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Golden Plover in Guadeloupe (West Indies) (1 Viewer)

Valéry Schollaert

Valéry Schollaert

Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
Photo from Claire Affagard, shared with permission ; December 2019/January 2020. She has been told this bird is a Pacific Golden Plover (first for the island of Guadeloupe) while American Golden Plover is a common bird there. Reasons given seem weak though, and we'd like a confirmation.

Thanks all.
 

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Short wing tips indicate Pacific and the nape is well spotted compared to the American, but far from sure.
 
I will leave the id to others, but there has been a Pacific GP in Barbados the last several winters, so the species is not unheard of in the Caribbean.

Niels
 
I lean towards P. fulva because of yellowish hue in head, loose golden feathers in upperparts, narrow eyebrow, lightly spotted underparts. Tertials are not long enough but primary projection is rather short.
 
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Thanks guys, but I don't feel anyone positive enough for a new species for an island (although not new for West Indies), are you ? That's also my feeling. Sure in Oman, I wouldn't hestitate much...
 
I think the primary projection on this bird may not be as simple as it seems. I think the bird seems to be in primary moult (I can only see one long primary tip, then a big gap before the next primary tip, which is shorter than the tertials) so it's possible these tips do not represent the normal wing length.
 
Valéry Schollaert said:
Thanks guys, but I don't feel anyone positive enough for a new species for an island (although not new for West Indies), are you ? That's also my feeling. Sure in Oman, I wouldn't hestitate much...
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Lesser golden plovers are powerful migrants so, why not?
It's a tough decision for the Guadalupe Rarities Committee, indeed!
 
johnallcock said:
I think the primary projection on this bird may not be as simple as it seems. I think the bird seems to be in primary moult (I can only see one long primary tip, then a big gap before the next primary tip, which is shorter than the tertials) so it's possible these tips do not represent the normal wing length.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, so what do you think, how would you name it ?
 
Additional Photos

Can we reach a conclusion with those additional photos I received ?
 

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Valéry Schollaert said:
Thanks, but is that enough to be positive ?
Click to expand...

Absolutely Valery, an undoubted fulva IMHO, the wing moult now complete. Look closely and you can three primary tips extending beyond the tertial tips; P2, P3 close together at the tip then a gap to P4 only just visible, and crucially the extension beyond the tail tip is slight. Further structural clues include the long bill and long legs, in particular the length of exposed tibia. Plumage-wise, the extensive gold spangling and overall tone of upperparts are at odds with dominica. which typically appear colder and greyer.

Grahame
 
Grahame Walbridge said:
Absolutely Valery, an undoubted fulva IMHO, the wing moult now complete. Look closely and you can three primary tips extending beyond the tertial tips; P2, P3 close together at the tip then a gap to P4 only just visible, and crucially the extension beyond the tail tip is slight. Further structural clues include the long bill and long legs, in particular the length of exposed tibia. Plumage-wise, the extensive gold spangling and overall tone of upperparts are at odds with dominica. which typically appear colder and greyer.

Grahame
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Thanks you so much for this detailed answer, Graham, much appreciated. Greetings from sunny Flores (Indonesia) with a lot of birding, no pandemic and no lock down... 3:) .
 
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