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Terek Sandpiper
(Xenus cinereus)
Size: 22-24 cm; wing span 57-59 cm
Weight: 60-110 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Terek Sandpipers are small waders.
Their plumage
is cryptic.
When seen in Australia, they are usually (but not always) in
eclipse
plumage.
During the
non-breeding season, except for some light-grey on
the chest and shoulders, the front, from throat to undertail
coverts, is white. The frons and eyebrows are also white, while
the ear coverts are very lightly streaked light-grey. The lores
are grey, the frons is white. The back, including the crown and
the nape of the neck, is grey, with a brownish tinge, especially
on the wings.
In-flight they show an inconspicuous dark-grey wing bar and a
distinct white trailing edge.
During the breeding season, the head, neck and chest become
white with fine dark-grey streaking. The wing feathers turn more
slate-grey, without a brownish tinge.
The eyes have dark irises. The dark-grey bill is visibly upcurved,
has a brownish-orange base and is long (about twice the size of
the head). The legs and feet are orange-brown.
In flight the trailing feet reach the tip of the tail.
Juveniles
roughly resemble non-breeding
adults,
but they have a spotted (rather than streaked) front with a buff
wash and the back has a crisper scaly appearance, with
prominent light-grey edge lining.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Among the various species of small sandpipers and stints, Terek Sandpipers
are the only ones with a clearly upcurved bill.
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.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Terek
Sandpiper at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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
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The global distribution of the Terek Sandpiper is available
HERE
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Terek Sandpipers are a migratory species.
The preferred breeding grounds of Terek Sandpipers lie near water
in the taiga from Finland in the West to northern Siberia, to
about the Kolyma River, in the East.
They spend the northern winters in tropical coastal East Africa,
parts of Arabia, in southern and south-eastern Asia and in Australia.
In Australia
Terek Sandpipers migrate from the North along the entire Australian
seaboard, including Bass Strait and Tasmania. They are most common
on the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef. They rarely venture
inland and, if so, never into the most arid parts of the continent,
i.e. the major sandy deserts from the Nullarbor to South of the
Kimberley.
Terek Sandpipers are found mostly in coastal
mudflats and along
beaches. They are
only rarely seen around freshwater courses.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
B. Hensen reports spotting Terek Sandpipers at Lee Point and
Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, in August 2013.
In August 2014 we found a Terek Sandpiper in mudflats at East Point, Darwin, NT.
H. Mouritsen reports spotting about 50 Terek Sandpipers near
Darwin, NT, in October 2015.
M. Eaton found a Terek Sandpiper at the Port of Brisbane Wader
Roost, Brisbane, QLD, in December 2018.
A. Allnutt found Terek Sandpipers at the Wallaga Lake entrance
near Bermagui, NSW, in December 2018.
P. Brown found a Terek Sandpiper at Casuarina Coastal Reserver,
Darwin, NT, in March 2020.
Previously we have also seen Terek Sandpipers in
Oman.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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NON-BREEDING |
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Near-lateral view of a Terek Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]
Near-lateral view of a Terek Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, November 2018]
Lateral view of a Terek Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage -
only a small remnant of the dark scapular stripe on the
upperwing remains of the breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]
Lateral view of a Terek Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, March 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a Terek Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage,
right, roosting next to Grey-tailed Tattlers
and other small waders in the background
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, August 2013]
More photos were obtained by us in Oman. To go to the Omani page, click
here.
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
