From Opus

Charadrius wilsonia

Photo by NIGHTJAR1
New Providence, Bahamas, June 2005

[edit] Identification

17-20cm
Adult

• Upper parts mostly dark grey
• Short white wing bar
• White tail sides
• White underparts apart from breast band
• Legs are pink, brighter when breeding
• Bill is dark (larger and heavier than similar-sized plovers)
  

Breeding male

• Black breast band, lores and forecrown
• Rufous mask
  

Female and non-breeding male are similar but have brown or rufous backs. Non-breeding birds have a greyer tinge on the head and breast band
Immature birds: similar to the female, however the breast band is not always complete

[edit] Distribution

North, Central and South America
Breeds on both coasts of North America. The range includes much of the eastern coast, and the west coast of Mexico. A partial migrant. Some birds winter in Florida, the rest move south to Brazil and Peru

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies¹

There are 3 subspecies:

• C. w. wilsonia :

• Coastal eastern US to Belize and West Indies; winters to eastern Brazil

• C. w. beldingi:

• Pacific coast of Baja California to southern Peru

• C. w. cinnamominus:

• Colombia to French Guiana; winters to Netherlands Antilles

An additional subspecies rufinucha is not recognized by all authorities¹

[edit] Habitat

Sandbars and sandy beaches.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

They move slowly when feeding. The diet consists mostly of crabs, insects and marine worms.

[edit] Breeding

The nest is a bare scrape

[edit] Vocalisation

The call is a high weak whistle.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links