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.
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe's specific epithet commemorates the French naturalist Claude Gay.
Description
The rufous-bellied seedsnipe is long and weighs about . 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. simonsis 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. 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.