ILLUSTRATED KEY FOR

BLACK-TAILED GODWITS’ COLOUR RING SCHEMES

N. CIDRAES-VIEIRA

VERSION 6 – APRIL 2015

COVER PHOTOS

R6BYBY Dutch Photo: Jurgen Rotteveel 2010R8-YR Icelandic Photo: Les Foster 2012BN-O//B Scotish Photo: Henk Hin 2013ROG-RNR Kent, UK Photo: Russell Sherriff 2014RL-O= Northern Ireland Photo: Jonathan Clark 2013NY-OfY French Photo: Bryan Wright 2012

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

Thanks to J. Alves, A. Cordeiro, A. Díaz, R. Duncan, S. Elisdóttir, S.Fasano, G. Gelinaud, J. Gill, J. Gómez-Pantoja, J. Gonin, N. Groen, T.Gunnarsson, L. Hatton, J. Hooijmeijer, H. van Huffelen, N. Karlionova,V. Lelong, P. Lourenço, A. Masero, J. Melter, R. Ottvall, M. Pavia, P.Pinchuck, P. Potts, F. Robin, M. Roodbergen, J. Smart, F. Santiago, S.Schmitt, G. Spanoghe, T. Svirodova, B. Thorisson, D. Turner, J.Valkama and J. Wilson for the information about the schemes.

To D. Raes for including a link to the key on the European Colour-ringBirding website.

CONTACT

New schemes, updates, corrections and new information on schemes pleasesend it to limosalimosa(you know what to put here)sapo.pt

http://limosa.no.sapo.pt/Key.html2

CONTENTS

Preface 3

Notes About Sights 4

How to Interpret the Drawings 5

Reporting Sights 6

Where to send the observations 6

Colour codes 6

Systems of representing rings combinations 7

Key to Ringed Black-tailed Godwits 10

Index of schemes categories 10

Schemes 11

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PREFACE

This is the sixth edition of the Illustrated key for Black-tailed Godwit colour

ring schemes. The information was updated, new schemes added, and

names recoded – unique country schemes and centraly coordinated schemes

were renamed with the two-letter country codes.

As on previous versions, schemes without confirmed information were not

included. They will be included as soon as information about them became

available from ringers and scheme coordinators.

This version includes some schemes with no ringed birds from programs

expected to begin running on 2015.

Schemes with birds ringed only on XX century were removed, with exception

of RSPB1 that is known to still have at least one bird alive.

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NOTES ABOUT SIGHTS

(Things to have in mind when seeing a ringed bird)

Discoloured rings – some colours can change with time or became dirty.

White is the most problematic colour, as it easily turns yellowish, or even

reddish. On other hand, light-coloured rings can became whitish.

Some colours are difficult to distinguish, specially with poor light conditions.

The most easily confusing colours are:

dark green - dark blue - black;

yellow - orange – red;

light blue (pale) - light green (lime)

Ring size & shape - It’s important to pay attention on the size and shape of

rings. Most observers don’t care about it, but in some cases this is important

to scheme identification.

Flags - From the wrong angle, flags-rings can appear as a normal colour ring

(more easily than thought!)

Engraved rings – some rings have one or more letters and/or numbers on it

Tarsometatarsus rings - below ankle (“knee”) rings are difficult to see,

specially small dark rings.

Lost rings –not common, but some cases are known to happen.

Don’t forget! Bird’s left leg it’s only on your left side if you are looking the bird

from back

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HOW TO INTERPRET THE DRAWINGS

Each drawing indicates all possible combination of rings to the representedscheme. Figure 1 explains a hypothetic scheme.

Grey arrows – indicates rings that could have alternative positions andindicates the possible positions it can be.

A Multicolour ring represents a ring position that could receive severalcolours. The multicolour ring is painted with all possible colours for thatparticular position.

On drawings’ right side is showing all possible colours to all positions. Metalring is only present on right side if included as part of the scheme.

L and R refer to Left and Right bird’s legs. When both L & R are on both legs,the leg on drawing’s left side could be either the bird’s left or bird’s right legand the same for the leg on drawing’s right side.

Drawings were done on scale when information about ring size is available(drawings without the 5 mm scale symbol aren’t on scale).

Figure 1 – drawing explanation based on a hypothetic scheme

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REPORTING SIGHTS

WHERE TO SEND OBSERVATIONS

Information on sights should be sent to the ringer and to the NationalRinging Centre of the country were the bird was observed. If you don’t knowwhich ringer should be contacted, you can send it to the International WaderStudy Group (IWSG) or to the EURING.

COLOUR CODES

Colours are represented by letters. Most people use the coding from EURINGbut others codes are also used, which unfortunately can result inmismatches. Table below lists the codes for the 9 most commonly usedcolours and 5 barely used colours. Grey can be light or dark but there’s noindependent code.

COLOUR INTERNATIONAL (EURING) FRENCH

RED R R

ORANGE O O

YELLOW Y J

GREEN (DARK GREEN) G V

LIME (LIGHT GREEN) L P

PALE (LIGHT BLUE) P

BLUE (DARK BLUE) B B

BLACK (NIGER) N N

W WH

DARK PINK (CARMIN) C

PURPLE (VIOLET) V M

LIGHT PINK K

BROWN (UMBER) U

GREY (SILVER) S

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SYSTEMS OF REPRESENTING RINGS COMBINATIONS

There are several ways to write ring combinations. This section describedsome of the ways used to report Black-tailed godwit sights.

Absolute positions

Figure 2 shows absolute positions of rings. This system is mainly used ondatabases but it could helps to understand the filling of webforms and bywhat we mean by Above Knee1 and Below Knee. In this case, and inopposition to all others systems, rings are read down-up

Figure 2 – Absolute positions explanation based on a hypothetic scheme. Each leg has 3possible positions on tibia (above knee) and 3 on tarsus (below knee), even not allpositions must effectively have rings. Positions are numbered upwards and include metalrings. In this example there’s only one ring on right tarsus, on position RB1, and 2 on lefttibia, Orange on LA1 and Red on LA2, while left tarsus and right tibia have all 3 positionsfull.

1 It’s usually referred as knee or ankle but has no exact match on human’s anatomy. It splits the leg in

tibiatarsus (commonly referred as tibia) and tarsometatarsus (commonly referred as tarsus)

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IWSG system

Always begin by left leg rings. Rings on left and right legs separated by a plus(+) or a minus (-)Above and below knee rings are separated by a slash2 (/)Each ring position separated by a comma (,)Rings written from top to downSee figure 3 for examples

Simplified system

Same as before but with no commas. Usually rings on left and right legsseparated by a minus (-)See figure 3 for examples

Simplified computer friendly system

Same IWSG, without commas, always a minus (-) for legs and a plus (+),instead of splash (/), to kneeSee figure 3 for examples

RUG3 system

Only applies to the RUG schemes (Netherlands). First letter is the flag colourfollowed by a number that gives flag position. Then all other 4 rings fromdownwards, first left then right leg.See figure 3 for examples

2 Some people uses two slashes (//)

3 University of Groningen, Netherlands

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Figure 3 – examples on ring combinations. On left, example 1, from Pott’s The Solentscheme. On right, example 2, a red flag (R2) from RUG’s scheme.

IWSG/EURINGexample 1 - ,,B/,,R-,G,Y/,,m (or ,,B/,,R+,G,Y/,,m)example 2 - ,B,R/,,m-Rf,L,Y/,,, (or ,B,R/,,m+Rf,L,Y/,,,)

Simplified systemexample 1 - B/R-GY/mexample 2 - BR/m-RfLY

Simplified computer friendly systemexample 1 - B+R-GY+mexample 2 - BR+m-RfLY

RUG systemExample 2 - R2BRLY

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KEY TO RINGED BLACK-TAILED GODWITS

Page

1. WITH FLAGS 11

1.1 RED 11

1.2 ORANGE 12

1.3 YELLOW 13

1.4 (DARK) GREEN 14

1.5 LIME (LIGHT GREEN) 15

1.6 (DARK) BLUE 16

1.7 WHITE 16

1.8 BLACK 17

2. NO FLAG, WITH ENGRAVED RINGS 18

(WITH LETTERS, NUMBERS, LINES OR OTHER SYMBOLS)

2.1 JUST ENGRAVED RINGS (& METAL RING) 18

2.2 WITH OTHER COLOUR RINGS 19

3. NO FLAG, NO ENGRAVED 23

(BY NUMBER OF RINGS)

3.1 - ONE OR TWO RINGS (+ METAL RING) 23

3.2 - THREE RINGS (+ METAL RING) 24

3.3 - FOUR RINGS (+ METAL RING) 25

3.3.1 - WITHOUT C-RINGS ON TARSUS 25

3.3.2 - WITH C-RINGS ON TARSUS 27

3.4 - FIVE RINGS (+ METAL RING) 29

3.5 - SIX RINGS (+ METAL RING) 30

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1. WITH FLAG1.1 - RED FLAG

NL2 (R1-R6)Jos Hooijmeijer - j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: Nederland (Outside SW Friesland)Breeding adults & chicksSubspecies: limosa2004-See note on Y flag

TG2Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandChicksSubspecies: islandica1999-2009Ring height: 10 mm or 14 mmDrawing: 14 mm (for 10 mm see L flag)

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1.2 - ORANGE FLAG

PD0Philippe Delaporte – vincent.lelong@lpo.frLocation: Moeze Oléron - FranceMigrating birdsSubspecies: islandica2002

PD1Philippe Delaporte – vincent.lelong@lpo.frLocation: Moeze Oléron - FranceMigrating birdsSubspecies: islandica (& limosa)2004-2008Never two rings same colour on same leg

PD2Philippe Delaporte – vincent.lelong@lpo.frLocation: France - Moeze Oléron & Golf deMorbihan (OfR)Migrating birdsSubspecies: islandica (& limosa)2007-Never two rings same colour on same leg

FR1Frédéric Robin – frobin02@gmail.comLocation: Marais Breton – FranceBreeding birdsSubspecies: limosa2012-Ring height: 15 mmNever two rings same colour on not flagged leg

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1.3 – YELLOW FLAG

NL1 (Y1-Y6)Jos Hooijmeijer – j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: Friesland – NederlandNesting adults & chicksSubspecies: limosa2004 –Ring height: 8 mm (2004/05) or 11 mm(2006 -)Drawing: 8 mm (for 11 mm see L, R or Bflag drawings)Note: white only with flag on top leftpositionNote: lime never with flag on top left

TG10Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandChicksSubspecies: islandica2012-Ring height: 14 mm

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1.4 – (DARK) GREEN FLAG

PT1José Alves – j.alves@uea.ac.ukLocation: Tagus Estuary – PortugalAdults on migration/winteringSubspecies: islandica (& limosa)2006 –2015Ring height: 14 mm

NL7Jos Hooijmeijer – j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: NederlandNesting chicksSubspecies: limosa2012-Ring height: 10 & 8 mm

NL8 (G1-G6)Jos Hooijmeijer – j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: Nederland (Outside SW Friesland)Breeding adults & chicksSubspecies: limosa(2015 –)Ring height: 11 mm

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1.5 – LIME (LIGHT GREEN) FLAG

JM1José M. Abad – abadjm@unex.es Location: Extremadura – España Adults on migration/wintering Subspecies: limosa & islandica2005 –2013Ring height: 7 mm

TG1Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandChicksSubspecies: islandica2005 – 2006Ring height: 10 mm or 14 mmDrawing: 10 mm (for 14 mm see R flag)

NL3 (L1)Jos Hooijmeijer – j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: Nederland, Portugal & SpainAdults on migration/winteringSubspecies: limosa (islandica)2007 –Ring height: 11 mm

NL6Jos Hooijmeijer – j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: NederlandNesting chicksSubspecies: limosa2009-Ring height: 8 mm

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1.6 – (DARK) BLUE FLAG

NL4Jos Hooijmeijer – j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: Friesland – NederlandNesting adultsSubspecies: limosa2012 –Ring height: 11 mm

1.7 – WHITE FLAG

TG9Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandChicks (also a few adults)Subspecies: islandica2010 – 2012Ring height: 14 mm

JM2José Gómez-Pantoja – abadjm@unex.es Location: Extremadura – EspañaAdults on migration/wintering Subspecies: limosa & islandica2013 –Ring height: 10 mm, flag 8 mm

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1.8 – BLACK FLAG

DT1David Turner – davidt2851@gmail.comLocation: UKAdultsSubspecies: islandica & limosa(2015-)Ring height:

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2. WITHOUT FLAG, WITH ENGRAVED RINGS2.1 – ONLY ENGRAVED RINGS (& METAL)

MP1Marco Pavia – marco.pavia@unito.itSergio Fasano – sgfasano@gmail.comLocation: Piedmont/ Vercelli – ItalieChicksSubspecies: limosa2004-Ring height: 15 mm

FI1Jari Valkama – jari.valkama@helsinki.fiLocation: FinlandChicksSubspecies: limosa2004Ring height:

BY1Pavel Pinchuck – ppinchuk@mail.ruLocation: Belarus

Subspecies: limosa2008-2013Ring height:

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2.2 WITH ENGRAVED RINGS + OTHER COLOUR RINGS (& METAL)

BY2Natalia Karlionova – karlionova@tut.byLocation: Belarus

Subspecies: limosa(2015-)Ring height:

FI2Jari Valkama – jari.valkama@helsinki.fiLocation: FinlandAdults & chicksSubspecies: limosa2014-Ring height:

SE1Richard Ottvall - richard.ottvall@gmail.comLocation: SwedenBreeding adults & chicksSubspecies: limosa(2015-)Ring height:

TG3Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandAdults on passageSubspecies: islandica2002 – 2012Ring height: 14 mm

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TG8Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandAdultsSubspecies: islandica2010 -Ring height: 14 mm

TG11Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandAdultsSubspecies: islandica2012-Ring height: 14 mm

PT2José Alves – j.alves@uea.ac.ukLocation: Tagus Estuary – PortugalAdults on migration/winteringSubspecies: islandica (& limosa)2015-Ring height: 14 mm

RSPB5Jennifer Smart – Jennifer.Smart@rspb.org.ukLocation: UKBreeding birdsSubspecies: limosa(2015-)Ring height: 14 mm

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FR2Frédéric Robin – frobin02@gmail.comLocation: Marais Breton – FranceBreeding adults & chicksSubspecies: limosa(2015-)Ring height: 8 & 10 mmNeighbor rings never have the same color

PP2WPete Potts – pmpotts@tiscali.co.ukLocation: Cork Harbour – IrelandNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2002-Ring height: 14 & 30 mm

PP2BPete Potts – pmpotts@tiscali.co.ukLocation: North Ireland - UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2008-Ring height: 14 & 30 mm

PP2OPete Potts – pmpotts@tiscali.co.ukLocation: North Ireland - UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2011-Ring height: 14 & 30 mm

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PP1Pete Potts – pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: The Solent – UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2001-Ring height: 14 (colour) & 30 mm

INBO1Geert Spanoghe - geert.spanoghe@inbo.be

Location: East-Flanders - BelgiumSubspecies:2013-

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3. NO FLAG & NO ENGRAVED RINGS (BY NUMBER OF RINGS)3.1 – ONE OR TWO RINGS (+ METAL RING)

NL5Jos Hooijmeijer - j.c.hooijmeijer@rug.nlLocation: NederlandChicksSubspecies: limosa2006 (Y), 2007 (R)Ring height: 8 mmNot an individual marker (group marker)

RSPB1RSPB - sabine.schmitt@rspb.org.ukLocation: UKChicksSubspecies: limosa1997Ring height: 7-10 mm(+) (depending on thesize of the chicks)Drawing: 7 mmNot an individual marker (group marker)

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3.2 – THREE RINGS (+ METAL RING)

TG4Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandChicksSubspecies: islandica2002-2003Ring height: 15 mmBrood marked birds

SEO1

Álvaro Díaz - alvaro.diaz.pastor@gmail.comLocation: Cantabria – España

Subspecies:

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3.3 – FOUR COLOUR RINGS (+ METAL RING)3.3.1 - FOUR C-RINGS WITHOUT C-RINGS ON TARSUS

GE1Guillaume Gélinaud -guillaume.gelinaud@bretagne-vivante.org

Location: Golf de Morbihan - FranceNon-nesting adultsSubspecies: islandica (limosa)2001 -Ring height: 15 mm

JG2Jennifer Gill - j.gill@uea.ac.ukLocation: Wash & Breydon Water - UKNon-breeding adults and juvenilesSubspecies: islandica1995 -Ring height: 15 mm

TG5Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandBreedingSubspecies: islandica2000 -Ring height: 14 mm

TG6Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandBreedingSubspecies: islandica2000 - 2009Ring height: 14 mm

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TG7Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: IcelandChicksSubspecies: islandica1999-2005Ring height: 8, 10 or 14 mmDrawing: 10 mm

TG13Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: Iceland

Subspecies: islandica2013-Ring height: 10 or 14 mmDrawing: 10 mm

TG12Tomas Gunnarsson icelandwader@gmail.comLocation: Iceland

Subspecies: islandica2013-Ring height: 10 or 14 mmDrawing: 10 mm

RSPB2RSPB - sabine.schmitt@rspb.org.ukLocation: UKChicksSubspecies: limosa1998-2003Ring height: 4/5 or 6/7 mm ringsDrawing: 5 mm

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3.3.2 – FOUR C-RINGS WITH C-RINGS ON TARSUS

SCO1Raymond Duncan –raymond@waxwing.fsnet.co.uk

Location: Montrose & Ythan Estuary,Scotland – UKAdults on migrationSubspecies:2007-Ring height: 7 & 14 mm

TRG1Les Hatton – les@edenecology.co.ukLocation: Eden Estuary Fife, Scotland – UKAdults on migrationSubspecies: islandica1991-Ring height: 7 mm

PP3Pete Potts – pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: The Solent – UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica1992-Ring height: 14 and 7 mm

JG3Jennifer Gill – j.gill@uea.ac.ukLocation: Wash & Breydon Water, UKNon-breeding adults and juvenilesringed in autumn or winterSubspecies: islandica1995 –Ring height: 15 mm. Tarsus W ring: 15mm or20 mmW ring often discoloured to yellow

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AC1Antonio Cordeiro -antoniofcordeiro@hotmail.com

anelamento.andurinha@gmail.com

Location: Galicia, SpainNon-breeding adultsSubspecies:2011 –Ring height:

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3.5 – FIVE RINGS (+ METAL RING)

DE2Johannes Melter –j.melter@bio-consult-os.deLocation: DeutschlandBreeding adults & chicksSubspecies: limosa1972-Ring height: 9 mm

MR1Maja Roodbergen –Maja.Roodbergen@sovon.nlLocation: NederlandBreeding adults and chicksSubspecies: limosa (islandica)2002-2005Ring height: 7, 10 or 14 mm ringsDrawing: 10 mm

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3.6 – SIX RINGS (+ METAL RING)

PP4Pete Potts - pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: Medway Estuary – UKadultsSubspecies: islandica2005-Ring height: 10 mm

PP5Pete Potts - pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: Suffolk – UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2007-Ring height: 10 mm

PP6Pete Potts - pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: Devon - UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2008-Ring height: 10 mm

PP7Pete Potts - pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: Suffolk - UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2008-Ring height: 10 mm

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PP8Pete Potts - pmpotts@tiscali.co.uk

Location: Kent - UKNon-breeding adultsSubspecies: islandica2008-Ring height: 10 mm