Mystery Bird #11 - The answer

Monthly challenge to test and improve your bird identification skills.
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sav
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Mystery Bird #11 - The answer

Postby sav » Fri May 27, 2011 2:05 pm

Not such a difficult task this month. Eleven out of 15 answers were correct, and 2 more made a sensible incorrect guess.

I see a dumpy shorebird with a white belly, an earthy brown back and a distinct orange breast band. The whole shape/jizz of the bird is shouting Charadrius plover.
The 2 answers for Little Stint are a little puzzling. If this was a stint - with orange on the breast, it would have strongly patterned upperparts with black feather shafts and orange toned fringes. And the shape of the bird is quite wrong.

If this was a Lesser Sandplover (Mongolian Dotterel) the orange band would be higher up on the breast and the back wouldn't look brown so much as grey. So it is what the majority worked out: a BANDED DOTTEREL.
And incidentally, not a juvenile, but a breeding adult female. Juvs dont have orange breast bands.

If my addition is correct, the leader in the competition is Richard Schofield with 10/11 correct answers. He is closely followed by Phil Battley and Tony Wilson on 9 (though I dont think Phil has actually got any wrong!!).

Next month should decide it!! My money is on one of those three........
Sav Saville
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders

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