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Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae
BTO Codes: CS, COMSA EURING No: 5560
Number in Britain: 12 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Declining
Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  

Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies: Monotypic
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Length: 20 cm Wingspan: 40 cm Weight: M/F: 50 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: aktites=coast dweller and Gr.: hupo=below + leukos=white
World Distribution: BREEDS: n&c Europe, n&c Asia, WINTERS: south to Africa, s Asia & Australia
Habitat: Rivers & lakes, on migration marsh & seacoast
Diet: Invertebrates, especially insects, located visually, mostly from surface
TitBit: A common bird on upland rivers during summer, it is easily identified by its habit of bobbing up and down, and its rapid, stiff-winged flight low over the water  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends: No regional trends available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 12 thousand pairs in 2000
    Passage: 100 individuals
    First Record: 1544
    Latest Survey: Dougall, T.W. et al. (2004) WSG Bulletin 105:42-49
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Species of European Concern, Recent Breeding Population Decline (1981-2007),
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern:
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
Average Day of First Arrival: 15 Apr
European Population Size:
    Summer: 370 to 700 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 36 x 26 mm Egg Weight: 12.5 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 30   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 4 eggs 3.85 ± 0.45 (2 - 5) N = 413
Incubation: 21- 22 days by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 26 - 28days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: 19 May (5 May - 6 Jun)
Number of Broods: 1
Trends in Breeding Productivity

Number Ringed: 294
Adult Survival: 0.844 ± 0.062    (M:0.720 ; F:0.620 )      
Juvenile Survival: 0.570 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 2 years Typical Lifespan: 8 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 14yr 0m   (Sweden: 14yr 6m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: B+
Wing Length Sexually dimorphic (female much larger than male)
Male: 110.8 ± 3.1 106 - 115 mm, N =33
Female: 115.2 ± 3.0 111 - 120 mm, N =41
Weight Sexually dimorphic (female much larger than male)
Male: 49.79 ± 5.89 41.50 - 58.50 g , N =31
Female: 62.78 ± 9.71 . 49.50 - 80.50 g , N =36
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Gaelic: Fìdhleir-bòrd-an-locha Welsh: Pibydd y Dorlan
Danish: Mudderklire Dutch: Oeverloper
Finnish: Rantasipi French: Chevalier guignette
German: Flußuferläufer Hungarian: Billegeto cankó
Icelandic: Lindastelkur Irish: Gobadán Coiteann
Italian: Piro piro piccolo Norwegian: Strandsnipe
Polish: Brodziec piskliwy Portuguese: Maçarico-das-rochas
Spanish: Andarríos chico Swedish: Drillsnäppa
Local Names: Sand Lark
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Nethersole-Thompson, D. & M. 1986 Waders, their breeding, haunts and watchers Poyser, London [598.6 NET]
See Also:
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb BirdFacts home | BTO Home
Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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