Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein, 1812)

Taxonomic Naming

Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein, 1812), commonly called the upland sandpiper, has the following description and range details.

Adult Body Size

Adult individuals are approximately 30 cm (12 in) long, with a wingspan of 66 cm (26 in) and an average weight of 170 g (6 oz).

Body & Head Shape

This species has a distinctive shape: a small, dove-like head set on a long neck.

Dorsal Plumage

The back and wings are heavily marbled in black and brown.

Neck & Breast Markings

The neck is streaked with dark brown, and this streaking extends down through the breast to the flanks.

Ventral Plumage

The belly and undertail coverts are white.

Tail Morphology

Compared to other sandpipers, this species has a quite long tail.

Head & Leg Features

Upland sandpipers also have a white eye-ring and long yellow legs.

Core North American Breeding Range

This species breeds across a large North American range: from eastern Alaska, southeast of the Rocky Mountains through Montana to northern Oklahoma, then northeast to Pennsylvania, New England, and the extreme southern portions of Quebec and Ontario.

Isolated Breeding Populations

There are also separate local breeding populations in northeast Oregon and west central Idaho.

Wintering Range

They spend the winter in northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.

Vagrant Records

It is an extremely rare vagrant to Europe and the South Pacific, with only one recorded sighting each from Australia and New Zealand.

General Habitat Preference

Despite being classified as sandpipers, upland sandpipers prefer open country with tall grasses over coastal habitat.

Eastern North American Habitat

In eastern North America, they are also found at airports, blueberry farms, and abandoned strip mines.

Core Habitat Range

The species' true core range and habitat lies in the northern midwest United States.