Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Image: DiGua Su (cc-by-nc)
NameSpoon-billed Sandpiper
Common NameSpoon-billed Sandpiper
Scientific NameCalidris pygmaea
FamilyScolopacidae
Wingspan (cm)28
Length (cm)15
Weight (g)31.5
Plumage DetailsBreeding adults have a rufous-red head, neck, and breast with dark streaks, and dark brown upperparts with rufous fringes. Non-breeding adults and juveniles are duller, with greyish-brown upperparts, white underparts, and a pale supercilium. The distinctive bill is black.
Vocalization / CallIts calls include a high-pitched 'wheep' or 'preep' often given in flight, and a trilling 'prrrip' or 'churr' during display.
Primary Dietinsectivore
Primary HabitatsArctic tundra, coastal mudflats, estuaries, lagoons, saltmarshes
Conservation Statuscritically-endangered
Geographic RangeBreeds in the Russian Far East (Chukotka and Kamchatka Peninsula). Migrates along the coasts of East Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, with primary wintering grounds in Southeast Asia.
Identifying FeaturesSpatulate (spoon-shaped) bill, Small size, Short legs, Rufous breeding plumage on head and breast, Greyish non-breeding plumage, Rapid feeding action
Description
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a small, distinctive shorebird easily recognized by its unique spatulate (spoon-shaped) bill. It breeds in the Arctic tundra and undertakes long migrations, foraging for small invertebrates in coastal mudflats and estuaries.
