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Curlew sp. at Minsmere (2 Viewers)

Sorry I wasn't trying to imply it was a different bird, but more advanced in moult!! SBC go into their first non breeding Oct-Dec so if this is a first year bird that moult is what is happening!
 
Hi all,
Just in case you were not aware, there are some new
pics of the controversial curlew sp at Minsmere online
at
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery9
.
Unlike previous pics, these are sharp, and allow
more detail to be seen...and what CAN be seen is
uninspiring: in my opinion, this bird is a small male
Eurasian Curlew. The ground colour of the breast of
Slender-billed is always whitish from what I can
gather, even when looking at photos of specimens of
juv/1st-w birds: the ground colour of this bird's
breast is brownish-buff, as in Eurasian. Details like
bill structure etc also disappoint, as one would
expect structural differences to hold true whatever
age the bird was...indeed, juveniles should have a
SHORTER bill than adults, yet this bird has been
called a female to explain the long bill!
May I qualify the above by stating that I have never
seen Slender-billed Curlew anywhere, and am unlikely
to now, so I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first
time).

Harry
 
b_slender-billed_curlew.jpg.jpg



A real one
 
Ashley beolens said:
Why is that?

Barring as opposed to notching on the tertials. What does notching mean in this instance? I can understand what barring means (and the tertials do look "barred") but what exactly does notching mean?
 
Another BWP quote: longer scapulars and tertials more deeply and evenly indented buff, so more deeply could mean they look like a bar rather than a notch, very subjective.

Also Mark andrews first pic on surfbirds at present shows what to me looks like notches rather than barring, others show what looks like barring, proof that its very subjective.

Secondly BWP also states that when in first non-breeding tertials are usually the same as juv, NOT always. all these reasons coming out do NOT prove the bird is not a 1st winter female SBC. Please if it isn't one someone find me a reason that cannot be refuted.
 
I have been emailed some very good photos of the minsmere bird today (not currently published on the WWW, but much better than anything seen so far), and have now had a very sudden change of heart (although i never claimed it was one, only that i could see the potential of SBC in some features) This bird is almost certainly not a SBC, it just redefines the parameters of a Eurasian Curlew. Im sure these photos will be posted soon, and people can draw there own conclusions, however i doubt this bird will now stand a chance of being a SBC.
 
Strewth!
This thread is going round and round in circles getting nowhere new (ofcourse this isn't being helped by the intransigence of some of it's contributors).
 
CJW said:
Strewth!
This thread is going round and round in circles getting nowhere new (ofcourse this isn't being helped by the intransigence of some of it's contributors).
I don't think its anything to do with people being intransigent, people are just reading, learning, discovering, changing their perspective and eventually coming to a conclusion, then sometimes changing their minds when fresh info arrives! Thats not being stubborn, thats just the learning curve of bird identification. Easy to sit there and judge a bird you've not seen in the field!
 
Strewth!
This thread is going round and round in circles getting nowhere new (ofcourse this isn't being helped by the intransigence of some of it's contributors).
Care to nail your colours to the mast then Chris and tell us what you think it is ?
We know what you think it isn't :h?:
 
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