Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] FOLLOW UP FROM APRILS YELLOW-LEGGED GREENSHANKS

Hi Brian,

I think some care is needed here - yellow and green are in the same area of the colour spectrum, and I believe that the Greenshank's legs have always been on the yellow side of green. A Google image search for Greenshank brings up a lot of images that one would describe as yellow-shanked rather than green-shanked - some of them quite strikingly so.

Could this be natural variation, in the yellow to yellowish-green area of the spectrum? And it's hard also to eliminate observer bias - if you're looking at a bird called "Greenshank", then you expect the legs to be green and don't give it much thought, unless someone happens to say, "Hey those legs are yellow!"

Added to which, photographic images may not always give true colour.

It's certainly a fascinating topic, but I think further objective research is needed as to how unusual this really is.

Too soon perhaps to announce the discovery of Tringa xanthopus ...

All best in birding, John Dawson

On 31 May 2013 15:32, Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear All,
A follow up on the Yellow-legged Greenshank in Tsavo East in April,
then another photographed at Bungoma, I wrote to South Africa,
enquiring if they ever had ever found yellow-legged Greenshanks. It
appeared that no-one had heard of such a thing. Adam Riley wrote to
Hugh Chittenden, who said he had seen and photographed them twice. One
in Kruger, and the other in Okavango. We now have four images of
different birds, the interesting thing is, is that between the four
photographs they seem to cover plumages from breeding to winter
plumage. This strongly suggests that the leg-colour is not a result of
breeding condition, but there might be Greenshanks out there that
always have yellow legs. Maybe even a population!
In the new RSA field-guide, they are now going to illustrate it!
Best for now
Brian