Common sandpiper

Common Sandpiper
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Actitis
Species:	A. hypoleucos
Binomial name
Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Common Sandpiper, Actitis hypoleucos, is a small wader, 18 - 20 cm long with a 32-35 cm wingspan.

The adult has greyish brown upperparts, white underparts, short yellowish legs and a bill with a pale base and dark tip. Juveniles are barred above and have buff edges to the wing feathers.

This species is very similar to its closely related American counterpart, the slightly larger Spotted Sandpiper, A. macularia , in its non-breeding plumage. Like that species, it has a distinctive stiff-winged flight low over the water.

The Common Sandpiper breeds across most of Europe and Asia. It nests on the ground near fresh water.

It migrates to Africa, southern Asia and Australasia. This is not a gregarious bird and is seldom seen in large flocks.

the Common Sandpiper forages by sight on the ground or in shallow water, picking up small food items such as insects, crustaceans and other invertebrate. It may also catch insects in flight.

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  Common Sandpiper
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  Common Sandpiper

References

• Hayman, Marchant and Prater, Shorebirds ISBN 0-873403-19-4