I visited Norfolk last year - the north coast - brilliant trip. And managed to photograph some Godwits. But I am not sure which are which or who is who? Are they Bar or Black tails? Or even Godwits?
I think the first one is a Bar and the second a Black.....?
Many thanks for any help!
Best wishes, Graham
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hi Graham
Fabulous pictures by the way
The hard and fast rule is that the Bar Tailed Godwit is a lot more stockily built, short legs in comparison with the body than the black Tailed - part of the observation rules.
The first picture looks although the Godwit is a Bar Tailed.
The second picture is an non breeding Black Tailed Godwit! The leg length explains everything.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi each,
Gotta go for immature Black-tailed for 1. Check out how straight the bill is. And 2 is saying moulting Spotted Redshank to me, although the bill looks a tad long and heavy, but I think that's due to the mud. Have a look at the short supercillium and see what you think.
All the best,
MC
Hi Mick
All Redshanks have red legs and the one bird in the second picture had black legs
Added a comparison website to show the differences
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_Redshank
See what you think
Hi again K&D,
Yes, I agree with you on the leg colour of course, but, as with the bill, I think there's a lot of mud on them. I've just edited my first post to include a reference to the short supercillium as well. Also, this bird's not showing any remaining brown edged upperpart feathers so characteristic of both godwit species' breeding plumage. It's the remaining dark feathers that catch the eye. And have a look at the white barring on the tertial edges, in Blackwits these are plain, and in Barwits, plain in non-breeding and barred rusty in breeding & Juv plumage.
Great to kick this one around!
And the very marked eye ring.
The long completely straight bill makes the top shot a Black tailed for me......
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
Unknown said: I visited Norfolk last year - the north coast - brilliant trip. And managed to photograph some Godwits. But I am not sure which are which or who is who? Are they Bar or Black tails? Or even Godwits? I think the first one is a Bar and the second a Black.....? Many thanks for any help! Best wishes, Graham
I would suggest that the second photograph is also of a black-tailed godwit. Note the distance between the 'knee' and belly - much longer on the black-tail which seems to appear leggy compared with the bar-tail. Additionally the bar-tails bill seems upturned slightly whereas the bill in photo '2' seems straighter - indicating to me black -tail
Jim B
Hi Jazzbeat,
I with you on the first pic, without a doubt, but the second bothers me intensly! I'm certain, that it's not a Barwit, but, as I suggested in my earlier posts, it doesn't appear (at least to me) to show any outstanding godwit plumage characteristics. I concede that the bill seems a bit heavy for Spotted Redshank, but we can't see the tip for mud.
I'm now riddled with self doubt here mate, can I have your views (or anyone else's) as to why this isn't a Spotshank?
Hi
both birds are BLACK TAILED GODWITS :)))
Spotted redshank has a V shaped rump that goes up the back- blackwit has a square rump like the lower bird :)
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
Cheers S.
I'd considered the rump, but thought it might be obscured. But I'll settle on what you say.