Solitary sandpiper

The solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) is a small

wader (shorebird).

Description

This species measures 1823 cm (7.19.1 in) long, with

a wingspan up to 50 cm (20 in) and a body mass of 3165
g (1.12.3 oz).[2][3] It is a dumpy wader with a dark green
back, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. It is obvious in ight, with wings dark above and
below, and a dark rump and tail centre. The latter feature distinguishes it from the slightly larger and broaderwinged, but otherwise very similar, green sandpiper of
Europe and Asia, to which it is closely related.[4] The
latter species has a brilliant white rump. In ight, the
solitary sandpiper has a characteristic three-note whistle. They both have brown wings with little light dots,
and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern. In
addition, both species nest in trees, unlike most other
scolopacids.

Hunting behaviour

is often found in sites, such as ditches, too restricted for

other waders, which tend to like a clear all-round view.

3.1 Breeding
The sandpiper lays a clutch of 35 eggs in abandoned tree
nests of songbird species, such as those of thrushes. The
young birds are encouraged to drop to the ground soon
after hatching.[5]

Distribution and habitat

It breeds in woodlands across Alaska and Canada. It is a

migratory bird, wintering in Central and South America, 3.2 Feeding
especially in the Amazon River basin, and the Caribbean.
It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Food is small invertebrates, sometimes small frogs,
picked o the mud as the bird works steadily around the
edges of its chosen pond.

2.1

Subspecies

The solitary sandpiper is split into two subspecies:

4 References

T. s. cinnamomea, (Brewster, 1890): breeds in Alaska

WilsonBull18:47 (migration data - compare to current
& western Canada
Ohio checklist http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/
T. s. solitaria, (Wilson, 1813): breeds from eastern OBRClist.pdf) -->
British Columbia to Labrador

[1] BirdLife International (2012). "Tringa solitaria". IUCN

Version 2013.2.
Red List of Threatened Species.
International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

Behaviour

[2] (2011).

The solitary sandpiper is not a gregarious species, usually

seen alone during migration, although sometimes small
numbers congregate in suitable feeding areas. The solitary sandpiper is very much a bird of fresh water, and

[3] CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning

Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-8493-42585.

[4] Pereira, Srgio Luiz; Baker, Allan J. (2005). Multiple Gene Evidence for Parallel Evolution and
Retention of Ancestral Morphological States in
the Shanks (Charadriiformes:
Scolopacidae)".
The Condor 107 (3): 514.
doi:10.1650/00105422(2005)107[0514:MGEFPE]2.0.CO;2.
ISSN
0010-5422.
[5] Federation of Alberta Naturalists. (1992) Glen P. Semenchuk (ed.). The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta.
Edmonton, AB:Federation of Alberta Naturalists.

External links
Solitary sandpiper - Tringa solitaria - USGS Patuxent Bird Identication InfoCenter
Solitary sandpiper species account - Cornell Lab of
Ornithology
Tringa solitaria on Avibase
Solitary sandpiper videos, photos, and sounds at the
Internet Bird Collection
Solitary sandpiper photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel
University)
Interactive range map of Tringa solitaria at IUCN
Red List maps

EXTERNAL LINKS

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

Text

Solitary sandpiper Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitary_sandpiper?oldid=642430230 Contributors: Vicki Rosenzweig, Andre

Engels, William Avery, Jimfbleak, Big iron, Zoicon5, JohnCastle, Barbara Shack, Abigail-II, Xezbeth, Brian0918, Mel Etitis, Eubot,
Gdrbot, Dysmorodrepanis~enwiki, Howcheng, Joelr31, Notay, Aerobird, Snowmanradio, Hu12, Beastie Bot, Thijs!bot, Maias, STBot,
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Coreyemotela, Green daemon and Anonymous: 6

6.2

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6.3

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