Ecology of Calidris alba
 
Main Ref. Brooke, M. de L., I. Hepburn and R.J. Travelyan, 2004
Remarks Found on the beach (Ref. 87921), shoreline, bay and nearshore (Ref. 116102). In small groups at the water's edge during nonbreeding season, following the wave front whilst feeding on small invertebrates. Abundance of wintering populations attributed to major coastal upwellings, correlated to increase in food supply along beaches where they feed. Shorebirds from the North Atlantic typically fly >2000 km, mostly over water, from North America, Greenland, and Iceland, to Britain and continental Europe. Vulnerable to oil spill as a piscivore; saw 50% decline in population from 1989 in Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill (Ref. 87784).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

Marine - Neritic Marine - Oceanic Brackishwater Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies
  • supra-littoral zone
  • littoral zone
  • sublittoral zone
  • epipelagic
  • mesopelagic
  • epipelagic
  • abyssopelagic
  • hadopelagic
  • estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas
  • mangroves
  • marshes/swamps
  • rivers/streams
  • lakes/ponds
  • caves
  • exclusively in caves
Highighted items on the list are where Calidris alba may be found.

Habitat

Substrate
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref. Schreiber, E.A. and J. Burger, 2001
Feeding habit hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref. Schreiber, E.A. and J. Burger, 2001

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method original sample unfished population Remark
Troph s.e. Troph s.e.
From diet composition
From individual food items 3.54 0.39 Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.
(e.g. 9948)
(e.g. cnidaria)
Comments & Corrections
 
 
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