Xenus cinereus
The Terek Sandpiper (*Xenus cinereus*) is a distinctive medium-sized wader, immediately recognizable by its strikingly long, slender, and strongly upturned black bill, which often has a yellowish base, and its relatively short, yellowish-orange legs. Measuring 22-26 cm in length with a wingspan of 50-57 cm and weighing 60-120g, its unique bill sets it apart from all other shorebirds. In breeding plumage, it features a greyish-brown back with dark streaking, contrasting with pure white underpa...
Breeds in the taiga and forest-tundra zones near freshwater bodies like marshes, bogs, and riverbanks; winters on coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy beaches, typically at sea level.
Primarily feeds on aquatic invertebrates, including insect larvae, small crustaceans, worms, and mollusks, obtained by sweeping and probing its specialized bill in shallow water and mud.
Terek Sandpipers are highly active, diurnal foragers, often seen busily moving across mudflats. Their distinctive foraging strategy involves a rapid, side-to-side sweeping motion of their upturned bill through shallow water or soft mud, stirring up prey, complemented by jabbing and picking. Durin...
The Terek Sandpiper breeds across a broad band of northern Eurasia, extending from northern Scandinavia (primarily Finland and European Russia) eastward through the taiga and forest-tundra zones of Siberia, reaching as far as the Anadyr region and Kamchatka in the Russian Far East. Its extensive ...
Least Concern
- The genus name 'Xenus' means 'stranger' or 'foreigner' in Greek, reflecting its unique bill and taxonomic isolation among sandpipers. - It is the only species in its genus, highlighting its evolutionary distinctiveness. - Its foraging technique, involving a rapid, side-to-side sweeping of its u...