Pectoral sandpiper

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Pectoral sandpiper
Adult in breeding plumage

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris
Species:
C. melanotos
Binomial name
Calidris melanotos
(Vieillot, 1819)
Synonyms

Actodromas maculata
Erolia melanotos

The pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) is a small,

eggs
from the cool breezes of its breeding grounds. The pectoral sandpiper is 21 cm (8.3 in) long, with a wingspan of 46 cm (18 in).

Taxonomy

The pectoral sandpiper is sometimes separated with the "

phylogenetically enigmatic curlew sandpiper ("C." ferruginea), the type species of Erolia. In any case, the genus name Ereunetes—formerly used for the western sandpiper ("C." mauri) and semipalmated sandpiper ("C." pusilla), which are also members of the stint clade
—was established before Erolia.

"Cox's sandpiper" ("Calidris" × paramelanotos) is a stereotyped hybrid between this species and the curlew sandpiper. This does not prove a particularly close relationship between these two species, as far more distantly related waders have successfully hybridized. In any case, among the stint clade the red-necked stint ("C." ruficollis) and the long-toed stint ("C." subminuta) are particularly close relatives of the pectoral sandpiper.[2]

The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name kalidris or skalidris, is a term used by Aristotle for some gray-colored waterside birds. The specific melanotos is from melas, "black" and notos, "backed ".[3]

Description

Adult in breeding plumage; note sharp margin of breast colour

This bird looks similar to the widely

calidrid (21 cm (8.3 in) in length, with a wingspan of 46 cm (18 in))[4] with a grey-brown back, brownest in the summer male, and grayest in winter. The pectoral sandpiper has a grey breast, sharply demarcated at its lower edge, which gives this species its English
name; this clear dividing line is particularly conspicuous if the birds are turned towards the observer. The legs are yellowish, and the bill is olive with a darker tip.

The juveniles are more brightly patterned above with rufous coloration and white mantle stripes.

This species differs from the sharp-tailed sandpiper in its breast pattern, weaker supercilium and grayer crown.

Standard Measurements[5][6]
length 200–240 mm (8–9.6 in)
weight 73 g (2.6 oz)
wingspan 460 mm (18 in)
wing 136–142.8 mm (5.35–5.62 in)
tail 60.4–63.9 mm (2.38–2.52 in)
culmen 28.7–29.3 mm (1.13–1.15 in)
tarsus 27.8–30 mm (1.09–1.18 in)

Distribution and ecology

Pectoral Sandpiper
At Cosumnes River Preserve in Sacramento County, California.

It is a very long-distance

freshwater habitats
.

This species also occurs as a regular migrant to western

Marianas, the Marshall Islands and Palau in Micronesia; they are somewhat more frequently encountered on the Hawaiian Islands.[12][13][14]

The pectoral sandpiper's migration might be affected by

global warming, as is suspected for many Arctic-breeding birds: 100 years ago, migrating pectoral sandpipers were observed to pass through northern Ohio in early-mid May and again in late August; today, the bulk of the northward migration takes place in April already, and most birds do not return until mid-September.[15][16]

These birds forage on grasslands and mudflats, picking up food by sight, sometimes by probing. They mainly eat

flies and their larvae, spiders and crustaceans)[17] and other invertebrates, as well as seeds.[17]
The male has a courtship display which involves puffing up his breast, which has a fat sac in the breeding season to enhance his performance.

The pectoral sandpiper builds a steep-sided

eggs sit about 3 cm (1.2 in) below ground level, which helps to minimize heat loss from the cool breezes which occur at the latitudes where the species nests.[18]
The female lays four eggs.

Pectoral sandpipers have decreased in number 50% since 1974.[19]

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693408A93404396.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. PMID 15329156. Supplementary Material
  3. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4
    .
  4. ^ Robinson, R.A. (16 July 2010). "Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos". BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (BTO Research Report 407). Thetford: bto.org. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  5. ^ Godfrey, W. Earl (1966). The Birds of Canada. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. p. 152.
  6. ISBN 0-679-45122-6
    .
  7. ^ "TAXON: Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  8. ISBN 0-9507881-2-0. Archived from the original on 23 January 2009.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )
  9. ISBN 1-900455-18-8
    .
  10. ^ Lees, A.C.; Gilroy, J.G. (2004). "Pectoral Sandpipers in Europe: vagrancy patterns and the influx of 2003". British Birds. 97 (12): 638–646.
  11. JSTOR 1362896
    .
  12. ^ Wiles, Gary J.; Johnson, Nathan C.; de Cruz, Justine B.; Dutson, Guy; Camacho, Vicente A.; Kepler, Angela Kay; Vice, Daniel S.; Garrett, Kimball L.; Kessler, Curt C.; Pratt, H. Douglas (2004). "New and Noteworthy Bird Records for Micronesia, 1986–2003". Micronesica. 37 (1): 69–96.
  13. ^ VanderWerf, Eric A. (2006). "Observations on the birds of Kwajalein Atoll, including six new species records for the Marshall Islands". Micronesica. 38 (2): 221–237.
  14. ^ VanderWerf, Eric A.; Wiles, Gary J.; Marshall, Ann P.; Knecht, Melia (2006). "Observations of migrants and other birds in Palau, April–May 2005, including the first Micronesian record of a Richard's Pipit". Micronesica. 39 (1): 11–29.
  15. Wilson Bulletin
    . 18 (2): 47–60.
  16. ^ "Annotated Ohio state checklist" (PDF). Ohio Ornithological Society. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2004.
  17. ^ a b https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/images/Calidris_melanotos%20-%20Pectoral%20Sandpiper.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  18. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2435.2002.00632.x
    .
  19. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2018-04-27.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Calidris melanotos.
Wikispecies has information related to Calidris melanotos.
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