This bird does seem to be rather heavy and dusky (pro swinhoe's), but without checking the outer tail feathers in detail, and without hearing the flight calls, field separation is quite impossible.

Hi Yoav,

Is it really so?

Without having looked into the matter, the bird seem so megala-like that I find it odd if there are no accepted diagnostic field-marks to clinch this bird.
As you mention, the sheer bulkyness (as well as the rump/wingtip-area) does indicate megala, a bird which to me often look more Great Snipe-like than anything else.

Hope to get some comments from shore-bird experts....

Regards Peter

The 3 species was present on the same time, common, pin-tailed and swinhoe's (separate by flight call).
The position and posture of the head give different impression on heavy bird or not, if hight maintain, the neck looks more broad and give this impression of heavy bird!
I've read that swinhoe's have larger head than pin-tailed, and pin-tailed more rufous center scapular (bird on picture have), also a small subtililities on primarie projection, tertials cover primaries totally in pin-tailed, and primaries could be seen alittle in swinhoe's....
I also hope to get some comments of people familiar with this bird but i guess Yoav say true!

Could be Swinhoe´s on mentioned features - but I guess "swintail" would be a better choice for now.

JanJ

Thanks everybody for the comment.
May be the netfugl administrator could change this bird's name to swintail snipe gallinago sp.