White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis (Vieillot, 1819)

≈20 cmLength37 cmWingspan43 gWeight

The white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) is a small migratory shorebird that breeds in the northern tundra of Canada and Alaska.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Argentina

Vulnerable

How to identify

Field marks

Wings long, extending slightly beyond the tail tip when folded
Pale supercilium
Bill moderately long, slender and dark; legs and feet very black

Male, female and young

Sexes similar in appearance in all seasons; plumage less distinct in winter.

Voice

A repeated “pip, pip, pip”, also a metallic “tzeep”, like two small stones rubbing together.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Argentina

White-rumped Sandpiper has been recorded at 944 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 83 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Argentina Uruguay United Kingdom Chile Falkland Islands 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 white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) is a small migratory shorebird that breeds in the northern tundra of Canada and Alaska. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints". In flight, it is more easily picked out by its namesake white rump.

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

Questions

How big is the White-rumped Sandpiper?

The White-rumped Sandpiper is about ≈20 cm long, with a wingspan of 37 cm and weighs around 43 g.

Where does the White-rumped Sandpiper live?

Its breeding range: North America: high to low Arctic wet tundra of far northern Nearctic: North Slope Alaska, coastal northern Canada to northwestern Hudson Bay, and Banks to Devon and Baffin islands (northeastern Canada). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Argentina.

When is the best time to see the White-rumped Sandpiper?

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

Is the White-rumped Sandpiper endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-rumped Sandpiper as Vulnerable.

What does the White-rumped Sandpiper eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the White-rumped Sandpiper in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈20 cm
Wingspan: 37 cm
Weight: 43 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Vulnerable

More measurements

Wing: 118 mm
Tail: 48 mm
Bill: 26 mm
Tarsus: 24 mm

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

Range

North America: high to low Arctic wet tundra of far northern Nearctic: North Slope Alaska, coastal northern Canada to northwestern Hudson Bay, and Banks to Devon and Baffin islands (northeastern Canada)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2