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education: birds of georgia Upland Sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda
Status: Rare to uncommon transient statewide in spring 10 Mar (1939) - 18 May (1950) and fall 7 Jul (1977) - 20 Sep (1909). High count: 38 near Marshallville ( Macon ) 7 Aug 2006 (Howard, Pierre). With advent of sod farms in GA, species is more readily observed, especially in Bartow , Macon , Floyd , Murray , M organ , Peach and Bulloch . By late Jul and early Aug, can be found in appropriate habitat in GA reliably through the third week of Aug, and thereafter in smaller numbers into mid-Sep. Habitat: Large expanses of short grass or sod, mostly on sod farms, pastures and airports. Breeding occurs across northern Great Plains and in Prairie Provinces of Canada Never seen on mudflats or beaches. Nests in expanses of native grasslands with taller grasses. Diet: Mostly insects and some seeds. Wide variety of insect prey includes grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, moths, and caterpillars. Also spiders, centipedes and earthworms. Eats some grass and weed seeds. (Kaufman 1996) Identification: Sexually monomorphic, large (L 12 in; WS 26 in; WT 6 oz) curlew-like sandpiper whose body structure, size and appearance are unlike other sandpipers. Large body, long thin neck and small head with large black eye on plain, blank face, short yellow bill, and long yellow legs all contribute to its odd and ungainly appearance. Upper parts light brown with a scaly pattern on wings and back. Underparts white with black barring along sides. In flight, upperwing has pale secondaries and dark primaries, with outermost primary bright white, as in curlews (Sibley 2000). On breeding grounds, performs fluttering display flight over territory, and often seen on fence posts or other elevated perches. Conservation: Numbers greatly reduced by market hunting in late 1800's. In the 20 th century, numbers rebounded in some areas and are holding steady in parts of the Great Plains and Prairie Provinces. Very local in east and northeast (Kaufman 1996). Proliferation of sod farms in southeastern states may aid fueling for migration. Preservation of native grasslands in Great Plains essential.
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