Diver ID (1 Viewer)

[Pavel]

Please help ID this Diver from today, North Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, thanks!

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Black-throated

(anyone disagree?)

 

[Andy Adcock]

That was my conclusion, bill seems a bit odd though?

 

[Richard Prior]

I think the light striking the bill makes it look a bit odd Andy, I agree on Black-throated Diver.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think the light striking the bill makes it look a bit odd Andy, I agree on Black-throated Diver.

Looks to be more than usually 'deep' to me Richard?

 

[THE_FERN]

Looks to be more than usually 'deep' to me Richard?

That was my thought too. In the end, bill shape (backed up by location) dispelled any thought of common loon

[Edit: we'd expect a distinct gonydeal angle for Great Northern]

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Looks to be more than usually 'deep' to me Richard?

The bills on BTD are very variable, people underestimate that- can be quite deep sometimes nearer to GND but the head structure (too quite variable) along with face pattern (with clear boundaries between cheek/ear coverts and the rest of the head, and the neck pattern (dark demarcation line extending into rear of ear coverts) are all good for BTD.

 

[lou salomon]

bill is slightly open and thus i asked myself if there isn't a fishing line keeping the bird from shutting it completely - sadly a common sight in wintering divers throughout eastern europe (but also on western mediterranean coasts...

 

[Deb Burhinus]

I see nothing to suggest it has a fishing hook/line in it’s mouth - it looks as it it has a full crop so could just as easily been eating/ingesting food.

 

[Pavel]

Thanks to all of you for your comments, indeed the bill looked quite long to me, that's why I asked your advice. BTW I saw no fish or ingesting food.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Thanks to all of you for your comments, indeed the bill looked quite long to me

It is perfectly in range. Btw - you can’t see food when it is in a bird’s crop or the process of ingesting! 👍