Difference between revisions of "Pectoral Sandpiper" - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 20:49, 12 August 2012

Photo by notason
Quebec, Canada

Calidris melanotos

Identification

19-23 cm
Adult

Bill:

brownish-black
black tip
base often tinged olive-green or yellow-green, especially on lower mandible

Yellow legs
Colour of feet varies from brownish-yellow through greenish-yellow to olive-green
Black patch on rump extending onto tail
Thin, white wing stripe
Dark brown Iris

Sexes similar in plumage but male 25–30% larger in weight than female.
Juvenile: bill and feet are blackish-grey at fledging

Photo by John Keep
Walton On The Naze, Essex, England, September 2007

Similar Species

Flight recalls Ruff

Distribution

Breeds in north-east Siberia and northern North America from Alaska to Hudson Bay. Winters in southern South America from southern Bolivia and northern Argentina to Paraguay, but in smaller numbers in Pacific to Australia and New Zealand.

In autumn most migrate via the Great Plains during July-September but large numbers gather at staging areas in south-east Canada and the north-eastern USA before flying south over the west Atlantic to South America. These birds are liable to meet with eastbound depressions bringing them across the Atlantic to Europe.

Expanded air sac used in flight display
Photo by Oppie
Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin, USA, July 2012
Click on image to enlarge

Spring migration is mainly in April-early May and via the interior.

This is by far the most numerous Nearctic wader to occur in Europe and has been recorded in many countries from Iceland and the Faroes south to the Azores and east to Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, also in Morocco and Israel. Annual in the British Isles, the Azores, France and Sweden.

Over 100 records in the British Isles in some years, seen throughout Britain and Ireland with most in the south-west but significant numbers in the east suggesting a Siberian rather than North American origin for many birds. Recorded throughout the year but very rare in midwinter and dramatically peaking in September-October.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Freshwater habitats, coastal areas with damp grassland, marshland and the margins of ponds and lakes.

Behaviour

Diet

These birds forage on grasslands and mudflats, diet includes insects and other invertebrates.

Vocalisation

Flight Call: A throaty krik

On the breeding grounds, male will blow up the throat area so the feathers stand on end; this results in a much darker impression of this area than normal. Additionally, a throat sac is filled with air that is then let out again resulting in a rhythmic series of hollow hoots, usually given in a display flight given by the male.

References

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
Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
Parmelee et al. 1967

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pectoral Sandpiper. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pectoral_Sandpiper

External Links

Search for photos of Pectoral Sandpiper in the gallery

Search for videos of Pectoral Sandpiper on BirdForum TV

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-;Calidris melanotos
+[[Image:Pectoral_Sandpiper.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Marcel+Gauthier|notason}} <br />Quebec, [[Canada]]]]
-[[Image:Pectoral_Sandpiper.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by notason]]
+;[[:Category:Calidris|Calidris]] melanotos
-Photo taken: Quebec
 ==Identification==
-Length: 7.5 inches Medium-sized shorebird Medium-sized, thin, dark bill Yellow legs Black patch on rump extending onto tail Thin, white wing stripe Sexes similar
+-23 cm<br />
+'''Adult'''
-Adult alternate:
+*Bill:
-Brown head with dark streaks Pale supercilium Black back feathers and wing coverts with brown edges
+:*brownish-black
-Brown breast with fine streaks ending abruptly and contrasting with white underparts
+:*black tip
+:*base often tinged olive-green or yellow-green, especially on lower mandible
-Adult basic: Similar to adult alternate Upperparts a duller brown
+*Yellow legs
+*Colour of feet varies from brownish-yellow through greenish-yellow to olive-green
+*Black patch on rump extending onto tail
+*Thin, white wing stripe
+*Dark brown Iris<br />
+Sexes similar in plumage but male 25–30% larger in weight than female. <br />
+'''Juvenile''': bill and feet are blackish-grey at fledging
+[[Image:Pec-Sand-13.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|John+Keep|John Keep}} <br /> Walton On The Naze, [[Essex]], [[England]], September 2007]]
+====Similar Species====
+Flight recalls [[Ruff]]
+==Distribution==
+'''Breeds''' in north-east [[Siberia]] and northern [[North America]] from [[Alaska]] to Hudson Bay. '''Winters''' in southern [[South America]] from southern [[Bolivia]] and northern [[Argentina]] to [[Paraguay]], but in smaller numbers in Pacific to [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].
-Juvenile: Similar to adult alternate Back feathers and wing coverts with pale brown, rust, or golden edges
+In autumn most migrate via the Great Plains during July-September but large numbers gather at staging areas in south-east [[Canada]] and the north-eastern [[USA]] before flying south over the west Atlantic to [[South America]]. These birds are liable to meet with eastbound depressions bringing them across the Atlantic to [[Europe]].
-White 'V's on back Dark rusty crown
+[[Image:IMG 75141.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Expanded air sac used in flight display <br />Photo by {{user|Oppie|Oppie}}<br />[[Horicon Marsh]], [[Wisconsin]], [[USA]], July 2012<br />Click on image to enlarge]]
+Spring migration is mainly in April-early May and via the interior.
-Similar species: With its abrupt demarcation between the brown breast and the white underparts and yellow legs, the Pectoral Sandpiper is quite distinctive. It is larger than the peeps but shorter-billed and shorter-legged than dowitchers, yellowlegs, and Stilt Sandpipers. The rare Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is quite similar, but has more markings on the flanks. Juveniles have a redder crown and a more obvious supercilium.
+This is by far the most numerous Nearctic wader to occur in Europe and has been recorded in many countries from [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroes]] south to the [[Azores]] and east to [[Hungary]], [[Bulgaria]] and [[Romania]], also in [[Morocco]] and [[Israel]]. Annual in the [[British Isles]], the [[Azores]], [[France]] and [[Sweden]].
-==Distribution==
+Over 100 records in the [[British Isles]] in some years, seen throughout [[Britain]] and [[Ireland]] with most in the south-west but significant numbers in the east suggesting a [[Siberia|Siberian]] rather than [[North America|North American]] origin for many birds. Recorded throughout the year but very rare in midwinter and dramatically peaking in September-October.
-Breeds in north-east Siberia and northern North America from Alaska to Hudson Bay, winters in southern South America. In autumn most migrate via the Great Plains during July-September but large numbers gather at staging areas in south-east Canada and the north-eastern USA before flying south over the west Atlantic to South America. These birds are liable to meet with eastbound depressions bringing them across the Atlantic to Europe. Spring migration is mainly in April-early May and via the interior.
-This is by far the most numerous Nearctic wader to occur in Europe and has been recorded in many countries from Iceland and the Faroes south to the Azores and east to Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, also in Morocco and Israel. Annual in the British Isles, the Azores, France and Sweden.
-Over 100 records in the British Isles in some years, seen throughout Britain and Ireland with most in the south-west but significant numbers in the east suggesting a Siberian rather than North American origin for many birds. Recorded throughout the year but very rare in midwinter and dramatically peaking in September-October.
 ==Taxonomy==
+This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
 ==Habitat==
-Prefers freshwater habitats, often in coastal areas with damp grassland, marshland and the margins of ponds and lakes. It  is found most commonly on mudflats with short grass or weedy vegetation and seems more at home in the grass than in the water.
+Freshwater habitats, coastal areas with damp grassland, marshland and the margins of ponds and lakes.
 ==Behaviour==
-Call a harsh "churk." Courtship call a hollow hooting, interspersed with growling and squawking notes.  The breeding male Pectoral Sandpiper has an inflatable throat sac, which expands and contracts rhythmically during display flights. The accompanying vocalization consists of a series of hollow hoots, and is one of the most unusual sounds heard in summer on the arctic tundra.
+====Diet====
+These birds forage on grasslands and mudflats, diet includes insects and other invertebrates.
-These birds forage on grasslands and mudflats, picking up food by sight, sometimes by probing. They mainly eat insects and other invertebrates.
+====Vocalisation====
+'''Flight Call''': A throaty ''krik''
-These birds forage on grasslands and mudflats, picking up food by sight, sometimes by probing. They mainly eat insects and other invertebrates.
+On the breeding grounds, male will blow up the throat area so the feathers stand on end; this results in a much darker impression of this area than normal. Additionally, a throat sac is filled with air that is then let out again resulting in a rhythmic series of hollow hoots, usually given in a display flight given by the male.
+==References==
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug11}}#Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
+#Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
+#Parmelee et al. 1967
+{{ref}}
 ==External Links==
 {{GSearch|Calidris+melanotos}}
-*[http://www.aviceda.org/abid/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&fid=35&bid=469 View more images of this species on the ABID]
+<br />
-*[http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=1247&Bird_Image_ID=6156&Bird_Family_ID=138 View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages]
+{{Video|Pectoral_Sandpiper}}
-[[Category:Birds]]
+[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Calidris]] [[Category:Videos]]