Field guides-Sand Plovers-Bahrain (1 Viewer)

Howard King · Jan 26, 2008

Greater or Lesser that is the question - I have a good selecton of field guides that cover species seen here in Bahrain and know what I would identify these as. However I would be interested to here some comments from around the place;- one on how others find the quality of illustrations in their favourite guide when compared to birds seen in the field outside the normal "Winter or Summer" plumage and two what they think the species are.

rob stoff · Jan 26, 2008

bill proportions are by far the most important thing (away from areas where mongolus Lesser occurs anyway) and yours all look like Greaters. Lesser sandplovers in the gulf tend to be at the shortest/ stubbiest-billed end of the spectrum for the species and these are all long billed.

Rob

Ghostly Vision · Jan 26, 2008

Agreed - these are quite clear-cut Greaters for me.

The shape and length of the nail on the upper mandible is a giveaway - it is long and slopes at an acute angle on Greater (as on your birds), but shorter and steeper on Lesser, giving the bill a stubbier look.

Greaters generally look more dumpy and less cute, less well-proportioned if you know what I mean.

Sean

Dave Hall · Jan 26, 2008

Hi Howard I agree with the ID of Greater Sandplover

Howard King · Jan 26, 2008

Nearly right except the bird on the left in picture 1 and the bird facing picture 3 to the right are lesser

Both the subspecies columbinus and crassirostris of Greater occur while both mongolus and artifrons groups of Lesser occur

Field guides-Sand Plovers-Bahrain (1 Viewer)

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