Surfbird

Taxobox
name = Surfbird
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

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image_width = 220px
image_caption = Surfbird in nest
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Charadriiformes
familia = Scolopacidae
genus = "Aphriza" (disputed)
genus_authority = Audubon, 1839
species = "A. virgata"
binomial = "Aphriza virgata"
binomial_authority = (Gmelin, 1789)
subdivision_ranks = Synonyms
subdivision = "Calidris virgata"

The Surfbird is a small stocky wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is usually classified in a genus of its own, as "Aphriza virgata", but more recent data suggests it is very close genetically to the Red and Great Knots and should be included in "Calidris" (Thomas "et al.", 2004). Indeed, the Great Knot looks very much like a larger, more long-billed, and somewhat darker surfbird.

This bird has a short dark bill, yellow legs and a black band at the end of the white rump. In breeding plumage, it has dark streaks on the brownish head and breast with dark spots on its white underparts; the upperparts are dark with rust colouring on the wings. Birds in winter plumage and immature birds are mainly grey on the upperparts and breast and white on the underparts with streaking.Their breeding habitat is rocky tundra areas in Alaska and the Yukon. The female lays 4 eggs in a depression on the ground lined with vegetation. Both parents look after the young birds, who feed themselves.

These birds migrate to the Pacific coasts of North and South America, from southern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.

On the nesting grounds, these birds mainly eat insects and some seeds. At other times of year, they eat mollusks and crustaceans found along the surf line on rocky coasts and are usually found in small flocks, often with turnstones.

The song is a whistled "tee tee tee".

ee also

* USS "Surfbird" (AM-383) — a United States Navy minesweeper built during World War II.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

* Thomas, Gavin H.; Wills, Matthew A. & Székely, Tamás (2004): A supertree approach to shorebird phylogeny. "BMC Evol. Biol." 4: 28. doi|10.1186/1471-2148-4-28 [http://www.pubmedcentral.org/picrender.fcgi?artid=515296&blobtype=pdf PDF fulltext] [http://www.pubmedcentral.org/articlerender.fcgi?artid=515296#supplementary-material-sec Supplementary Material]