Mystery Bird #7 - The answer

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sav
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Mystery Bird #7 - The answer

Postby sav » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:46 pm

Last month I suggested that the photo of the Curlew Sandpiper showed the jizz of the bird - well this one certainly does NOT!! When I first opened the photo I thought it was a first year Black-backed Gull (just like Tony did apparently!) until I saw the underwing barring and the central tail projections, and those huge white wing flashes. So it is a skua, and on the basis of all that, either an Arctic or a Pomarine. Nick Allen summed it all up in his answer, it is a first year Arctic Skua. It doesnt have the double wing flash of a Pom, and it just isnt bulky & deep-chested enough for a Pom either.

In fact all the relative diagnostic features are apparent in the photo, as the majority of you worked out. Only Igor now has a 100% record (though there are 5 more birds to go.....). Thanks to all that tried. More next month.

cheers
Sav Saville
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders
TonyWilson
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:31 pm

Re: Mystery Bird #7 - The answer

Postby TonyWilson » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:49 am

Hi Sav,

Yes, in the end I went with my gut feeling on this one and just hoped that the skua field marks would some how be explained away...but they say "a photo never lies"!
Cheers, Tony.

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