Terek Sandpiper

Xenus cinereus (Güldenstädt, 1775)

≈25 cmLength58 cmWingspan79 gWeight

This small gray sandpiper has a long, upturned bill and yellow legs and feet.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: China, Australia, Thailand

Looks like Pied Avocet

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Bill long and upturned, yellow at the base and otherwise black
Back, face and breast gray
White supercilium, distinct or indistinct
Belly white; legs and feet yellow

Voice

A high-pitched whistle.

Similar species

Pied Avocet

Its upturned bill recalls Pied Avocet's, but is less strongly curved.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: China, Australia, Thailand

Terek Sandpiper has been recorded at 873 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 95 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Cairns EsplanadeAustralia2,630 records
Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)1,277 records
Pak Thale Nature ReserveThailand1,202 records

More places

Nanpu MudflatChina813 records
Sungei Buloh Wetland ReserveSingapore808 records
Mamachi Wadi Beach, ArnalaIndia682 records
Cairns Esplanade – Southern EndAustralia603 records
Crab Creek MangrovesAustralia577 records
Kinmen – Wujiang River EstuaryChina555 records
Dapingding and Xucuogang IBA – XucuogangTaiwan (China)527 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Australia Thailand India Singapore Malaysia Japan South Korea

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 Terek sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) is a small migratory Palearctic wader species and is the only member of the genus Xenus. It is named after the Terek River which flows into the west of the Caspian Sea, as it was first observed around this area.

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

Questions

How big is the Terek Sandpiper?

The Terek Sandpiper is about ≈25 cm long, with a wingspan of 58 cm and weighs around 79 g.

Where does the Terek Sandpiper live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: low Arctic to temperate tundra and taiga floodplains of north-central Palearctic: Finland and Ukraine east through Russia to east-central Chukotskiy Peninsula, northern Kamchatka and south to western Amurland (eastern Russia). It is most often recorded in China, Australia and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Terek Sandpiper?

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

Is the Terek Sandpiper endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Terek Sandpiper as Least Concern.

What does the Terek Sandpiper eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Terek Sandpiper in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈25 cm
Wingspan: 58 cm
Weight: 79 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 127 mm
Tail: 55 mm
Bill: 47 mm
Tarsus: 28 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: low Arctic to temperate tundra and taiga floodplains of north-central Palearctic: Finland and Ukraine east through Russia to east-central Chukotskiy Peninsula, northern Kamchatka and south to western Amurland (eastern Russia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2