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Armenia wetland birds (1 Viewer)

rylirk

Well-known member
United Kingdom
From Armash Fish Ponds in September 2019. I have preliminary IDs for these but just want them confirmed/disputed :)

1. Western Marsh Harrier
2. Marbled Teal
3. Green Sandpiper
 

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All a bit fuzzy on my screen but I assume you saw the Marsh Harrier flying ( it looks like one to me), Marbled Duck I’d say yes but the wader looks like a Marsh Sandpiper, EXCEPT the bill looks pale which puzzles me, surely too fine for a Greenshank’s bill. See what others reckon.
 
Indeed I did see the Marsh Harrier in flight and saw the pale head, just wondered if anything in this grainy image would go against it :)
 
Here's another photo of the sandpiper from the same angle but showing more of the bill length. Both Green and Wood Sandpipers were relatively abundant on site, but Marsh would be even better as that's a lifer ;)

As a bonus question, is there any way to tell whether this is Common or Great Snipe (using the avocet as size comparison perhaps?)
 

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Marsh harrier, Gadwall and Spotshank (long straight bill with dark upper mandible and paler lower mandible, red legs, pallid underparts). Marsh sand can safely be excluded on leg color and bill length and width. No way to ID that snipe from that image though - can't see the wings/head pattern and too far from the avocet for any useful size comparison.
 
Out of interest what makes this a Gadwall and not a Marbled? Not disputing the ID, just interested to know.

EDIT: this is the wider crop of the image from the first post, showing (what I believe to be) an eclipse Eurasian Teal which is roughly the same size or larger than the query duck. Does this not point against gadwall?
 

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Very difficult to be certain from these images I'm afraid - on second thoughts I suspect it to be Eurasian teal - not sure that any kind of useful size comparison is possible from this photo due to the birds relative positions, but as you say, Gadwall should appear larger.
It doesn't appear pallid enough for Marbled teal, and I believe that the pale spots on the flanks and scapulars should be apparent in all plumages (admittedly I've not seen Marbled teal in the flesh since I was in Morocco 3-4 years ago).
The dark area around the eye should be more obvious, and the bill colour is also wrong for that species - usually appearing all dark (contrasting with the overall appearance) though immature birds show a paler base, it would be very unusual to be as extensive as shown by the bird in your photo.
Hope this helps!
 
Hi Daniel,

Indeed it does! I do now agree the bill colour does look wrong for Marbled Teal; perhaps in one photo that could be explained by a lighting artefact, but I have several photos of the bird (all of this quality or worse) and they all appear to show a gadwall-coloured bill. But I'm still convinced this is too small for a gadwall.

I guess I'm just a bit confused by the lack of any coloured panels in the wing at all; in this picture, the bird in question is the middle of the 3 on the right (between the two teals(?) in flight with its head obscured behind the teal on the left). Still no panel of any kind visible (and some slight mottling, but too weak for marbled?). I also have no clue whatsoever what that bird on the left is, a dark teal I guess based on size...
 

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The duck looks like a Eurasian Teal to me - small pale patch at the side of the bill, and I think I can see the diagnostic white patches at the sides of the tail. That would also explain the size compared to the other teals nearby.
I would guess you don't see the coloured speculum because the wing is fully closed, or perhaps it is moulting the secondaries at the moment.
 
Considering that the other birds in frame are also teals, I think that makes the most sense. I will update my records accordingly :)

Ah well, the armchair giveth lifers, and the armchair taketh away :D
 
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