Justification This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Family/Sub-family Charadriidae

Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Christidis and Boles (1994), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996), Turbott (1990)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

360,000

unset

3,980,000 km²

No

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: Behaviour This species is fully migratory¹. It departs its breeding grounds from late-July to September (southward movements continuing into November)^{1, 2} and returns from late-May to June¹. It breeds from May to August² in solitary well-dispersed pairs¹ and forages alone or in small loose flocks³ of up to 30 individuals¹. It is gregarious during the winter however, often roosting in large flocks containing up to several thousand individuals¹. Habitat Breeding The species nests in the high Arctic in both upland and valley locations¹ between the treeline and the coast⁴ , utilising dry stony tundra with sedge, moss, lichen¹, grass³ or dwarf birch⁴, peat ridges in tundra marshes³, dry exposed ridges, riverbanks, raised sand or gravel beaches, and rocky slopes³. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species frequents intertidal mudflats, saltmarshes¹, sandflats^{1, 3} and beaches¹ of oceanic coastlines, bays and estuaries³. During migration it may also be found inland on lakes, pools or grasslands¹. Diet Breeding During the breeding season the diet of this species consists largely of adult and larval insects such as beetles and Diptera¹ as well as some plant matter (e.g. grass seeds and stems)¹. Non-breeding When on the coast in its wintering range the species takes marine polychaete worms, molluscs and crustaceans¹ (e.g. crabs, sand shrimps)³, occasionally also taking insects (e.g. grasshoppers and beetles) or earthworms when in inland habitats on passage¹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape¹ on dry ground in exposed, stony sites⁴, neighbouring nests not less than 400 m apart¹. Management information In the UK there is evidence that the removal of Spartina anglica from tidal mudflats using a herbicide is beneficial for the species⁵.

References 1. del Hoyo et al. (1996). 2. Hayman et al. (1986). 3. Johnsgard (1981). 4. Snow and Perrins (1998). 5. Evans (1986).

Further web sources of information

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Pluvialis squatarola. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

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