ID-FRONTIERS for July 9-15, 2000

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   Slaty-backed x Glaucous-winged Gull Citation   Phil Davis    Sun, 9 Jul 2000   1:56pm   Re: Dunlin vs. Curlew Sandpiper......   Steven Mlodinow    Tue, 11 Jul 2000   12:40am   Dunlin vs Curlew Sand   paullarkin    Thu, 13 Jul 2000   3:23pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Slaty-backed x Glaucous-winged Gull Citation
From: Phil Davis <pdavis(AT)IX.NETCOM.COM>
Date: 9 Jul 2000 1:56pm

ID Frontiers -

The MD/DC Records Committee is moving forward to prepare the 1999 Maryland
Conowingo Dam Slaty-backed (?) Gull for review.

Last year, Ned Brinkley provided me with a translated copy of the following
Russian article:

        Hybridization of Slaty-backed (Larus schistisagus) and Glaucous-winged
(L.
glaucescens) in the Commander Islands; background and effects.

        by Vasily I. Grabovsky, Axel Degen & Berthold Rupprecht

Does anyone know the journal and date of this citation?  It appears to have
been published no earlier than 1994.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland  21035     USA
301-261-0184
mailto:PDavis(AT)ix.netcom.com

MD/DCRC Web site:  http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
===================================================


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Re: Dunlin vs. Curlew Sandpiper......
From: Steven Mlodinow <SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 11 Jul 2000 12:40am

Greetings All

The Curlew Sandpiper in America's 100 Most Wanted Birds was from Vireo, and
thus I do not know the location of the original photograph. I agree with
Angus that the bird in the background appears to be a Wrybill, meaning the
photo was from NZ and likely correctly identified as a Curlew Sand. I find
the curvature of this bird's bill (the one in our book) to be quite right for
Curlew Sand, and I think that the very fine tip points more towards Curlew
Sand than Dunlin.

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow


[ << | >> | ^^ ]

Subject: Dunlin vs Curlew Sand
From: paullarkin <paullarkin(AT)PGEN.NET>
Date: 13 Jul 2000 3:23pm

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

----INCLUDING text/plain MIME SECTION----

What Ho!
Having trawled through back copies of British Birds and other =
publications I have found several photos of Dunlin that show primaries =
that APPEAR to be either cloaking or longer than the tail.=20
Delin & Svensson Photo guide to the birds of Britain and Europe p107 =
picture 9
Brit Birds Vol 80 No5 plate126.
Chandler North Atlantic Shore birds p121 top & middle.
I suspect that this is more due to posture and whether the tail is =
depressed.
as for moult etc, the British Trust for Ornithology guide for ringers =
(banders) states:
Dunlin
ad WP Upperparts brownish grey. coverts grey with whitish fringes , =
outers wear but inners retain fringes.  moult variable depending on =
race. arctica & schinzii usually migrate before moulting alpina may =
start and suspend moult  during migration. NE Palearctic and Nearctic =
moult on or near breeding grounds  before migrating. In general moult =
occurs July-October , so primaries fresh in winter slightly worn in =
spring.=20
1W As adWP but chestnut/buff fringed brown juv inner medians are =
retained to summer. Primaries slightly worn in winter, moderately worn =
by spring.
1S retained inner medians, but beware a small % of 1S which apparently =
gain new inner coverts with a buff wash  (these feathers may be retained =
into 2W). Primaries moderately worn.

Curlew Sand.
adWP Upperparts grey-brown, broadly edged with many shaft streaks. =
Coverts grey-brown with whitish-grey fringes.Moult mainly Sept-Feb but =
in tropics may start in Aug, suspend for a variable period and complete =
Nov-March. Primaries fresh in late winter & sometimes slightly worn in =
spring.
1W As adW but juv inner medians with rich buff fringes retained to Feb, =
sometimes later. Moult is variable but at least in E & S Africa they =
moult outer primaries In E Africa two groups of moulters, Feb-April & =
May-June. in S Africa anytime Feb-Aug. Inner secondaries are also =
renewed. Thus in Spring/summer there are contrasts in the primaries.
1S Rarely any juv coverts left. Usually identified) by primary wear =
pattern (above). Virtually all remain S of breeding area and most obtain =
partial sp.
2W Identifiable to early winter by primary wear pattern.

In 30 years of observing I regularly see "grey" birds in April but only =
one as late as June which over summered. Much of this discussion seems =
academic to me as "grey" Curlew Sands should be obvious in the field cf =
Dunlin (even big ones) due to structure but mainly on the paler, greyer =
plumage (less brown). The last thing I would look for is the primary =
extension. Whilst a single bird may cause a problem due to lack of =
comparison and lighting they should be obvious, even when sleeping, when =
with Dunlin. Then there is of course the rump.........=20
Paul

----DELETED text/html MIME SECTION----