Diademed Sandpiper Plover Phegornis mitchellii

A few wader species breed at very high altitudes. During winter it is impossible to survive. To avoid the cold simply moving north or south would make little difference. The result is that species like the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, which breeds in the High Andes between 4 and 5000 metres, make altitudinal migrations, wintering down to 2,000 metres to escape the freezing conditions higher up.