Cox's Sandpiper'. Video footage (expected to be of poor quality) was taken but this was not made available to the committee.

Members conceded that there was a good chance that the bird observed was a Dunlin. The dark line through the rump and uppertail coverts is obviously a vital feature completely inconsistent with Curlew Sandpiper and there is nothing in the description that rules out Dunlin conclusively. However, potential confusion with Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus and problems with hybridization (particularly with Curlew Sandpiper), the brief nature of the submission, missing features such as the distinctive trilling call in flight, the primaries falling short of the tail tip, lack of toe-trailing in flight and the lack of corroborative data (such as field-notes/photographs) resulted in a number of members voting against acceptance. The Committee would be eager to reopen the case if the video recording was found to contain useful images of the bird and was made available. Also, if two other observers claiming to have seen the bird at the same place on 29 November, make a submission.

To date there are only two confirmed Australian records of Dunlin both from Queensland (Roberts 1983, Palliser 2002) both involving birds in breeding (alternate) plumage.

References and Bibliography:

· Lowry, R.J., Jensen, R., Payne, J. & Payne, R., 1999, 'A wintering Dunlin in north Queensland' Australian Birding 5: (3) 11-12.
· Hayman, P., Marchant, J & Prater, T. 1986. Shorebirds - An identification Guide to the Waders of the World. Croom Helm, London.
· Hindwood, K. A. 1944. Occurrence of the Dunlin in Australia. Emu 43: 292-3.
· Lindsey, A. & Lindsey, T.R. 1978. 'A sight record of the Dunlin on the Cairns waterfront'. Sunbird 9: 1.
· McKean, J.L. 1976. A Dunlin sighting in South Australia. South Australian Ornithologist 27:101.
· Marchant, S. & P.J. Higgins 1990. The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Oxford University Press; Melbourne.
· Palliser, T. 2002. 'Case 271 Dunlin. Rare Birds in 2001', BARC Report, Wingspan: 12 (3), 18-21.
· Roberts, G. 1983. 'A sighting of Dunlin Calidris alpina in North Queensland and a review of Australian Dunlin records'. Sunbird 13: 15-9.

Tony Palliser
Chairman Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)