Diademed Sandpiper-Plover

Overview

The diademed sandpiper-plover, or diademed plover (Phegornis mitchellii), is a Near Threatened bird that is the sole member of its genus. Though once classified with sandpipers, genetic data firmly places it among plovers in the family Charadriidae.

Identification

• Size: 16.5 to 19 cm long, weighing 28 to 46 g, with sexes alike.
• Plumage: Adults feature a black face with a wide white supercilium, a black crown, a bright rufous nape, and barred black-and-white underparts.
• Features: Possesses a black, slightly decurved bill and orange legs and feet.
• Vocalization: Foraging calls are a clipped 'pic' or 'pic-pic', while alarm calls include a plaintive 'wheehu' and a loud 'whEEHU!'.

Habitat

Found in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, this species inhabits a narrow elevational range between 2,000 and 5,000 m. It is a habitat specialist living almost entirely in high-altitude peatlands and bogs characterised by grassy banks and shallow streams.

Diet

The bird forages alone or in pairs by probing in wet ground or shallow water, and by picking prey from the water surface and aquatic plants. Its diet consists mostly of aquatic invertebrates.

Did you know?

The species is an elevational migrant in the south of its range, moving to lower areas in March and returning to higher elevations in October. Its survival is threatened by climate change, which is projected to reduce the unique peatland ecosystem by up to 75% by the year 2100.