Wandering Tattler
Migrant sandpipers ( Heteroscelus incanus )
The hiking water striders ( Heteroscelus incanus ) is a monotypic species of the family of the Waders. The species occurs exclusively in the Nearctic. The IUCN classifies the hiking water striders as a uncritical ( least concern ).
Appearance
The hiking water runner reaches a body length of 26-30 cm, which is slightly larger than the closely related gray water tail rotor which is widespread in the Palaearctic. The wing span of the hiking water strider is 55 to 70 centimeters. The weight varies 90-125 grams.
In breeding plumage of migrant sandpipers has a slate-gray upper head, neck and slate gray body top. Individual feathers have a white tip, so that the body top has small white spots. A white eyes slipping over runs from the forehead above the eyes to the back of the head, below that is a darker stripe that runs from the beak base over his eyes. The eye rings are white and accentuated by the dark eyes glancing especially. The beak is dark gray with a yellow beak gray base. The eyes are dark. The cheeks, chin, throat and underparts are white with a very dense dark gray transverse corrugation. Most individuals have a white, non- subscribed spot on the belly. The legs are relatively strong in relation to the body and are bright yellow to yellow- greenish. In Plain dress the transverse corrugation missing on the breast and flanks, these are then slate gray. Young birds resemble the adult birds in Plain dress, but have indicated gray cross drawing on the breast and flanks, and white feather tips on the upper wing-coverts.
Distribution area
The hiking water strider has been compared with the gray tail water striders a relatively small breeding area. It breeds only in Alaska and the adjacent Yukon Territory, but throughout the range of rare. As habitat it prefers the gravel banks of rivers or rocky shores. He is an obligatory migratory pulling on the West Coast of the United States during the winter months. He then also occurs in Hawaii, as well as some more remote Pacific islands. Its habitat during the winter half of the year are rocky coasts.
Way of life
The migrant sandpiper eats invertebrates, while insects and their larvae play a particularly important role. He also eats mollusks and worms. His food he picked from the water surface or find them by poking around in the damp substrate, or in the shallow water zone.
During the winter months of migrant sandpipers live in groups. In the breeding areas, however, the males occupied breeding territories from which they sell the other males. Migrant sandpipers enter into a monogamous marriage season. The nest is built on the ground near water. It is merely a shallow depression that is designed with some plant material. The nest consists of three to four eggs. These are pale green or olive color and mottled with brown and speckled. The incubation period is 23 to 25 days. Both parents are involved in the breeding birds. The chicks are precocial, which are guided by both parents birds. They fledge at 18 to 21 days.
Migrant sandpipers breed for the first time before the second year of life.