33-492: Scolopacidae is a large family of shorebirds , or waders, which mainly includes many species known as sandpipers , but also others such as woodcocks , curlews and snipes . The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat , particularly on the coast , without direct competition for food. Sandpipers have long bodies and legs, and narrow wings. Most species have
66-475: A cosmopolitan distribution , occurring across most of the world's land surfaces except for Antarctica and the driest deserts. A majority of the family breed at moderate to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere , in fact accounting for the most northerly breeding birds in the world. Only a few species breed in tropical regions, ten of which are snipes and woodcocks and the remaining species being
99-465: A paraphyletic assemblage. However, it indicated that the plains wanderer actually belonged into one of them. Following recent studies (Ericson et al., 2003; Paton et al., 2003; Thomas et al., 2004a, b; van Tuinen et al., 2004; Paton & Baker, 2006), the waders may be more accurately subdivided as follows, with Charadrii being repurposed into a monophyletic suborder of plovers, oystercatchers, and their close relatives. The waders are traditionally
132-420: A 24-hour day, in others each sex may sit on the nest continuously for up to 24 hours before it is exchanged by its partner. In species where only a single parent incubates the eggs, during the night the parent sits on the eggs nearly continuously and then during the warmest part of a day leaves the nest for short feeding bouts. Chicks hatch after about three weeks of incubation and are able to walk and forage within
165-483: A few hours of hatching. A single parent or both parents guide and brood the chicks. Shorebird Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to forage for food crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand, usually small arthropods such as aquatic insects or crustaceans . The term "wader" is used in Europe, while "shorebird"
198-576: A greatly enlarged order Ciconiiformes . However, the classification of the Charadriiformes is one of the weakest points of the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, as DNA–DNA hybridization has turned out to be incapable of properly resolving the interrelationships of the group. Formerly, the waders were united in a single suborder Charadrii , but this has turned out to be a " wastebasket taxon ", uniting no fewer than four charadriiform lineages in
231-534: A group of two Charadriiform suborders which include 13 families . Species in the third Charadriiform suborder, Lari , are not universally considered as waders, though the Larine families which may variously be included are listed below as well. Shorebirds is a blanket term used to refer to multiple bird species that live in wet, coastal environments. Because most these species spend much of their time near bodies of water, many have long legs suitable for wading (hence
264-518: A narrow bill, but otherwise the form and length are quite variable. They are small to medium-sized birds, measuring 12 to 66 cm (4.7–26.0 in) in length. The bills are sensitive, allowing the birds to feel the mud and sand as they probe for food. They generally have dull plumage , with cryptic brown, grey, or streaked patterns, although some display brighter colours during the breeding season. Most species nest in open areas, and defend their territories with aerial displays. The nest itself
297-403: A result, an increase in dimorphism. Bigger males tend to have greater access (and appeal) to female mates because their larger size aids them in defeating other competitors. Likewise, if the species exhibits gender role reversal (where males take on roles traditionally done by females such as childcare and feeding), then males will select female mates based on traits that are the most appealing. In
330-443: A single female partner, males typically do not have distinctive dimorphic characteristics such as colored feathers, but they still tend to be larger in size compared to females. The suborder Charadrii displays the widest range of sexual dimorphisms seen in the order Charadriiformes. However, cases of sexual monomorphism, where there are no distinguishing physical features besides external genitalia, are also seen in this order. One of
363-597: A wide range of ecological niches. Sandpipers range in size from the least sandpiper , at as little as 18 grams (0.040 pounds) and 11 cm (4.3 in) in length, to the Far Eastern curlew , at up to 66 cm (26 in) in length, and the Eurasian curlew , at up to 1.3 kg (2.9 lb). Within species there is considerable variation in patterns of sexual dimorphism . Males are larger than females in ruffs and several sandpipers, but are smaller than females in
SECTION 10
#1732790373344396-495: Is a simple scrape in the ground, in which the bird typically lays three or four eggs . The young of most species are precocial . The family Scolopacidae was introduced (as Scolopacea) by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. The family contains 98 extant or recently extinct species divided into 15 genera . For more details, see the article List of sandpiper species . The following genus level cladogram of
429-683: Is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris , a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colored waterside birds. The specific minutilla is Medieval Latin for "very small". This species has greenish legs and a short, thin, dark bill . Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least sandpipers are grey above. The juveniles are brightly patterned above with rufous coloration and white mantle stripes. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or " stints ". In particular, least sandpiper
462-476: Is highly variable within the family, reflecting differences in feeding ecology. Bill length relative to head length varies from three times the length of the head in the long-billed curlew to just under half the head length in the Tuamotu sandpiper . Bills may be straight, slightly upcurled or strongly downcurved. Like all birds, the bills of sandpipers are capable of cranial kinesis , literally being able to move
495-617: Is probing soft soils, muds and sands for prey. The third, used by Tringa shanks, involves running in shallow water with the bill under the water chasing fish, a method that uses sight as well as tactile senses. The final method, employed by the phalaropes and some Calidris sandpipers, involves pecking at the water for small prey. A few species of scolopacids are omnivorous to some extent, taking seeds and shoots as well as invertebrates. Many sandpipers form monogamous pairs, but some sandpipers have female-only parental care, some male-only parental care, some sequential polyandry and other compete for
528-549: Is scant for a group that was probably present at the non-avian dinosaur 's extinction. "Totanus" teruelensis ( Late Miocene of Los Mansuetos ( Spain ) is sometimes considered a scolopacid – maybe a shank – but may well be a larid ; little is known of it. Paractitis has been named from the Early Oligocene of Saskatchewan ( Canada ), while Mirolia is known from the Middle Miocene at Deiningen in
561-525: Is the least sandpiper , small adults of which can weigh as little as 15.5 grams (0.55 oz) and measure just over 13 centimetres (5 inches). The largest species is believed to be the Far Eastern curlew , at about 63 cm (25 in) and 860 grams (1 pound 14 ounces), although the beach thick-knee is the heaviest at about 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz). In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy , waders and many other groups are subsumed into
594-403: Is the sanderling , which lacks a hind toe). Sandpipers are more geared towards tactile foraging methods than the plovers, which favour more visual foraging methods, and this is reflected in the high density of tactile receptors in the tips of their bills . These receptors are housed in a slight horny swelling at the tip of the bill (except for the surfbird and the two turnstones ). Bill shape
627-536: Is used in North America, where "wader" may be used instead to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons . There are about 210 species of wader, most of which live in wetland or coastal environments. Many species of Arctic and temperate regions are strongly migratory , but tropical birds are often resident, or move only in response to rainfall patterns. Some of the Arctic species, such as
660-446: Is very similar to its Asian counterpart, long-toed stint . It differs from that species in its more compact, shorter-necked appearance, shorter toes, somewhat duller colors, and stronger wingbar. Measurements : Their breeding habitat is the northern North American continent on tundra or in bogs . They nest on the ground near water. The female lays four eggs in a shallow scrape lined with grass and moss. Both parents incubate ;
693-466: The Jacana species, females compete with each other for access to male mates, so females are larger in size. Males choose female mates based on who presents herself as the strongest and who 'owns' the most territory. Another factor that leads to the development of dimorphisms in species is natural selection . Natural selection focuses on traits and the environment's response to the traits in question; if
SECTION 20
#1732790373344726-550: The Nördlinger Ries ( Germany ). Most living genera would seem to have evolved throughout the Oligocene to Miocene with the waders perhaps a bit later; see the genus accounts for the fossil record. In addition there are some indeterminable remains that might belong to extant genera or their extinct relatives: The sandpipers exhibit considerable range in size and appearance, the wide range of body forms reflecting
759-413: The knots , curlews , phalaropes and godwits . The sexes are similarly sized in the snipes , woodcock and tringine sandpipers. Compared to the other large family of wading birds, the plovers ( Charadriidae ), they tend to have smaller eyes, more slender heads, and longer thinner bills. Some are quite long-legged, and most species have three forward pointing toes with a smaller hind toe (the exception
792-404: The little stint , are amongst the longest distance migrants, spending the non- breeding season in the southern hemisphere . Many of the smaller species found in coastal habitats, particularly but not exclusively the calidrids , are often named as "sandpipers", but this term does not have a strict meaning, since the upland sandpiper is a grassland species. The smallest member of this group
825-928: The Scolopacidae is based on a study by David Černý and Rossy Natale that was published in 2022. Bartramia – upland sandpiper Numenius – curlews (9 species) Limosa – godwits (4 species) Limnodromus – dowitchers (3 species) Lymnocryptes – jack snipe Scolopax – woodcocks (8 species) Gallinago imperialis – imperial snipe Gallinago undulata – giant snipe Coenocorypha – austral snipes (3 extant and 6 extinct species) Gallinago – snipes (18 species) Xenus – Terek sandpiper Actitis – sandpipers (2 species) Phalaropus – phalaropes (3 species) Tringa – sandpipers, shanks, tattlers etc (13 species) Prosobonia – Polynesian sandpipers (1 extant and 3 extinct species) Arenaria – turnstones (2 species) Calidris – sandpipers (24 species) The early fossil record
858-489: The biggest factors that leads to the development of sexual dimorphism in shorebirds is sexual selection . Males with ideal characteristics favored by females are more likely to reproduce and pass on their genetic information to their offspring better than the males who lack such characteristics. Mentioned earlier, male shorebirds are typically larger in size compared to their female counterparts. Competition between males tends to lead to sexual selection toward larger males and as
891-462: The bones of the skull (other than the obvious movement of the lower jaw) and specifically bending the upper jaw without opening the entire jaw, an act known as rhynchokinesis . It has been hypothesized this helps when probing by allowing the bill to be partly opened with less force and improving manipulation of prey items in the substrate. Rhynchokinesis is also used by sandpipers feeding on prey in water to catch and manipulate prey. The sandpipers have
924-438: The mate on the lek . Sandpipers lay three or four eggs into the nest, which is usually a vague depression or scrape in the open ground, scarcely lined with soft vegetation. In species where both parents incubate the eggs, females and males share their incubation duties in various ways both within and between species. In some pairs, parents exchange on the nest in the morning and in the evening so that their incubation rhythm follows
957-477: The name 'Waders'). Some species prefer locations with rocks or mud. Many shorebirds display migratory patterns and often migrate before breeding season. These behaviors explain the long wing lengths observed in species, and can also account for the efficient metabolisms that give the birds energy during long migrations . The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of mud or exposed soil. Different lengths of bills enable different species to feed in
990-435: The said trait increases the overall fitness of the individual possessing it, then it will be 'selected' and eventually become a permanent part of the population's gene pool. For example, depending on the food available in a shorebird specie's respective niche , bigger bill sizes may be favored in all individuals. This would essentially lead to monomorphism within the species but is subject to change once sexual selection acts on
1023-818: The same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. Many waders have sensitive nerve endings at the end of their bills which enable them to detect prey items hidden in mud or soft soil. Some larger species, particularly those adapted to drier habitats will take larger prey including insects and small reptiles . Shorebirds, like many other animals, exhibit phenotypic differences between males and females, also known as sexual dimorphism . In shorebirds, various sexual dimorphisms are seen, including, but not limited to, size (e.g. body size, bill size), color, and agility. In polygynous species, where one male individual mates with multiple female partners over his lifetime, dimorphisms tend to be more diverse. In monogamous species, where male individuals mate with
Sandpiper - Misplaced Pages Continue
1056-409: The trait. Sexual selection could give rise to males with relatively larger bills than females if males used their bills to compete with other males. If larger bill size assisted the male in gathering resources, it would also make him more attractive to female mates. Least sandpiper Erolia minutilla The least sandpiper ( Calidris minutilla ) is the smallest shorebird . The genus name
1089-626: The unusual Tuamotu sandpiper, which breeds in French Polynesia (although prior to the arrival of humans in the Pacific there were several other closely related species of Polynesian sandpiper ). There are broadly four feeding styles employed by the sandpipers, although many species are flexible and may use more than one style. The first is pecking with occasional probing, usually done by species in drier habitats that do not have soft soils or mud. The second, and most frequent, method employed
#343656