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Accipiter and Gallinago from Palawan (Philippines) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Valéry Schollaert
- Start date
I think the accipiter is a juvenile Chinese Sparrowhawk - it doesn't seem to have the yellow eyering of the similar Japanese.
The dark coverts and shortish bill on the snipe suggest Pin-tailed or Swinhoe's. The second image seems to show the outer tail-feathers being narrower than the central ones, suggesting Pin-tailed.
The dark coverts and shortish bill on the snipe suggest Pin-tailed or Swinhoe's. The second image seems to show the outer tail-feathers being narrower than the central ones, suggesting Pin-tailed.
Valéry Schollaert
Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
Thank you Andy!
No other opinion, especially on the snipe?
No other opinion, especially on the snipe?
I agree with Chinese Sparrowhawk for the Accipiter.
I think that the snipe is probably a better fit for Swinhoe's. The tail feathers seem to become progressively narrower towards the outermost feathers (with some of the barred feathers still relatively broad), OK for Swinhoe's (http://birdingfrontiers.com/2014/01/10/swinhoes-and-pin-tailed-snipes-display-sounds/picture1ss-2/). They don't seem to transition abruptly into pins, as on Pintail (http://birdingfrontiers.com/2014/01/10/swinhoes-and-pin-tailed-snipes-display-sounds/picture1ps-2/).
Out of interest, would anyone happen to know if there is a difference in the number of pairs of orange (central) tail feathers between these two? There seem to be consistently more on images of Pintail that I look at.
Steve
Valéry Schollaert
Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
That's great to read that. I've seen only a couple of each properly, so I will not answer your question, but I was almost sure that snipe was a Swinhoe. The commonest species there, the call, the feeling at first sight, and behaviour, all matched perfectly. However, I posted it on Wild Bird Photographer of the Philippines (Facebook) and no one managed to confirmed or suggest otherwise.
Glad that someone with more experience confirmed my identification.
Happy birding all
Thanks for this, Steve. It was very informative. I think I should read the full Birding Frontiers article.
Bryon Wright
Well-known member
Hi Steve,
I think you are correct, pin-tailed has a lot more orange central tail feathers than swinhoe's and common snipe has the most with almost all the tail feathers being orange. How this translates into an observable field criterion is another matter.
I think you are correct, pin-tailed has a lot more orange central tail feathers than swinhoe's and common snipe has the most with almost all the tail feathers being orange. How this translates into an observable field criterion is another matter.
Valéry Schollaert
Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
Thank you all for very informative input !
Thanks for the reply, Bryon.
It does seem to be a rule of thumb that Pintail has more orange in its tail than does Swinhoe's, so much so that you have to wonder if a more concrete rule couldn't be generated from it. This would be helpful as the 'pins' of Pintail are so hard to see in the field (and in all but the very sharpest of photos) that I fancy they remain concealed even when much of the rest of the tail is opened. If it could be said that there was a certain number of orange tail feathers beyond which Swinhoe's went out of the reckoning, then that would simplify matters immensely!
Or is this just wishful thinking?
Steve
Bryon Wright
Well-known member
Hi all,
Valéry produced an evocative and instructional image with photo #2 for any student of snipe identification. Even the amount of leg projection is also better for Swinhoe's. It is all but impossible to see the splines on pin-tailed when it is not displaying.The skin preparation may have been part of it but they are locked in beneath the central pair even in the hand. Wet Swinhoe's OTF's may also look like pintails!
Valéry produced an evocative and instructional image with photo #2 for any student of snipe identification. Even the amount of leg projection is also better for Swinhoe's. It is all but impossible to see the splines on pin-tailed when it is not displaying.The skin preparation may have been part of it but they are locked in beneath the central pair even in the hand. Wet Swinhoe's OTF's may also look like pintails!
