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Surfbird

Aphriza virgataOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Sandpipers (Scolopacidae)
Codes: Common Name: SURF Scientific Name: APHVIR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176673

Breeding Location:

Tundra



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Gregarious.



Breeding Population:

Stable, Yes but uncommon



Egg Color:

Buff with red brown spots



Number of Eggs:

4



Incubation Days:

21 - 22



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

Lined with lichen, leaves, and moss.



Migration:

Migratory



Splitbar

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General

Surfbird: Medium-sized sandpiper with dark gray upperparts marked with rufous, white rump, and white underparts marked with distinct black chevrons. Upper breast, head, and neck are heavily streaked. Wings are dark with bold white stripes visible in flight. Tail is white with a black triangular tip visible in flight. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has dark gray upperparts, head and breast, distinct white eyebrows and throat, and pale chevrons on white belly.

Range and Habitat

Surfbird: Breeds in rocky mountain tundra throughout Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Found on rocky shores along most of the Pacific coast, from southeastern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in southern Chile, outside of breeding season.

Breeding and Nesting

Surfbird: Four buff eggs spotted with red brown are laid on the ground in a rocky, natural depression lined with leaves, lichens, and moss. Both parents incubate the eggs.

Foraging and Feeding

Surfbird: Feeds mostly on insects during the breeding season; during the rest of the year eats mussels, limpets, snails, barnacles, and other invertebrates.

Vocalization

Surfbird: Utters a shrill "kee-wee" in flight. Sometimes gives a series of calls "tee-tee-teet", "krrree, krrree", and "tew, tew."

Similar Species

Surfbird: Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, and the other "rock-pipers" have longer bills without pale bases.

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Family Sandpiper (Scolopacidae)_blue
Species Aphriza virgata
Length10 Inches
Wingspan20 Inches

Surfbird

Surfbird: Medium sandpiper, dark gray upperparts marked with rufous, white rump, white underparts marked with distinct black chevrons. Upper breast, head, neck are heavily streaked. Wings are dark with bold white stripes visible in flight. Tail is white with a black triangular tip visible in flight.

● Song: "kee-wee", "tee-tee-teet", "krrree-krrree", "tew-tew"

● Foraging & Feeding: Surfbird: Feeds mostly on insects during the breeding season; during the rest of the year eats mussels, limpets, snails, barnacles, and other invertebrates.

● Breeding & nesting: Surfbird: Four buff eggs spotted with red brown are laid on the ground in a rocky, natural depression lined with leaves, lichens, and moss. Both parents incubate the eggs.

● Similar species: Surfbird: Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, and the other "rock-pipers" have longer bills without pale bases.

Flight Pattern

Swift flight with rapid wing beats.
Surfbird Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Surfbird: Breeds in rocky mountain tundra throughout Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Found on rocky shores along most of the Pacific coast, from southeastern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in southern Chile, outside of breeding season.
BreedingMonogamous, Gregarious.
PopulationStable, Yes but uncommon
MigrationMigratory
Weight6.5 Ounces
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX