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Posted by Dotty Robbins on 18:59:41 04/01/10
In Reply to: Bar-Tailed Godwit - maybe not posted by Ralph Pike
Regarding Ralph's photos, as you-all have said, this is not the Bar-tailed. If you go back to Doug Gochfeld's excellent diagnostic Picasa photos (address posted by David LaPuma on 3/28), you see a couple things that will help the search: The barring on the chest and especially the flanks. The size, about the same as a Willet (and significantly larger that the Dowitchers in the flock). The absence of any warm buffy color (save a smidge coming in on the breast). The two-tone bill with only about an inch or so being pink at the base.
When the bird has its bill tucked, as it did immediately upon flying in and most of the time I viewed it, it looks like a Willet. But the Willets (some) have speckling on the breast, not bars. And the Bar-tailed shows a DISTINCTIVE WHITE SUPERCILIUM, unlike the Willets, that stands out in the "tucked" position.
Good luck.
Dotty
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