Wood Sandpiper

The Wood Sandpiper is a bit smaller than the Common Sandpiper, more slender, with a longer neck and legs. It also has less striking plumage, paler overall and more speckled on the upperparts. With its bulging forehead and slim neck, it looks a little like a plover. Viewed in good conditions, it is easily identifiable by its silhouette and the clean pale supercilium.
Males and females are similar. The breeding adult has the upperparts in a rich brown which is patterned with light and dark markings rather than just finely speckled. The crown and nape are finely streaked with white whereas the neck and breast are white and finely streaked with brown. The 'collar effect' is not so obvious in the Wood Sandpiper. The belly and undertail are white. The flanks are whitish-cream and clearly barred with brown. The broad supercilium erases the eye-ring somewhat and the dark lores stand out. The bill, as long as the head, has a yellowish base. The long-legged tarsi are brightly yellowish-green. In flight, in stark contrast to the Common Sandpiper, it has a sharply different call, more pointed wings and most obviously lacks the bold white rump and undertail which results in less of a 'collar effect'. The tail bands are numerous, thin and brown.
The inter-breeding adult is browner and has a less spotted upper surface. The mantle feathers are edged with a thin whitish line. The breast is less streaked. The flanks still hold their dark patterning.
The juvenile is yet browner. The upperparts have mostly buff spots. The breast has a rufous colouring and is finely spotted with rufous brown. The bill is greyish and the tarsi are greenish.