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Curlew Sandpiper


Curlew Sandpiper
Photo Information
Copyright: Akif Aykurt (Raptorman) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 649 W: 11 N: 1065] (10388)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-05-03
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF500/4L IS
Exposure: f/8, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-05-14 10:36
Viewed: 5000
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Curlew Sandpiper ( in breeding plumage )
Lat : Calidris ferruginea
Tur : Kızıl kumkuşu

**The Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea, is a small wader which breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia. It is a vagrant to North America.

Description
These birds are small waders, only slightly larger than Dunlin at 19.5–21 cm in length, but differ from Dunlin in having a longer down-curved bill, longer neck and legs and a white rump. The breeding adult has patterned dark grey upperparts and brick-red underparts. In winter, this bird is pale grey above and white below, and shows an obvious white supercilium. Juveniles have a grey and brown back, a white belly and a peach-coloured breast.

Behaviour
The male Curlew Sandpiper performs an aerial display during courtship. The clutch of 3–4 eggs are laid in ground scrape in the tundra.
This wader is highly gregarious, and will form flocks with other calidrid waders, particularly Dunlin. Despite its easterly breeding range, this species is regular on passage in western Europe, presumably because of the southwesterly migration route.
It forage in soft mud on marshes and the coast, mainly picking up food by sight. It mostly eats insects and other small invertebrates.
The numbers of this species (and of Little Stint) depend on the population of lemmings. In poor lemming years, predatory species such as skuas and Snowy Owls will take Arctic-breeding waders instead.
This species occasionally hybridizes with the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and the Pectoral Sandpiper, producing the presumed "species" called "Cooper's Sandpiper" ("Calidris" × cooperi) and "Cox's Sandpiper" ("Calidris" × paramelanotos), respectively.

Taxonomy
This is a fairly unusual species, and has been proposed as as type species of the genus Erolia but the DNA sequence data is currently insufficient to resolve its relationships (Thomas et al., 2004). This matter is of taxonomic relevance since, as the Curlew Sandpiper is the type species, a close relationship with the small "stint" sandpipers would preclude the use of Erolia for the present species.

The Curlew Sandpiper is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies .

**From Wikipedia
Argus, jconceicao, nglen, cirano, elif, cloud has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 483 W: 0 N: 1345] (10867)
  • [2009-05-14 10:51]

Hi Akif,

Very sharp and colorful bird. You captured the brownish color very good.This is a rare bird and I like to see it.
TFS.

regards,
Zeno.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2009-05-14 11:06]

Hello Akif,
A superb portrait of Curlew Sandpiper in breeding plumage. The low POV, sharpness and lighting are all excellent.
Thanks and best regards,
Ivan

Hello Akif,

Excellent shot.
Wonderful colours with fantastic details.
Lighting and composition are splendid.
Good notes.

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2009-05-14 11:52]

Hi Akif. This is a fine capture of the Curlew Sandpiper , Which you have taken with a good detail in the feather in their breeding colours. It is look smart and healthy. I like the low POV. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 26 N: 3888] (16941)
  • [2009-05-14 12:36]

Hello Akif
Excellent capture. Good light, wonderful colors and great details.
Regards
Razvan

Akif Bey,
hem kuşumuz hemde yansıması çok güzel olmuş.
Göz teması ayrı bir renk katmış.
Ellerinize sağlık...

  • Great 
  • cirano Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 997 W: 0 N: 944] (13609)
  • [2009-05-14 13:08]

Merhaba Akif,
Çok değişik ama çok güzel bir tür.Çekim son derece kaliteli ve estetik.
Ellerine sağlık.

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 497 W: 111 N: 1535] (9539)
  • [2009-05-15 0:35]

Hello Akif,
What a splendid colours this species. Very good sharpness and blurred BG.
Regards, Pawel

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2009-05-15 10:53]

Hello Akif,
Wow, this photo looks so natural! Splendid colours in the feathers and sharp details. Fantastic low POV and a very good DOF. Superb photo!
Have a good weekend,
Peter

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