Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus, 1758)

		spring plumage autumn plumage juvenile
2013-04-25 Karatau mountains, Taskol lake.. 2006-09-05 Balkhash Lake, South Western Coast2016-08-27 Lake Malyye Burli, Karabalyk district, Kostanay region	© Yevgeny Belousov © Askar Isabekov© Yuriy Malkov

Distribution

Breeds on Ural and Irtysh rivers, in mountains and foothills of Southwest Altai, Kalbinskiy Altai, Saur, Monrak, Tarbagatay, Dzhungarskiy Alatau and Tien Shan. On migration occurs in Kazakhstan everywhere, mostly on plains. Occasionally winters on unfrozen waters in south from Shymkent.

Biology

Common, in places rare breeding migrant. Inhabits freshwater lakes, ponds, lowland and mountain rivers and streams with pebbly, mud or sandy shores covered with sparse vegetation. In mountains it lives in altitudes up to 3000 m. In spring appears singly or in pairs and small groups in southern areas in the end of March – early April, in northern areas in April or in early May. Migration finishes in mid-end May. Breeds in separate pairs not close one to other. Nest is built in shallow hole and is lined with dry grass. Clutches of 4 eggs is in May – June. Both parents incubate for 20 days and feed nestlings which hatch in June – July. After the juveniles become independent the broods disperse to south singly or in small groups, not formed the large flocks. Autumn migration begins in mid-July, most birds departed in August – September.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.