Hi folks, just back from a trip to Sumatra, Borneo and Indonesian Papua.
Found a great spot on the north coast of Papua between Jayapura city and the PNG border. Would be appreciative of some thoughts on the ID of the birds below. Thoughts from those with field experience of these species please, not coffee-table-bird-book conjecture.
cheers
1. Long-billed or Short-billed Dowitcher? (if the latter its a new record for Indonesia; if the former, then its I think a 2nd record for Indonesia (after 1 in Bali) and a 1st for Indonesian Papua (notwithstanding a record in PNG and another in Malaysian Borneo).
ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
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- Posts: 2132
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- Location: Christchurch
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- Posts: 2132
- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
- Location: Christchurch
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- Posts: 2132
- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
- Location: Christchurch
Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
3. and what about these sandpipers?? The place was dominated by Wood Sands and Sharp-tails. Most were transitioning into breeding plumage and looked odd. The birds on the RH top of the 1st photo have bills that were much longer and down-ward angled then would usually be expected of Sharp-tails, but are they simply females? The birds in the 2nd pic were almost Great Knot looking but too small.... odd....
Last edited by andrewcrossland on Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
4. Ok, so I should know this one, but I took the pics in a hurry on far zoom and didn't really study the bird. I thought it was a marsh sand and just wanted to document its occurrence as its an uncommon species in this area. Looking at the pics though it seems to be too pale, and I wonder if its not a funny looking Pied Stilt fledgling? There were over 200 adult Pied Stilts at the site and many were giving nest/chick protection behaviour. I didn't find any nests but only had sandals on so weary of snake bites if I trampled all around the overgrown pond edges. The significance of a stilt fledgling is that it would only be the 2nd or 3rd time breeding of this species has been documented on the island of New Guinea and I think it would the first record for Indonesian Papua. So, just want to get some wider thoughts on this one. I'm fresh off the plane and heavily jet-lagged, so have posted this rather than going out into the field and having a think about the stilt v Marshie ID thing..
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Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
a more distant pic, gives a better size perspective...
and a general pic of one of the groups of Pied Stilts
and a general pic of one of the groups of Pied Stilts
- RussCannings
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Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
Hi Andrew, I'm typing this on my phone in a cafe in Gisborne so will post again with more details when I get home in a few days. Your dowitcher looks good for Short-tailed based on what I can see (loral angle, bill, and plumage) but will explain more later. I'd say Red-necked and sharpies they be, and the last bird looks fine for Marsh Sand coming into alternate (note mantle feathers with dark centres and silver tips), albeit with a big bill for a marshie.
Russ
Russ
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Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
Thanks Russ, im looking foward to your longer posting. I reckon I've seen more Asian dowitchers than anyone else alive or dead (well that's want i them to write on my grave stone after half a lifetime surveying that species ), but this is the first long or short billed dowitcher I've ever seen, so keen for any other north American wader watchers to give me their ID thoughts. Don't want to get it wrong when i submit the record to the indonrsisn ornithological union. Only long billed dowitcher has been recorded previously in SE ASIA as far as I know.
- erikforsyth
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Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
Hi Andrew
well done with the Short-billed Dowitcher - a new bird for Indonesia (as far as I can find). Long-billed has two records - North Borneo and Bali, reference Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago by Eaton, Rheindt, Brickle, van Balen.
cheers
Erik
Rockjumper Birding Tours
www.rockjumperbirding.com
well done with the Short-billed Dowitcher - a new bird for Indonesia (as far as I can find). Long-billed has two records - North Borneo and Bali, reference Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago by Eaton, Rheindt, Brickle, van Balen.
cheers
Erik
Rockjumper Birding Tours
www.rockjumperbirding.com
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Re: ID thoughts wanted on some Papuan waders
Sharpies also hybridise with Curlew Sands don't they? The downcurved bill ones don't look like regular Sharpies to me.
Wow what a trip you must have had.
Wow what a trip you must have had.