HomeBird DirectoryBird ForumBird NewsBird ShopSearchContactLog in
Latest Posts
Home arrow Bird Forum

Birding UK and Ireland Bird Forum

homepost replythreaded viewruleshelp
 
Forum List Ask us a Question What's that bird?
JonnySB
User

egg
Posts: 1
graphgraph
Karma: 0  
Help! Bird identification needed urgently. - 2006/06/29 22:13 I have just been watching a small family of birds in my local Supermarket car park and I cannot identify them. One of the birds is clearly a youngster who cannot fly at all and the other two birds are contantly flying around it.
The Birds are about the size of a black headed gull, slighly plumper, they are black in colour with white breasts and have long curved orange or red beaks (not as long as a Curlew's though). Their call is loud sharp tones, quite piercing... they are contantly on alert for the youngster so this is likely an alarm call. The fledgling makes a much softer but higher pitched warble.
I have never seen a bird like this in my area and my boy scout knowledge of birds has sadly been consigned to the dusty corners of my memory!

I am worried that the local foxes will get a hold of at least the wee one and didn't know wether to try and contact the rspcb or to catch it myself...

Please help me identify what this bird is.


Many thanks, Jonny

Ps. I'm in Glasgow, Scotland if that's of any help
  | | The administrator has disabled public write access.
nrigby
avatar Admin

Admin
Posts: 79
graphgraph
Karma: 3  
Re:Help! Bird identification needed urgently. - 2006/07/05 21:26 Okay. Having had no luck with the othr indentification requests I'm going to stick my neck out and go for Oystercatcher, although I've not found a book describing "supermarket car park' as one of its habitats!

Here's a description from the RSPB...

Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
AKA: Eurasian oystercatcher

The oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has a long, orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs. In flight, it shows a wide white wing-stripe, a black tail, and a white rump that extends as a 'V' between the wings. Because it eats cockles, the population is vulnerable if cockle beds are overexploited. Breeds on almost all UK coasts; over the last 50 years, more birds have started breeding inland. Most UK birds spend the winter on the coast; where they are joined on the east coast by birds from Norway.

Where does it live?
Breeding
Shingle and rocky beaches, dunes, salt marshes and on the grassy tops of small islands. Inland birds nest on shingle banks of rivers, lakes and gravel pits.

Wintering
Estuaries and coastal lagoons

Passage
Estuaries and coastal lagoons

Where to see it
Possible to see on almost all coasts of the UK. Look for breeding birds in summer at RSPB coastal reserves. In winter, you can see large numbers on major estuaries, such as Morecambe Bay.

What does it eat?
Mussels and cockles on the coast; mainly worms inland.

What does it sound like?
A loud, shrill, piping �kleep-kleep' call

When to see it
All year round.

RSPB Reserves
• Campfield Marsh
• Frampton Marsh
• Langstone Harbour
• Belfast Lough nature reserve
• Brodgar
• Culbin Sands
• North Hill, Papa Westray

Does anyone agree?
  | | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Claire78
User

hatchling
Posts: 6
graphgraph
Karma: 0  
Re:Help! Bird identification needed urgently. - 2007/09/08 16:49 I think I will also stick my neck out and say high chance of Oystercatcher. Our local Asda has Oystercatchers nest on its roof every year. Once fledged they go off and join their friends on Breydon Water!
Claire
  | | The administrator has disabled public write access.
clydebirder
User

big bird
Posts: 83
graph
Karma: 8  
Re:Help! Bird identification needed urgently. - 2007/10/16 04:52 Hi Johny, I think they will be Oystercatchers, no other bird I can think of fits the description. Oystercatchers have increasingly bean nesting on roofs, in car parks, etc in urban areas and I know of several sites around Glasgow where they are breeding

I have a photo on my web site at http://www.clydebirds.com/Bird_images/2003.07.26_Oystercatcher_02.jpg
if you want to have look

Cheers, John Take only photographs, leave only footprints....
Link: My web site
  | | The administrator has disabled public write access.
flabbyguy36
User

egg
Posts: 1
graphgraph
Karma: 0  
Re:Help! Bird identification needed urgently. - 2007/10/31 20:05 Hi Johny, I would also say Oystercatchers, especially if the Supermarket is near a salt marsh or the sea.
Cheers
Flabbyguy36
  | | The administrator has disabled public write access.
clydebirder
User

big bird
Posts: 83
graph
Karma: 8  
Re:Help! Bird identification needed urgently. - 2007/11/01 04:33 Hi all

Oystercatchers can nest miles from the nearest coast or salt marsh. As long as there are grassy areas nearby where the adults can forage for food. Many nests are on roofs of factories, schools, etc and the young are fed by the adults until they can flutter down from the rooftops

Cheers, John

....Take only photograph's, leave only footprints

Post edited by: clydebirder, at: 2007/11/01 04:45 Take only photographs, leave only footprints....
Link: My web site
  | | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Forum List Ask us a Question What's that bird?
Joomlaboard Forum Component 1.1.6-svn
Two Shoes M-Factory


Birding Top 500 Counter