Family SCOLOPACIDAE Rafinesque, 1815

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Introduction

Scolopacidae are the largest family group within the Charadriiformes with 92 species in 23 genera. In Australia, 31 of the species are represented by 14 genera. Many of the species are migratory, arriving in Australia during the austral summer. Within the family, there are 149 ultrataxa, 32 of which have been represented at some time in Australia. They are large to small sized, all have long bills and the legs varying from short to long depending on body size. All have long, pointed wings useful in their long distance movements and rapid flight.

Scolopacids are cosmopolitan and all breed in the Northern Hemisphere. The snipe, godwits, sandpipers, curlews, and stints are aquatic or terrestrial feeders. They are widely distributed across the continent, preferring shallow wetlands, estuaries, mudflats, offshore islands and brackish water. Feeding is accomplished by probing mud for invertebrates or chasing miniscule flying invertebrates by running and pecking. Many are solitary or occur in large groups, these larger groups often gather prior to their northern migrations. The birds remain silent unless disturbed or when in groups, when many of the smaller species utter a series of low peeps. Larger species have loud diagnostic calls.

Scolopacids are not known to nest in Australia. In the Northern Hemisphere the nests are placed on the ground, either amongst low vegetation or between rocks. Many have a lining of local vegetation. Two, three or sometimes four eggs constitute a completed clutch. Each has a pale ochre or creamy yellow base colour and is spotted and blotched with shades of browns and greys.

Excluded Taxa

Vagrant Species

CAVS:0892
SCOLOPACIDAE: Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein, 1812) [Upland Sandpiper; vagrant to NSW] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [24, 140]

CAVS:0888
SCOLOPACIDAE: Calidris (Erolia) alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) [Dunlin; identity of subspecies visiting Australia (Qld and Vic) as vagrants unclear; C. a. sakhalina (Vieillot, 1816), C. a. kistchinskii Tomkovich, 1986 and C. a. actites Nechaev & Tomkovich, 1988, which breed from far east Siberia to the Kuril and north Sakhalin Ils, are the most likely] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

CAVS:0890
SCOLOPACIDAE: Calidris (Erolia) bairdii (Coues, 1861) [Baird's Sandpiper] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

CAVS:0849
SCOLOPACIDAE: Calidris (Erolia) fuscicollis (Vieillot, 1819) [White-rumped Sandpiper] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

CAVS:0827
SCOLOPACIDAE: Calidris (Erolia) himantopus (Bonaparte, 1826) [Stilt Sandpiper; vagrant to NSW, NT and Vic] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

CAVS:8079
SCOLOPACIDAE: Calidris subruficollis (Vieillot, 1819) [Buff-breasted Sandpiper]

CAVS:0764
SCOLOPACIDAE: Limnodromus griseus (Gmelin, 1789) [Short-billed Dowitcher] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

CAVS:0815
SCOLOPACIDAE: Limosa haemastica (Linnaeus, 1758) [Hudsonian Godwit; vagrant in SA and NSW] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [24, 140]

CAVS:8784
SCOLOPACIDAE: Numenius (Phaeopus) phaeopus hudsonicus Latham, 1790 [Alaskan Whimbrel; vagrant to the NT, only one record form Darwin, Northern Territory (Higgins & Davies 1996)] — Higgins, P.J. & Davis, S.J.J.F. 1996. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Melbourne : Oxford University Press Volume 3 Snipe to Pigeons 1028 pp.

CAVS:8077
SCOLOPACIDAE: Numenius arquata (Linnaeus, 1758) [Eurasian curlew]

CAVS:8078
SCOLOPACIDAE: Numenius arquata orientalis (Brehm, 1831) [Eastern Eurasian Curlew]

CAVS:0835
SCOLOPACIDAE: Phalaropus fulicarius (Linnaeus, 1758) [Grey Phalarope; vagrant to SA and Vic] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

CAVS:0886
SCOLOPACIDAE: Steganopus tricolor Vieillot, 1819 [Wilson's Phalarope; vagrant to Vic] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [139, 140]

CAVS:0820
SCOLOPACIDAE: Tringa (Erythroscelus) erythropus (Pallas, 1764) [Spotted Redshank] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [24, 138, 140]

CAVS:0809
SCOLOPACIDAE: Tringa (Rhyacophilus) flavipes (Gmelin, 1789) [Lesser Yellowlegs] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 1994. The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories. Monograph 2. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union iv 112 pp.; Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [24, 138, 140]

CAVS:9944
SCOLOPACIDAE: Tringa (Rhyacophilus) ochropus Linnaeus, 1758 [Green Sandpiper; NT vagrant] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [24, 140]

CAVS:0850
SCOLOPACIDAE: Tringa (Totanus) guttifer (Nordmann, 1835) [Nordmann's Greenshank] — Christidis, L. & Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 288 pp. [140]

General References

Baker, A.J., Pereira, S.L. & Paton, T.A. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Charadriiformes genera: multigene evidence for the Cretaceous origin of at least 14 clades of shorebirds. Biological Letters 3(2): 205-210

Gibson, R. & Baker, A. 2012. Multiple gene sequences resolve phylogenetic relationships in the shorebird suborder Scolopaci (Aves: Charadriiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 64(1): 66-72

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