Shorebird Quiz!

[Michael]

1. Pacific Golden Plover
2. Gull-Billed Tern
3. Bar-Tailed Godwit
4. Black-Tailed Godwit
5. Eastern Curlew
6. Greater Sandplover
7. Great Knot
8. Asiatic Dowitcher

AND (added after): a relatively smooth-backed knot just below and slightly to the left of centre which could be a lesser but I'm nowhere near confident enough to tell. Oscar and I have both noted its differences. We also agree on the species count

[gmckinlay]

Hmmm, you have got me on the dowitcher - might explain why I have never been able to find one.
But what should we do with the greater sandplover (s?)?

[RussCannings]

Great to see the keen participation with this, and everyone has been pretty accurate with their answers with just a few small exceptions. I think the variety of responses demonstrate how difficult this group is, as well as the trickiness of interpreting photos without seeing the birds in the flesh.

So---the correct combination has still not been put forward. As far as I can tell--there is NO dowitcher or sand-plover in this photo (I would be gutted too as I failed to come up with a dowitcher on the trip full stop, as they seem to disappear in the lead up to the wet season).

That leaves:

1. Far Easter Curlew
2. Gull-billed Tern
3. Great Knot
4. Red Knot
5. Bar-tailed Godwit
6. Black-tailed Godwit
7. Pacific Golden Plover
8. ________________?

Once the correct ID is discovered I'll post an answer key pointing out the trickier birds.

[Colin Miskelly]

Curlew sandpiper at lower right?

Cheers
Colin

[gmckinlay]

Greater sandplover head immediately in front of the pacific golden.

[Davidthomas]

Mr McKinlay is correct on the bird but incorrect on the id

[Colin Miskelly]

Oriental plover - but still curious about that calidrid at lower right!
C

[gmckinlay]

Oriental plover did not occur to me as a possibilty.
Would they be on the coast?
Any pointers on what in the photo can separate greater sand vs oriental?

[Michael]

I would've thought they eyestripe was too thick for an Oriental Plover on that bird. I saw the bird Colin is meaning but felt it was too big.

Also, is this bird not a dowitcher?
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ShorebirdQuiz1.jpg

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[Colin Miskelly]

Hi Glenn
It is a guessing game from an image with much of the bird obscured (e.g. the long yellow legs!), but I would expect more white on the cheeks of a sand-plover of either species.
Cheers
Colin