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Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Curlew Sandpiper

Left bird is a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, other birds juvenile Dunlins

Curlew Sandpiper

Calididris ferruginea

Photography © Martin Scott
Isle of lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
14th September, 2008

"A sprinkling of Curlew Sandpipers around Lewis today - here is a comparison shot with the more familiar Dunlin"

Our Curlew Sandpiper photographs

Curlew Sandpiper Breeding adult May	Curlew Sandpiper Juvenile with Dunlin September

 

• Curlew Sandpiper
• Calidris ferruginea
• UK: Scarce passage migrant, mostly seen August & September.
• UK: 740 annual UK records BTO
• WI: Scarce sometimes uncommon passage visitor (very small numbers each year)
• Breeds: North Alaska, North Siberia
• Winters: West Europe, South Asia, South Africa, Australia
• Habitat: Tundra (migration boggy areas, mudflats, saltmarshes, shallow coastal lagoons)
• Diet: Small invertebrates, snails, worms, flies
• Like a dunlin. Differences: Slightly bigger. Feeds in slightly deeper water. In autumn looks paler, cleaner. Longer & more down-curved bill. Longer legs & neck. In flight bright white rump. Both birds have dark legs
  Winter: Pale grey above. White below. White eyestripe. Breeding: dark-grey below, deep chestnut above
  Juveniles: Grey & brown back. White belly. Peach-coloured breast. Gregarious, forms mixed species wader flocks (often with Dunlin)
• Similar birds: Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper (very rare - legs much longer & paler, has wing bar)

 

Curlew Sandpiper records in the Western Isles

Scarce sometimes uncommon passage visitor (very small numbers each year)
Source: Outer Hebrides Bird Report (2001)

The chart below shows how abundant the Curlew Sandpiper is during a month or when you are more likely to see it.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)

 

 

 

Other local bird photographs

Sources of information for the bird sightings section

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