Charadriiformes / Scolopacidae / Xenus
Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus · 翘嘴鹬
Introduction
Small migratory Palearctic wader and the only member of the genus Xenus. Breeds in taiga habitats across northern Eurasia and winters on tropical coasts in East Africa, South Asia, and Australia. Distinctive for its long upcurved bill and active foraging behavior, often chasing mobile prey. Classified as not threatened by the IUCN.
Description
Length 22–25 cm (8.7–9.8 in). Possesses a long, upcurved bill with a yellowish base and black tip. Plumage features a grey back, face, and breast in all stages, with a whitish belly. A white supercilium may be distinct. Feet are yellow.
Identification
Distinguished from the common sandpiper by larger size and the distinctive long, upcurved bill. The bill shape is reminiscent of an avocet but less strongly curved. Grey upperparts and yellow legs are key field marks.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds near water in the taiga from Finland through northern Siberia to the Kolyma River. Migrates south to winter on tropical coasts in East Africa, South Asia, and Australia, preferring muddy areas. Rare vagrant in western Europe, Alaska, Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, and the Neotropics, with records as far south as Argentina. Occasionally passes through the Marianas; uncommon on Palau.
Behavior & Ecology
Feeds actively by chasing insects and other mobile prey, sometimes running to the water's edge to wash catch. Nests in a lined ground scrape, laying three or four eggs. Often associates with ruddy turnstones, small calidrids, and Charadrius plovers. Vocalization is a high whistle.
Conservation
Not considered a threatened species by the IUCN. Widespread and often commonly seen. One of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Xenus
Distribution
breeds low Arctic tundra and taiga from Finland and Ukraine eastward to Chukotskiy Peninsula and southward to western Amurland (eastern Russia); winters mainly coastal mudflats and estuaries from eastern Africa eastward to Taiwan and northern Australia
Vocalizations
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
