The problem with identifying White-headed is the variability of plumage shown by Black-winged in South-east Asia. Here's a pic taken at Pulau Burung, Penang, in 2008.
So this visit gave me chance to take another look at White-headed Stilts.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLqp6PTMCLyRsWzy1uOD0coFW6L3AbvtGPWN2rsTXsKQontJvJKezLpokEdjvWLicG8TGuDcxTBT8bkA5OW2UxeQXPWc9L49EY-E-NoK-AR57pvTzcEQ6c4QvHPNhJvaNCkTD/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3785.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQQLQ_lx2hTlyUWDXWCc-lVkMYnobGdQzId70x9KFjGZM3Af70tKh8IL6CipRPleOR2doRIb2NxR49P-lCF401NW3smoNZW4uXDNN-ouvrRKz_fFswARlT3I40-qzftgmctIV/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3266.jpg)
There doesn't seem to be much difference between the sexes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygdkyhJWHLBpxN6MxYbug_vk2PxuxNIO0Ea4qu77REy8cM4sCVqLHj-4jtOD3TLoHkPIQ22uS5z8qxGI6Wx6U5dQ3BBsDS27Nz4hcRxzoHFfacF8-EJwi-cxwPNdJya36AhyphenhyphenZ/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3480.jpg)
The juveniles I saw had significantly less buff fringing to the upperparts (compare with this pic taken in Penang)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18XOmJy_EL-a-E8MikvJ02nuxOZukbc-fIK_NEiDFjwefeMRZBSvcL1TbhB4bz1T-msJDXp6kIaETj_ygLJdE8WTNgRQr1xQK9kDVm4W2RpUSrHv_KX4shwJTjLkn1mWr3Pgj/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3271.jpg)
Almost all the birds in the colony had white heads and extensive black manes, except for this bird.
I made some recordings of the calls, which, according to Susan Myer's Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, is slightly higher-pitched than that of Black-winged, so I'll check this out next time I visit Pulau Burung.
Some more pics:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc1e27a7jmInF_IlZCC_uJTkH6fmpYGrzbk5RZvG14vrX0-JkL_pwFL8vZd-aIfpLntil7frrRzIYHhTFedCthd7NJ8O9N7qy2uBRz1Q0rob9lfRCZV8_NZaeTTJR_q3BDmQ-/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3237.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVeLPgN-mGrygM48GxI9lo8d2tKqATXFTn5i7mLjRWZqCTWmdt9oT54zUD5UY0uSxa5RgWmUyX3GDZcw0gVqlIRyMHuMJVcn_IctJ_1jOp9OEM70vy0A1o880trAqEQeWiVpr/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3287.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt34-tlhaWQThP0kcWl-MnzyIOQUJ_cN4ZnRZzWglLwuLh6ii7QXe7qPaAXwXyax_mbN7OgB0Nv8eOMm9tYdm1khTfHYyCNkkTrYwHcOlHNGNjRBNEGfjYP0hALLBYKyQRO5we/s400/White-necked+Stilt_Sydney_021210_IMG_3828.jpg)
Overall, I came away wondering why this is considered (by some) to be a different species from Black-winged. A glance through the images of Black-winged on the Oriental Bird Image database shows that the species exhibits such a variety of plumages over its wide range, and the difference in neck markings appears to be clinal...
4 comments:
Such a good idea for genetic comparison study
superficially the same to me...sigh!
haha, i am also still figuring out the difference. Susan Myer's book accepted that the Pied is in Sabah......
The calls are quite distinct, White-headed in Australia have a noticeably higher pitched call that reminds me of a yappy small dog. That said, although I've seen a few birds in Borneo with this head/ neck pattern, within the last two years I've also seen similarly patterned birds in Syria and Morocco which must be variant Black-winged.
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