SPOTTED SANDPIPER

 1383                 SPOTTED SANDPIPER                    Actitis macularius

USA              37

The spotted sandpiper is a small shorebird. Together with its sister species the common sandpiper (A. hypoleucos), it makes up the genus Actitis. They replace each other geographically; stray birds may settle down with breeders of the other species and hybridize. Spotted sandpipers are a philopatric species.[8] Their breeding habitat is near fresh water across most of Canada and the United States. They migrate to the southern United States, the Caribbean, and South America, and are very rare vagrants to western Europe. These are not gregarious birds and are seldom seen in flocks. Spotted sandpipers are the most widespread species of their kind in North America due to their high breeding rates and their ability to adapt to various environmental pressures

These birds forage on the ground or in water, picking up food by sight. They may also catch insects in flight. They eat insects (such as flies, beetles, grasshoppers, mayflies, midges, crickets and caterpillars), crustaceans and other invertebrates (such as spiders, snails, other molluscs, and worms), as well as small fish and carrion. As they forage, they can be recognized by their constant nodding and teetering.

CURLEW SANDPIPER

Photographed at Miranda, North Island, New Zealand, April, 2019

(*   414)                   CURLEW SANDPIPER                    Calidris ferruginea  

NEW ZEALAND                    120

Uncommon Arctic migrant. Breeds in the Arctic Asia. Regular summer visitor to NZ, and some overwinter. Favours tidal flats, brackish pools and margins to coastal lakes, mainly at Firth of Thames, Lake Ellesmere and Awarua Bay.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER

Photographed at Miranda, North Island, New Zealand, April, 2019

(*  499)                       PECTORAL SANDPIPER               Caladris melanotos 

NEW ZEALAND                119

Rare Arctic migrant. Breeds in Arctic North America. Migrates to South America. A few reach NZ each summer, often with Sharp-tailed Sandpipers on open marsh-turf flats of coastal lakes, especially Lake Wairarapa and Ellesmere, or in low-growing salt marsh of estuaries.

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER

Photographed at Miranda, North Island, New Zealand, April, 2019

(*  255)                  SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER                   Calidris acuminata

NEW ZEALAND                 118

Uncommon Arctic migrant. Breeds in Siberia, migrates tio Australasia. In New Zealand favours low-growing salt marsh of estuaries and open marsh-turf flats of coastal lakes, mainly at Kaimaumau, Firth of Thames, Ahuriri and Manawatu estuaries, Lake Wairarapa and Ellesmere, and Awarua Bay.

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER

Photographed at Lake Walyungup, Perth, WA, March, 2019

1274                           BAIRD'S SANDPIPER                     Calidris bairdii

AUSTRALIA                774

Breeds in northern Tundra from eastern Siberia to western Greenland; long distance migrants, wintering in South America. Usual habitat is coastal and some inland sites, margins of fresh water and brackish wetlands; often feeds on margins of drier vegetation as well as damp areas and mudflats. Rare vagrant to Australia but a few scattered sightings in most states. 

WOOD SANDPIPER

Photographed on Langkawi, April 2017

(*  492)                 WOOD SANDPIPER                 Tringa glareola

MALAYSIA               44

Very common in freshwater marshes, wet rice fields and mangroves, and where swamp forest has been newly cleared. 23 cm. Non-breeding migrant through Peninsula Malaysia.

COMMON SANDPIPER

Photographed on Langkawi, April 2017

(* 508)                     COMMON SANDPIPER                   Actitis hypoleucos

MALAYSIA                 37

Found in many habitats, including coasts, wet rice fields, rivers, ditches, and even concrete lined drains. 20 cm. Migrant to Malaysian Peninsula, but seen all months.

WOOD SANDPIPER

March 2017

(*  492)                  WOOD SANDPIPER                   Tringa glareola

SRI LANKA               174

Found in wet paddy fields, marshes and weedy tanks; mainly freshwater. 18-21 cm. Fairly common migrant to the lowlands, more in dry zone, and rarely in the hills.

MARSH SANDPIPER

March 2017

(*   415)              MARSH SANDPIPER                Tringa stagnatilis

SRI LANKA                173

Found mainly in coastal areas on shallow lagoons and salt pans, also inland marshes, tanks and flooded fields. 22-25 cm. Common winter migrant to the lowlands, more in dry zone.

COMMON SANDPIPER

Photographed March 2017

(*     508)                     COMMON SANDPIPER                   Actitis hypoleucos 

SRI LANKA                  43

 Found in many types of wetlands, including water and rocky habitats. 19-21 cm. Fairly common winter migrant throughout Sri Lanka.

COMMON SANDPIPER

Photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 2017

(*  508)                 COMMON SANDPIPER                 Actitis hypoleucos

NEPAL               146

Often on small small waterbodies: pools and streams, rivers, lakes and marshes. 19-21 cm. Common and widespread, winter visitor.

  

GREEN SANDPIPER

Photographed at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve March 2017

1005                    GREEN SANDPIPER                Tringa ochropus

NEPAL          63

Favours small waters: ditches, small pools and streams; also marshes, wet fields and banks of rivers and lakes. 21-24 cm. Common winter visitor to southern edge of country and passage migrant to areas north, central and west.

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BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER

Photographed at Lake Murdeduke, Victoria, January 2017

966                  BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER                    Tryngites subruficollis

AUSTRALIA                 698

Found in short grasslands, dry ground, margins of freshwater or saline wetlands; occasionally tidal mudflats. 18-21 cm. breeds in Arctic North America and far ne. Siberia; winters South America; vagrant Europe, Asia. Mostly summer vagrant se and s Aust and Tas, two WA.

TEREK SANDPIPER

Photographed in Singapore (Sungei Buloh Wetlands) November 2016

(see   619)                TEREK SANDPIPER               Xenus cinereus

SINGAPORE (Sungei Buloh Wetlands)           (88)

Migrant to coastal mudflats, sandy beaches, tidal ponds. 24 cm. Breeds across N Eurasia, from Scandinavia and much of Russia to E Siberia; winters along coast of Africa, Middle East, Indian sub-continent, east to S China, Southeast Asia and Australia.

COMMON SANDPIPER

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see  508)              COMMON SANDPIPER                Actitis hypoleucos

SINGAPORE        (12)      

Highly adaptable migrant to sandy shores, coastal mudflats, freshwater marshes, wet grassland and concrete canals. 20 cm. Breeds across much of Eurasia, from W Europe to E Siberia and Japan, as far south as Middle East; winters Africa, Middle East and Indian sub-continent, east to S China, South-east Asia, Australia and SW Pacific.

MARSH SANDPIPER

Photographed at a salt farm in north-west Bali October 2016

(415)              MARSH SANDPIPER                   Tringa stagnatilis  

INDONESIA (Bali)         (60)        

Found on tidal mudflats, around prawn ponds and sometimes on freshwater wetlands. 23 cm. Distribution: breeds in central and northern Asia; migrates south reaching Australia; locally common passage migrant and winter visitor in Sumatra and Kalimantan; less numerous in the east.