Can anyone identify this bird (1 Viewer)

C

champo

New member

• Dec 10, 2010

• #1

While i was running today in the country i saw a bird which flew up from a ditch the body was brown apart from the tail which was completely white the shape of the tail was like a Kites tail. the bird size was smaller than a blackbird the rest of the body was brown i have looked in all of my bird books and i can not find such a bird any ideas

Neil

 

A

Apodemus

Well-known member

• Dec 10, 2010

• #2

champo said:

While i was running today in the country i saw a bird which flew up from a ditch the body was brown apart from the tail which was completely white the shape of the tail was like a Kites tail. the bird size was smaller than a blackbird the rest of the body was brown i have looked in all of my bird books and i can not find such a bird any ideas

Neil

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Although it doesn't match your description perfectly, I would guess that you have seen a snipe.

Mike

 

Jon Turner

Well-known member

• Dec 10, 2010

• #3

Or perhaps a Green Sandpiper?

 

Adam W

Well-known member

• Dec 10, 2010

• #4

I'd agree with Snipe.

 

Keith Dickinson

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Dec 10, 2010

• #5

biometrics for blackbird and common snipe almost match... so if smaller than blackbird maybe a jack snipe. Therefore the salient question is what was the flight like.... zigzagging or direct, did it land quickly or did it fly for quite a distance? This could tighten the id a bit.

 

KorHaan

Well-known member

• Dec 11, 2010

• #6

Northern Wheatear?

Smaller than Blackbird, the black T-shape on the white tail might give the 'Kite's tail' impression.

Regards,

Ronald Sinoo

 

nickderry

C'est pas ma faute, je suis anglais.

• Dec 11, 2010

• #7

house sparrow with leucism in the tail? Linnet? Could be anything really. Lots of things with white in the tail could be lurking in ditches, including those already mentioned.

 

C

champo

New member

• Dec 11, 2010

• #8

I dont think it was a snipe as i have seen them before, the filght was low and the bird flew along the ditch below me, the filght was not erratic more gliding away from me and then bird turned rose and back towards me & turned and went over the hedge in to the field. i did not see the bird land.

 

Last edited: Dec 11, 2010

R

RecoveringScot

Well-known member

• Dec 11, 2010

• #9

Sounds very like Green Sandpiper, as mentioned above. This behaviour is typical in cold winter weather. I had one doing exactly the same in a drainiage ditch near my house in Wales one February.

Cheers