Calidris subruficollis
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) is a small, elegant shorebird, renowned for its distinctive buff-colored underparts and upright posture, setting it apart from other 'peep' sandpipers. Averaging 18-20 cm in length, with a wingspan of 38-42 cm and weighing 50-70 grams, it presents a delicate yet compact form. Key identification marks include the warm buff wash extending from its face to its belly, contrasting with a scaly brown back, yellowish legs, and a relatively short, ...
This species primarily inhabits open, dry Arctic tundra during the breeding season and prefers short-grass plains and agricultural fields during migration and winter.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of small invertebrates, primarily insects such as beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and their larvae, which they glean from the ground and low vegetation.
Buff-breasted Sandpipers are primarily diurnal, foraging visually, often in short-grass environments. During the breeding season, males engage in an extraordinary lek-like courtship display, known as the 'umbrella dance' or 'snowball dance,' where they raise their wings over their backs to expose...
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper breeds across the high Arctic tundra of North America, encompassing Alaska, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and parts of the mainland Canadian territories, with a small breeding population also occurring in extreme northeastern Siberia. Following breeding, these birds...
Near Threatened
- The male Buff-breasted Sandpiper performs an elaborate "umbrella dance" courtship display, raising his wings over his back to flash their bright white undersides. - Despite its name, it often prefers dry, upland habitats more typical of a plover, earning it the historical nickname "Grass Plover...