What feature distinguishes the Whimbrel from a distant Marbled Godwit silhouette?
Answer
Distinctive dark and light head striping
The Marbled Godwit is often confused with the Whimbrel due to both species possessing long, curved bills. However, several key differences remain visible even at a distance. While the Godwit is generally larger and paler overall, the most definitive distinguishing feature that the Whimbrel possesses but the Godwit lacks is the complex head pattern. The Whimbrel exhibits bold dark and light striping across the crown and face, which helps separate it from the uniformly colored head of the Marbled Godwit.
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