Dear all,
I would appreciate your thoughts/advice on the identification of the following sandplover photos. These were all taken at Mai Po in Hongkong on the 11 April 2017, using a combination of my Samsung S7 mobile phone, Solomark universal adapter and Opticron MM3 60 ED travel scope. For further details of the trip see my report at:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=342276
Photo 1: This shows two sandplovers in the middle distance, one to the left of centre and the other near the left side of the photo.
The left-hand bird shows a large thick and long bill, a distinct angle between the forehead and flatish top of its head, and a relatively narrow breast-band. It is noticeably larger than the other sandplover, surrounding Curlew Sandpipers and the Broad-billed Sandpiper between the two. I reckon this is a Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultii), perhaps nominate leschenaultii? Compare bill size with the birds in photo 3.
The more central bird has a small narrow evenly pointed bill, you can't really see the shape of its head but it has black lores, large white windows on its forehead bisected by a black line, the white from the forehead extends over the eyes, which looks a little odd, the breast-band is broader, and a deep chestnut colour (compare with birds in photo 2), but not as rufous as the bird in photo 5, and nor does it have an obvious black upper border. It is very small looking - smaller than the Broad-billed and Curlew Sandpipers. I reckon this is a Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), but which race/sub-species? - Not 'Mongolian' Sandplover?
Photo 2: Again showing two sandplovers, very similar to each other and presumably the same species and race. These birds appear to be intermediate in size between the two birds on photo 1; marginally larger than the Curlew Sandpipers and Broad-billed Sandpiper. They show distinctly smaller and thinner bills than the left hand bird in photo 1, the bills do not look longer than the eye-to-bill distance. In contrast to the more central bird in photo 1 these birds show smaller white windows on the forehead, noticeably black frontal bar and ear coverts, and a thinner less deeply coloured breast band. I reckon these are both Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), based on bill shape and length, maybe race atrifrons (showing small white windows)?
Photo 3: Two more sandplovers, again the same species/race as each other. These birds show long pale-ish legs, are slightly larger than the Curlew Sandpipers, have a long relatively thick bill that has an angle to the tip, show a pale chestnut breast-band that extends onto the sides of the neck, nape and crown. I reckon both birds are Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultii), based on bill shape and length, perhaps a different smaller race to the left bird in photo 1? But the head shape looks rounded - too rounded?
Photo 4: A presumably female sandplover, showing shortish dark legs, similar in size, possibly smaller than the Broad-billed Sandpiper. The bill looks shortish. Not much to go on, but I reckon Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), based on smaller size and bill size, presumably not possible to determine race?
Photo 5: A well marked male bird with a rufous chestnut breast-band, much deeper in colour than shown by all preceding birds, broad and extending slightly onto flanks, and with a black upper margin. Medium sized bill, evenly pointed. I reckon this is Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), race stegmanni/mongolus i.e. Mongolian Sandplover, based on the black upper margin to the deeper coloured breast-band.
Happy birding, Paul
I would appreciate your thoughts/advice on the identification of the following sandplover photos. These were all taken at Mai Po in Hongkong on the 11 April 2017, using a combination of my Samsung S7 mobile phone, Solomark universal adapter and Opticron MM3 60 ED travel scope. For further details of the trip see my report at:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=342276
Photo 1: This shows two sandplovers in the middle distance, one to the left of centre and the other near the left side of the photo.
The left-hand bird shows a large thick and long bill, a distinct angle between the forehead and flatish top of its head, and a relatively narrow breast-band. It is noticeably larger than the other sandplover, surrounding Curlew Sandpipers and the Broad-billed Sandpiper between the two. I reckon this is a Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultii), perhaps nominate leschenaultii? Compare bill size with the birds in photo 3.
The more central bird has a small narrow evenly pointed bill, you can't really see the shape of its head but it has black lores, large white windows on its forehead bisected by a black line, the white from the forehead extends over the eyes, which looks a little odd, the breast-band is broader, and a deep chestnut colour (compare with birds in photo 2), but not as rufous as the bird in photo 5, and nor does it have an obvious black upper border. It is very small looking - smaller than the Broad-billed and Curlew Sandpipers. I reckon this is a Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), but which race/sub-species? - Not 'Mongolian' Sandplover?
Photo 2: Again showing two sandplovers, very similar to each other and presumably the same species and race. These birds appear to be intermediate in size between the two birds on photo 1; marginally larger than the Curlew Sandpipers and Broad-billed Sandpiper. They show distinctly smaller and thinner bills than the left hand bird in photo 1, the bills do not look longer than the eye-to-bill distance. In contrast to the more central bird in photo 1 these birds show smaller white windows on the forehead, noticeably black frontal bar and ear coverts, and a thinner less deeply coloured breast band. I reckon these are both Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), based on bill shape and length, maybe race atrifrons (showing small white windows)?
Photo 3: Two more sandplovers, again the same species/race as each other. These birds show long pale-ish legs, are slightly larger than the Curlew Sandpipers, have a long relatively thick bill that has an angle to the tip, show a pale chestnut breast-band that extends onto the sides of the neck, nape and crown. I reckon both birds are Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultii), based on bill shape and length, perhaps a different smaller race to the left bird in photo 1? But the head shape looks rounded - too rounded?
Photo 4: A presumably female sandplover, showing shortish dark legs, similar in size, possibly smaller than the Broad-billed Sandpiper. The bill looks shortish. Not much to go on, but I reckon Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), based on smaller size and bill size, presumably not possible to determine race?
Photo 5: A well marked male bird with a rufous chestnut breast-band, much deeper in colour than shown by all preceding birds, broad and extending slightly onto flanks, and with a black upper margin. Medium sized bill, evenly pointed. I reckon this is Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus), race stegmanni/mongolus i.e. Mongolian Sandplover, based on the black upper margin to the deeper coloured breast-band.
Happy birding, Paul
