Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Calidris acuminata· 丘鹬科(5 photos)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
17-21 cm. Males larger, some notably.
- Non-breeding
- bill straight or slightly decurved; pale grey-brown, seldom longer than head. Legs dull olive-yellow, yellow or olive-grey; crown dull chestnut; dark eyeline back from bill widens and becomes browner on ear-coverts, accentuating widening pale rear eyebrow; long feathers of upperparts have pointed dark centres, pale brown margins. Underparts whitish buff, sparsely streaked brown. Breeding Plumage: long dark feathers of upperparts have rufous and buff-white edges; neck and upperbreast buffish, heavily streaked brown, but not cut off like Pectoral; scattered dark 'boomerangs' on lower breast and on flanks. Juvenile: bright rufous cap isolated by large whitish rear eyebrow; feathers of upperparts margined chestnut, buff-yellow and white; neck and breast washed orange-buff, with fine dark streaks. In flight, slight whitish wingbar; rump dark brown with white sides; tail wedge-shaped, dark brown in middle, brownish at sides; toes protrude slightly beyond tail tip in flight. Small parties, flocks of hundreds with other waders. Much variation in size.
- Similar Species
- Pectoral Sandpiper; Ruff.
- Voice
- on taking flight, a dry 'trit-trit'; musical twitter, 'trrt wheeteet'.
- Habitat
- tidal mudflats, saltmarshes, mangroves; shallow fresh, brackish or saline inland wetlands; floodwaters, irrigated pastures and crops; sewage ponds, saltfields.
- Range & Status
- breeds Arctic Siberia: migrates to s. and se. Asia,PNG; sw. Pacific islands, NZ and sub-Antarctic islands, incl. Macquarie I. Widespread summer migrant to coastal and inland Aust. and Tas. (Aug.-April); a few overwinter. In coastal n. Aust., mostly a passage migrant.
