Godwit - bar or black tailed? (1 Viewer)

[Overread]

So I'm steadily starting to work on improving my bird ID which means I'll likely end up with a legion of questions.

So first up I'm confused on this little birdy


Taken at RSPB Minsmere - UK


I've tried flipping through books and web resources can can't settle on if this is a bar tailed or black tailed godwit. Part of the issue is that whilst I know what to look for on a bird I'm unsure what to look for in telling these two species apart when dealing with something that isn't in a clear breeding plumage and which isn't giving the best of angles of view (ergo not that nice profile in the books



So I would greatly welcome any input into this matter; indeed not just on species but any other information about the bird that its body can tell would be most helpful in understanding.

 

[KGS]

Black-tailed, long tibia

 

[Overread]

My thanks KGS - is there anything in the plumage that gives a clear clue as well from this angle? I wonder only as long tibia is, likely, one of those things that takes a little practice to get an eye in for what one is looking for in length compared to simply natural variation within the species.

 

[shropshirelad63]

Bar tailed always seem more Ruff like in winter, but yes the long tibia is a major id point

 

[johnallcock]

Personally I find the plumage between these two species to be quite different, and is as useful as structure.

Black-tailed in non-breeding plumage (as on the original bird) is fairly plain greyish on the upperparts. This uniform plumage can be fairly obvious, especially at a distance.

Bar-tailed (as in post #4) has clearly streaked upperparts created by obvious dark feather centres and fairly narrow pale fringes. The overall colour also tends to be browner/buffer than Black-tailed. This is the reason Shropshirelad describes it as 'more ruff-like'

Structure is very useful, but I think that beginners could be confused by relative terms, e.g. a longer tibia is only useful if you know what to compare it against.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A good feature, at least if used in combination with others, is the supercillium. It's generally much more prominent in Bar-tailed, particularly behind the eye. Black-tailed generally only shows a pale supercillium in front of the eye. Although there can be some variation Black-tailed will never normally show a supercillium as prominent behind the eye as the bird in post #4.

 

[Paul Longland]

Bar tailed also tends to have a stronger upturn to the bill than Black tailed. However not much help if nothing to compare with or, as in the case of the original picture, the bird is stubbornly keeping its bill in the water.

 

[Overread]

Sorry for the late reply (need to get back into the habit of checking this site more regularly again).

My continued thanks for the additional identifiable features - its great to hear some alternative ideas and views on features and I can certainly see the changes, esp between the one I took a photo of and the one shown by Shripshirelad.