Nombre en español: Perdicita cordillerana
Nombre en inglés: Rufous-bellied seedsnipe
Nombre científico: Attagis gayi
Familia: Thinocoridae
Sub especie en Colombia: latreillii
La agachona grande o perdicita cordillerana (Attagis gayi) es una especie de ave caradriforme de la familia Thinocoridae que se reproduce y reside en los Andes del Ecuador, el sur de Colombia, el sur de Perú, el oeste de Bolivia y los Andes de Chile y Argentina.
Taxonomía
Es un miembro de la familia Thinocoridae, un grupo de pequeñas aves limícolas gregarias que están adaptadas a una dieta vegetariana de semillas y otras plantas. Su alimento más común son los brotes en los ápices de las plantas almohadilla. Se encuentra a lo alto de los Andes, a una altura de 4000 m, aunque lo más bajo que pueden encontrarse es a 1000 m aproximadamente. Es un ave muy resistente y no desciende en las partes bajas de las colinas, incluso en condiciones muy duras.
Se reconocen las siguientes subespecies:
- Attagis gayi latreillii
- Attagis gayi simonsi
- Attagis gayi gayi
Descripción y hábitat
Cuando la agachona grande se encuentra en tierra, superficialmente parece una perdiz por la estructura y la forma de su pico. Tiene patas cortas, alas largas y puntiagudas, y se parece mucho más a un ave limícola o pterocliforme en vuelo. El más grande de los tinocóridos mide entre 27 y 32 cm (10,7 a 13 pulgadas). Es un ave muy voluminosa, esta especie pesa entre 300 y 400 gramos (10,6 a 14,1 onzas).
Se reproduce en Chile y la Patagonia, tiene festoneadas las partes inferiores de rojizo pálido y en las partes superiores de marrón rojizo, con algunas excepciones. A.g. latreillii de Ecuador es más castaño por debajo y más oscuro por arriba. A.g. simonsi de Perú, Bolivia y el noroeste de Argentina, ocupa un lugar intermedio entre la apariencia de las anteriores.
Ambos sexos son similares, y los menores son muy parecidos a los adultos. Su llamado es un ruidoso tchaaa.
La agachona grande deposita de 2 a 3 huevos en un hoyo poco profundo en el suelo, y los jóvenes son capaces de caminar y alimentarse tan pronto salen del cascarón.
Estas aves son a veces cazadas como alimento por la población local, especialmente cerca de las minas.
Rufous-bellied seedsnipe
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe (Attagis gayi) is a bird in suborder Scolopaci of order Charadriiformes, the shorebirds. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.
Taxonomy and systematics
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe shares its genus with the white-bellied seedsnipe (A. malouinus). They and the other two seedsnipes are closely related to the sandpipers of family Scolopacidae. It has three subspecies, the nominate A. g. gayi, A. g. latrelillii, and A. g. simonsi.[2] At least one publication has suggested that A. g. latrelillii might deserve to be recognized as a species.
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe’s specific epithet commemorates the French naturalist Claude Gay.
Description
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe is 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) long and weighs about 280 to 400 g (9.9 to 14 oz). The sexes are alike. The nominate subspecies’ upperparts have an intricate scallop pattern of rufous-brown and blackish; its underparts are unmarked pale pinkish cinnamon. Subspecies A. g. latrelillii has a deeper rufous cinnamon than the nominate in its vent area and a scalloped breast. A. g. simonsi‘s breast is a darker pinkish cinnamon than the nominate’s; it is paler above with finer markings. Juveniles much resemble adults but with somewhat finer markings on their upperparts.
Distribution and habitat
Subspecies A. g. latrelillii of rufous-bellied seedsnipe is found far from the other subspecies, on seven high volcanoes in north-central Ecuador.[2][5] A. g. simonsi is found from central Peru south through northern Chile and western Bolivia into northwestern Argentina. The nominate A. g. gayi is found from north central Chile and west central Argentina south almost to Tierra del Fuego.
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe inhabits alpine terrain in the Andes, often as high as the snow line. It frequents boggy and other moist areas but also occurs in drier and rockier landscapes. Subspecies A. g. latrelillii is typically found in páramo. In the northern half of its range it mostly is found between 4,000 and 5,500 m (13,100 and 18,000 ft). Further south it occurs down to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) and in the extreme south as low as 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Behavior
Movement
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe is essentially non-migratory, though southern populations are thought to move to lower elevation in the austral winter. It is a strong flier and when flushed flies in a fast zigzag.
Feeding
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe feeds on plant matter, typically in moist areas, but details of its diet are lacking.
Breeding
Little is known about the rufous-bellied seedsnipe’s breeding biology. It lays eggs during September and October in Chile; further north the season extends to December. Its nest is a shallow scrape in the ground and the clutch size is typically four eggs.
Vocalization
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe frequently calls when flying and also while running; its call is «a melodic-sounding ‘gly-gly-gly…’ or ‘cul-cul-cul…'» which several birds may make simultaneously.
Status
The IUCN has assessed the rufous-bellied seedsnipe as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. It occurs in several protected areas and is considered generally fairly common except in Ecuador. However, it is persecuted in some mining areas.
Fuentes: Wikipedia/eBird/xeno-canto
