White-rumped Whimbrel at Colonel Sam Smith Park in Toronto

On 22 May 2012, a White-rumped Whimbrel (left) was first spotted by Wayne Renaud and Tim McCarthy at the Toronto Whimbrel Watch, one in a flock of 55 North American Whimbrel, which have brown rumps. Dave Milsom took these four photos at Colonel Sam Smith Park. There are several previous reports of White-rumped Whimbrel in Ontario.

White-rumped Whimbrel belong to the Old World subspecies group phaeopus (includes islandicus) breeding from Iceland to western Siberia or to the eastern Siberian subspecies variegatus. This Toronto individual appears to be of the phaeopus group.

Whimbrel in the European phaeopus group have a white rump with a V up the back, and white axillaries and underwing coverts as in right photo. Variegatus from eastern Siberia have a darker rump and underwing than European phaeopus group. See Sixth Edition National Geographic Guide page 182.