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Message: <blockquote data-quote="phil baber" data-source="post: 1357428" data-attributes="member: 71208">These were ID pointers from Macmillan Birder's Guide to confusion species in Europe and the Middle-East. There are more distinctions: very thin and diffuse light trailing edge to wing - less distinct than snipe.Toes mostly project beyond tail in flight as tail is so short. Primaries browner and lighter than snipe, which are darker.Underwing darker and has uniform barring.Snipe's is pale - banded. Creamy stripes on mantle less prominent. Primary Coverts narrowly tipped pale. Back is brown with much spotting and barring, compared to Snipe's more unmarked black-brown.Median and lesser coverts more barred-brown. Snipe's more spotted and streaked. Lower scapulars fringed whitish at tips. On Snipe broad fringed white only on outer webs and ochrous-brown on inner webs.(Sourced mostly from Collin's Bird Guide)On all these Japanese photos, as well as all these plumage signifiers, what is immediately apparent is the shortness of the bill on Paintail compared to Common Snipe. It also being thicker at the base.That is apart from photo 7, which has hard to read plumage in this poorer shot, but that bill is STONKING! Surely this is a common snipe!Anyway my head is hurting. Good luck with your Pintails, i'm off to have a lie-down!I'm sure this is not the end of this thread!</blockquote>