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After reading Steve’s post I headed off this morning for a look. Unfortunately, despite the dotterels having been seen yesterday I dipped. The long paddock the birds had been seen in was now home to a thousand head of cattle with two large trailers parked
at the north end. There was also no sign of the previously reported Orange Chats.
The Banded Lapwings we’re still in the overgrazed paddock with sheep.
Cheers
Marnix
On 20 Oct 2017, at 3:14 pm, Wallaces <> wrote:
Since seeing a group of 14 Inland Dotterel near Quandialla on Tuesday, I have been trying to understand the plumage variation I saw. There is plenty of variation visible but is it just individual plumage variation or due to differences
in age, sex or breeding condition. Instead of helping, the descriptions in the usual references are more inconsistent than for any other species I can recall - see table below.
The clearest difference shown in the attached picture is that some have a white face and the area around the ‘Y’ while other birds have a tan face and area around the ‘Y’. The colour on the back also varies with some birds having brown
centres to their feathers surrounded by a tan colour with others have black centres to the feathers with a more whitish/grey surrounds. In some the black areas are not as defined as they are on other birds.
If anyone has more experience with this species (this is my first encounter) or any other information which could help understand the variation, I would appreciate knowing. Video of the birds
http://www.hbw.com/ibc/1424277.
Thanks
Steve
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Source
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Male/Female
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Breeding/non breeding
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Immature/Juvenile
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The Australian Bird Guide (2017)
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No difference described
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NB - Dark lines through eyes and on underparts become duller and fainter, may be completely lost from underparts
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J – duller than adult non-breeding, with pale centres to feathers of upperparts
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Waders by Hollands and Milton (2012)
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Female: similar [to male] but duller
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Similar
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J - Duller. Black ‘halter’ indistinct or absent.
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Bird in the Hand (v2) (information source - HANZAB) (extracted from
http://www.absa.asn.au/
12 Sep 2017)
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Female: Black and over crown and strip below eyes mottled by buff. ‘Y’ on breast narrower than male & less clearly defined with broad buff edges to feathers;
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No difference described
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J – orange-brown to orange buff with no “Y”, to indistinct traces of a “V” (not “Y”)
Second immature - mottled untidy looking “Y” with buff edges to feathers
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Birdlife Australia website (20 Oct 2017)
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No difference described
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No difference described
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J -
duller, paler and less streaked with little or no black markings evident
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Handbook of birds of the world (www.hbw.com accessed 20 Oct 2017)
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Sexes alike
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NB - apparently almost lacks the eye-bar and breast
band
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J -
like non-breeding adult, i.e. showing just traces of dark face and collar.
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The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, Pizzey and Knight (8th edition 2007)
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No difference described
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No difference described
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I – breast marking indistinct or is plain buff-white below, running to chestnut on flanks
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Field Guide to Australian Birds, Morcombe (2000)
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No difference described
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NB – may show some loss of colour but distinctive dark markings … always present
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J – probable that all birds in pale plumage are juveniles.
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<Inland Dotterel plumage variation.jpg>
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