Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauri (Cabanis, 1857)

≈16 cmLength33 cmWingspan28 gWeight

This small sandpiper has dark legs and feet and a short, slender, dark bill tapering to a finer tip as an adult.

Busiest months: August–September · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Adult crown may be rufous
Adult bill short, slender and dark, tapering to a finer tip
Adult legs and feet dark
Adult upperparts may be rufous; underparts white

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: August–September · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Western Sandpiper has been recorded at 787 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 56 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States8,751 records
Bolsa Chica Ecological ReserveUnited States7,862 records
San Diego River mudflatsUnited States7,804 records

More places

Willcox – Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf CourseUnited States7,271 records
Fort De Soto ParkUnited States6,683 records
Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryUnited States5,187 records
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States5,022 records
San Carlos Bay/Bunche Beach PreserveUnited States4,683 records
Arcata Marsh and Wildlife SanctuaryUnited States4,344 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States3,893 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Mexico Costa Rica Panama Belize Colombia El Salvador

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 western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is a small migratory shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific mauri commemorates Italian botanist Ernesto Mauri (1791–1836).

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

Questions

How big is the Western Sandpiper?

The Western Sandpiper is about ≈16 cm long, with a wingspan of 33 cm and weighs around 28 g.

Where does the Western Sandpiper live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: Chukotskiy Peninsula south to Anadyr (northeastern Siberia; few), St. Lawrence Island (Bering Sea) and western, northern Alaska mainland. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Western Sandpiper?

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

Is the Western Sandpiper endangered?

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

What does the Western Sandpiper eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Western Sandpiper in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈16 cm
Wingspan: 33 cm
Weight: 28 g
Habitat: Shrubland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 92 mm
Tail: 38 mm
Bill: 21 mm
Tarsus: 21 mm

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

Range

North America, Palearctic: Chukotskiy Peninsula south to Anadyr (northeastern Siberia; few), St. Lawrence Island (Bering Sea) and western, northern Alaska mainland

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2