Above, the golden-plover is front and center. Directly behind it with a decurved bill is a Whimbrel. Two Black-bellied Plovers are in the background on the far left and far right. And one Dunlin is in the lower right corner.
The next two photos (below) show mixed shorebird flocks. Can you spot the golden-plover? And how many other species of shorebirds can you find? Answers are below the photos. [Click on the photos for larger versions.]
The golden-plover is uppermost bird in the center of the image (it's also the brownest). Most of the other birds (grayer and larger) are Black-bellied Plovers. The bird on the far right is a Red Knot. And the lowest bird (third from the right) is a Dunlin (it's the smallest bird in the flock).
Want to try again? This is a little harder because the birds are roosting:
The golden-plover is the highest bird, second from the left. The leftmost bird is a Red Knot. The largest bird on the far right with dark stripes on its head is a Whimbrel. There are four Black-bellied Plovers (one is low in the vegetation to the right of the golden-plover; two more are to the right of that bird, and the fourth is behind the Whimbrel); and, there are two Dunlin (in the foreground, at center and at far right).
High tide roosts often provide helpful side-by-side comparisons.
3 comments:
Yikes. I've forgotten how hard it is to identify those shorebirds!
Carol
Hi, Carol!
Shorebirds can be tricky -- but one of the best ways to differentiate them is to see them together in a flock. And, as with most things, it often comes down to practice, practice, practice!
:) Jackie
Great photos, ID quizzes are so fun.
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