Description:

A strange sandpiper with squat, horizontal stance, short, bright yellowish legs and a distinctly upcurved long bill. Adult breeding has blackish scapular lines. Juvenile is similar to adult breeding, but has buff fringes and dark subterminal marks to feathers of upperparts.

Distribution:

Rare passage migrant in Gilgit-Baltistan, mainly through central waterways and lakes. Usually found in wide variety of wetlands; including marshes, lakes, river banks, boggy areas and grasslands. From lowlands up to 3000m during passage migration.

Behavior:

Rapid feeding action, with abrupt changes of direction; often teeters; pecks at sand or water surface; chases mobile prey on surface, also uses avocet-like sideways sweeping action; frequently probes. On breeding grounds, diet consists mainly of adult and larval midges, as well as seeds. Elsewhere, variety of insects, small molluscs, crustaceans including crabs, spiders and annelid worms.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Terek Sandpiper in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Terek Sandpiper

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.