Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos· 丘鹬科(2 photos)
Locations:
Common Sandpiper
19-22 cm. Dainty sandpiper of horizontal stance and constant nervous teetering. Bill fine, brown with buff base; eyebrow and eye-ring whitish, with slight dark eyeline; legs grey-green tinged yellow. Bronze-brown to grey-brown above, very finely barred darker; white below with distinct white 'hook' around bend of closed wing; sides of upperbreast washed brown. Immature: finely barred buff and black above. Solitary birds to occasional small parties: feeds in ooze and margins of shallow water; perches rocks, branches, boats, jetties, piles. Flight distinctive: quick and fluttering, with clipped, shallow wingbeats, broken by glides on downcurved wings; note broad white wingbar and white sides of brown rump and tail.
- Similar Species
- Wood Sandpiper: greyer, spotted white above; white rump; no white 'hook'; no wingbar.
- Voice
- plaintive, piping 'twee-wee-wee', like Varied Sittella or Welcome Swallow; a single, rising 'weeep'.
- Habitat
- shallow, pebbly, muddy or sandy edges of rivers and streams, coastal to far inland; dams, lakes, sewage ponds; margins of tidal rivers; waterways in mangroves or saltmarsh; mudflats; rocky or sandy beaches; causeways, riverside lawns, drains, street gutters.
- Range & Status
- breeds from British Isles to e. Siberia and n. Japan: winters s. Europe, Africa, India, s. and se. Asia to Indonesia, PNG; vagrant NZ. Regular, widespread but mostly uncommon summer migrant to Aust. (Aug.-May), more common in n. and e. Aust. and on w. coast than in se. and Tas. Some overwinter.
