First record of White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) at Esperanza/ Hope Bay, Antarctica

SILVESTRO A.; SANTOS M.; JUÁRES M.; LIBERTELLI M.; CASAUX R.

POLAR BIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2021 vol. 44 p. 631 - 635

0722-4060

The White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidrisfuscicollis) (Vieillot 1819) is one of the longest migrating birds, that breedsin the high Arctic in Alaska and Canada, and spends the post-breeding period inSouth America. This bird is a frequent vagrant visitor of Islas Georgias delSur/South Georgia and the South Shetland islands. Here we provide the firstrecord for the White-rumped Sandpiper at the Continental Antarctica. The individualwas observed the 2 February 2019 at Esperanza/Hope Bay (63°23’56” S, 56°59’06” W),the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, inan ice-free rockery close to a melt-water-run-off area. Atthe moment of the observation the temperature was above 0°C and the wind calm.However, strong winds from thenorth-west and west directions were registered during the last week of January2019 at Esperanza Station (peak 65 knots) and at the Drake Passage (peak 49 knots) which might explainthe presence of the White-rumped Sandpiper individual at Hope Bay. Our report contributes to list the non-nativespecies observed in Antarctica. One plausible explanation could be related tochanges in migratory routes of flying birds.