Alternative name: D'Orbigny's Seedsnipe
- Thinocorus orbignyianus
Identification
19-24 cm. A cryptically coloured bird.
- Uniform grey neck and breast with black border to white throat
- White lower breast and belly, often with narrow black boarder to grey upper breast
- Upperparts scalloped and vermiculated with cinnamon-buff
- Narrow white wingbar above, broad white wingbar below, visible in flight
- ingae with smaller wings
Females with pale buff head and breast with heave dark streaking.
Juveniles similar to females but more obscurely patterned.
Similar species
Similar to Least Seedsnipe which is smaller and has broader black border to grey throat and black midline connecting black borders to the throat and breast. Females of Least Seedsnipe have duller yellow bare parts and a bolder dark border to the white throat patch.
Distribution
South America: Andes of northern Peru to Tierra del Fuego.
Generally common in suitable habitat in its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized:1
- T. o. ingae from northern Peru to northern Chile and nortwestern Argentina
- T. o. orbignyianus from northern-central Chile and Argentina to Tiera del Fuego
Habitat
Most frequent in areas with low and matted vegetation of cushion-plants and tiny herbs, also on short grass bordering highland bogs, puna grassland and bunch-grass steppe.
Common at 3400-5000m in Peru, in southern parts of range generally above 1000 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on buds and leaf tips of herbs and succulent plants.
Forages in pairs or small groups.
Breeding
Breeding recorded from October to November, but also at other times of year (e.g. January to February). Breeds in solitary pairs. The nest is placed in grass or a clump of vegetation, normally near water. Lays four eggs.
Movements
Poorly known. Altitudinal movements recorded and birds of Tierra del Fuego move north in winter.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334207
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Gray-breasted Seedsnipe. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gray-breasted_Seedsnipe
