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Confirmation please... blackwit? (1 Viewer)

Woody

Well-known member
OK, I know this is an easy one for most of you and it's embarrassing to ask but waders give me headaches!

I've got this down as black tailed godwit based on the short supercillium and 'long' legs according to my books.

Am I right? and are there any other features that could easily separate black from barred when seen feeding as opposed to in flight?

I know the tails are different but the tails don't seem very visible under the primaries when the birds are on the ground.

And finally are barwits more common?

Thanks in advance

Woody

Next time dunlin, stints and sandpipers!

;)
 

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I reckon you're spot on Woody. They usually look a lot plainer on the upperparts than Barwits (at least in winter). I would say that Barwits are a lot more numerous in the UK than Blackwits, although how common each of them is depends on where you are. Where I go birdwatching, on the Eden Estuary, Barwits are common on the outer part of the estuary whereas Blackwits are more usual on the inner part.
 
OK, I'm notoriously bad when it comes to waders (mainly the smaller ones) but this looks like a Black-tailed to me (and I'm going on what is visible of the tail - in my experience, if there's that much of it showing you'd see at least one white bar!)
Plus I'd agree with Andrew about them looking "plainer" than Bar-tailed, I think of it like the Blackwits have had a going over with a "Smooth tool" in Photoshop or something! :D
 
Thanks chaps! I'll keep an eye out for bartailed and do my own comparison. It's always so much easier once you see the birds in the field rather than in the id books no matter how good they are.

Woody
 
Hi Woody. I would have i'd this black-tailed (relief to know I get something right!).

I have looked at the latest Kent Bird report and at almost all times of the year blackwit outnumber barwit in Kent. In the autumn there are large numbers of blackwit around and, for example, 500+ is common at Oare.
 
SimonC said:
OK, I'm notoriously bad when it comes to waders (mainly the smaller ones) but this looks like a Black-tailed to me (and I'm going on what is visible of the tail - in my experience, if there's that much of it showing you'd see at least one white bar!)
Plus I'd agree with Andrew about them looking "plainer" than Bar-tailed, I think of it like the Blackwits have had a going over with a "Smooth tool" in Photoshop or something! :D
Very brave Mr C, very brave indeed!! (Although I agreed with you) I didn't have the guts to post it.
 
"I have looked at the latest Kent Bird report and at almost all times of the year blackwit outnumber barwit in Kent. In the autumn there are large numbers of blackwit around and, for example, 500+ is common at Oare."

Right again Robin, this bird was with seven or eight of his fellows at Oare on sunday.

"Very brave Mr C, very brave indeed!! (Although I agreed with you) I didn't have the guts to post it."

I was a bit hesitant asking the question in the first place because I know how expert some of the opinion is on BF.
You can sometimes feel a bit foolish asking questions about common birds but I figured that if I have a problem with ids of similar looking waders then I can't be the only one and the answers you get here are so useful it would be even more foolish to not ask.

Woody
 
Woody said:
..........You can sometimes feel a bit foolish asking questions about common birds but I figured that if I have a problem with ids of similar looking waders then I can't be the only one and the answers you get here are so useful it would be even more foolish to not ask............

I couldn't agree more! :t:
 
My experience of Barwits and Blackwits is usually against a falling sun with no chance of seeing any colours! The feature I've found most useful is leg-length between the body and the knee. For BAR tailed its small for BLACK tails its bigger - reasonably easy then, whatever else is visible or not.
 
harris said:
My experience of Barwits and Blackwits is usually against a falling sun with no chance of seeing any colours! The feature I've found most useful is leg-length between the body and the knee. For BAR tailed its small for BLACK tails its bigger - reasonably easy then, whatever else is visible or not.

That was one of the reasons I thought black rather than bar-
I remember reading somewhere (probably here!) that you could write the word 'black' above the joint on a blackwits' leg but only fit the word 'bar' on a barwits'. I'm sure this will make perfect sense when I get the chance to compare the two in the field.

All useful stuff, thanks all.

Woody
 
Woody said:
That was one of the reasons I thought black rather than bar-
I remember reading somewhere (probably here!) that you could write the word 'black' above the joint on a blackwits' leg but only fit the word 'bar' on a barwits'. I'm sure this will make perfect sense when I get the chance to compare the two in the field.

All useful stuff, thanks all.

Woody

that's how I was told to remember it!!
 
Woody said:
That was one of the reasons I thought black rather than bar-
I remember reading somewhere (probably here!) that you could write the word 'black' above the joint on a blackwits' leg but only fit the word 'bar' on a barwits'. I'm sure this will make perfect sense when I get the chance to compare the two in the field.

All useful stuff, thanks all.

Woody

Never heard of that one, but it's a good'un! Someone start a thread to collect these gems!
 
SimonC said:
Never heard of that one, but it's a good'un! Someone start a thread to collect these gems!

I know Ruff and Redshank are different but when I used to get confused Iwas told to remember that a Ruff has diamond shapes on its back Ruff Diamond
 
pduxon said:
I know Ruff and Redshank are different but when I used to get confused Iwas told to remember that a Ruff has diamond shapes on its back Ruff Diamond
See! another goody, someone has to start a thread to collect these (I can't do it, 'cos people might think I'm joking! :D)
 
I was one told that you could easily distinguish Ruff..... If you see a set of birds that are standing in the wrong direction to the wind, feathers all over the place... looking rough....dog-Ruff in fact. :eek!:

It seemed to fit the bill on that particular day at least...

I too heard the thing about writing 'black' and 'bar' on bird's legs, but have never seen the required font-size specified anywhere..... ;)
 
Ruby said:
I too heard the thing about writing 'black' and 'bar' on bird's legs, but have never seen the required font-size specified anywhere..... ;)


:clap:
Or indeed which font? Extended, roman, or condensed? :bounce:

Woody
 
Woody said:
.... you could write the word 'black' above the joint on a blackwits' leg but only fit the word 'bar' on a barwits'.

Woody

These are a bit of a stumbling block for me as well and that's a darned useful pointer ... Cheers ... :t:


As for numbers .... On Breydon Water, Norfolk, the Blacks are far more numerous with 200 - 600 regularly, and over 1000 in peak July / Aug. Bar numbers i've seen printed have been around 100 - 200
 
Woody said:
I was a bit hesitant asking the question in the first place because I know how expert some of the opinion is on BF.
You can sometimes feel a bit foolish asking questions about common birds but I figured that if I have a problem with ids of similar looking waders then I can't be the only one and the answers you get here are so useful it would be even more foolish to not ask.

Woody


Hi Woody,some useful stuff on this Thread,and I just wanted to add that I can't remember a single example of anyone being made to look in the least foolish by asking a question on Bird Forum.
Thankfully we've remained free of elitism.
 
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