Strange Curlew photographed recently in Italy

This Curlew was photographed on 5 October 2008 at the Orbetello lagoon, Tuscany, C Italy. Please comment, thanks.

Courtesy of the photographer Giggi.

21:55 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - post comment

Curlew sp.

Would love to see a 100% crop of this shot.

Chris Wormwell - 22:54 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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Untitled Comment

in my opinion, Numenius tenuirostris

Anonymous - 23:01 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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Untitled Comment

The white underwing and flank spots are suggestive, but the bill seems too long, the background color of the breast is much too buff (should be white), and the pattern of the underside of the outer primaries looks wrong (white with dark bars, should be mostly dark).
I believe it's a Numenius arquata.

Anonymous - 23:20 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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Curlew

Curlew

Anonymous - 23:24 - Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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Curlew

Interesting. I've seen Slender-billed Curlew once in my life, in Oman. This seems a likely candidate.

Anonymous - 00:48 - Thursday, October 23, 2008

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Curlew

It seems very similar to this Eurasian Curlew:
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=18713

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=18712

birdingitalynet - 09:09 - Thursday, October 23, 2008

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Untitled Comment

I think it can be an Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata orientalis)

Daniele Capello - 12:11 - Thursday, October 23, 2008

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Untitled Comment

I agree it's an odd Curlew, but it's definitely not a Slender-billed. The upperwing isn't the commonest for Curlew, but the underwing should be much darker and outer part of underwing especially should be contrastingly dark compared with the rest of the underwing in Slender-billed. Also, the spots seem to be very few and the breast band with no spots at all so it looks much better for Curlew. The bill is somewhat intermediate between Slender-billed and Curlew but better for the latter. All in all I'd say it's a Curlew, but I'd consider a possible hybrid between tenuirostris and arquata.

Silvio Davison - 20:56 - Monday, November 17, 2008

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Untitled Comment

The bird appears to show cross shaped marks on the flank when photo magnified and the bill is quite stout so therefore Eurasian Curlew. The extensive white underwing could point to it being subspecies orientalis?

Philip Amies - 20:07 - Wednesday, December 31, 2008

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Untitled Comment

First impression: ouahhhh, but after have study the picture, for me, it's a 100% Numernius arquata (bill too long and the underwing doesn't look like a N. tenirostris). The upperwings pattern could be possible for a N. a. orientalis.

Anonymous - 17:40 - Monday, January 12, 2009

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