BiologyBase
Base Museum Life Sciences Dept


Shorebirds of the World

BiologyBase Checklist Index  

a checklist

by Robert B. Hole, Jr.

Ranges given are, of course, rough guides. I made no attempt to be specific in most cases. In migratory species, I chose to include all the area between winter and breeding ranges, as the birds may be seen there during migration.

specific notes: western South America is generally that area west of the Andes Mountains, and may include those mountains.

Though all spelling and interpretation errors are mine, the names and ranges primarily follow: Hayman, P., J. Marchant and T. Prater. 1986. Shorebirds an identification guide to the waders of the world. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.412 pp. which can be found through Ecology Designs along with other bird related gifts and books.


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Jacanidae Haematopodidae Burhnindae Pluvianellidae
Rostratulidae Ibidohrynchidae Glareolidae Scolopacidae
Dromadidae Recurvirostridae Charadriidae Thrinocoridae


Family Jacanidae

Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis
Range: subsaharan Africa

African Jacana Actophilornis africana
Range: subsaharan Africa

Madagascar Jacana Actophilornis albinucha
Range: Madagascar

Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea
Range: N. Australia, Indonesia

Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Range: southern Asia

Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
Range: southern Asia

Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa
Range: central America, Caribbean

Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana
Range: South America


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Family Rostratulidae

Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis
Range: old world tropics

South American Painted Snipe Nycticryphes semicollaris
Range: southern South America


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Family Dromadidae

Crab Plover Dromas ardeola
Range: coastal southwestern Asia and eastern Africa


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Family Haematopodidae

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Range: Eurasia

American Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus
Range: southern North America, through South America, coastally

American Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
Range: coastal western North America

African Black Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini
Range: southern African coast

Canarian Black Oystercatcher Haematopus meadewaldoi
Range: Canary Islands

Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor
Range: New Zealand

Chatham Islands Oystercatcher Haematopus chathamensis
Range: Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand

Magellanic Oystercatcher Haematopus leucopodus
Range: extreme southern South America

Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
Range: coastal Australia

Blackish Oystercatcher Haematopus ater
Range: coastal southern and western South America

Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus
Range: coastal Australia


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Family Ibidorhynchidae

Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii
Range: south-central Asia


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Family Recurvirostridae

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Range: worldwide

Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae
Range: New Zealand

Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus
Range: southern Australia

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Range: Africa, Eurasia

American Avocet Recurvirostra americana
Range: North America

Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
Range: Australia

Andean Avocet Recurvirostra andina
Range: central Andes, South America


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Family Burhinidae

Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
Range: Europe, southwestern Asia, north Africa

Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis
Range: central Africa

Water Dikkop Burhinus vermiculatus
Range: subsaharan Africa

Spotted Dikkop Burhinus capensis
Range: subsaharan Africa

Double-striped Thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus
Range: central America, northern South America, Caribbean

Peruvian Thick-knee Burhinus superciliaris
Range: coastal Peru, South America

Bush Thick-knee Burhinus magnirostris
Range: Australia

Great Thick-knee Esacus Burhinus recurvirostris
Range: India, Malaysia

Beach Thick-knee Esacus Burhinus magnirostris
Range: from southern Malaysia through Australia


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Family Glareolidae

Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius
Range: subsaharan Africa (spotty)

Two-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus
Range: eastern and southern Africa

Heuglin's Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus
Range: eastern Africa

Violet-tipped Courser Rhinoptilus chalcopterus
Range: subsaharan Africa

Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
Range: southeastern India

Cream-colored Courser Cursoius cursor
Range: saharan Africa

Burchell's Courser Cursoius rufus
Range: southern Africa, and the horn of Africa

Indian Courser Cursoius coromandelicus
Range: India

Temminick's Courser Cursoius temminckii
Range: subsaharan Africa

Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella
Range: Indonesia, Australia

Common Pratincole Glareola pratincola
Range: Europe, european Asia, Africa

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
Range: southern Asia through Australia

Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni
Range: european Asia, Africa

Madagascar Pratincole Glareola ocularis
Range: Madagascar, adjacent Africa

Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis
Range: subsaharan Africa

Grey Pratincole Glareola cinerea
Range: western central Africa

Little Pratincole Glareola lactea
Range: India and Malaysia


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Family Charadriidae

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Range: Eurasia

Long-toed Lapwing Vanellus crassirostris
Range: southeastern Africa

Blacksmith Plover Vanellus spinosus
Range: southern Africa

Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus
Range: central Africa, Nile River Valley, adjacent southern Asia

River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii
Range: southeast Asia

Black-headed Plover Vanellus tectus
Range: central Africa just south of the sahara

Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus
Range: India

Senegal Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus
Range: subsaharan Africa

White-headed Lapwing Vanellus albiceps
Range: subsaharan Africa

Senegal Plover Vanellus lugubris
Range: south-central Africa

Black-winged Plover Vanellus melanopterus
Range: eastern Africa (spotty)

Brown-chested Plover Vanellus superciliosus
Range: central Africa

Spot-breasted Plover Vanellus melanocephalus
Range: local area in northeastern Africa

Sociable Plover Vanellus gregarius
Range: european Asia, southwestern Asia, northeastern Africa

White-tailed Plover Vanellus leucurus
Range: european Asia, southwestern Asia, northeastern Africa

Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus
Range: southern and eastern Africa

Pied Plover Vanellus cayanus
Range: central and northern South America

Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis
Range: South America

Andean Lapwing Vanellus resplendens
Range: central Andes, South America

Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus
Range: northeastern China, Japan, Malaysia

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
Range: southern Asia

Javanese Wattled Lapwing Vanellus macropterus
Range: Java

Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor
Range: southern Australia

Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
Range: eastern Australia, New Guinea

Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
Range: Europe and western Asia

Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica
Range: tropical Pacific basin and adjacent areasAmerican Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica
Range: new world

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Range: world wide

New Zealand Dotterel Charadrius obscurus
Range: New Zealand

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Range: Asia, Africa, Greenland and adjacent North America

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus
Range: North and South America

Long-billed Plover Charadrius placidus
Range: eastern Asia

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Range: Eurasia, Indonesia, Africa

Wilson's Plover Charadrius wilsonia
Range: southern North America through northern South America

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
Range: North America through northern South America

Piping Plover Charadrius melodus
Range: eastern North America

Black-banded Sandplover Charadrius thoracicus
Range: southern Madagascar

Kittlitz's Sandplover Charadrius pecuarius
Range: subsaharan Africa

St. Helena Plover Charadrius sanctaehelenae
Range: St. Helena Island, west of central Africa

Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
Range: central eastern and southern Africa

Forbes's Plover Charadrius forbesi
Range: central western Africa

Snowy (Kentish) Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Range: world wide

White-fronted Sandplover Charadrius marginatus
Range: subsaharan Africa

Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus
Range: Australia

Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii
Range: southern Malaysia, Indonesia

Chestnut-banded Sandplover Charadrius pallidus
Range: southern Africa

Collared Plover Charadrius collaris
Range: Central and South America

Puna Plover Charadrius alticola
Range: central Andes, South America

Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus
Range: Australia, New Zealand

Two-banded Plover Charadrius falklandicus
Range: coastal southern South America

Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus
Range: Asia through Australia and eastern Africa

Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii
Range: Asia through Australia and eastern Africa

Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus
Range: southcentral Asia, eastern Africa

Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus
Range: eastern Asia through Australia

Rufous-chested Dotterel Charadrius modestus
Range: southern South America

Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus
Range: western North America

Black-fronted Plover Charadrius melanops
Range: Australia, New Zealand

Red-kneed Dotterel Charadrius cinctus
Range: Australia

Hooded Plover Charadrius rubricollis
Range: southern Australia

Shore Plover Thinornis novaeseelandiae
Range: Southeast Island, Chatham Islands

Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis
Range: New Zealand

Diademed Plover Phegornis mitchellii
Range: Andes, South America

Inland Dotterel Peltohyas australis
Range: Australia

Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus
Range: Eurasia, northern Africa

Tawny-throated Dotterel Oreopholus ruficollis
Range: western and southern south America


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Family Pluvianellidae

Magellanic Plover Pluvianellus socialis
Range: southern South America


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Family Scolopacidae

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Range: old world

Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica
Range: new world

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Range: old world

Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa
Range: North and Central America

Little Curlew Numenius minutus
Range: Asia through Australia

Eskimo Curlew Numenius borealis
Range: North and South America locally (possibley extinct)

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Range: world wide

Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis
Range: western Alaska (North America) and southern Pacific islands

Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris
Range: locally in central Asia and northern Africa

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Range: Eurasia through Africa

Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
Range: north east Asia through Australia

Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus
Range: North America

Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda
Range: North and South America

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Range: Asia and Africa

Redshank Tringa totanus
Range: Asia and Africa

Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Range: Asia, Africa, Australia

Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Range: Asia, Africa, Australia

Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer
Range: coastal eastern and southeastern Asia, locally

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
Range: new world

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
Range: new world

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Range: Asia and Africa

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
Range: new world

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Range: old world

Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
Range: North America, Caribbean, Central America, northern South America

Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
Range: Old World

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Range: old world

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
Range: new world

Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes
Range: eastern Asia through Australia

Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus
Range: western North America, south Pacific

Tuamotu Sandpiper Prosobonia cancellata
Range: Tuamotu island, southcentral Pacific

White-winged Sandpiper Prosobonia leucoptera
Range:

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Range: world wide

Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala
Range: western North America

Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
Range: new world

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Range: world wide in migration, breeds in high arctic, winters in southern Asia, Indonesia, and off western South America as well as locally in Africa and western coastal North America

Grey Phalarope Phalaorpus fulicarius
Range: world wide in migration, breeds in high arctic, winters off western coast of South America, and western Africa

Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
Range: Eurasia, north Africa

Amami Woodcock Scolopax mira
Range: Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan

Dusky Woodcock Scolopax saturata
Range: Indonesia

Celebes Woodcock Scolopax celebensis
Range: Celebes islands

Obi Woodcock Scolopax rochussenii
Range: locally Indonesia, possibly (probably) extinct

American Woodcock Scolopax minor
Range: eastern North America

New Zealand Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica
Range: southern New Zealand

Chatham Islands Snipe Coenocorypha pusilla
Range: Chatham Islands

Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria
Range: eastern Asia

Japanese Snipe Gallinago hardwickii
Range: Japan to eastern Australia

Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola
Range: southeastern Asia through India

Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura
Range: eastern Asia

Swinhoe's Snipe Gallinago megala
Range: eastcentral Asia through northern Australia

African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis
Range: subsaharan eastern Africa

Madagascar Snipe Gallinago macrodactyla
Range: Madagascar

Great Snipe Gallinago media
Range: Europe, european Asia, Africa

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Range: worldwide north of equator

Magellan Snipe Gallinago paraguaiae
Range: South America

Noble Snipe Gallinago nobilis
Range: northwestern South America

Giant Snipe Gallinago undulata
Range: northern and east central South America

Cordilleran Snipe Gallinago stricklandii
Range: southern South America

Andean Snipe Gallinago jamesoni
Range: northern Andes, South America

Imperial Snipe Gallinago imperialis
Range: local, Peru, South America

Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
Range: Eurasia, Africa

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
Range: North America through central South America, primarily coastally in winter

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
Range: coastal Siberia, Alaska, western south and southern North America

Asiatic Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus
Range: Asia to Australia

Surfbird Aphriza Limnodromus virgata
Range: western coasts of North, Central and South America

Red Knot Calidris canutus
Range: world wide

Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris
Range: east Asia through Australia

Sanderling Calidris alba
Range: world wide

Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
Range: North America through central South America, coastally

Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri
Range: North America to northern South America

Red-necked Stint Calidris minuta
Range: eastern Asia through Australia

Little Stint Calidris minuta
Range: Asia through Africa

Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
Range: Asia through central Africa

Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta
Range: eastern Asia through Australia

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
Range: North America thorugh central South America

White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
Range: new world

Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii
Range: new world

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Range: new world, east Asia through Australia

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
Range: east Asia through Australia

Cox's Sandpiper Calidris paramelanotos
Range: southern Australia

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima
Range: coastal northwestern Eurasia and eastern North America

Rock Sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis
Range: northern Pacific basin, Japan through central California (USA)

Dunlin Calidris alpina
Range: new world north of tropics, old world north of equator

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferrugnea
Range: Asia through Africa and Australia

Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmaeus
Range: coastal eastern Siberia through southern Asia

Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus
Range: northern Europe, Asia, though Australia

Stilt Sandpiper Micropalama himantopus
Range: new world

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis
Range: new world

Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Range: old world


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Family Thinocoridae

Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe Attagis gayi
Range: western South America

White-bellied Seedsnipe Attagis malouinus
Range: southern South America

Grey-breasted Seedsnipe Thinocorus orbignyianus
Range: western South America

Least Seedsnipe Thinocorus rumicivorus
Range: western and southern South America


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Original contents copyright © 1995-2007 Robert B. Hole, Jr. all rights reserved