Curlew Sandpiper at the Ponds

Birds at the Ponds > Index

Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation Ponds

A small sandpiper/wader, the Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia, before migrating for winter to Africa, as well as south and southeast Asia and in Australia and New Zealand. The Curlew Sandpipers occur around Australia’s coast, with some also found inland.

The Curlew Sandpiper is about 18-23 cm long, with a wingspan of 38-41 cm. It has a long neck and legs, and a black bill (sometimes with a brown or green tinge at the base) that is decurved with a slender tip. The bill is black, sometimes with a brown or green tinge at the base. The species has a smallish round head, with dark brown iris. The legs and feet are black or black-grey. When at rest, the Curlew Sandpiper wing-tips project beyond the tip of the tail.

The scientific classification of ferruginea is from Latin ferrugo, ferruginis, “iron rust” that refer to colour of the breeding plumage of the species.

In breeding plumage, the head, neck and underbody to rear belly are a rich chestnut-red with narrow black bars on the belly and flanks. There are black streaks on the crown, a dusky loral stripe, and white around the base of the bill. The head, neck and underbody have a pale-streaked appearance due to white tips on the feathers. The feathers on the mantle and scapulars are black with large chestnut spots and grayish-white tips. The back and upper rump are dark brown, with a prominent square white patch across the lower rump and uppertail-covert (Higgins & Davies 1996).¹

The non-breeding plumage is similar to the breeding plumage. Differences are that the cap, ear-coverts, hindneck and sides of neck are pale brownish-grey with fine dark streaks, grading to off-white on the lower face, with white on the chin and throat. There is a narrow dark loral stripe and white supercilium from the bill to above the rear ear-coverts. The mantle, back, scapulars, tertials and innerwing-covert are pale brownish-grey with fine dark streaks. The underbody is white with a brownish-grey wash and fine dark streaks on the foreneck and breast (Higgins & Davies 1996).¹

The photographs shown here were taking in the month of March, August and October.

Check out our Birds | Waders | Waders Index

---

• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Class: Aves
• Order: Charadriiformes
• Family: Scolopacidae
• Genus: Calidris
• Species: Calidris ferruginea

---

---

Birds at the PondsBirds Index Australasian Darter Australasian Grebe Australasian Shoveler Australian Hobby Australian Pelican Australian Pratincole Australian Reed Warbler Australian Shelduck Australian Spotted Crake Australian White Ibis Baillon’s Crake Banded Stilt Black-faced Woodswallow Black-shouldered Kite Black-tailed Godwit Black-tailed Native Hen Black Kite Black Swan Brown Falcon Budgerigar Buff-banded Rail Caspian Tern Common Sandpiper Crimson Chat Curlew Sandpiper Diamond Dove Emu Fairy Martin Flock Bronzewing Freckled Duck Glossy Ibis Grey Teal Gull-billed Tern Hardhead Hoary-headed Grebe Latham’s Snipe Little Black Cormorant Little Corella Little Crow Little Grassbird Long-toed Stint Marsh Sandpiper Masked Lapwing Musk Duck Orange Chat Pectoral Sandpiper Pied Stilt Pink Cockatoo Plumed Whistling-Duck Purple-backed Fairywren Red-capped Plover Red-kneed Dotterel Red-necked Avocet Red-necked Stint Ruff Sanderling Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Splendid Fairy-wren Straw-necked Ibis Royal Spoonbill Tree Martin Variegated Fairywren Wedge-tailed Eagle Whiskered Tern Whistling Kite White-faced Heron White-winged Fairywren Willie Wagtail Yellow-billed Spoonbill Zebra Finch

Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation PondsBirds Insects Spiders Wildlife Landscape Landscape of Birds

Alice Springs AttractionsAlice Springs Desert Park Alice Springs Reptile Centre Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation Ponds Alice Springs Walks Untyeyetwelye • ANZAC Hill Araluen Cultural Precinct Bird Watching in Alice Springs and Central Australia Central Australian Aviation Museum The Gathering Garden John Flynn’s Grave Historical Reserve Kunoth Bore Olive Pink Botanic Garden Royal Flying Doctor Service Women’s Musuem of Australia

Alice SpringsMparntwe Alice Springs Accommodation Alice Springs Pet Friendly Accommodation Alice Springs Art & Culture Alice Springs Attractions Alice Springs Directory Alice Springs Distance Alice Springs Festival & Events Alice Springs Flora and Fauna Alice Springs Fauna Alice Springs Flora Getting Around Alice Springs Alice Springs Aboriginal Tours Alice Springs Tours Alice Springs Tours – Other