Black-tailed Godwits (1 Viewer)

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VoluntaryRanger

Well-known member

• Mar 24, 2014

• #1

Saw these on 20th March at Leighton Moss in Lancashire,NW England. I was taken by the difference in leg length between the larger bird and the one at the back (which also seems a lot more rufous) Does anyone think the shorter legged one could be the Icelandic sub species?

 

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chris butterworth

aka The Person Named Above

• Mar 24, 2014

• #2

The majority, if not all, Black-tailed Godwit in the north west, including those at Leighton Moss, are Icelandic birds.

 

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VoluntaryRanger

Well-known member

• Mar 29, 2014

• #3

Cheers Chris. In which case I shall rephrase the question. Are the longer legged birds Limosa Limosa, the European bird ?

 

Strandman

Well-known member

• Mar 29, 2014

• #4

VoluntaryRanger said:

Cheers Chris. In which case I shall rephrase the question. Are the longer legged birds Limosa Limosa, the European bird ?

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You are right that limosa subspecies is typically longer billed and legged than islandica. But limosa ssp. is a rare bird over here and so my take on your pic would be that you are probably looking at a small, strongly coloured male islandica at rear versus a larger, rangier + less strongly marked female islandica at front.