Order: Charadriiformes
Suborder: Scolopaci
Family: Scolopacidae
The sandpipers are a large family,
Scolopacidae, of waders
or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers,
as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. 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 a narrow bill, but otherwise the form
and length are quite variable. They are small to medium sized birds,
measuring 12–66 cm cm 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 is a simple scrape in the
ground, in which the bird typically lays three or four eggs. The young
of most species are precocial.
Family Scolopacidae
This large family is often further subdivided into groups of
similar birds.
These groups do not necessarily consist of a single genus, but
as presented here they do form
distinct monophyletic evolutionary lineages.
The groups, with species numbers in parentheses, are:
Curlews
Genus Numenius
(8 species, of which 1–2 recently extinct)
Upland Sandpiper
Genus Bartramia (monotypic)
Godwits
Genus Limosa
(4 species)
Dowitchers
Genus Limnodromus (3 species)
Snipe and woodcocks (nearly
30 species, plus some 6 extinct)
Genus Coenocorypha,
Genus Lymnocryptes,
Genus Gallinago see
here
Genus Scolopax
Phalaropes
Genus Phalaropus (3 species) see
here
Shanks and tattlers (16
species)
Genus Xenus,
Genus Actitis
Common
Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, of Eurasia
Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia of North America
Genus Tringa which now includes Catoptrophorus and Heteroscelus
see
here
Polynesian sandpipers
Genus Prosobonia (1 extant species, 3–5 extinct)
Calidrids and turnstones: Roughly 25 species, mostly
in
Genus Calidris which might be split up into several genera.
Genus Calidris sensu stricto - knots Great Knot, Calidris
tenuirostris
Red Knot, Calidris canutus
incertae sedis (Erolia s.str.?)
Curlew Sandpiper, ?Calidris ferruginea
Other calidrids (all at some time placed
in Calidris too)
Genus N.N. (Ereunetes?) - stints
Semipalmated
Sandpiper, "Calidris" pusilla or Ereunetes
pusillus
Little Stint, "Calidris" minuta
Least Sandpiper, "Calidris" minutilla
White-rumped Sandpiper, "Calidris" fuscicollis
Baird's Sandpiper, "Calidris" bairdii
Dunlin,
"Calidris" alpina
Red-necked
Stint, "Calidris" ruficollis
Long-toed Stint, "Calidris" subminuta
Pectoral Sandpiper, "Calidris" melanotos
Sanderling, "Calidris" alba or Crocethia alba
Western Sandpiper, "Calidris" mauri or Ereunetes mauri
Purple
Sandpiper, "Calidris" maritima
Rock
Sandpiper, "Calidris" ptilocnemis
Temminck's
Stint, "Calidris" temminckii
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, "Tryngites" subruficollis
Other genera currently accepted are
Genus Aphriza,
Genus Eurynorhynchus, (doubtfully valid)
Spoon-billed
Sandpiper, Eurynorhynchus pygmeus / Calidris pygmeus
Genus Limicola,
Genus Tryngites,
Genus Philomachus, in addition to the 2 Arenaria turnstones.
Ruff,
Philomachus pugnax
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Philomachus falcinellus / Limicola falcinellus
("Erolia falcinella")
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Philomachus acuminatus / Calidris acuminata
Genus Arenaria see
here
Genus Micropalama(doubtfully valid; Erolius s.str.?)
Stilt Sandpiper, Micropalama himantopus / Calidris himantopus
|
| Engelsk |
Norsk |
Latinsk |
| Surfbird |
Brottsnipe |
Aphriza
virgata |
| Common
Sandpiper |
Strandsnipe |
Actitis
hypoleucos |
| Spotted Sandpiper |
Flekksnipe |
Actitis
macularia |
| Upland Sandpiper |
Præriesnipe |
Bartramia
longicauda |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper |
Spisshalesnipe |
Calidris
acuminata 2) |
| Dunlin |
Myrsnipe |
Calidris
alpina |
| Baird's Sandpiper |
Gulbrystsnipe |
Calidris
bairdii |
| Red Knot |
Polarsnipe |
Calidris
canutus |
| Curlew Sandpiper |
Tundrasnipe |
Calidris
ferruginea |
| White-rumped Sandpiper |
Bonapartesnipe |
Calidris
fuscicollis |
| Stilt Sandpiper |
Styltesnipe |
Calidris
himantopus |
| Western Sandpiper |
Beringsnipe |
Calidris
mauri |
| Pectoral Sandpiper |
Alaskasnipe |
Calidris
melanotos |
| Little Stint |
Dvergsnipe |
Calidris
minuta |
| Least Sandpiper |
Pygmésnipe |
Calidris
minutilla |
| Rock
Sandpiper |
Klippesnipe |
Calidris
ptilocnemis |
| Semipalmated
Sandpiper |
Sandsnipe |
Calidris
pusilla |
| Red-necked
Stint |
Rødstrupesnipe |
Calidris
ruficollis |
| Long-toed Stint |
Langtåsnipe |
Calidris
subminuta |
| Temminck's
Stint |
Temmincksnipe |
Calidris
temminckii |
| Great Knot |
Sibirsnipe |
Calidris
tenuirostris |
| Subantarctic Snipe |
Langnebbdvergrugde |
Coenocorypha
aucklandica |
| Chatham Islands Snipe |
Kortnebbdvergrugde |
Coenocorypha
pusilla |
| Spoonbill Sandpiper |
Skjesnipe |
Eurynorhynchus
pygmeus |
| Puna Snipe |
Punabekkasin |
Gallinago
andina 1) |
| Wilson's Snipe |
Indianerbekkasin |
Gallinago
delicata |
| Common Snipe |
Enkeltbekkasin |
Gallinago
gallinago |
| Latham's Snipe |
Japanbekkasin |
Gallinago
hardwickii |
| Imperial Snipe |
Keiserbekkasin |
Gallinago
imperialis |
| Andean Snipe |
Nordandesbekkasin |
Gallinago
jamesoni |
| Madagascar Snipe |
Madagaskarbekkasin |
Gallinago
macrodactyla |
| Great Snipe |
Dobbeltbekkasin |
Gallinago
media |
| Swinhoe's Snipe |
Bajkalbekkasin |
Gallinago
megala |
| Wood Snipe |
Himalayabekkasin |
Gallinago
nemoricola |
| African Snipe |
Afrikabekkasin |
Gallinago
nigripennis |
| Noble Snipe |
Edelbekkasin |
Gallinago
nobilis |
| South
American Snipe |
Søramerikabekkasin |
Gallinago
paraguaiae |
| Solitary Snipe |
Fjellbekkasin |
Gallinago
solitaria |
| Pintail Snipe |
Sibirbekkasin |
Gallinago
stenura |
| Fuegian Snipe |
Sørandesbekkasin |
Gallinago
stricklandii |
| Giant Snipe |
Kjempebekkasin |
Gallinago
undulata |
| Short-billed Dowitcher |
Kortnebbekkasinsnipe |
Limnodromus
griseus |
| Long-billed Dowitcher |
Langnebbekkasinsnipe |
Limnodromus
scolopaceus |
| Asian Dowitcher |
Asiabekkasinsnipe |
Limnodromus
semipalmatus |
| Jack Snipe |
Kvartbekkasin |
Lymnocryptes
minimus |
| Red Phalarope |
Polarsvømmesnipe |
Phalaropus
fulicarius |
| Red-necked
Phalarope |
Svømmesnipe |
Phalaropus
lobatus |
| Wilson's Phalarope |
Hvithalesvømmesnipe |
Phalaropus
tricolor |
| Magellanic Plover |
Gulpesnipe |
Pluvianellus
socialis |
| Tuamotu Sandpiper |
Tuamotusnipe |
Prosobonia
cancellata |
| Tahitian Sandpiper |
Tahitisnipe |
Prosobonia
leucoptera (instinct) |
| Australian
Painted-snipe |
Australriksesnipe |
Rostratula
australis |
| Greater Painted-snipe |
Riksesnipe |
Rostratula
benghalensis |
| American Painted-snipe |
Dvergriksesnipe |
Rostratula
semicollaris |
| Gray-tailed Tattler |
Sibirvandresnipe |
Tringa
brevipes 3) |
| Spotted Redshank |
Sotsnipe |
Tringa
erythropus |
| Lesser Yellowlegs |
Gulbeinsnipe |
Tringa
flavipes |
| Nordmann's
Greenshank |
Sakhalinsnipe |
Tringa
guttifer |
| Wandering
Tattler |
Alaskavandresnipe |
Tringa
incana |
| Greater Yellowlegs |
Plystresnipe |
Tringa
melanoleuca |
| Common Greenshank |
Gluttsnipe |
Tringa
nebularia |
| Green Sandpiper |
Skogsnipe |
Tringa
ochropus |
| Willet |
Willetsnipe |
Tringa
semipalmatus |
| Solitary Sandpiper |
Eremittsnipe |
Tringa
solitaria |
| Marsh Sandpiper |
Damsnipe |
Tringa
stagnatilis |
| Redshank |
Rødstilk |
Tringa
totanus |
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper |
Rustsnipe |
Tryngites
subruficollis |
| Terek Sandpiper |
Tereksnipe |
Xenus
cinereus |
1) Gallinago is a genus of birds in the wader family
Scolopacidae, containing 16 species. This genus contains the
majority
of the world's snipe species, the other three extant genera being
Coenocorypha, with two species, and
Lymnocryptes,
the Jack Snipe. Morphologically, they are all similar, with a very
long slender bill and cryptic plumage.
Most have distinctive displays, usually given at dawn or dusk. They
search for invertebrates in the mud with
a "sewing-machine" action of their long bills.
2) The calidris or typical waders are a group of
Arctic-breeding, strongly migratory
wading birds. These birds form
huge mixed flocks on coasts and estuaries in winter. They are the
typical "sandpipers", small to medium-sized,
long-winged and relatively short-billed.
Their bills have sensitive tips which contain numerous Corpuscles
of Herbst. This enables the birds to locate buried prey
items, which they typically seek with restless running and probing.
As the common name "sandpiper" is shared by some calidrids
with more distantly related birds such as
the Actitis species, the term stint is preferred in Britain for
the smaller species of this group.
3) Tringa is a genus of waders, containing the shanks and
tattlers. They are mainly freshwater birds, often with brightly
coloured legs as reflected in the English names of six species,
as well as the specific names of two of these and
the Green Sandpiper. They are typically associated with northern
hemisphere temperate regions for breeding.
Some of this group — notably the Green Sandpiper — nest
in trees, using the old nests of other birds, usually thrushes.
The Willet and the tattlers have recently been found to belong in
Tringa; these genus changes were formally adopted
by the American Ornithologists' Union in 2006.
