The grey-breasted seedsnipe (''Thinocorus orbignyianus'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the family

Thinocoridae The seedsnipes are a small family, Thinocoridae, of small gregarious waders which have adapted to a herbivorous diet. The family is divided into two genera, ''Attagis'' and ''Thinocorus'', each containing two species. The family has a South Am ...

. It is found in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 August 2021. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved August 24, 2021

Taxonomy and systematics

The grey-breasted seedsnipe has two subspecies, the nominate ''Thinocorus orbigyianus orbigyianus'' ( Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire &

Lesson A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...

, 1831) and ''T. o. ingae'' ( Tschudi, 1843).

Description

The grey-breasted seedsnipe is long and weighs . The male has a gray head, neck, and upper breast, and a white throat with a black border. Its upperparts are cinnamon buff in a vermiculate pattern. The wings show white bars above and below in flight. The lower breast and belly are white; a narrow black band separates them from the upper breast. The female's head and breast are pale buff with heavy dark streaks. The two subspecies are essentially alike though ''T. o. ingae'' has shorter wings and legs than the nominate.Fjeldså, J. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Gray-breasted Seedsnipe (''Thinocorus orbignyianus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gybsee1.01 retrieved October 20, 2021

Distribution and habitat

The grey-breasted seedsnipe is a bird of the Andes. ''T. o. ingae'' is found from the

Department of Cajamarca Cajamarca (; qu, Kashamarka; ay, Qajamarka) is a department and region in Peru. The capital is the city of Cajamarca. It is located in the north part of the country and shares a border with Ecuador. The city has an elevation of above sea le ...

in Peru through western Bolivia into northern Chile and northwestern Argentina as far as Catamarca and possibly

Mendoza Province Mendoza, officially Province of Mendoza, is a province of Argentina, in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders San Juan to the north, La Pampa and Neuquén to the south, San Luis to the east, and the republic o ...

s. The nominate subspecies is found from northern Chile's

Antofagasta Region The Antofagasta Region ( es, Región de Antofagasta, ) is one of Chile's sixteen first-order administrative divisions. The second-largest region of Chile in area, it comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla. It is bordered t ...

and northwestern Argentina's La Rioja Province south into

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla G ...

. It is a year round resident in most of its range though it moves north out of Tierra del Fuego in winter. It also makes seasonal altitudinal movements. The grey-breasted seedsnipe inhabits

Puna grassland The puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru,Pulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho ...

, mostly in areas with low matted vegetation or short grass near bogs. In Peru it is common between elevation. Further south it mostly breeds above but can be found in summer below in Chilean

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...

Behavior

Feeding

The grey-breasted seedsnipe is usually seen singly or in small family groups. It feeds on the buds and leaves of herbs and

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

Breeding

The grey-breasted seedsnipe breeds between October and February. It places its nest in a clump of grass or other vegetation, usually near water. The clutch size is four eggs.

Vocalization

The grey-breasted seedsnipe's song is "a repetitive, dove-like “coocoop...coocoop...coocoop...". It is given from the ground and also during dusk and dawn display flights. It also makes a "snipe-like 'chrp'" when flushed.

Status

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has assessed the grey-breasted seed-snipe as being of Least Concern. Its population is estimated at between 6700 and 17,000 mature individuals and is believed to be stable. Its large range is generally remote, with little human impact.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1188330 grey-breasted seedsnipe Birds of the Puna grassland Birds of the Southern Andes Birds of Tierra del Fuego grey-breasted seedsnipe Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Taxa named by René Lesson