BIRD OF THE WEEK!

 

Terek Sandpiper surrounded by Grey tailed Tattlers

Sandpipers are among the last birds, people ‘come to grips with’. They are migratory; meaning, among other things, that they are here in and on Australian wetlands, mudflats and estuaries for only part of the year.  For the part of the year that they are here they have lost their breeding finery so appear in a relatively faded appearance dominated by the colour grey.

And, especially to the beginning birder, they all look annoyingly alike. There is some truth in that statement however when you actually start seriously looking conspicuous differences between the species do become apparent.

To try to encourage more and more folks to begin the highly rewarding past-time of wader watching, allow me to present this week’s Bird of the Week – the charismatic wader; the Terek Sandpiper! 

The Terek Sandpiper is no where near the most common sandpiper to visit Australian shores it is however arguably the most distinct and, I think, charming.

It is distinct for a few reasons.

One  - bright orange legs. You might think that having bright orange legs might make you stand out. And to a degree it does; especially among many of the waders with black legs however it often accompanies the similar sized yellow legged Tattlers.

Second – its bill is slightly upturned. This is in contrast with the normal pedestrian down turned bill that is favoured by almost every other specie.

Third – It runs around quite energetically while it is searching for food and it has a particular jizz as it runs around with its back hunched and its head down making it look even more distinctive.

[BTW -   Jizz or giss is the overall impression or appearance of a bird garnered from such features as shape, posture, flying style or other habitual movements, size and colouration combined with voice, habitat and location. ]

One can expect to see a Terek Sandpiper among flocks of mixed waders anywhere around our continent in the Summer months. Expect to see mostly single birds however occasionally they can be seen in small flocks.

Terek Sandpiper  - Grey tailed Tattler in contrast behind

Cairns Esplanade is one of the best places in Australia to observe waders like the Terek Sandpiper. So consider joining a Wet Tropics to Cape York birding tour to see a huge bunch of species and perhaps your first Terek Sandpiper!

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS

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