|
|
|
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(Tryngites subruficollis)
Size: 18-20 cm; wing span 43-47 cm
Weight: 45-95 g
|
|
 |
Similar
species |
|
|
 |
Physical description |
|
 Click here for a physical description
Buff-breasted Sandpipers are small waders.
Their plumage
is highly cryptic.
In Australia they are usually seen in
non-breeding
plumage.
The two sexes are indistinguishable in appearance.
Adults
have a pale front that ranges from pale-buff from chin to
lower chest via creamy (belly) to off-white (vent, undertail
coverts). The sides of the face are also buff, while the
crown is dark-brown, streaked with pale-buff.
The back is dominated by the scapulars, which have dark-brown
centres and crisp pale fringe lining.
The irises are dark.
The rather short, straight and thin bill is dark-grey.
Legs and feet are bright orange-yellow.
Juveniles are a darker shade of buff overall, which is most noticeable
on the hindneck and the upperwings.
 |
Twitcher's tip |
|
Compared with
Pectoral Sandpipers and
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers,
they have less colour contrast overall and no well-defined supercilium.
The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and
related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera
in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to
give some advice HERE.
|
 |
Taxonomy, classification |
|
See
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Wikipedia  .
|
|
 |
Range, habitat, finding this species |
|
Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper is available
HERE
.
Buff-breasted Sandpipers are a migratory that is normally
found only on the American continents. They breed in open
tundra in northern central Canada and Alaska. Most migrate
southward via the North-American plains towards the Gulf
of Mexico. Part of the population will stay in the central
and eastern to south-eastern parts of the North-American
continent, while others continue to central America and on
to South America, in particular the Argentinian pampas.
Some migrants are usually found in western Europe, others
in Hawaii.
In Australia
Buff-breasted Sandpipers are vagrant non-breeding migrants from the
North that visit mostly the East coast, with some sightings in an
area spanning from Bundaberg, QLD, to Wollongong, NSW.
There are only 3 individual sighting reports along or near the
South coast of the continent.
Although while overwintering in Australia usually spotted along the
coastline, during migration Buff-breasted Sandpipers can be found in
other types of habitat, such as e.g.
grassland.
The bird shown here was found in a coastal habitat dominated by
Samphire.
|
 |
Sightings |
|
Click here for sighting information
M. Eaton reports finding a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at the Port of
Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, in December 2018, and again
in January 2019.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this page
has been kindly contributed by M. Eaton.
|
 |
Photos |
|
 |
ADULT |
|
 |
NON-BREEDING |
|
Frontal view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Samphire
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Frontal view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Near-lateral view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, January 2019]
Lateral view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper; note the bright
orange-yellow legs and feet and the almost featureless face
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Lateral view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Lateral view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Dorsal view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
Dorsal view of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
