Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766)

15–18 cmLength28 gWeight

The semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a very small shorebird.

Busiest months: August · Most records: United States, Canada, Costa Rica

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: August · Most records: United States, Canada, Costa Rica

Semipalmated Sandpiper has been recorded at 1,099 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 61 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Parker River NWRUnited States12,861 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States11,876 records
Bombay Hook National Wildlife RefugeUnited States10,346 records

More places

Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States10,122 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR – Wildlife DriveUnited States8,107 records
Milford Point, CT AudubonUnited States6,657 records
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States5,531 records
Jamaica Bay Wildlife RefugeUnited States4,887 records
Hornsby BendUnited States4,099 records
Hammonasset Beach SPUnited States4,001 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Costa Rica Bermuda Peru Chile Puerto Rico Barbados

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a very small shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific pusilla is Latin for "very small".

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Semipalmated Sandpiper?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is about 15–18 cm long and weighs around 28 g.

Where does the Semipalmated Sandpiper live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: low (locally high) Arctic to subarctic tundra of far northeastern Palearctic and Nearctic: eastern Chukotskiy Peninsula (northeastern Siberia), western, northern Alaska and northern Canada including most of mainland Nunavut, around Hudson and James bays and east to northern Labrador, and southern Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Baffin (northeastern Canada). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Costa Rica.

When is the best time to see the Semipalmated Sandpiper?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Semipalmated Sandpiper endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Semipalmated Sandpiper as Near Threatened.

What does the Semipalmated Sandpiper eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Semipalmated Sandpiper in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 15–18 cm
Weight: 28 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 93 mm
Tail: 40 mm
Bill: 22 mm
Tarsus: 21 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Palearctic: low (locally high) Arctic to subarctic tundra of far northeastern Palearctic and Nearctic: eastern Chukotskiy Peninsula (northeastern Siberia), western, northern Alaska and northern Canada including most of mainland Nunavut, around Hudson and James bays and east to northern Labrador, and southern Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Baffin (northeastern Canada)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2