Seedsnipe

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Seedsnipe
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe (Attagis gayi) - Papallacta - Ecuador.jpg
Rufous-bellied seedsnipe
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Suborder: Thinocori
Family: Thinocoridae
Gray, 1845
Genera

Attagis
Thinocorus

A skull of a grey-breasted seedsnipe, in the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum Thinocorus orbignyianus skull.jpg
A skull of a grey-breasted seedsnipe, in the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum

The seedsnipes are a small family, Thinocoridae, of small gregarious waders which have adapted to a herbivorous diet. The family is divided into two genera, Attagis and Thinocorus , each containing two species. The family has a South American distribution, in the Andean and Patagonian regions. The relationships with other families within the order Charadriiformes are uncertain, it has been suggested that the plains wanderer of Australia, the jacanas and the painted snipes are their closest relatives. [1] The plains wanderer in particular has a similar feeding ecology, although differs markedly in breeding biology. The family's common name is misleading, as they do not resemble true snipe, having short bills on small heads, and seeds do not form a major part of the diet. [2] One species Thinocorus rumicivorus is however known to feed on the fleshy flower petal appendages of Calceolaria uniflora , a species of Scrophularaceae. In the process of feeding on these sugar rich appendages, they also pollinate the flowers. [3]

Contents

They resemble grouse, quail and sandgrouse, only with long wings. [2] The seedsnipes in the genus Thinocorus are smaller, ranging in size from a sparrow to a snipe, whereas the genus Attagis are larger, the size of a ptarmigan. They have short legs (but long toes) and tails. The colour of their plumage is generally cryptic. There is some sexual dimorphism in the plumage of the Thinocorus species, the males have grey faces, necks and breasts.

Seedsnipes inhabit a variety of harsh environments, including grasslands, grass steppes, semi-arid deserts and alpine habitats. The rufous-bellied seedsnipe ranges as far up as to the snowline (5500 m).

Their 2–3 eggs are laid in a shallow scrape on the ground.

Species

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Rufous-bellied seedsnipe Species of bird

The rufous-bellied seedsnipe is a wader which is a resident breeding bird in the Andes of South America south from Ecuador.

<i>Attagis</i> Genus of birds

Attagis is a genus of seedsnipe, a South American family of small gregarious waders which have adapted to a vegetarian diet.

<i>Thinocorus</i> Genus of birds

Thinocorus is a genus of seedsnipe, a South American family of small gregarious waders which have adapted to a vegetarian diet.

Black-throated trogon

The black-throated trogon, also known as yellow-bellied trogon, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. Although it is also called "yellow-bellied trogon" it is not the only trogon with a yellow belly. It breeds in lowlands from Honduras south to western Ecuador and northern Argentina.

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The black-bellied bustard, also known as the black-bellied korhaan, is an African ground-dwelling bird in the bustard family. Some authorities place it in the genus Eupodotis

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The goldenface is a species of passerine bird endemic to New Guinea. It is the only species (monotypic) within the genus Pachycare.

White-bellied seedsnipe Species of bird

The white-bellied seedsnipe is a species of bird in the Thinocoridae family. It is found in southwestern Argentina and Tierra del Fuego. It is a vagrant to the Falkland Islands. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and swamps.

Grey-breasted seedsnipe Species of bird

The grey-breasted seedsnipe is a species of bird in the Thinocoridae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and swamps.

Least seedsnipe Species of bird

The least seedsnipe is a xerophilic species of bird in the Thinocoridae family.

References

  1. ↑ van Tuinen, Marcel; Waterhouse, David & Dyke, Gareth J. (2004): Avian molecular systematics on the rebound: a fresh look at modern shorebird phylogenetic relationships. Journal of Avian Biology35(3): 191-194.
  2. 1 2 Fjeldså, J. (1996) "Family Thinocoridae (Seedsnipes)" in del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1996). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Edicions. ISBN   84-87334-20-2
  3. ↑ Sérsic, A. N.; Cocucci, A. A. (1996). "A Remarkable Case of Ornithophily in Calceolaria : Food Bodies as Rewards for a Non-nectarivorous Bird*". Botanica Acta. 109 (2): 172–176. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.1996.tb00558.x.
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