We asked:

You encounter a flock of exactly 100 small sandpipers; careful inspection proves that they are all of the same species. On a whim, you count the toes, coming up with an absolutely accurate total of 602. What is the species?

Famously, the only small sandpiper lacking a hind toe is  Sanderling. Thus, a flock of exactly 100 birds of this species should have exactly 600 toes, three per foot.  But the hypothetical flock in our question has a total of 602. What gives?

It turns out that the rare individual Sanderling can have hind toes: the first such bird I’m aware of was reported as early as 1904 by Francis H. Allen. Thus, a flock of 100 Sanderlings, including one of these eight-toed deviants, would account for a grand total of 602 toes.

Congratulations to Grant McCreary for the first correct answer and to Bob Behrstock for making us laugh out loud with his pair o’black toes!

The next WINGS trivia question will appear in the November e-newsletter. Have a look, and maybe you’ll join Grant and Bob in keeping your head warm this winter.