Thread
Print

[Plovers] Greater Sand Plover 鐵咀沙鴴

Greater Sand Plover 鐵咀沙鴴





5/4/2007
Mai Po 米埔
Leica800 + 20D
ISO200 f5.6 1/400s

TOP











15/4/2007
Mai Po 米埔
Leica 800mm + 20D
ISO200 f5.6
1. 1/800s
2. +1.4x 1/2000s
3. +1.4x 1/1000s
4. +1.4x 1/500s
5. +1.4x 1/640s

TOP









19/8/2007
Mai Po 米埔
Leica 800mm + 20D
ISO200 f7.1
1-3 1/800s
4-5 1/640s

TOP

The very first pic may be a lesser sand plover?

Very very nice shots by the way, especially those feeding shot, they are awesome~

TOP

[quote:1c4532e28a="cjimmy"]The very first pic may be a lesser sand plover?

Very very nice shots by the way, especially those feeding shot, they are awesome~[/quote]

Jimmy,

  Thanks for your reply!
  You are right. It is a lesser sand plover because its bill is smaller and
  shorter.
  I will repost it as lesser sand plover.

Thomas.

TOP

I suggest you to post your first shot at the under the Bird ID thread since it has interesting leg's colour.
The relatively short bill and dark breast band suggested it may be lesser sand plover. But the yellow legs suggest it can be a greater sand plover too!

Your 3rd shot (in flight) is fantastic since it shows the difference between Greater and lesser in flight... Greater Sand plover has legs extended beyond tail while Lesser has it more or less equal to the tail.

TOP

All the sand plovers above are Greater Sand Plovers. The breeding plumage birds have extensive orangish colour on the crown, which Lesser does not show. The juvenile has a large thick bill.

Leg colour is variable, and should not be used to separate Lesser from Greater.

Geoff

TOP

[quote:3159a26b81="cgeoff"]All the sand plovers above are Greater Sand Plovers. The breeding plumage birds have extensive orangish colour on the crown, which Lesser does not show. The juvenile has a large thick bill.

Leg colour is variable, and should not be used to separate Lesser from Greater.

Geoff[/quote]

Thanks for pointing the keys out...
I was misled by the black breast band in the first pic,
the amount of orange on breast is another evidence for Greater...

What about the 3 pics where the birds are in flight? Can we tell Greater and Lesser apart from the extension of legs?

SOrry Thomas for misleading you~

TOP

Looking at the pic of birds in flight, I notice that the breeding plumaged sand plover on the left, at about middle height, is a Lesser. It has a cinammon coloured breast band, darker than the sandy-orange of the Greaters. Comparing the foot projection of this bird with the Greater above it, you can see there is no difference.

Geoff

TOP



2/6/2008
Mai Po 米埔
Leica 800mm + 20D
ISO200 f7.1 1/800s

TOP

Thread