Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Image: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)
NameSpoon-billed Sandpiper
Common NameSpoon-billed Sandpiper
Scientific NameCalidris pygmaea
FamilyScolopacidae
Wingspan (cm)29
Length (cm)15
Weight (g)31.5
Plumage DetailsBreeding adults display a striking rufous head, neck, and breast with dark streaks, contrasting with dark brown upperparts fringed with rufous. Non-breeding adults and juveniles, like the specimen shown, are duller, featuring grayish-brown upperparts, white underparts, and a pale supercilium.
Vocalization / CallIts vocalizations include a high-pitched, reedy 'preep' or 'wheep' call, often given in flight. During the breeding season, males also perform a trilling song.
Primary Dietinsectivore
Primary Habitatscoastal mudflats, saltmarshes, tundra, lagoons
Conservation Statuscritically-endangered
Geographic RangeThis species breeds exclusively in the Russian Far East, specifically in Chukotka and the Kamchatka Peninsula. It undertakes long migrations along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, wintering in coastal areas of Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of China.
Identifying Featuresspatulate (spoon-shaped) bill, small size, dark legs, distinctive rufous breeding plumage
Description
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a small, distinctive wader easily recognized by its unique spatulate (spoon-shaped) bill. It primarily forages in coastal mudflats and tundra, using its specialized bill to probe for small invertebrates.
