Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Males inflate a fat throat sac and make a hooting sound across the tundra. Courier with a built-in subwoofer.

Population: Roughly 4-15 million mature individuals (best estimate ~8-15 million); population trend unknown (regional trends conflict)
Habitat: Breeds on Arctic tundra, usually in wet, boggy areas; on migration and in winter uses freshwater and brackish marshes, wet grasslands/meadows, coastal lagoons, and flooded agricultural fields (occasionally to 4,500 m in the Andes)
Fun fact: During courtship, male Pectoral Sandpipers inflate an air sac in the chest/throat to puff up their breast and produce a low hooting sound as they fly low over the tundra to attract mates.
Range: Breeds across the Arctic from Russia's Taymyr Peninsula through Alaska and Arctic Canada; migrates through North and Central America; winters mainly in South America (Peru to Patagonia), with some birds reaching Australia and New Zealand; occasional vagrant to Western Europe and North Africa
Diet: Mainly arthropods and other invertebrates - insects and their larvae (e.g. flies), spiders, and small crustaceans - plus some seeds
Size: 0.21 m
Wingspan: 0.41 m
Lifespan: 6 years

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