Calidris melanotos
Moving northward through the Rockies in May, individual Pectoral Sandpipers commonly associate with groups of other shorebirds on our wetlands. The Pectoral Sandpiper is one of the few sandpiper species that shows sexual dimorphism: the females are only two-thirds the size of the males. When a predator approaches, this sandpiper frequently inflates the air sacks in its neck in alarm, raising its feathers. The common name 'pectoral' refers to the location of the male's prominent air sacs on the breast. The males inflate these sacs as part of their courtship ritual. The scientific name melanotos is Greek for 'black back.' |
I.D.: Sexes similar: brown breast streaks contrast with the light belly and undertail coverts; black, slightly downcurved bill; long, yellow legs; mottled upperparts; dark crown; wing tips extend beyond the tail. Size: L 9 in. (23 cm). Range: rare spring migrant and uncommon to common fall migrant throughout the Rockies. Habitat: along lakeshores, marshes and mudflats. Nesting: on the arctic tundra; in a small depression, often near water; well-built cup nest is lined with grass, moss and lichens; female incubates 4 eggs. Feeding: probes and pecks the ground, primarily for small insects (mainly flies), beetles and occasionally grasshoppers. Voice: sharp, short, low krrick krrick. Similar Species: Other 'peeps': all lack the well-defined light belly and dark pectoral region. |
