IDENTIFICATION

VOCALISATIONS

A vocal species with a distinctive voice. Utters a rapid series of 2-5 notes in flight or when taking off.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

Most records are from the intertidal mudflats of Deep Bay and adjacent roosting areas of Mai Po NR; it is rare on commercial fish ponds (though there is an unusually high count of 15 at San Tin on 16 April 2019) and in freshwater habitats.

Elsewhere, records are from coastal areas of Lantau, Sai Kung, the northeast New Territories, the Tolo Harbour area and Lamma, as well as the current and former airports at Chek Lap Kok and Kai Tak and smaller islands such as Po Toi, Peng Chau and Tung Ping Chau. The highest count at these sites is 18 on migration over southern waters on 6 May 2019.

OCCURRENCE

Terek Sandpiper is primarily a spring passage migrant, abundant in spring but uncommon in autumn, and a scarce visitor in summer and winter.

Up to winter 2000/01 there were only two winter records; in contrast, since winter 2011/12 Terek Sandpiper has been reported at least once in every winter period between December and February, with highest count being 15 on 25 February 2014. Consequently, it is difficult to now know when the first migrants arrive; however, during the period 1990-1998 the average date of first spring sighting was 25 March, and the earliest ever record was of two birds on 20 March 1988.

As Figure 1 indicates, main passage in spring occurs from the second week of April to the first week of June; the slightly lower numbers in the second week of May indicate a transition from adults to second-calendar year birds. The highest count is 590 on 24 April 2007. Numbers fall after the first week of June though there is a count of 315 as late as 20 June and counts of up to 160 in July. It appears that peak spring counts since 2012 are lower than those made since 1998 (Figure 2) and the 1990s, when peak counts were 300 or higher in 50% of years.

Autumn migrants are usually obvious by the end of July or early August. Autumn numbers are erratic with in some years 100 or more recorded, but in others few (Figure 2). The highest autumn count is 253 on 23 August 2005. Numbers begin to fall in early September. Has been recorded calling on migratory flight at night in autumn over Sai Kung.

This species was first recorded in HK by Dove and Goodhart (1955), who stated that it was an ‘irregular passage migrant’ with up to 40 birds in spring and four in autumn. Macfarlane and Macdonald (1966) noted up to 60 from 27 March to 23 June and 25 from 28 July to 16 November.

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

Forages singly or in small groups on mudflats at a rapid pace, often chasing prey on the surface. Also uses a sideways sweep of its bill in the water. Crabs are caught and often washed in the water before consumption.

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

Monotypic. Breeds from southern Finland and Ukraine east through Russia and northern Kazakhstan to northeast Siberia, largely between approximately 55^oN and 70^oN; winters coastally in south and east Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, south China, Indonesia and Australia (Van Gils et al. 2020). In China a migrant through much of the country, and small numbers in summer and winters in Taiwan (Liu and Chen 2020). The pattern of occurrence in HK indicates that small numbers also winter along the south coast.

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend decreasing.