At 11:27 11/02/2002 +1100, jilldening wrote:
Whilst you have been focusing on the size of the bills, I have for some
years been interested in the considerable difference in body size between
individuals of Bar-tailed Godwits (BAGO). I have always meant to ask around
others for their opinions. I have asked myself if two different races or
sub-species are mixing in our area of SEQld, or whether it is just a
variation between individuals of a single species. I think the recent
discovery of green-flagged BAGO in Alaska could provide a clue or an answer.
Green flags - indicating Qld - have been found in two flyways, but I am
unfamiliar with the biometrics of the populations on the breeding grounds.
One thing that I learnt from assisting wader banding at Broome is how much
larger a female Bar-tailed Godwit is than a male. Both in bill length and
overall weight.
I don't remember us checking for different sub species, but maybe these can
be determined from the measurement details at a later date?
___________________________________________________________________
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