Baird's Sandpipers are medium-sized shorebirds with a distinctive appearance, and telling males and females apart in the field, especially in Oregon where they are primarily seen during migration, can be quite challenging due to their similar plumages.

Overall Characteristics:
Size and Shape: They are considered large "peeps" (small sandpipers), roughly between the size of a sparrow and a robin. They have a slender body, a broad breast, short black legs, and a relatively long, straight, and thin dark bill. A key identification feature is their very long wings, which extend noticeably beyond the tail when the bird is at rest.
Posture: They often stand with a horizontal posture.
Behavior: In Oregon, they are typically seen as uncommon migrants, mostly in late summer and fall, with southbound juveniles being the most common. They forage by walking briskly and picking small prey (mainly insects and small crustaceans) from the ground or low vegetation, less often probing in sand or mud. They tend to prefer higher, drier habitats like sandy shores, prairies, and grasslands, even on occasion in alpine areas.

Plumage - Similar for Male and Female
1. Breeding Plumage (less commonly seen in Oregon, as they breed in the Arctic):
Upperparts: Mottled with warm brown and black, often with a "scaly" appearance due to neat buffy edges on the feathers.
Underparts: Primarily white, with a warm brown, streaky breast that often creates a distinct band across the chest, abruptly ending at the white belly.
Head and Neck: Buffy with fine, dark brown streaks.
Rump and Tail: White rump with a dark central stripe running through the tail.

2. Non-breeding (Winter) Plumage (can be seen during migration, though juveniles are more common):
Overall: Duller and grayer-brown above, with fewer markings and less prominent streaking on the breast compared to breeding plumage. The "scaly" pattern on the upperparts is less pronounced.
Underparts: Still mostly white, with a paler, less streaky breast.

3. Juvenile Plumage (most common in Oregon during fall migration):
Upperparts: Similar to breeding adults but with a more pronounced "scaly" appearance due to distinct buffy or whitish edges to their blackish feathers. This gives them a very crisp, spangled look.
Breast: A distinct buffy breast band with blurry streaking, which contrasts sharply with the white belly.
Overall Impression: Often has a golden or buffy glow, especially on the head and breast.