Tuamotu Sandpiper Prosobonia parvirostris Scientific name definitions

15–17 cm; 32–44 g. Small, very dark brown wader with very short, thin bill ; ashy-white supercilium ; upperparts have extensive buff spots and feather edges; breast , flanks and undertail spotted or barred brown; legs yellowish brown to greyish; in flight, very rounded wings and looks very dark, with slightly paler patch on median coverts and tiny pale line at tips of greater coverts. Sexual and seasonal differences and juvenile undescribed, but considered plumage variation is considered to represent two plumage morphs, with most birds placed in either darker, browner morph with barred breast and usually darker, greyish-olive legs, or the paler, buffier morph with spotted breast and paler, olive-green legs (1 Howell, S.N.G. and van der Vliet, R.E. (2014). Bristle-thighed Curlew and Tuamotu Sandpiper: two endangered shorebirds from the South Pacific. Dutch Birding. 36(3): 178–187. Close ).

Tuamotu Is (French Polynesia); known breeding on islands of Tenararo, Morane, Reitoru, Tahanea and Raraka (2 BirdLife International (2013). IUCN Red List for birds. URL: http://www.birdlife.org (download Aug 2013). Close ).

Tiny atolls , mainly in habitats such as open coastal shoreline , lagoon beaches and areas of bare gravel or open shingle; also among vegetation , e.g. dwarf shrubs (especially Scaevola, Messerschmidti and Guettarda) and scattered taller shrubs and even interior of forest, provided it is open, but dense stands of Pandanus and coconut (Cocos nucifera) are avoided.

Probably sedentary as a rule, although recent records on Nakutavaké and Rangiroa (e.g. Sept 1972) presumably represent visitors from other islands (see also Status and Conservation).

Very poorly known. Mainly insects: at least four species of ant, leafhoppers and a wasp were found in stomach contents. Plant matter also consumed. Feeds on the ground, from open beach to forest understory, but it also takes nectar in trees and bushes, as high up as flower stalks in the crowns of coconut palms (1 Howell, S.N.G. and van der Vliet, R.E. (2014). Bristle-thighed Curlew and Tuamotu Sandpiper: two endangered shorebirds from the South Pacific. Dutch Birding. 36(3): 178–187. Close ).

Three or four types of vocalizations described (3 Miller, E.H., VanderWerf, E. and McPherson, L. (2003). Vocalizations of the Tuamotu Sandpiper, Prosobonia cancellata. Wilson Bulletin. 115(4): 455–463. Close , 1 Howell, S.N.G. and van der Vliet, R.E. (2014). Bristle-thighed Curlew and Tuamotu Sandpiper: two endangered shorebirds from the South Pacific. Dutch Birding. 36(3): 178–187. Close ). Most common vocalization is a rather nasal “kek” or “peek” repeated at irregular intervals, heard when birds feeding or in contact. Also a softer, subdued “kyuuu” and a nasal, scolding “yip-yip, yip-yip-yip” call, directed at intruders (e.g. humans) into the territory. During display, while facing one another with cocked-up tail, birds emit a low-pitched and rather soft nasal rattling “ki-krrrrrr” , repeated several times. When excited, or during chases, voice is a loud high-pitched piping whistle “peee....peeee” and a rising/falling trilled series of notes , sometimes likened to a flight call of Actitis hypoleucos.

Breeding season quite prolonged; on one island breeding in mid Aug, on another in May; unclear whether season is synchronized on different islands. Monogamous and defends tiny territories (the smallest known of any shorebird). Nest constructed from bits of shell, coral debris and plant fragments; on shoreline, usually on pebbly rather than sandy substrate. One nest contained two eggs. No further information available.

ENDANGERED. Population currently in decline. On Morane 150–200 birds (1990), on Anuanu Raro 30–40 birds (1990) and on Tahanea 12–15 birds (1989), whereas several 100s were estimated on both Tenararo and Maturei-Vavao in early 1920s (still quite common on second-named in 1966), and it was considered abundant on Tenarunga in 1922; on the latter island, it may now only be a visitor, and the same is perhaps true for Vahanga (4 Blanvillain, C., Florent, C. and Thenot, V. (2002). Land birds of Tuamotu Archipelago, Polynesia: relative abundance and changes during the 2216th century with particular reference to the critically endangered Polynesian Ground-dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera). Biological Conservation. 103: 139–149. Close ). Former range spanned 3700 km of C Pacific. Since c. 1965 reported from 11–12 islands, while c. 26 atolls have not yet been surveyed, of which the Duke of Gloucester Is and Marutea Sud are considered to be most likely to be occupied by the species (5 Pierce, R.J. and Blanvillain, C. (2004). Current status of the endangered Tuamotu Sandpiper or Titi Prosobonia cancellata and recommended actions for its recovery. Wader Study Group Bull. 105: 93–100. Close ). Based on surveys mainly since 2003, the population has been estimated to number at least 1300 individuals, with 80% on Tenararo (> 500 in 2001) and Morane islets (at least 530 birds in 2003) and the rest on Tahanea (185 in 2003 but just 74 at end of 2011), Reitoru (57 in 2003) and Raraka (very few) (5 Pierce, R.J. and Blanvillain, C. (2004). Current status of the endangered Tuamotu Sandpiper or Titi Prosobonia cancellata and recommended actions for its recovery. Wader Study Group Bull. 105: 93–100. Close ) http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/62289271 , although an Oct 1999 survey of Tenararo suggested the presence of perhaps in excess of 1500 birds on this atoll alone (4 Blanvillain, C., Florent, C. and Thenot, V. (2002). Land birds of Tuamotu Archipelago, Polynesia: relative abundance and changes during the 2216th century with particular reference to the critically endangered Polynesian Ground-dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera). Biological Conservation. 103: 139–149. Close ). Population on Tahanea crumbled at end of 2011 due to starvation. Considered to be probably extinct in Raevski group given lack of sightings in 1999 (4 Blanvillain, C., Florent, C. and Thenot, V. (2002). Land birds of Tuamotu Archipelago, Polynesia: relative abundance and changes during the 2216th century with particular reference to the critically endangered Polynesian Ground-dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera). Biological Conservation. 103: 139–149. Close ). Decline probably due to introduction of mammalian predators, particularly rats and cats, as even the comparatively small Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) is capable of taking the species (6 Seitre, R. and Seitre, J. (1992). Causes of land-bird extinctions in French Polynesia. Oryx. 26(4): 215–222. Close ); populations do best on islands free of introduced predators, and without permanent human populations (some hunting occurred, at least formerly) (4 Blanvillain, C., Florent, C. and Thenot, V. (2002). Land birds of Tuamotu Archipelago, Polynesia: relative abundance and changes during the 2216th century with particular reference to the critically endangered Polynesian Ground-dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera). Biological Conservation. 103: 139–149. Close ). Species now in severe danger of extinction, but at present no conservation measures have been taken, athough rat eradication programmes have been developed on some atolls; proposed measures include total protection of atolls on which species is still known to occur, with special efforts recommended to prevent introduction of cats and rats. Given that most atolls on which the species occurs scarcely rise 5 m above sea-level, the effects of global climate change, specifically sea-level rises, could have a catastrophic effect on this sandpiper.