From Opus

Tringa solitaria

Photo by DOC

[edit] Identification

18-21 cm

• Dark green back
• Greyish head and breast
• White underparts
• White eye-ring

[edit] Similar Species

Green Sandpiper, which has a white rump.

[edit] Distribution

North America: Canada, USA, Alaska

Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bermuda

Caribbean: Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Bahamas, Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Hispaniola, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, Netherlands Antilles

South America, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• T. s. solitaria (Eastern):

• Eastern British Columbia to Labrador; winters central and South America

• T. s. cinnamomea (Western):

• Alaska and western Canada; winters northern South America to Argentina

There seems to be a deep genetic divergence between eastern and western birds, which may in the future lead to a proposal for two full species.

[edit] Habitat

Fresh water marshes and ponds.

[edit] Behaviour

As its name suggests they are normally seen singly during migration. Small numbers may gather in feeding areas.

[edit] Diet

The diet consists of small invertebrates, occasionally frogs. Feeds at pond edges.

[edit] Breeding

They utilise an abandoned songbird's tree nest, laying 3-5 eggs.

[edit] Vocalisation

A three-note whistle is uttered in flight.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia
4. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
5. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

Paper describing genetic divergence within Solitary Sandpiper

• List of references

[edit] External Links