Hi,
Forrest Rowland speaking, from the United States. I am searching high and
low for audio (bird vocalizations) for Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the
Soloman Islands...or anywhere in Wallacea, for that matter. Any suggestions?
I've got a little from when I was there in the past, but I'm planning some
trips to the area in the upcoming years. I've birded extensively in Mexico,
Central America, and South America, and have calls for a little over 2000
species in these areas, if anyone's up for some trading! I love bird
vocalizations, and have made studies of them (Thamnophilidae) in the past.
Anything and everything would be greatly appreciated, and thanks so much for
your time.
On another matter, I'm not sure if this is where to post my two cent
evaluation of your American Golden-Plover mystery pics? Well, let me go
ahead....by the way, would this be a first for Australia? I've seen all
three species in my day, Pac and Am in the States, Pac and Eur in the Middle
East and Europe, and have seen Pac in Australia. I'm no expert, but I'll
give it a go:
I don't know the author's (Graham Buchan) experience, and very well be out
of my league here, but I'll just say that all the structural commentary is
both observant and accurate, with my own experience, which I would reckon is
more limited. So, I won't even comment on the structure, as not to be
redundant.
In flight, the PGP has a definitively paler wing in the photos, and the
wings seem to be at a similar angle to the sun, which is confusing, as the
underwing should be nearly identical. This may mean that the birds are in
slightly different plumage phases, or different age or sex, assuming the
subject is, in fact, an AGP. The birds both appear to be females, the
subject could be a breeding female, as well could be the PGP, though the PGP
seems to have nearly lost all of its color, and almost achieved non-breeding
plumage. From the distance given, the subject bird, to me, appears very
slightly larger in general. Any info on that from the observer/photographer?
Is the bird slightly closer to the camera...if only a little bit? Perhaps it
is a larger bird, which would most definitely point to AGP, but the entire
wing anatomy seems exaggerated in the Subject Plover.
Nice photo number 6 for primary projection! Would be a long projection, if
this bird ends up being a PGP.
In photos 8 and 9, I would say that the Subject does appear to be an AGP,
from posture, primary position and length, and even so with mantle plumage,
as it is very dark for PGP, but right for AGP. I imagine Mr. Buchan avoided
much commentary on plumage because it isn't especially conclusive in this
case. I'm not even sure anyone could say this bird wasn't a male going to
non-breeding plumage, or a breeding female, AGP, but again, I'm no expert in
Golden Plovers. Photos 8 and 9, to me, are the most compelling, though. Has
any general concensus been made as to the age and sex of the bird? Tough job
that one.....
Culmen of the subject bird is thicker than that of the PGP, and a slightly
different shape, straighter, it seems. Angle the lower mandible enters the
head seems a little different, too, but that may be because the PGP appears
to be stretching its neck slightly. Tough one. One thing I must say about
the plumage of the head is that it seems to lack the normal amount of white
rounding down from the supercilium, through the post-auricular area and
nape, to be an AGP. This can be variable, though, of course. But, as a
general trend, the white is more extensive through the nape, neck and
shoulder, though photo #7 does make it appear as though the bird has more
white in shoulder area than does the Pacific shown as comparison.
WOW! tough birds. I'm very curious as to what the outcome of this is. I'll
be checking the website to see if the bird ever reaches unanimous status as
being one or the other. My vote? American Golden Plover by a finite measure,
but it looks nearly identical to a couple fo the birds I saw here just last
month. Good luck and I applaud your courage in tackling this bird!
Cheers,
Forrest Rowland
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