Whitetail Sandpiper
| Whitetail Sandpiper | ||||||||||
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Common sandpiper ( Calidris fuscicollis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Calidris fuscicollis | ||||||||||
| ( Vieillot , 1819) |
The sandpiped sandpiper ( Calidris fuscicollis ) is a species of bird in the family of snipe birds. The IUCN classifies the sandpiped sandpiper as not endangered ( least concern ) and estimates the population at 320,000 sexually mature individuals.
Appearance
The sandpiped sandpiper reaches a body length between 15 and 18 centimeters. The wingspan is 40 to 45 centimeters. The weight ranges from 35 to 45 grams.
In the splendid dress , the sandpiper has a chestnut-colored top of the head and ear patches, both of which are dashed in dark brown. A fine dark brown line runs from the base of the beak to the eye, above it runs a thin white line that extends over the eye. The rest of the head and the neck are whitish with fine dark dashes. The underside of the body is white, the chest and the flanks are dotted with dark brown dots. The breast, on the other hand, has small dark spots and on the flanks these spots are arrow-shaped. The trunk and the upper tail-coverts as well as the rump are white. The tail is gray.
In the plain dress , white-rump sandpipers are predominantly gray-brown. The breast is more greyish, the white stripe over the eyes is a bit more noticeable in the plain dress. The beak, which is slightly bent downwards at the tip, is black and, in most individuals, brightens to an olive shade at the base of the beak. The iris is dark brown. The legs and feet are dark gray to black.
Young birds show a plumage color similar to that of adult birds in splendid plumage, but are more conspicuously patterned on the coat than breeding birds. The chicks are spotted black and brown on the upper side and pale grayish or reddish brown on the underside of the body.
There is a possibility of confusion with the Baird sandpiper , but the white-rump sandpiper is more marked on the underside of the body than this species. The top of the body is more colorful.
Distribution area
The sandpiped sandpiper breeds in northern Alaska and in arctic Canada from the Yukon to the west of Hudson Bay . The type also comes on the Banks Island , the Victoria Island , the Southampton Island and in the west of Baffin Island before. East of Hudson Bay, the sandpiped sandpiper is very rare.
Way of life
White-rump sandpipers eat mostly invertebrates and, to a lesser extent, some seeds. Outside the breeding season, they are sociable birds and then form loose swarms with other Calidris species. During the breeding season, the male aggressively defends his breeding ground. The males are polygamous and do not take part in the breeding or rearing of the young birds. They leave the breeding area while the eggs are being laid.
The nest is usually in dry places on damp tundra. Females build a nest hollow out of small branches and grass and cover them with plant material. These have a dark shell color and are spotted reddish brown. The breeding season is 22 days. The chicks flee the nest, but are still fudged by the female in the first days of life . They reach sexual maturity at the age of one year.
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 Whitetail Sandpiper
- Calidris fuscicollis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
Single receipts
- ↑ BirdLife Factsheet on the Whitetail Sandpiper , accessed December 17, 2010
- ↑ Sale, p. 196
- ↑ Sale, p. 197
- ↑ Sale, p. 197