Lesser Sandplover - Thailand April 2020 (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear members and bird watchers!

I was in Moo Ban Pramong / หมู่บ้าน ประมง 2 days ago to look for waders and Kingfishers. There were quite a few birds on the mudflats.

I spotted a bird that I identified as a Lesser Sand Plover

Picture #1 Breeding female

Picture #2 Non-breeding adult (Both pictures taken on the same day and in the same area)

I would appreciate it very much if someone could confirm my ID. I base my ID on the orange side and black eye ban on #1 and #2 have olive/ greyish colour

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[Jean FRANCOIS]

From the bill, I'd say Greater Sand Plover.
Jean

 

[Aladdin]

From the bill, I'd say Greater Sand Plover.
Jean

Thank you Jean!!

Do you mind me asking what you base this on. My book, the colours is, well, the grey is more like olivegreen colour in my book

In my book the

Lesser) Breeding female have a black eyeband orange/ brown neck side and the olive green on the top of the head. This was my reason to ID it as a lesser

Greater) in my book the eyeband is like olive and the side of the neck had a very little orange in it.

Do you think it is Greater breeding male and #2 non breeding adult?

Excuse for all the questions

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[johnallcock]

#1 is a male Lesser (Tibetan) Sand Plover moulting into breeding plumage. The mask is blackish, whereas on a female this would be much browner. Greater would have a larger, heavier bill, larger head, narrower breast band, etc.

#2 is also a Lesser (Tibetan), this one in non-breeding plumage. Again, the bill is not large enough for Greater, and the head is too small/rounded. The broad supercilium, pale forehead/lores and the shape of the breast band also fit better for Lesser than non-breeding Greater.

 

[RafaelMatias]

I'd say Lesser for both as well.
I'd just like to confirm you've noticed the metal ring on the left tarsus and the black flag over a green flag on the right tibia (characters difficult to read from this single pic alone). From a local ringing scheme or from somewhere else?

 

[Aladdin]

I'd say Lesser for both as well.
I'd just like to confirm you've noticed the metal ring on the left tarsus and the black flag over a green flag on the right tibia (characters difficult to read from this single pic alone). From a local ringing scheme or from somewhere else?

Thank you!

I actually wanted to have a picture of the rings, but the bird never came in a good position for a picture of the number

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

#1 is a male Lesser (Tibetan) Sand Plover moulting into breeding plumage. The mask is blackish, whereas on a female this would be much browner. Greater would have a larger, heavier bill, larger head, narrower breast band, etc.

#2 is also a Lesser (Tibetan), this one in non-breeding plumage. Again, the bill is not large enough for Greater, and the head is too small/rounded. The broad supercilium, pale forehead/lores and the shape of the breast band also fit better for Lesser than non-breeding Greater.

Thank you johnallcock

Good descriptions and I realize that it would be very hard to ID the bird with my book. especially when they are molting

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[RafaelMatias]

Thank you!

I actually wanted to have a picture of the rings, but the bird never came in a good position for a picture of the number

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

The colour scheme of the flags will probably give you the place of ringing, whilst the numbers would provide the details for that given individual (date, exact place, age at ringing, etc), but what is visible from the photo holds probably already some relevant information that deserves reporting.

 

[johnallcock]

The colour combination (black over green, on the right leg) show that the bird was flagged in the Gulf of Thailand (http://www.eaaflyway.net/documents/wg/eaaf_shorebird_flag_2011.pdf).
If you have any photos of the engraving, you could find out individual details, but I can't make them out on this photo.

 

[RafaelMatias]

The colour combination (black over green, on the right leg) show that the bird was flagged in the Gulf of Thailand (http://www.eaaflyway.net/documents/wg/eaaf_shorebird_flag_2011.pdf).
If you have any photos of the engraving, you could find out individual details, but I can't make them out on this photo.

Ahh... that's a tad disappointing, but still interesting! B

 

[Aladdin]

The colour scheme of the flags will probably give you the place of ringing, whilst the numbers would provide the details for that given individual (date, exact place, age at ringing, etc), but what is visible from the photo holds probably already some relevant information that deserves reporting.

Dear Rafael

I am interested in the rings on birds and when ever I see one I try to get a picture. And I try to find the place to send the information.

It is very interesting information and the people replying is usually VERY happy to get reports about their rings

Hang on, I will attach the best pictures of the ring that I could get in original size and I hope you can make something out of it.

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

The colour combination (black over green, on the right leg) show that the bird was flagged in the Gulf of Thailand (http://www.eaaflyway.net/documents/wg/eaaf_shorebird_flag_2011.pdf).
If you have any photos of the engraving, you could find out individual details, but I can't make them out on this photo.

Hello johnallcock

Attached are the best pictures I could get of the rings. And I am not sure, but please have a lock at the left leg. Can be mud, but it looks like another ring just above the foot

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

The colour combination (black over green, on the right leg) show that the bird was flagged in the Gulf of Thailand (http://www.eaaflyway.net/documents/wg/eaaf_shorebird_flag_2011.pdf).
If you have any photos of the engraving, you could find out individual details, but I can't make them out on this photo.

Thank you for the link, very useful and interesting

Cheers
Aladdin

 

[RafaelMatias]

Hello johnallcock

Attached are the best pictures I could get of the rings. And I am not sure, but please have a lock at the left leg. Can be mud, but it looks like another ring just above the foot

Kind regards
Aladdin

Hi Aladdin,
thanks for the additional pics. Definitely a metal ring on the left leg (as per my post #5). The characters on the flags are not fully clear to me, but it may just be that if the people in charge of this flagging/ringing project take a look at your pics they will be able to determine what's there, because they'll be familiar with the range of characters used by them. You can post your photos in the facebook page listed in this page: https://www.eaaflyway.net/migratory-waterbirds/coordination-of-colour-marking/
Or perhaps contacting directly the regional coordinator (email in the same page).
Cheers

 

[Aladdin]

Hi Aladdin,
thanks for the additional pics. Definitely a metal ring on the left leg (as per my post #5). The characters on the flags are not fully clear to me, but it may just be that if the people in charge of this flagging/ringing project take a look at your pics they will be able to determine what's there, because they'll be familiar with the range of characters used by them. You can post your photos in the facebook page listed in this page: https://www.eaaflyway.net/migratory-waterbirds/coordination-of-colour-marking/
Or perhaps contacting directly the regional coordinator (email in the same page).
Cheers

Cheers Rafael

I will send the pictures to see if we get any answers. I will post the information here if we get any answers

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Hi Aladdin,
thanks for the additional pics. Definitely a metal ring on the left leg (as per my post #5). The characters on the flags are not fully clear to me, but it may just be that if the people in charge of this flagging/ringing project take a look at your pics they will be able to determine what's there, because they'll be familiar with the range of characters used by them. You can post your photos in the facebook page listed in this page: https://www.eaaflyway.net/migratory-waterbirds/coordination-of-colour-marking/
Or perhaps contacting directly the regional coordinator (email in the same page).
Cheers

I sent them an e-mail and they were very quick to answer.

I forwarded your email to some people who might know who marked your bird. Thanks for sharing this information.

Cheers, Rick

*****************************
Richard Lanctot, PhD
Alaska Shorebird Coordinator, Alaska Region

So I hope we can get some information

Kind regards
Aladdin