• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

plover (1 Viewer)

First of all I believe Craig Shaw photographed this bird in Cumbria and put it down as a probable AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, not Dotterel.

I would be interested to known why people think a bird this is a Dotterel. Personally I have no experience of Yank GP and limited of winter/juv Dotterels, but that doesn't look like a Dotterel to me.

For starts the jizz looks wrong, its a long legged bird, possibly to big for Dotterel. Also the legs look dark (take a look at the pic of it yawning/calling where you can see the leg against a green background- that ain't pale/yellow like a Dotterel, thats dark like a Yank GP).

Also looking at the head pattern the super seems to come down and around the cheeks like on a Yank GP (granted Dotterel it does do that but not quite the same and this photo shows the dark spot like on a Yank GP).

On the belly it also shows a few black spots which Dotts don't have, one of which is actually on what I am asuming everyone is thinking is the white breast band of a Dotterel. If you carefully look at the yawning/calling pic then you will see the breast band which looks like a Dotterel plumage trait in the side on pic, does in actual fact stop at the black spot. Yank GPs in less advanced moult show white around the edges of the black belly in exactly that spot, so presumably this is just that.

Note also the bird is golden patterns on the back rather than browner like a Dotterel.

Just my view.....

cheers
Will
 
marek_walford said:
Doesn't look like a Dotterel to me, nor a Eurasian Golden! Is it an American?
Click to expand...

Don't see this as a Dotterel either. My first thought too was American Golden Plover. Are there more photos? When were the pics taken?

Rgds

Greg
 
MSA said:
Err - what about the white chestband?
Click to expand...

It's just an artefact of the sunlight which is shining straight onto the bird's underparts. If you ignore the "chestband" there are really no pro-Dotterel features. A juv Dotterel should show upperparts with broad and neat pale edges. Leg colour is wrong, the supercilium not prominent enough behind the eye and the overall structure and posture is wrong too. Dotterel has a characteristic slightly pot-bellied jizz that this bird doesn't have. My money's on American Golden but would like to see more photos....

Rgds

Greg
 
I agree with sphinx79 and will bowell - doesn't look much like a Dotterel. What appears to be an indistinct white breast band could just be the result of the moult.
 
MSA said:
Err - what about the white chestband?
Click to expand...

Attached a pic pointing out the white chestband which people may confuss for being a breast band which Dotterel have, but in actual fact is just a marking of a moulting Yank GP.

cheers
Will
 

Attachments

  • yankgp.jpg
    yankgp.jpg
    157.6 KB · Views: 281
the bird said:
are we all talking about the same bird or is it just a figment of my imagination.

Dotterel
Click to expand...


I would also like to point out that not only does this bird show no features what's so ever that support it being a Dotterel but the photographer himself actually thought it to be a PROBABLE American Golden Plover. No mention of Dotterel at all.

"The bird"- you haven't actually come up with any id-features which say this is a Dotterel. Please do so. And why has a Dotterel got black belly markings and check out those markings on the back- completely wrong for Dott?

cheers
Will
 
the bird said:
are we all talking about the same bird or is it just a figment of my imagination.

Dotterel
Click to expand...


What age Dotterel do you think it is?

If you reckon its a moulting adult (which might explain those dark breast markings) the spangling on the back of this bird is totally wrong? - therefore not adult Dotterel?

The black markings on the breast mean it can't be a juvenile Dotterel?
 
Warning! This thread is more than 19 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

M
Plover ID help - Bali, January 2024
Replies
5
Views
678
James Eaton
James Eaton
stuartelsom
Possible Hanuman Plover. Yala, Sri Lanka. Nov 23
Replies
13
Views
640
Butty
B
M
Plover ID ? Thailand
Replies
2
Views
471
Meerkat
M
Jaysan
Lesser sand plover? Pulicat lake, TN, india.
Replies
18
Views
991
johnallcock
J
M
Which Plover please 🙏
Replies
7
Views
648
Bewick
Bewick

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top