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Message: <blockquote data-quote="phil baber" data-source="post: 1358145" data-attributes="member: 71208">I have a powerful suspicion that this bird is wrongly labelled, or misidentified, as a Pintail Snipe. I very strongly believe it to be a Common Snipe.The reasons why are as follows –1.    Disproportionately long bill of equal width, base almost to tip. Pintail’s is noticeably shorter and more in proportion with the rest of the bird. It is appreciably thicker towards the base on Pintail.2.    Median and lesser coverts spotted and streaked, rather than barred.3.    Lesser Scapulars broadly fringed whitish on outer web. Dark on inner.4.    Tail noticeably extends beyond wing tips. Giving an attenuated rather than ‘docked’ look of Pintail.5.    Pintail has restricted whitish tips to retrices. This bird has a wide whitish tip to tail.6.    It has a thick loral stripe (tapering sharply into bill over lores). Pintail’s is narrower.7.    In Pintail supercilium is often concolourous with pale cheek bar. The cheek bar of this bird is markedly whitish. A Common Snipe feature.8.    The supercilium of Pintail bulges before eye giving an‘open-faced look’. This bird has its head feathers raised and dishevelled. (It looks like it has been snapped in mid-bath! Notice the dripping feathers!)9.    Indistinct whitish tips to primary coverts can be discerned. Bolder in Pintail, forming a slight continuous wing-bar here.10.    Check the distinct ‘tramline’ striping of the upperparts, more redolent of Common.11.    Its back is primarily spotted and streaked. Pintail is more barred and spotted. Same goes for the lesser and median coverts. No regular discernable barring.12.    There is a small chevron on the retrices between the black sub-terminal band and the next band up. In Pintail this type of marking is far less distinct (See MacMillan Birder’s Guide for Alan Harris’s illustrations of tail markings in comparison.)13.    Blackish rather than brownish ground to overall upperpart colouration.So, in summary, the bird in the photo I am sure is a Common Snipe: predominantly because of the following –1.    Tail projection.2.    Bill length / structure.3.    Lower scapular pattern.4.    Lack of any barring on median / lesser coverts and mantle.5.    Broadish white terminal band to tail.6.    White cheek bar compared to buff supercilium.References: Collin’s Bird Guide ( Mullarney, Svensson, Zetterstrom, Grant.)Birds of Europe ( Lars Jonsson)The MacMillan Birder’s Guide to European and Middle - Eastern Birds ( Harris, Shirihai , Christie.)Each of these contains a pool of very good id info and are worth studying in some detail!I’ve summarised all the details in a species to species comparison chart, which is really useful. But have yet to type it up. It may be worth posting on this thread later for the benefit of all.I was a little concerned that the bird in this photo was labelled as Pintail Snipe. Was this an error in compilation, or in identification? On this basis it just adds to the confusion and is unfortunate. Especially for those trying to make sense out of all this!Happy birding!PS If you look at all the other images of Pintail on this link, you will see how easily the ID features are apparent in the rest of the pics. Very fine examples of Pintail Snipes in all kinds of poses!</blockquote>

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