Sandwich boy. Small wader, about 19-21 cm. of length. It does not present sexual dimorphism in terms of plumage coloration, but there do appear to be slight sexual differences in terms of the size of the birds.
Summary
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- 1 Features
- 2 Voice
- 3 Distribution
- 4 Habitat
- 5 Movements
- 6 Food
- 7 Playback
- 8 Source
features
The feathered parts show a brownish-green color on the back, with shades that vary remarkably depending on the state of abrasion of the plumage. In addition, the upper and lateral parts show dark brown markings, very marked in adult birds in the breeding season. Completely white underparts. It has a light brown band that runs across the chest but is interrupted in the interclavicular area. The lateral portions of the pectoral band ascend the posterior part of the neck, ending in the proximal area of the wing, giving the white of the flanks a characteristic “wedge” appearance (which neither Tringa ochropus nor T. glareola have).
Voice
Both sexes emit similar voices that basically consist of distinctive, high and penetrating phrases, usually trisyllabic, although they can be two or four, basically composed of a “sii wii wii”. Sometimes, they emit the same trisyllabic stanza but much faster, for example when conducting aerial chases. In these cases, the phrases are of the type “sit si wi wi – sit si wi wi – sii-sii”. Contact voice probably similar to trisyllabic but more subdued. When they are on alert they emit a silvante pii-pii with notes that vary in length and intensity.
Distribution
It has a fairly wide distribution, it occurs in a punctual and discontinuous way due to the dispersion of the appropriate habitats for nesting, represented mainly by rivers, reservoirs and other fresh water channels with rapid flow. Absent in insular Spain and also in Ceuta and Melilla as well as in most of the Mediterranean and southern coastline. The largest breeding populations appear to be distributed between the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains. This is due to the combination of various factors such as the marked amplitude of the migratory periods and the solitary and cosmopolitan nature of the species. At present, there is not a very precise idea about the number of pairs that reproduce in our country.
Habitat
Outside of the breeding season, it shows a marked preference for humid areas, encompassing a multitude of habitats, both coastal and inland. Avoid open and overly exposed spaces. Thus, during migratory passages and winter it can be observed in intertidal plains, beaches, rocky areas, estuaries, marshes and various habitats related to freshwater channels. It is common to see it in rivers, streams, ditches, canals and irrigation ponds, lakes, ponds, rice fields, lagoons, and reservoirs. It can also be observed in anthropogenic habitats such as roadsides and paths, urban gardens, ports, etc. During reproduction, it is more demanding in terms of habitat selection, choosing water courses in a good state of conservation and in which the inconvenience is minimal.
Movements
It is a migratory species of medium-long distance whose wintering quarters are located mainly south of the Sahara. The exact location of the main wintering areas is not entirely clear given the wide migration front and the type of habitat they frequent, mainly mangroves, so many of the specimens that remain on the peninsula during the winter are native birds. The Spanish population of small sandpipers is mainly sedentary. On the other hand, most of the small sandpipers that use the Iberian Peninsula as a migratory crossing area come from northern and western Europe, since 96% of the European population 885,000 pairs breed in Scandinavia and about 2% do so in the United Kingdom. The little sandpipers, when they migrate, they can develop various strategies depending on the conditions they face, especially those related to food availability. The general pattern of migration of the species fits into what has been called hopping or jumping migration.
Feeding
Their diet is mainly made up of insects, especially carabid and etherid beetles and other invertebrates such as worms and spiders . During the winter the diet is quite diverse, basically made up of marine invertebrates, since it is at this time when the species is more frequent in this type of environment. In winter it preys mainly on three species, the Sea Flea , the Worm , and the Common Crab . The rest of the prey are divided between insects , isopods and mollusks .
Reproduction
The reproduction of the species in the Iberian Peninsula, the reproductive period is quite short, covering the months of May, June and July. Nests in streams, lakes and reservoirs, habitats related to fresh water. It has come to breed in abandoned gravel pits. Choose waterways in good condition and where the inconvenience is minimal. It prefers those fresh water channels with fast currents and that have islets and stony shores that also have abundant vegetation.
They are abundant in the montane and hill climatic floors of the northern half of the peninsula. Pairing begins early, possibly in late winter and throughout the course of the fall migration. Territorial watershed. The nest is built directly on the ground, on the flat or with a slight slope, generally with vegetation around it and rarely on bare ground. A single laying, although in case of loss there is usually replacement. Chickens feed themselves. The main causes of loss of spawning include rising water levels, as well as predation.