La imagen es autoría de Juan Emilio. Licencia Creative Commons con algunos derechos reservados.

Species 1

Common Sandpiper

It is the smallest of the sandpipers, with short legs and neck, its bill is not exceptionally long either, compared to its head. It is easily identified by its perching behaviour, swinging its body semi-crouched, giving the impression of being curled up. This rocking of its tail and rump is the most exaggerated of sandpipers and therefore characteristic. Its upper part is dark grey, while the ventral part is white, with characteristically white neck feathers reaching the wings.

Scientific name

Actitis hypoleucos

Family 2

Scolapacidae

Taxonomic Affinity Group 3

Waders

Phenology 4

.It can be seen almost all year round in our wetlands, it is only missing from the ‘Salinas de Poniente’ during the months of March and November, appearing in in the ‘Ribera de la Algaida’ during the migratory passages.

The graph represents the probability of seeing a species during the year, grouped into months. The vertical axis indicates the percentage value. Each of the bars expresses its value. The horizontal axis represents the months: I = January, II = February, III = March, IV = April, V = May, VI = June, VII = July, VIII = August, IX = September, X = October, XI = November and XII = December.

Observation recommendations

It is necessary to scrutinise the sandy banks of the flooded areas very well, its swaying will give it away.

Observation areas where we can find it

Cerrillos | Ribera de la Algaida | Salinas Nuevas

Notes

[1] The names used are from the list of birds of Spain, drawn up by SEO/BirdLife and updated to 2019 (https://seo.org/listaavesdeespana/). The reference is: Rouco, M., Copete, J. L., De Juana, E., Gil-Velasco, M., Lorenzo, J. A., Martín, M., Milá, B., Molina, B. & Santos, D. M. 2019. Checklist of the birds of Spain. 2019 edition. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.

[2] The taxonomic family to which it belongs is indicated.

[3] Traditionally, waterbirds have been grouped according to their taxonomy or “taxonomic affinity”, i.e., when some birds coincide in certain features that allow them to be classified scientifically, but without leaving the rigour of science, they are put together in these groups so that they can be easily recognised. These groups are the following: Greves (belonging to the Podicipedae family), Herons and Similar (includes the families: Ardeidae -Herons- Ciconiidae -Storks- and Threskiornithidae -Ibises and spoonbills-), Ducks (the whole Anatidae family), Coots and Similar (the family Rallidae corresponding to Rails, Gallinules and Coots), Cranes (also with only one family, the Gruidae), Waders , a heterogeneous group, the most diverse of this classification, includes the families Burhinidae (Stone-curlews), Haematopodidae (Oystercather), Recurvirostridade (Avocets and Stilts), Glareolidae (Pranticole), Charadriidadea (Plovers), Scolapacidae and finally Gulls and Similar (the recently unified family Laridae, i.e. Gulls and Terns).

[4] Phenology studies the relationship between the cycles of living beings and meteorological factors, and in our latitude these factors manifest themselves as variations throughout the year, thus relating the seasons to the birds’ cycles (breeding, migratory journeys, etc.) The graph shows the probability of seeing a bird depending on the month. It uses data from 48 bird censuses carried out between October 2016 and September 2018. The method used is that of a census route with sampling stations, with a total count on the sheet of water.