Red throated sandpiper
| Red throated sandpiper | ||||||||||
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Red throated sandpiper in a simple dress |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Calidris ruficollis | ||||||||||
| ( Pallas , 1776) |
The red-throated sandpiper ( Calidris ruficollis ) is a small, monotypical species from the family of snipe birds. The IUCN classifies the red throat sandpiper as 
(= least concern - not endangered) and estimates the population at 320,000 sexually mature individuals.
Appearance
The robin sandpiper reaches a body length of 13 to 16 centimeters. The wingspan is 35 to 38 centimeters. The weight varies between 20 and 35 grams. The robin sandpiper is one of the smallest species within the sandpiper genus .
In their splendid dress , adult robin sandpipers have a reddish maroon head and neck as well as an equally colored chest. The top of the head has dark stripes and a light spring ring runs around the base of the beak. The underside of the body is white, the lower breast has some dark stripes. The coat is dark brown with wide red-brown hems. The trunk and the middle tail feathers are dark brown, the sides of the upper tail-coverts are white to pale gray. The beak is relatively short for a sandpiper. It is dark in color and straight in shape. The iris is dark brown. The legs and feet are black.
In plumage red-necked stint show no reddish-brown color. The top of the head, the neck and the top of the body are then uniformly gray-brown. The underside of the body is white, only the sides of the chest have fine, gray-brown dots. Young birds have similar feathering on the upper side of their bodies as adult red throated sandpipers, but in their splendid plumage the plumage of young birds appears more colorful. The head is a little grayish than that of adult birds. The underside of the body is white, with the upper breast washed out in brown and dashed dark brown. The downy chicks are maroon, spotted black and white.
Within the distribution area, the red throated sandpiper can be confused with the pygmy sandpiper. The robin sandpiper has longer wings and slightly shorter legs. There is also a resemblance to the spoon-potted sandpiper , but the striking beak shape of this species is a sure distinguishing feature. In its simple dress it can also be confused with the sandpiper .
Distribution area
The red-throated sandpiper breeds mainly in eastern Russia, but occasionally it also occurs as a breeding bird in western Alaska. The breeding area stretches from the Taimyr Peninsula to the east of the Chukchi Peninsula . It prefers to breed in coastal regions, but also occurs as a breeding bird in more humid places on the tundra. It is a migratory bird that migrates to southern China, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand in the winter months. He then prefers to stay on floodplains on the coast and in salt marshes.
Way of life
The robin sandpiper prefers to eat invertebrates, which it usually picks up from the surface. Wintering red throated sandpipers also eat crustaceans and mollusks.
The red throated sandpiper is very sociable and can be seen in swarms, especially in the winter months. The nest is a hollow that is well hidden in the vegetation. The nest cavity is padded with parts of plants from the immediate area. The clutch consists of three to four eggs. They have a cream-colored to pale yellow skin and are reddish mottled. The breeding season is 21 to 23 days. Both parent birds are involved in the brood. The chicks are led by the male alone. The young birds can fledge at 15 to 20 days.
supporting documents
literature
- Richard Sale: A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife , published by Christopher Helm, London 2006, ISBN 0-7136-7039-8
Web links
- BirdLife factsheet on the red throated sandpiper
- Calidris ruficollis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
Single receipts
- ↑ BirdLife Factsheet on the Red-throated Sandpiper , accessed on December 17, 2010
- ↑ Sale, p. 191