Potential Brunnich's Guillemot in Cornwall (1 Viewer)

Jan-Paul Charteris

Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast

• Dec 23, 2015

• #1

Not my photos but this was posted on Uk Bird Identification group on Facebook. The guy has said I could ask on here. This looks very like Brunnich's to me. Taken at Newquay today. There are more photos of similar quality on the Facebook linkhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/293262340822234/permalink/565730680242064/?comment_id=565732390241893&reply_comment_id=565739073574558&notif_t=group_comment_reply

 

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Mark Lew1s

My real name is Mark Lewis

• Dec 23, 2015

• #2

I'd hope to see the white extending further up the throat on a Brunnichs.

 

Jan-Paul Charteris

Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast

• Dec 23, 2015

• #3

Fat Paul Scholes said:

I'd hope to see the white extending further up the throat on a Brunnichs.

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I thought I could see some pale on the throat but it aint easy from the pics!

 

Rob Laughton

Bird, bird, bird...

• Dec 23, 2015

• #4

Jan-Paul Charteris said:

I thought I could see some pale on the throat but it aint easy from the pics!

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I thought summer plumage Brunnich's have a pointed breast band. Hard to see on the images, but both look rounded, no hint of white extending upwards?

 

Bismarck Honeyeater

Barely known member

• Dec 23, 2015

• #5

Rob Laughton said:

I thought summer plumage Brunnich's have a pointed breast band. Hard to see on the images, but both look rounded, no hint of white extending upwards?

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That's what worries me. The blackness is good, bill looks thickish and head shape looks squarish, maybe a different angle would make the breast look better

 

Julian Bell

Natural Born Birder

• Dec 24, 2015

• #6

I think this is just a guillemot albeit in a strange plumage given the time of year.

To me it doesn't have a Brunniche's vibe - border of white / black on neck /throat doesn't seem right. Bill looks shortish and thickish but not quite right. Although the white line on the bill is not always visible on Brunniche's I would have expected a bit more in this plumage.

Some (mostly) October birds can be seen here. Some of these images illustrate what I mean about the throat / breast demarcation

 

Jan-Paul Charteris

Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast

• Dec 24, 2015

• #7

It looks pretty similar to the Portland one from a couple of winters ago (http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/latest_dec2013.htm) which showed limited pale on the throat and the white line on the bill didn't look obvious on all photos. The head shape, thicker looking bill, seemingly some pale on throat isolated by the dark hood etc all look very promising to me. There's no way it can be proven to be Common or Brunnich's from the photos unfortunately. Certainly worth flagging up for locals just in case though :t:

 

Jan-Paul Charteris

Sussex birder and budding moth enthusiast

• Dec 24, 2015

• #8

I must admit I can see what Mark and Julian mean about the throat/breast demarcation though. Looking rather less promising based on that