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Dowitchers Barbados (1 Viewer)

njlarsen

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Barbados
Dear all,
I believe there were three dowitchers when I was out a couple of days ago. I have made a couple of partly overlapping images and one a bit later, trying to see if there is anything reasonable that can be said about the species. (shortbilled is a good deal more common but I would like to have more to go by).

There were other species around such as the stilt sandpipers that are clearly visible.

thanks
Niels
 

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All of them seem to have kinked bills. It is a pretty reliable (not 100%) way to identify Short-billed Dowitcher. Conversely, seeing a dowitcher that is lacking a kinked bill is NOT a reliable way to identify a Long-billed dowitcher. Consistency of kinked bills throughout the flock all but guarantees that they are the more expected Short-billed Dowitcher in this case.

There are better ways to tell the differences between the two species structurally, but these photos do not highlight those features to my eyes. I am skeptical of 99% of people’s claims to distinguish adult basic plumage dowitchers by plumage details though likely it can be done. I’ve studied them relentlessly and simply don’t see the referenced plumage details 99/100 times.

In photo 2, The bird in the back center facing left is definitively SBDO on structure alone. Posture and angle of observation can easily convolute the ability to reliably assess structure of dowitchers but the individual I referenced has a bill that a Long-billed probably could never have.
 
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All of them seem to have kinked bills. It is a pretty reliable (not 100%) way to identify Short-billed Dowitcher. Conversely, seeing a dowitcher that is lacking a kinked bill is NOT a reliable way to identify a Long-billed dowitcher. Consistency of kinked bills throughout the flock all but guarantees that they are the more expected Short-billed Dowitcher in this case.

There are better ways to tell the differences between the two species structurally, but these photos do not highlight those features to my eyes. I am skeptical of 99% of people’s claims to distinguish adult basic plumage dowitchers by plumage details though likely it can be done. I’ve studied them relentlessly and simply don’t see the referenced plumage details 99/100 times.

In photo 2, The bird in the back center facing left is definitively SBDO on structure alone. Posture and angle of observation can easily convolute the ability to reliably assess structure of dowitchers but the individual I referenced has a bill that a Long-billed probably could never have.

Tom

I for one find your observations interesting. Any chance you could add them to the opus o pages?

Obviously, these 2 sp. come up time and again, and much of what is online /out there wrt id is wrong...
 
Thanks Tom,
I have other images, so if you can tell me more about what views you would like to see, I can try to find one that is similar.

Niels
 
Work finished, and coming home to look through all images again, yes indeed I am sure I see three different birds all with a kink on the bill.

Niels
 
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