Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée— Quebec wildlife

The pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos), often abbreviated pec, is a small, migratory wader that breeds in arctic regions of North America and Asia, wintering in South America and Oceania. It eats small invertebrates. Its nest, a hole scraped in the ground and with a thick lining, is deep enough to protect its four eggs from the cool breezes of its breeding grounds. The pectoral sandpiper is 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) long, with a wingspan of 38–46 cm (15–18 in).

Description

This bird looks similar to the widely sympatric sharp-tailed sandpiper (C. acuminata), which is not however a member of the same clade in the genus. The pectoral sandpiper is a largish calidrid (19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) in length, with a wingspan of 37–46 cm (15–18 in)) with a grey-brown back, brownest in the summer male, and greyest in winter. The pectoral sandpiper has a grey breast, sharply demarcated at its lower edge, which gives this species its English name; this clear dividing line is particularly conspicuous if the birds are turned towards the observer. The legs are yellowish, and the bill is olive with a darker tip. The males are on average heavier than the females, but with much overlap; in breeding plumage, males also have a blacker breast spotted whitish. The juveniles are more brightly patterned above with rufous coloration and white mantle stripes. This species differs from the sharp-tailed sandpiper in its strong breast band pattern, weaker supercilium and browner, less rufous crown.