Harry Hussey said:
While having some sympathy for your line of thought, it is surely more important to ask the question 'Why is it a Slender-billed Curlew?': after all, the onus should be on observers to prove that it is a SBC!
Harry
Read my comments above to see reasons why it is presumably a SBC. If it is an aberant Curlew, then can someone please give an educated answer as to why? I have now spoken to so many people, all of whom have seen the bird in the field, and the vast majority feel it is a SBC, a few still don't know either way (but admit it is unlike any EC they have seen). If you watch this bird in the field, it's very hard to turn it into a EC (in fact, i can't!).
Also, it appears the views being obtained over the last 3 days, are not as close as those i was fortunate enough to get on Thursday morning. When i saw it, the bird was 300-400 yards away (and without optics Jane, i couldn't even see the group of Curlews against the grassy background, let alone 'pick-out' the bird, then sepearate it by 'jizz' alone, at a mile!).
Currently, the majority of 'highly rated' birders in the country, do think it's a SBC (of course there are a few exceptions, although by their own admitions, they have made mistakes before!). Furthermore, one or two of the worlds most knowledgeable people on SBC also believe it is one. So maybe people need to get a grasp of the concept of how variable a juvenile SBC could/can be, and except it fits the current known parameters of this species.
As to it having a 'long-bill' - well, thats because its presumed to be a female (longer billed than males), and thus possibly showing a thicker tip.
Ruling out a hybrid would be hard, however, they are unknown currently. Also, SBC and EC breed in different areas, except for both orientalis and sushkini which ARE BOTH BIGGER than nominate arquata. Also, 'steppe' whimbrel is also slightly bigger than nominate whimbrel. Furthermore, hybrid waders ARE rare, and like many hybirds (apart from wildfowl) don't show a great tendency to survive due to genetic problems.
I have to agree with others. Im finding it hard to understand why its not a SBC.