Sandpipers: The Long-Distance Migratory Birds!
Fernando Igor de Godoy, Folha de Florianópolis, Oct. 2021
Have you ever noticed those gray birds, known as sandpipers or curlews, that are on the beach? Maybe not, because they're not very flashy and don't usually arouse people's interest. Well, these birds have many peculiarities and an incredible history. To begin with, in general, sandpipers are just passing through our coast. This means that they are migratory, coming from much colder regions of the planet. Most come from North America, more precisely Canada, where they breed in the different environments of a plant formation known as tundra. After the hatchlings grow, adults and juveniles set off on a journey south, as the tundra tends to freeze over and resources become more limited.
Some species, in smaller numbers, make the reverse journey, migrating from the far south of South America, such as the Patagonian region, toward the north. Thus, species coming from North America are more commonly seen along our coast during the Brazilian spring and summer, while species from the south are more frequent in winter. These birds are extremely well adapted to cover such vast distances, even navigating by stars and mountains. There are several migration routes—some pass through the continent’s interior, but the main ones follow the coastline.
The sandpipers make these annual movements, traveling tens of kilometers in search of food and resting spots. Therefore, the conservation of wetlands is crucial for the survival of these birds. Many species are already experiencing population declines, meaning they are threatened due to the impacts wetlands suffer, such as human occupation, pollution from sewage and effluents, and traffic on beaches. There is even a National Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds.
There are many types of sandpipers, and the best way to identify them—beyond their plumage—is to observe their shape, size, the environment they are using, and their behavior. Some sandpipers can be identified just by their “way of walking,” the way they move their neck and tail! They have two main plumages: the breeding plumage, which is usually more striking, contrasting, and sometimes colorful; and the non-breeding plumage, which tends to be duller with mostly white-gray tones. Generally, species stay in our wetlands in their non-breeding plumage, changing plumage before returning on migration.
However, individuals showing traces of breeding plumage can be observed both during arrival and departure periods. Each species may use a different habitat (such as a river mouth, lagoon, mangrove, or even the low tide zone), or use the same habitat to obtain different resources or in different ways. For example, the white-rumped sandpiper takes advantage of the receding tide to catch mollusks brought in by the waves. The bent-billed sandpiper is found on beaches near mangroves and specializes in catching crabs.
Now that you know a bit more about sandpipers and we are in a great season for sightings, why not look for them on beaches and lagoons?
https://folhadeflorianopolis.com.br/2021/10/11/as-aves-migratorias-do-litoral-catarinense/