All – today while birding along the beach south of the “former” beach parking
lot at Chincoteague, I came across a Black-tailed Godwit feeding with a group
(15) of Marbled Godwits. At first, I assumed it was a Hudsonian Godwit but the
bill didn’t seem correct. So, after getting back to the hotel and looking at
my photos, it’s pretty clear the bird is a Black-tailed Godwit. I could be
wrong, so feel free to let me know if the ID is off. Here’s what I noted: The
BTGO has a noticeable white belly and black wings. The bill is shorter than at
MAGO but is slightly up-turned. In flight (sorry about the poorer in flight
photos, I’m not skilled at birds in flight) the black band on the tail and
white rump are visible. Also, in both photos the white underwing instead of a
cinnamon-colored underwing is visible (the key feature making it a BTGO instead
of a Hudsonian Godwit).
I have posted photos on my Flicker site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmibiology/?saved=1
Dick Rowe
VMI Biology Dept.
