Bill measurements aid sub-specific identification of Great Spotted Woodpeckers in Britain
Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Dougall, T W
McGowan, R Y
Date published
2021
Abstract
Wing length has been used by researchers to separate the resident British subspecies of Great Spotted Woodpecker from migrants from Fennoscandia, though some degree of overlap exists with this character. In this study, specimens at National Museums of Scotland (NMS) show that bill shape aids subspecific identification, confirming that Fennoscandian birds do occur in Scotland andf urther south. To help develop datasets birdwatchers are encouraged to donate fresh corpses of Great Spotted Woodpeckers to NMS.
Journal title
Scottish Birds
Volume
41
Issue
4
Publisher
The Scottish Ornithologists' Club
Place of publication
Aberlady
ISSN
0036-9144
Date accepted
April 2021
Rights statement
In Copyright