Gray-tailed sandpiper
| Gray-tailed sandpiper | ||||||||
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Gray-tailed sandpiper ( Tringa brevipes ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||
| Tringa brevipes | ||||||||
| ( Vieillot , 1816) |
The gray-tailed water strider ( Tringa brevipes , syn .: Heteroscelus brevipes ), also called East Siberian wandering water strider or Graubürzel water strider, is a monotypical species of bird from the family of snipe birds. The IUCN classifies the gray-tailed sandpiper as not endangered ( least concern ).
Appearance
The gray-tailed water strider reaches a body length of 24 to 27 centimeters. The wingspan is 50 to 65 centimeters. The weight varies between 85 and 115 grams.
In its splendid dress , the head, neck, tail and elytra of the gray-tailed sandpiper are pale slate-gray. Some of the feathers have white tips, which gives the top of the body a slightly spotted pattern. A noticeable white stripe runs from the forehead to the back of the head. A second, darker stripe runs underneath from the base of the beak over the eyes. The dark eyes are surrounded by a very thin white eye ring, which is particularly noticeable due to the dark eye stripe. The cheeks, the front neck and the front chest as well as the sides of the chest have fine gray dots. The belly is white. In the plain dress , the resemblance to the Nearctic water strider is very pronounced, but the gray-tailed water strider is then overall paler gray in color. Fledglings resemble adult birds in simple dress. The downy chicks are gray on the upper side of the body and whitish on the underside of the body.
distribution
The gray-tailed sandpiper occurs only in the Palearctic and has a patchy distribution area. It breeds on the northern course of the Yenisei and gaps in the area between the Lena river to the west of the Chukchi peninsula and on Kamchatka . Its habitat are the banks of rivers with a stony river bed in mountain regions.
The gray-tailed sandpiper is a migratory bird that overwinters in coastal areas in Indonesia and Australasia during the winter months. However, a few birds of this species stay around hot springs on the Kamchatka Peninsula even in winter.
Way of life
The gray-tailed sandpiper eats invertebrates. It mainly picks insect larvae from the surface of the water or the bottom of the shore zone. In the winter months, the gray-tailed sandpiper lives sociable, while in its breeding area it lives rather solitary. It enters into a monogamous couple relationship, but overall the breeding biology of this species has not yet been well researched.
The nest is built on the banks of fast flowing rivers. Similar to the sandpiper, the gray-tailed sandpiper also uses abandoned tree nests of other bird species. The clutch usually consists of four eggs. These have a pale blue skin color and are speckled with black. The breeding season is believed to be 23 days. Both parent birds are involved in the brood. The chicks flee the nest and are led by both parent birds. They are likely to fledge after 20 days.
supporting documents
literature
- Richard Sale: A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife. Christopher Helm, London 2006, ISBN 0-7136-7039-8 .
Single receipts
- ↑ Tringa brevipes in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ↑ Sale, S: 221
- ↑ Sale, p. 221