DOCSLIB.ORG

First Northern Hemisphere Record and First Juvenile Plumage Description Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
First Northern Hemisphere Record and First Juvenile Plumage Description Of RARE OCCURRENCE FirstNorthern Hemisphere record and first juvenileplumage description of the Cox's Sandpiper(CMidris pammclanotos) Mark J. Kasprzyk, Richard A. Forster, idris paramelanotos)was observed and Brian A. Harrington AJUVENILEand photographedCOX'SSANDPIPER in Massachu-(CAL- settsSeptember 15-21, 1987. This spe- cies was first formally describedto sci- ence in 1982 (Parker 1982). Approxi- mately 40 individualshave been seenin the field with only two specimensknown to exist, both of which are adults. All previous records have been from Aus- tralia. Becauseof the infrequencywith which Cox's Sandpiper has been re- ported and the fact that its breeding groundsare unknown, it is possiblethat this form may be a hybrid (Marchant et al. 1986) rather than a valid species. While mist-netting shorebirds the night of September15, 1987, staffof the Manomet Bird Observatory caught what initially appearedto be a Pectoral Sandpiper(Calidris melanotos)at Dux- bury Beach, Plymouth County, Mas- sachusetts.During banding,we noticed that someof the morphologicalfeatures of the sandpiperwere strange:the bill was very long and the breast streaking was not as prominent or sharply de- marcatedas in a PectoralSandpiper, es- pecially where the streaking faded out along the lower median edge of the breast. The bird was aged as a juvenile on the basisof its fresh plumage, par- ticulafiy its unworn tertials. The indi- vidual was banded, measured, photo- graphed, and released during the early morning of September 16. The especiallylong black bill with slightlydrooping tip wasthe mostobvious field characteristic In later reference to literature con- of the Coxg SandpiperDuxbury Beach, Massachusetts, September 16, 1987. Photo/MarkK. cerning Pectoral Sandpiper plumages, Kaspryzk. Volume 41, Number 5 1359 suchas the long black bill and leg color better fit the description for Cox's Sandpiper. On September19, after further study of the bird at Duxbury Beach,and based on the field characters and measure- mentswe had discussed,Forster became convinced that the bird was a Cox's Sandpiper. On September 19 and 20, several more observersexperienced in shorebird identification studied the bird with us. The extensive white sides of the rump, uncharacteristic of Sharp- tailed Sandpiper, were well-seenwhile the bird preened; the extensive white uppertail coverts contained a few streaksthat ran parallel along the dark central tail band, unlike the unmarked uppertailcoverts of PectoralSandpiper. The uniform ageof the body feathering and the light edgings of most dorsal body feathering characterizedthe bird asa juvenile. We ultimately agreedthat the long, entirely black bill, the pro- portionatelylong olive legsand the ex- tensively white uppertail coverts with light streaking most closely matched those characters describing a Cox's Note thefine breaststreaking against the buffybackground. Streaking is bolderon the sides Sandpiper. of theupper breast and absent Jkom the roedial portion of thelower breast. Buffy background On Monday. September 21, staff at colorationof the breastis not sharplydelimited from the white of the belly.Note the split Manomet Bird Observatorymet to dis- supercilium,with the upperbranches less prominent than the lower.Duxbury Beach, Massa- cuss how to proceed with the Cox's chusetts,September 16, 1987. Photo/Mark Kaspryzk_ Sandpiper.Scientifically, a strongcase we found many important contraststo the fine streaks faded near the lower existedfor collectingthe bird. Not only the characters we had seen. Adult Pec- central edge of the breast, unlike the did this individual representwhat was torals are boldly patterned on the chest, stronglypatterned, sharplydemarcated apparently the first known example of and juveniles, although less promi- streakingof a Pectoral Sandpiper. By a juvenile Cox's Sandpiper and a first nently marked than adults, still possess default, the bird was then identified as record for the northern hemisphere,but a complete, well demarcated pectoral an adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper that a preserved specimen would provide band. Therefore, we consideredSharp- possesseda plumage unfamiliar to us. various characters that could be used to tailed Sandpiper (C. acuminata) to be We were confidentthat it was not a ju- study the bird's taxonomic status. the most likely alternative identifica- venile of this species.The Massachusetts However, another option was to usethe tion, althoughthe bird possessedexten- Audubon Society rare bird alert was techniqueofmitochondrial DNA anal- sive streakingon the upper breast and notified of the bird with its new iden- ysis based on blood samples to deter- lacked the orangishcolor on the upper tification that afternoon. mine the relationship of Cox's Sand- breast and crown characteristicof ju- Later that night, we discussedour piper to other species.Such a blood venile C. acuminata. misgivingsabout the bird's identifica- sampleis best obtained from a live bircL Remaining unconvinced, Kasprzyk tion as an adult Sharp-tailedSandpiper This procedurealso alleviated our con- returned to Duxbury Beach on the eve- and consideredthe possibilityof a Cox's cern about collectingwhat might be an ning of September 17 and recorded a Sandpiper (Calidris paramelanotos). exceptionally rare specieswhose distri- complete field description of the bird. Comparison of the in-hand measure- bution and total population size are On September 18 it was studied by ments were made against measure- unknown. We therefore decided to at- many observers,including the authors, ments for Sharp-tailed, Pectoral and tempt to recapture the bird. as it foragedin the wrack with Short- Cox's sandpipersgiven lzy Marchant et Rocket-nets were set up at the high billed Dowitchers(Limnodromus gris- al. (1986). The bill length was well tide line of Duxbury BeachSeptember eus), White-rumped Sandpipers (C. within the appropriaterange for Cox's 21--23 in an effort to recapture the fuscicollis)and SemipalmatedSandpi- Sandpiper;further, it was 3 millimeters bird. However, we did not see the bird pers (C. pusilia). The bill was long, longer than the maximum bill length after the morning of September21. Af- rather fine, and decurved; the upper listed for Pectoral Sandpipers, and 7 ter September 21, a noticeable reduc- chest and breast were finely streaked; millimeters longer than that given for tion in shorebirdnumbers and diversity, and the legswere olive, darker than the Sharp-tailed Sandpipers(Marchant et followinga break in the persistentstorm typical yellowish of a Pectoral Sandpi- al. 1986). As we compared the field pattern, indicated that many birds had per. All observerscommented on how marks, we discovered that characters resumedmigration. 1360 American Birds, Winter 1987 Descriptionof a juvenile Cox's Sandpiper Measurements taken of the bird in hand are followed by measurementsin parenthesesfrom Marchant et al. (1986) based on two specimensand one live bird, and from Lane et aL (1981) for weightbased on one bird. Note that the wing measurementslisted in Marchant et al. are basedon a flattened wing. wing (unflattened)chord: 129 mm (I 34- 144 mm) culmen(exposed): 35. I mm (33-37 mm) weight: 67.9 g (67 g) Bill: In the field,appears entirely black: in hand, the base of the lower mandible and the upper mandible immediately anterior to nares is slightlypaler with a grayish-olivetone. Long and thin, slightlydecurved at the tip, slightly longerthan the lengthof the head.Longer and proportionatelyfiner than on eitherSharp-tailed or Pectoralsandpipers; slightly shorter and not as "thick," especiallybasally, as in Dunlin (C. alpina). Most similar to Curlew Sandpiper(C. ferruginea),but lessstrongly decurved, and with a lesspointed tip. Legs: Olive or olive-brown. Proportionately longer-leggedappearance in comparisonwith PectoralSandpiper. Leg color darker than the yellowishleg coloration of PectoralSandpiper, mostclosely resembling that of Stilt Sandpiper Here the breastcoloration and streakingare evident,as is the bird• elongatedbill. Duxbury, (C. himantopus). Beach,Massachusetts, September 16, 1987. Photo/Mark K Kaspryzk. Breast:Incomplete band of fine blackish-brown supercilium faded out, and the conspicuous Tail: A detaileddescription of the rectriceswas streaksrunning vertically acrossa rich buff lower branch extendedslightly upwards, con- not obtained.Photographs of the bird in-hand background,the streaksbeing lighter, finer and tributing to a slightlycapped appearance. indicatesthat the tail wasuniformly dark. Cen- lessclearly demarcatedthan in PectoralSand- tral rectriceswere longer and more pointedthan Wing: Upper wing coverts were light gray- piper. Streaksbecoming less pronounced to- outer feathers,similar to a PectoralSandpiper. ward the lower central region of the breast, brownedged pale buff, lower wing coverts edged which appearsunstreaked in the field; in the rufons.Primaries dark blackish-brown.In flight, Behavior hand,small blackish-brown flecks were present narrow white wing bar formed by pale tips of in this region.Breast patterning lacks the sharp greater secondarycoverts. At rest, primaries cutoff characteristic of Pectoral Sandpiper. extendedjust beyondthe tail. Tertialswere dark The bird foraged in the wrack by blackish-brownbroadly edgedwith bright ru- Streakingextends farther along the upperflanks peckingand probing. While the Cox's than in Pectoral Sandpiper. Breast coloration fous. Sandpiperwas alwaysseen in the com- and patternsomewhat reminiscent of juvenile Scapulars: Lower scapulars with blackish- Baird'sSandpiper (C.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Table 7: Species Changing IUCN Red List Status (2014-2015)
    IUCN Red List version 2015.4: Table 7 Last Updated: 19 November 2015 Table 7: Species changing IUCN Red List Status (2014-2015) Published listings of a species' status may change for a variety of reasons (genuine improvement or deterioration in status; new information being available that was not known at the time of the previous assessment; taxonomic changes; corrections to mistakes made in previous assessments, etc. To help Red List users interpret the changes between the Red List updates, a summary of species that have changed category between 2014 (IUCN Red List version 2014.3) and 2015 (IUCN Red List version 2015-4) and the reasons for these changes is provided in the table below. IUCN Red List Categories: EX - Extinct, EW - Extinct in the Wild, CR - Critically Endangered, EN - Endangered, VU - Vulnerable, LR/cd - Lower Risk/conservation dependent, NT - Near Threatened (includes LR/nt - Lower Risk/near threatened), DD - Data Deficient, LC - Least Concern (includes LR/lc - Lower Risk, least concern). Reasons for change: G - Genuine status change (genuine improvement or deterioration in the species' status); N - Non-genuine status change (i.e., status changes due to new information, improved knowledge of the criteria, incorrect data used previously, taxonomic revision, etc.); E - Previous listing was an Error. IUCN Red List IUCN Red Reason for Red List Scientific name Common name (2014) List (2015) change version Category Category MAMMALS Aonyx capensis African Clawless Otter LC NT N 2015-2 Ailurus fulgens Red Panda VU EN N 2015-4
    [Show full text]
  • The Promiseuous Pectoral Sandpiper
    BEHAVIOR The promiscuous Pectoral Sandpiper "nothing evolvesNorth Slope tundra more certainly than a male Pectoral Sandpiper, hooting through chilled Alaskan mist" J.P. Myers [sBARROW,ALASKA, the Pectoral a pendulous, fat-filled organ hanging deep o6-ah, o6-ah, o6-ah each syllable andpiper seasonbegins with a few prominently even while the male stands separated by a moment's silence and distant hoots sometime between the 5th immobile (Fig. 1). Its outline is en- repeatedtwo or three timesper second and 10thof June. At first hearing one has hanced by sharp contrast with the white for l0 to 15 seconds½Fig. 3 and record). difficulty accepting its source as arian. vent, and more still by the way the male Viewing this display in profile is star- The hoot is a fog horn, a sonar beam, an erects his feathers to expose their tling, but imagine what a female Pec- electronic oscillator bearing no relation darker base. toral sees. More often than not she to the sounds about it. Even after bird But the sac comes into its own when serves as the focus of his flight: the and call are linked it seems preposter- the male takes flight to hoot (Fig. 2). He male's path takes him directly over her ous. The way the call is made, the bodily flies low over the tundra, often within a in mid-hoot, perhaps only 5 cm from her distortions that male goes through to few centimeters of the upper blades of head as she feeds in the grass. He make its hoot, are visually just as odd as grass and sedge.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Caribbean Shorebirds: ID Guide
    Common Caribbean Shorebirds: ID Guide Large Medium Small 14”-18” 35 - 46 cm 8.5”-12” 22 - 31 cm 6”- 8” 15 - 20 cm Large Shorebirds Medium Shorebirds Small Shorebirds Whimbrel 17.5” 44.5 cm Lesser Yellowlegs 9.5” 24 cm Wilson’s Plover 7.75” 19.5 cm Spotted Sandpiper 7.5” 19 cm American Oystercatcher 17.5” 44.5 cm Black-bellied Plover 11.5” 29 cm Sanderling 7.75” 19.5 cm Western Sandpiper 6.5” 16.5 cm Willet 15” 38 cm Short-billed Dowitcher 11” 28 cm White-rumped Sandpiper 6” 15 cm Greater Yellowlegs 14” 35.5 cm Ruddy Turnstone 9.5” 24 cm Semipalmated Sandpiper 6.25” 16 cm 6.25” 16 cm American Avocet* 18” 46 cm Red Knot 10.5” 26.5 cm Snowy Plover Least Sandpiper 6” 15 cm 14” 35.5 cm 8.5” 21.5 cm Semipalmated Plover Black-necked Stilt* Pectoral Sandpiper 7.25” 18.5 cm Killdeer* 10.5” 26.5 cm Piping Plover 7.25” 18.5 cm Stilt Sandpiper* 8.5” 21.5 cm Lesser Yellowlegs & Ruddy Turnstone: Brad Winn; Red Knot: Anthony Levesque; Pectoral Sandpiper & *not pictured Solitary Sandpiper* 8.5” 21.5 cm White-rumped Sandpiper: Nick Dorian; All other photos: Walker Golder Clues to help identify shorebirds Size & Shape Bill Length & Shape Foraging Behavior Size Length Sandpipers How big is it compared to other birds? Peeps (Semipalmated, Western, Least) Walk or run with the head down, picking and probing Spotted Sandpiper Short Medium As long Longer as head than head Bobs tail up and down when walking Plovers, Turnstone or standing Small Medium Large Sandpipers White-rumped Sandpiper Tail tips up while probing Yellowlegs Overall Body Shape Stilt Sandpiper Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Probes mud like “oil derrick,” Willet, rear end tips up Dowitcher, Curvature Plovers Stilt, Avocet Run & stop, pick, hiccup, run & stop Elongate Compact Yellowlegs Specific Body Parts Stroll and pick Bill & leg color Straight Upturned Dowitchers Eye size Plovers = larger, sandpipers = smaller Tip slightly Probe mud with “sewing machine” Leg & neck length downcurved Downcurved bill, body stays horizontal .
    [Show full text]
  • Draft Version Target Shorebird Species List
    Draft Version Target Shorebird Species List The target species list (species to be surveyed) should not change over the course of the study, therefore determining the target species list is an important project design task. Because waterbirds, including shorebirds, can occur in very high numbers in a census area, it is often not possible to count all species without compromising the quality of the survey data. For the basic shorebird census program (protocol 1), we recommend counting all shorebirds (sub-Order Charadrii), all raptors (hawks, falcons, owls, etc.), Common Ravens, and American Crows. This list of species is available on our field data forms, which can be downloaded from this site, and as a drop-down list on our online data entry form. If a very rare species occurs on a shorebird area survey, the species will need to be submitted with good documentation as a narrative note with the survey data. Project goals that could preclude counting all species include surveys designed to search for color-marked birds or post- breeding season counts of age-classed bird to obtain age ratios for a species. When conducting a census, you should identify as many of the shorebirds as possible to species; sometimes, however, this is not possible. For example, dowitchers often cannot be separated under censuses conditions, and at a distance or under poor lighting, it may not be possible to distinguish some species such as small Calidris sandpipers. We have provided codes for species combinations that commonly are reported on censuses. Combined codes are still species-specific and you should use the code that provides as much information as possible about the potential species combination you designate.
    [Show full text]
  • The All-Bird Bulletin
    Advancing Integrated Bird Conservation in North America Spring 2014 Inside this issue: The All-Bird Bulletin Protecting Habitat for 4 the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Bolivia The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Conserving the “Jewels 6 Act (NMBCA): Thirteen Years of Hemispheric in the Crown” for Neotropical Migrants Bird Conservation Guy Foulks, Program Coordinator, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Bird Conservation in 8 Wildlife Service (USFWS) Costa Rica’s Agricultural Matrix In 2000, responding to alarming declines in many Neotropical migratory bird popu- Uruguayan Rice Fields 10 lations due to habitat loss and degradation, Congress passed the Neotropical Migra- as Wintering Habitat for tory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). The legislation created a unique funding Neotropical Shorebirds source to foster the cooperative conservation needed to sustain these species through all stages of their life cycles, which occur throughout the Western Hemi- Conserving Antigua’s 12 sphere. Since its first year of appropriations in 2002, the NMBCA has become in- Most Critical Bird strumental to migratory bird conservation Habitat in the Americas. Neotropical Migratory 14 Bird Conservation in the The mission of the North American Bird Heart of South America Conservation Initiative is to ensure that populations and habitats of North Ameri- Aros/Yaqui River Habi- 16 ca's birds are protected, restored, and en- tat Conservation hanced through coordinated efforts at in- ternational, national, regional, and local Strategic Conservation 18 levels, guided by sound science and effec- in the Appalachians of tive management. The NMBCA’s mission Southern Quebec is to achieve just this for over 380 Neo- tropical migratory bird species by provid- ...and more! Cerulean Warbler, a Neotropical migrant, is a ing conservation support within and be- USFWS Bird of Conservation Concern and listed as yond North America—to Latin America Vulnerable on the International Union for Conser- Coordination and editorial vation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
    [Show full text]
  • Biogeographical Profiles of Shorebird Migration in Midcontinental North America
    U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division Technical Report Series Information and Biological Science Reports ISSN 1081-292X Technology Reports ISSN 1081-2911 Papers published in this series record the significant find­ These reports are intended for the publication of book­ ings resulting from USGS/BRD-sponsored and cospon­ length-monographs; synthesis documents; compilations sored research programs. They may include extensive data of conference and workshop papers; important planning or theoretical analyses. These papers are the in-house coun­ and reference materials such as strategic plans, standard terpart to peer-reviewed journal articles, but with less strin­ operating procedures, protocols, handbooks, and manu­ gent restrictions on length, tables, or raw data, for example. als; and data compilations such as tables and bibliogra­ We encourage authors to publish their fmdings in the most phies. Papers in this series are held to the same peer-review appropriate journal possible. However, the Biological Sci­ and high quality standards as their journal counterparts. ence Reports represent an outlet in which BRD authors may publish papers that are difficult to publish elsewhere due to the formatting and length restrictions of journals. At the same time, papers in this series are held to the same peer-review and high quality standards as their journal counterparts. To purchase this report, contact the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161 (call toll free 1-800-553-684 7), or the Defense Technical Infonnation Center, 8725 Kingman Rd., Suite 0944, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6218. Biogeographical files o Shorebird Migration · Midcontinental Biological Science USGS/BRD/BSR--2000-0003 December 1 By Susan K.
    [Show full text]
  • American Avocet Breeding Habitat, Behaviour and Use of Nesting Platforms at Kelowna, British Columbia
    Avocet breeding habitat, behaviour, and nesting platform use ­ Gyug and Weir 13 American Avocet breeding habitat, behaviour and use of nesting platforms at Kelowna, British Columbia Les W. Gyug1 and Jason T. Weir2 1 Okanagan Wildlife Consulting, 3130 Ensign Way, West Kelowna, BC V4T 1T9 [email protected] 2 Dept. of Biological Sciences and Dept. of Ecology and Evolution, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4 [email protected] Abstract: The largest and most consistently used American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) colony in British Columbia is located in the southern half of the former Alki Lake, Kelowna. This lake was a landfill active from the 1960’s to 1980’s, and is now slated to be filled in completely as the landfill re­expands into the remnants of the lake. Here, we report avocet behaviour, nest conditions and foraging habitat characteristics in 1999 at Alki Lake and five other wetlands in the Kelowna area to inform future mitigation strategies for this colony. Thirteen breeding pairs initiated 21 nests (including renesting after failed attempts) at Alki Lake in 1999, with no nests in other Kelowna area localities. Fifteen nests were on islands, five on 1.2­ m square floating nest platforms, and one on a shoreline mudflat. Nesting on floating nest platforms had not been previously reported for American Avocets. Foraging areas regularly used by individual pairs were not necessarily adjacent to the nest, and increased from 0.32 ha during the incubation period to 0.53 ha after hatching. Avocets foraged primarily in soft silt substrates along non­vegetated shorelines and in shallow mudflats at a mean depth of 10 cm.
    [Show full text]
  • The World's First Known Juvenile Cox's Sandpiper
    British Birds VOLUME 81 NUMBER 6 JUNE 1988 The World's first known juvenile Cox's Sandpiper P. A. Buckley or once, the North Americans have beaten the British by being first Fto find a spectacular vagrant Asiatic shorebird away from the Alaskan out-islands.1 This time we outdid everyone, producing a juvenile Cox's Sandpiper Calidris paramelanotos in Massachusetts. This individual, depicted in colour in plate 145, is not only the first of this recently described species from the Western Hemisphere, but also only the second away from its Australian wintering grounds (an adult was reported from Hong Kong in spring 1987: Brit. Birds 80: 391). The firsts continue, however, for, until this individual, Cox's juvenile plumage was unde- scribed, and, until this photograph, there have been, to my knowledge, no published colour photographs of Cox's Sandpiper in any plumage, let alone that of a juvenile. I am exceedingly grateful to the bird's discoverer, Mark Kasprzyk, for much background information, and to Simon Perkins, for permission to reproduce here his splendid colour photograph. This bird was first mist-netted at night, on 15th September 1987, at Duxbury Beach, a long barrier spit separating Plymouth Bay (where the Mayflower Pilgrims landed in 1620) from Cape Cod Bay/Atlantic Ocean waters. It was ringed as a Pectoral Sandpiper C. melanotos (understandable, at 03.00 hours), but photographed in the hand nonetheless, carefully measured, and then released. Nagging identification doubts soon set in, and efforts to relocate the bird were successful by daylight on 15th. Several observers examined it at close range over the next few days, and it went on the Massachusetts rare bird telephone-tape, finally, as an adult 1 This is actually not the first, truth to tell.
    [Show full text]
  • SHOREBIRDS (Charadriiformes*) CARE MANUAL *Does Not Include Alcidae
    SHOREBIRDS (Charadriiformes*) CARE MANUAL *Does not include Alcidae CREATED BY AZA CHARADRIIFORMES TAXON ADVISORY GROUP IN ASSOCIATION WITH AZA ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) Care Manual Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) Care Manual Published by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in association with the AZA Animal Welfare Committee Formal Citation: AZA Charadriiformes Taxon Advisory Group. (2014). Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) Care Manual. Silver Spring, MD: Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Original Completion Date: October 2013 Authors and Significant Contributors: Aimee Greenebaum: AZA Charadriiformes TAG Vice Chair, Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA Alex Waier: Milwaukee County Zoo, USA Carol Hendrickson: Birmingham Zoo, USA Cindy Pinger: AZA Charadriiformes TAG Chair, Birmingham Zoo, USA CJ McCarty: Oregon Coast Aquarium, USA Heidi Cline: Alaska SeaLife Center, USA Jamie Ries: Central Park Zoo, USA Joe Barkowski: Sedgwick County Zoo, USA Kim Wanders: Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA Mary Carlson: Charadriiformes Program Advisor, Seattle Aquarium, USA Sara Perry: Seattle Aquarium, USA Sara Crook-Martin: Buttonwood Park Zoo, USA Shana R. Lavin, Ph.D.,Wildlife Nutrition Fellow University of Florida, Dept. of Animal Sciences , Walt Disney World Animal Programs Dr. Stephanie McCain: AZA Charadriiformes TAG Veterinarian Advisor, DVM, Birmingham Zoo, USA Phil King: Assiniboine Park Zoo, Canada Reviewers: Dr. Mike Murray (Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA) John C. Anderson (Seattle Aquarium volunteer) Kristina Neuman (Point Blue Conservation Science) Sarah Saunders (Conservation Biology Graduate Program,University of Minnesota) AZA Staff Editors: Maya Seaman, MS, Animal Care Manual Editing Consultant Candice Dorsey, PhD, Director of Animal Programs Debborah Luke, PhD, Vice President, Conservation & Science Cover Photo Credits: Jeff Pribble Disclaimer: This manual presents a compilation of knowledge provided by recognized animal experts based on the current science, practice, and technology of animal management.
    [Show full text]
  • First Record of Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris Melanotus for Bali Island, Indonesia, at Serangan Island in Benoa Bay
    short communication Wader Study 123(1): 153 –155. doi:10.18194/ws.00030 First record of Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotus for Bali Island, Indonesia, at Serangan Island in Benoa Bay Steve Jones 1 & Colin R. Trainor 2,3 [email protected] 2Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, NT 0909, Australia. [email protected] 3Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University Australia, Mt Helen, VIC, 3350, Australia Keywords: Pectoral Sandpiper, vagrancy, migrant, Bali Island, Indonesia On 19 August 2015, SJ visited Serangan Island, Bali Island, only record is of an adult present at Tanah Merah from Indonesia (8°44'22''S, 115°13'13''E; Fig. 1), making an 26 November 1999 to 3 January 2000 (Seng 2009). Robson initial stop at a large pond in the centre-west near Benoa (2005) lists it as a vagrant for Peninsula Malaysia and Bay. The pond is also part of a project to reclaim parts of Singapore; and there are no published records for Borneo Benoa Bay and is ‘land under reclamation’; it is landlocked (Phillipps & Phillipps 2009). and fed by rainwater and not affected by tidal movements. The first Pectoral Sandpiper record for the Indonesian As the tide recedes thousands of shorebirds and waterbirds archipelago was a single bird at Lake Laga, Timor-Leste, disperse to all areas of Benoa Bay, and return again to on 2 December 2004 (Trainor 2005). The first national these ponds on the incoming tide. Shorebird species that record for Indonesia was of one at Kali Progo Delta, Java, stay at the ponds during low tide are usually quieter and on 12 October 2012 (Assiddiqi et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Peeps and Related Sandpipers Peeps Are a Group of Diminutive Sandpipers That Are Notoriously Hard to Tell Apart
    Peeps and Related Sandpipers Peeps are a group of diminutive sandpipers that are notoriously hard to tell apart. They belong to a subfamily of subarctic and arctic nesting sandpipers known as the Calidridinae (in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae). During their migrations, when most residents of North America have the opportunity to watch them, mixed flocks of calidridine sandpipers scurry about on mudflats, feeding at the edge of the retreating tide, or swarm aloft, twisting and turning like a dense school of fish. These traits, in a group of birds that look so much alike to start with, give bird watchers nightmares. Fortunately for Alaskans and visitors to our state, Alaska is an excellent location to view and identify calidridine sandpipers. The early summer breeding season is the easiest time of the year to distinguish the various species, not only because they are in breeding plumage and are more approachable than at other times of the year, but also because each species performs a characteristic courtship display with unique vocalizations. For the avid birder, Alaska has the additional attraction of being one of the best places in North America to view exotic Eurasian species. General description: Three peeps are abundant summer residents and breeders in Alaska—the least, semipalmated, and western sandpipers (Calidris minutilla, C. pusilla, and C. mauri) [all lists in order by size]. Another four species from Eurasia may also be seen—the little, rufous-necked, Temminck's, and long-toed stints (“stint” is the British equivalent for peep) (C. minuta, C. ruficollis, C. temminckii, C. subminuta). These seven species range from 5 to 6½ inches (15-17 cm) in length, and weigh from 2/3 to 1½ ounces (17-33 g).
    [Show full text]
  • Pilbara Shorebirds and Seabirds
    Shorebirds and seabirds OF THE PILBARA COAST AND ISLANDS Montebello Islands Pilbara Region Dampier Barrow Sholl Island Karratha Island PERTH Thevenard Island Serrurier Island South Muiron Island COASTAL HIGHWAY Onslow Pannawonica NORTH WEST Exmouth Cover: Greater sand plover. This page: Great knot. Photos – Grant Griffin/DBCA Photos – Grant page: Great knot. This Greater sand plover. Cover: Shorebirds and seabirds of the Pilbara coast and islands The Pilbara coast and islands, including the Exmouth Gulf, provide important refuge for a number of shorebird and seabird species. For migratory shorebirds, sandy spits, sandbars, rocky shores, sandy beaches, salt marshes, intertidal flats and mangroves are important feeding and resting habitat during spring and summer, when the birds escape the harsh winter of their northern hemisphere breeding grounds. Seabirds, including terns and shearwaters, use the islands for nesting. For resident shorebirds, including oystercatchers and beach stone-curlews, the islands provide all the food, shelter and undisturbed nesting areas they need. What is a shorebird? Shorebirds, also known as ‘waders’, are a diverse group of birds mostly associated with wetland and coastal habitats where they wade in shallow water and feed along the shore. This group includes plovers, sandpipers, stints, curlews, knots, godwits and oystercatchers. Some shorebirds spend their entire lives in Australia (resident), while others travel long distances between their feeding and breeding grounds each year (migratory). TYPES OF SHOREBIRDS Roseate terns. Photo – Grant Griffin/DBCA Photo – Grant Roseate terns. Eastern curlew Whimbrel Godwit Plover Turnstone Sandpiper Sanderling Diagram – adapted with permission from Ted A Morris Jr. Above: LONG-DISTANCE TRAVELLERS To never experience the cold of winter sounds like a good life, however migratory shorebirds put a lot of effort in achieving their endless summer.
    [Show full text]