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Post by Brian Powell on Oct 6, 2010 7:58:21 GMT
On our way back from Davao the other day, we stopped by some empty fish ponds for a few minutes and I took these photos. I'm not very good at shore birds, so I would appreciate some help in identifying these, as much as is possible. Shore Birds 1 - My guess is the top bird is an asian golden plover. Is this right? Any ideas on the others? ![](http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1145/shorebirds1.jpg) Shore Birds 2 - Is the left hand bird a tattler? ![](http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6599/shorebirds2.jpg) Stilt - This stilt has an all white head it seems to me. I have only seen ones with a partially black head before. Is it a 'leucocephalus'? ![](http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/2140/stilt3.jpg) Thanks
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Post by Ivan Sarenas on Oct 6, 2010 10:20:57 GMT
oh wow! the stilt may be a new country record. it definitely looks like a white-headed stilt as cross-referenced on OBI. let's wait for the experts' opinions.
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Post by steve pryor on Oct 6, 2010 11:03:19 GMT
Hi Ivan, What is all the uproar? As far as I know both form himantopus himantopus, and himantopus leucocephalus have been recorded in Phils. Leucocephalus has been thought to be the more expected the more south you go in Phils, and has been recorded before from Mindanao. That which might muddy the waters a bit is that the immatures of both forms can show a darkening on the crown, and along the posterior aspect of the neck, though when it occurs in form himantopus himantopus it tends to be less accentuated. This particular bird here, is an obvious adult form himantopus leucocephalus. There is some controversy about whether both forms occur sympatrically in the same locations, and good information as to which form is recorded on which particular island is not under hand. So, the only thing that might be said is that both forms should occur in Phils, a tendancy of himantopus himantopus migrating in from the north and occupying niches more north to the more southerly migrating himantopus leucocephalus.
EDIT: Well, I am trying to remember a discussion about this bird that I had with Arne Jensen some years back. I think that he was talking about the difficulty of determining precisely which taxon (a fancy word meaning a race, or a species) is present on Luzon. The race, or species leucocephalus (sic) Kennedy, has been recorded in Phils every month except July, and therefore male birds in breeding plumage of this taxon have surely been seen and correctly identified. As I recall the identity of the birds on Luzon were not clear for the absence of readily identifiable birds in breeding plumage. So, let me amend to saying that himantopus himantopus should occur in northern Philippines, especially on Luzon, but that the Luzon birds may not be readily assignable to himantopus himantopus unless true breeding males with totally white heads and no neck black are recorded. Since this was a discussion years ago, perhaps things have changed and this is no longer a question.
By the way, the "leucocephalus" = white head, is slightly confusing. It refers to the white head of the breeding adult male, but it confuses because the breeding adult male of form himantopus himantopus also has a totally white head. It might have been less confusing to call the himantopus himantopus "leucocephalus"!
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Post by Brian Powell on Oct 6, 2010 11:20:57 GMT
Thanks Steve & Ivan. Here is another picture of a different bird taken at the same pond. Would you think this is leucocephalus or himantopus? Stilt2 ![](http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6594/stilt2.jpg)
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Post by steve pryor on Oct 6, 2010 11:40:19 GMT
Brian, You see this is the problem. In this bird, there is considerable confusion because there is considerable variation in the two forms in their immature plumages, in their non-breeding adult plumages, and sometimes even in the adult plumages of the male. The above bird to me appears to be rather greyish on the mantle (an adult female breeding leucocephalus would be tending to brownish on the mantle). So, guessing I would say that this is an immature leucocephalus.
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Post by Ivan Sarenas on Oct 6, 2010 12:40:16 GMT
ok reduce the uproar then. Arne's just told me that this split is not recognized by Kennedy and that indeed this bird has been recorded before. Anyway, I guess it's the first time for this bird on this forum. Congrats Brian!
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Post by Brian Powell on Oct 8, 2010 0:00:50 GMT
Thanks for the comments on the Stilt. Can anyone give me some ID suggestions for the other pictures? Thanks.
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Post by des on Oct 14, 2010 10:07:48 GMT
Bird right of tattler is a Wood sandpiper. Other birds with Pac GP: rusty crowned, eyebrowed, streaked wader could be Sharp-tailed Sandpiper or Long-toed Stint. On relative size I would vote for Sharp-tailed, with the other smaller ones as Red-necked Stints
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Post by Brian Powell on Oct 15, 2010 6:50:21 GMT
Thanks Des, The stints and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper would all be lifers for me (at least to be identified, though I dare say I've actually seen them before).
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