Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)

Upland Sandpiper

[order] CHARADRIIFORMES | [family] Scolopacidae | [latin] Bartramia longicauda | [UK] Upland Sandpiper | [FR] Maubeche des champs | [DE] Prarielaufer | [ES] Correlimos Batitu | [NL] Bartrams Ruiter

Subspecies

Genus Species subspecies Breeding Range Breeding Range 2 Non Breeding Range
Tringa longicauda
Bartramia longicauda NA ec, c, nw se SA

Physical charateristics

The Upland Sandpiper is a black, brown, and white mottled bird with a long neck and tail and yellow legs. It has a round head with large, black eyes, and a relatively short bill for a sandpiper. In flight, it shows a pale inner wing, dark outer wing, and white outer primary shaft

Listen to the sound of Upland Sandpiper

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/U/Upland Sandpiper.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

wingspan min.: 46 cm wingspan max.: 49 cm
size min.: 28 cm size max.: 32 cm
incubation min.: 24 days incubation max.: 26 days
fledging min.: 32 days fledging max.: 26 days
broods: 1   eggs min.: 3  
      eggs max.: 5  

Range

North America : Eastcentral, Central, Northwest

Habitat

Native grassland is the Upland Sandpiper’s preferred habitat. It typically feeds in shortgrass areas, where it is found in migration and during winter. The Upland Sandpiper requires taller grass for nesting. It is almost never found on mudflats or in wetland environments where other shorebirds are found. These birds are common nesters at airfields and airports throughout their range.

Reproduction

Upland Sandpipers may nest in loose colonies, in which case the colony has a highly synchronous nesting pattern, meaning that all the chicks hatch at the same time. Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground in dense grass. They are often well hidden from above with grass arching over the top. Both parents help build the nest and incubate the 4 eggs for 22 to 27 days. The young leave the nest shortly after hatching and, while the young feed themselves, the parents protect and tend them. The young first fly at 30 to 31 days.

Feeding habits

Upland Sandpipers eat mostly insects, but also feed on waste grains and other seeds.

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Upland Sandpiper status Least Concern

Migration

Long distance migrant. Main wintering areas seem to be located in Argentina and Uruguay. Migrates through Great Plains, Mexico, Central America, across Gulf of Mexico and most of South America E of Andes; some movement across W Atlantic; no evidence of Atlantic crossing during northward migration. Leaves breeding areas late Aug to early Sept, arriving in non-breeding areas late Sept to Oct; return passage starts mid-Feb, birds reaching breeding grounds early Apr to Jun.

Distribution map

Upland Sandpiper distribution range map

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