[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Jeff Bouton on 10:35:59 04/01/10
In Reply to: Re: Bar-Tailed Godwit - maybe not posted by Larry Manfredi
Larry has already stated that this is clearly a fairly typical Marbled Godwit but for benefit of others wanting to look, I'd offer the following to simplify the search.
Beyond the markings, Bar-tailed Godwits are VERY short legged and would be VERY obviously shorter than the other godwits and even shorter than the Willets (not subtly). For those with no prior experience with this species, if you are having to scour through each godwit looking for a subtle difference in size, the target bird isn't there! The size difference will be VERY obvious and if you note from Doug's image here
http://picasaweb.google.com/Douglas.Gochfeld/BarTailedGodwit#5453855979127102050
You can see that the bird in question lacks ALL of the warm brown coloration on the underparts again being more inline with the gray coloration of the willets behind rather than the warm Marbleds.
Here is a link to a bird I photographed in Alaska in May last year side by side with a Dunlin to give you an additional idea of comparative size:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16435490@N00/3573861290/
Note especially how short the tibia is on a Bar-tailed (exposed leg above the "heel" joint and below the body)as compared to the Marbleds.
Good luck all, I hope the bird is refound, but unfortnately those looking at the bird in the photos shown I'm afraid you'll have to scratch that sighting and try again. :(
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]