Stilt query

[Colin Key]

Not quite sure where to post this since it is neither a beginner or advanced query.

Black-winged Stilt is a common resident breeding bird here and as well as seeing the 40+ local birds on the marsh every day, I see many hundreds of this species wherever I go along the Algarve coast (and in southern Spain).

Recently my wife pointed out an "odd" stilt (I tend not to scrutinize common birds too closely) and when I looked I became a bit excited since there have been reports of a Black-necked Stilt in Spain not long ago. My first views of the bird were of it facing away and rather hunched and it did indeed look as though the black extended from the nape right down to the mantle. Subsequent views show this not to be the case and there is a white "gap" between nape and mantle.

Having done a literature search I now know that Himantopus sp. are extremely variable in the amount of black on the head and neck of adult males, but I have never seen an example of the nominate European species with as much black as this bird.

So, the attached photos are just for your comments; has anyone seen a bird like this in S Europe? (By the way, the third photo shows him with his mate and they have now built their nest and she is "sitting" - it will be interesting to see what the off-spring look like).


http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/0C0J5106.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/0C0J5108.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/0C0J5118.jpg


Colin

[macrourus]

iTs quite common to see bird such this or even far closer to mexicanus or other races/taxa in Sicily and Italy in general, and i think is just a particular plumage for some nice fantastic males...

Always study common and even commonest bird to find out the rare one and to learn about plumage variability and ID :-) :-)
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[forktail]

iTs quite common to see bird such this or even far closer to mexicanus or other races/taxa in Sicily and Italy in general, and i think is just a particular plumage for some nice fantastic males...

for sure, a very variable species.

here's one from Greece http://www.realbirder.com/LesvosBirdsP/Black-wingedStilt.JPG

F.

[AndyB]

I could understand why you would want a second look - both these birds are very black-necked like.

[Colin Key]

iTs quite common to see bird such this or even far closer to mexicanus ........

So could this be a regional difference, i.e. between Eastern and Western Europe, because this type of head pattern is certainly not common here?

Since this bird came to my attention I have looked more closely at hundreds of individuals at Ria de Alvor, Lagoa dos Salgados, Ria Formosa, Castro Marim and the marshes at Huelva in SW Spain. There are large numbers of 2nd cy birds which appear to be non-breeding and usually of indeterminate sex which have "dirty" heads, rather similar to adult females. But by and large the adult males have very little black on the head, if indeed any at all - the great majority are pure white.

I am not claiming that this is anything but the nominate European race, just observing what is, in my own experience, a peculiarity.

Colin

[Colin Key]

This is representative of 90+% of adult male Black-winged Stilts in Algarve and W Spain.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/0C0J0612.jpg

Colin

[john robinson]

Colin
Would it not be easier just to put the pic on the post ?
I follow the link to the "aves " thing and then after a long wait for the site to come up I don't know where to go from there. ( no broadband remember ? )
Cheers
John

[Colin Key]

Colin
Would it not be easier just to put the pic on the post ?
I follow the link to the "aves " thing and then after a long wait for the site to come up I don't know where to go from there. ( no broadband remember ? )
Cheers
John

Didn't quite understand this at first since the photograph is embedded in the post (the "aves thing" is just tagged onto my signature, nothing to do with this thread).

I presume that you didn't see the three photos in my first post either?

I am posting at quite large file sizes but they do come up on a dial-up connection (just checked it), albeit a bit slow. Your connection must be incredibly slow. I remember you telling me that didn't have broadband but can't remember the reason (too far out in the "sticks"?). Maybe you should re-investigate the possibility - my understanding was that, in England at least, if you had a telephone line you could get some sort of broadband connection irrespective of how far you were from the exchange.

Colin