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Common Sandpiper

(Actitis hypoleucos)
Size: 19-21 cm

Sightings

Common Sandpipers have been spotted by us on the campus of Sultan Qaboos University in August-October 2009.

For those who have difficulties telling Common Sandpipers and Green Sandpipers apart, there is a photo below showing both species together.

Photos

Frontal view of a Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper seen from behind

Common Sandpiper (right) and Green Sandpiper (left) seen next to each other

Common Sandpipers will not tire running around a small pond all day long

Sometimes they find something they dig out of the mud

Sometimes you've got to be ambitious...

... and daring

Common Sandpiper on its pedestal

Time for a snooze

...and some gymnastics

Behaviour

Common Sandpipers are well-known for bobbing their tails. This proved to be a major loss of potentially good photos during the course of our observations...

Food

Like other members of the Tringa, Xenus and Actitis families we have seen Common Sandpipers hunt insects (in particular flies) and other small animals along the edges of shallow water. Common Sandpipers were seen by us around fresh water.

The moment of attack - this fly, in front of the bird's bill, did not have long to live

Here another fly is taken...

Gotcha!

These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.