Herbivore.
A slender sandpiper slightly larger than a thrush. In breeding plumage, gray coloration with dense spotting predominates both above and below. The character of the spotting is subject to significant variation. Bright orange-red legs in all plumages are one of the most important features of the herbivore. The underside of the wings is pure white. The base of the beak is orange-red, while the tip is black.
These sandpipers arrive quite early, in small flocks, pairs, and as singles. The male displays to attract the female but does not defend the display area from other males. Herbivores often settle in sparse colonies, usually in the company of other sandpipers.
At the age of two years, herbivores reach sexual maturity and nest from April to July in the same location. The nest is a depression in the ground and is well hidden in dense vegetation. The female lays three to five eggs, which are incubated by both parents for four weeks. The chicks leave the nest quickly and begin to fly within three weeks.
Herbivores are quite tolerant of the presence of outsiders near the nest. They migrate south early, many as early as July. Flocks of herbivores are most noticeable on steppe lakes. Adult birds are site faithful, and their main nesting sites are stable unless living conditions change.
The diet of the herbivore includes insects, worms, snails, crustaceans, small bivalves, and other mollusks. With their long beak, they probe shallow waters in search of food.
They are widespread across all lakes. In the Pamirs, they are found at an altitude of 4000 m.
Red Book
