The Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Features

The common sandpiper is a small and short-legged bird with a strong beak. Their speciality is flying low above the water in an alternating series of fast-moving, shallow sweep of their wings and short phases of sliding with their wings rigidly bent downwards. Their wingspan ranges from 32 to 35 cm.

Species	Bird
Living space	Lake, Pond, Streams
Size	18 - 24 cm
Weight	40 g

Description

The common sandpiper is an omnivore active during the day, which eats food of both animal and vegetable origin. While hunting adult insects and their larvae, spiders, snails, earthworms, and occasionally tadpoles or a young frog, we have the opportunity to observe its coloring. On their backs, wings, heads and necks, they are gray brown with a pattern of black lines. Their bellies are snow white and the whiteness from their abdomens increases markedly up their backs in front of their wings. The common sandpiper is a migratory bird. They return to their breeding areas at the end of March. They prefer nesting on the pebbly, sandy or rocky banks of fast-flowing rivers, as well as lakes with clean water, distant seas and rivers. They built their nests on the ground, and sometimes they dig a small hollow amidst bushes or trees. In Slovenia, the common sandpiper is a highly endangered breeder.