Sewri - Feb 2007

It was a wader watch cum identification workshop conducted by Adesh shivkar with Mr KB singh and others.

What are the tips for wader identification ?
Divide waders by thier size
Category 1 - Stints
Category 2 - smaller plovers
Category 3 - Sandpipers and redshanks and green shanks
Category 4 - whimbrel , curlew and godwits

In category 3 size generally anything with red legs is a redshank with dark legs with big beak would be a greenshank. Common sandpiper is plain brown with always waging its tail while walking.
In category 4 - with curved beak would be curlew and similar smaller would be a whimbrel. Others would be godwit.





How to differentiate black and brown headed gulls ?
Brown headed gulls have a white dot on the black at the tip of its wing which is visible while in flight.
Not a good pic but white dot visible

How is slender billed separate from these ?
Slender bill is the only gull with a plain white head.
Both black and brown headed gulls in non-breading plumage will have a little black spot on the head.
Black around the head of the black and brown headed gulls







What are other gull types and difference from the above ?
The palais gull, Heuglins gull are very huge in size.

Also seen a white wagtail