- Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
Taxobox
name = Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Charadriiformes
familia =Thinocoridae
genus = "Attagis "
species = "A. gayi"
binomial = "Attagis gayi"
binomial_authority = (Saint- Hilaire and Lesson,1831 )The Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, " Attagis gayi", is a
wader which is a resident breedingbird in theAndes ofSouth America south fromEcuador .It is a member of the
seedsnipe family, a group of small gregariouswader s which have adapted to a vegetarian diet of seeds and other plant material. It is found in the high Andes at up to 4000 m, although it can occur as low as 2000 m in the south of its range. It is very hardy, and does not move downhill even in harsh conditions.Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, when on the ground, looks superficially like a
partridge in structure and bill shape. It has short legs and long pointed wings, and looks much more like a wader orsandgrouse in flight. It is the largest seedsnipe at 29-31 cm in length and with a 19-21 cm wingspan.The nominate race which breeds in
Chile andPatagonia has scalloped pale rufous underparts, and reddish brown upperparts, with much barring. "A.g. latreillii" ofEcuador is deeper chestnut below and darker above. "A.g. simonsi" ofPeru ,Bolivia and northwestArgentina is intermediate in appearance.The sexes are similar, and the juveniles are also very much like the adults, although even more heavily barred. The call is a harsh "tchaaa".
The Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe’s 2-3 eggs are laid in a shallow scape on the ground, and the young are able to walk and feed as soon as they are hatched. .
References
* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* "Shorebirds" by Hayman, Marchant and Prater ISBN 0-395-60237-8External links
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=1571 Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.