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Difference between revisions of "Solitary Sandpiper" - BirdForum Opus

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;Tringa solitaria
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[[Image:1 CHSO IMG 8423 C.JPG|thumb|550px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|Plectrophane|Plectrophane}}<br />Yamaska Park, Quebec, [[Canada]], September 2015]]
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[[Image:Solitary_Sandpiper.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by smackay]]
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;[[:Category:Tringa|Tringa]] solitaria
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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This species is a dumpy wader with a dark green back, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. It is obvious in flight, with wings dark above and below, and a dark rump and tail centre. The latter feature distinguishes it from the slightly larger and broader-winged, but otherwise very similar, Green Sandpiper of Europe and Asia, to which it is closely related. The latter species has a brilliant white rump. In flight, the Solitary Sandpiper has a characteristic three-note whistle.
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18-21 cm (7-8¼ in)<br />
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*Dark upperparts with whitish spots
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*Greyish head and breast
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*White underparts
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*White eye-ring
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====Similar Species====
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[[Green Sandpiper]], which has a slightly less slim build, a white rump and lacks dark tip on undertail coverts and along the side of the rump.
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[[Image:Solitary Sandpiper Country Club Lake Bryan2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate subspecies<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Country Club Lake, Bryan, Brazos County, [[Texas]], [[USA]], 9 August 2019]]
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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It breeds in woodlands across Alaska and Canada. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Central and South America, especially in the Amazon River basin, and the Caribbean. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
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[[North America]]: [[Canada]], [[USA]], [[Alaska]]<br />
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[[Central America]]: [[Mexico]], [[Guatemala]], [[Belize]], [[El Salvador]], [[Honduras]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Bermuda]]<br />
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[[Caribbean]]: [[Greater Antilles]], [[Lesser Antilles]], [[Windward Islands]], Leeward Islands, [[Bahamas]], [[Cuba]], Turks and Caicos Islands, [[Cayman Islands]], [[Hispaniola]], [[Haiti]], [[Dominican Republic]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Virgin Islands]], [[Anguilla]], [[Antigua]], [[Barbuda]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Dominica]], [[Martinique]], [[Barbados]], [[Trinidad]], [[Tobago]], [[Netherlands Antilles]]<br />
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[[South America]], [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]], [[Guyana]], [[Suriname]], [[French Guiana]], [[Ecuador]], [[Peru]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Paraguay]], [[Uruguay]], [[Argentina]]
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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The Solitary Sandpiper, Tringa solitaria, is a small wader (shorebird). Its only close relative in the genus Tringa is the Green Sandpiper (Pereira & Baker, 2005); 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.
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====Subspecies====
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[[Image:Solitary_Sandpiper_Stanley.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate subspecies<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Country Club Lake, Bryan, Brazos County [[Texas]], [[USA]], 9 August 2019]]
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There are 2 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
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*''T. s. solitaria'' (Eastern):
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:*Eastern [[British Columbia]] to Labrador; winters central and [[South America]]
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*''T. s. cinnamomea'' (Western):
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:*[[Alaska]] and western [[Canada]]; winters northern [[South America]] to [[Argentina]]
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There seems to be a deep genetic divergence between eastern and western birds, which may in the future lead to a proposal for two full species.
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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The Solitary Sandpiper is very much a bird of fresh water, and is often found in sites, such as ditches, too restricted for other waders, which tend to like a clear all-round view
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Fresh water marshes and ponds.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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This is not a gregarious species, usually seen alone during migration, although sometimes small numbers congregate in suitable feeding areas. .
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As its name suggests they are normally seen singly during migration. Small numbers may gather in feeding areas.
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====Diet====
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Food is small invertebrates, sometimes small frogs, picked off the mud as this species works steadily around the edges of its chosen pond
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The diet consists of small invertebrates, spiders, grasshoppers and occasionally frogs. Feeds at pond edges.
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====Breeding====
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They often utilise an abandoned songbird's tree nest, laying 3-5 eggs.
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====Vocalisation====
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A three-note whistle is uttered in flight.
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#Avibase
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#Van Gils, J., Wiersma, P. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53909 on 17 August 2019).
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#Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
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#Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
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#[http://www.barcodeoflife.org/barcode/batsbirds/literature/MEN1670_final.pdf Paper] describing genetic divergence within Solitary Sandpiper
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{{ref}}
  
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The Solitary Sandpiper lays 3-5 eggs in an old tree nest of a songbird species, such as a thrush. The young birds are believed to drop to the ground on their own soon after hatching.
 
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Solitary+Sandpiper}}
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{{GSearch|"Tringa solitaria" {{!}} "Solitary Sandpiper"}}
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{{GS-checked}}1
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<br />
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<br />
  
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[[Category:Birds]]
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Tringa]]

Latest revision as of 20:16, 9 March 2024

Photo © by Plectrophane
Yamaska Park, Quebec, Canada, September 2015
Tringa solitaria

Identification

18-21 cm (7-8¼ in)

  • Dark upperparts with whitish spots
  • Greyish head and breast
  • White underparts
  • White eye-ring

Similar Species

Green Sandpiper, which has a slightly less slim build, a white rump and lacks dark tip on undertail coverts and along the side of the rump.

Nominate subspecies
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Country Club Lake, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA, 9 August 2019

Distribution

North America: Canada, USA, Alaska

Central America: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bermuda

Caribbean: Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Bahamas, Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Hispaniola, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, Netherlands Antilles

South America, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Nominate subspecies
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Country Club Lake, Bryan, Brazos County Texas, USA, 9 August 2019

There are 2 subspecies[1]:

  • T. s. solitaria (Eastern):
  • T. s. cinnamomea (Western):

There seems to be a deep genetic divergence between eastern and western birds, which may in the future lead to a proposal for two full species.

Habitat

Fresh water marshes and ponds.

Behaviour

As its name suggests they are normally seen singly during migration. Small numbers may gather in feeding areas.

Diet

The diet consists of small invertebrates, spiders, grasshoppers and occasionally frogs. Feeds at pond edges.

Breeding

They often utilise an abandoned songbird's tree nest, laying 3-5 eggs.

Vocalisation

A three-note whistle is uttered in flight.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Van Gils, J., Wiersma, P. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53909 on 17 August 2019).
  4. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
  5. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
  6. Paper describing genetic divergence within Solitary Sandpiper

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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