Fauna
Bird

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Semipalmated Sandpipers are tiny gray-brown shorebirds with short dark bills and partially webbed toes. Migrating flocks feed rapidly across mudflats, where subtle shape and bill proportions help separate them from similar small sandpipers.

shorebirdmudflatlong-distance migrant
Semipalmated Sandpiper reference1 / 7
(c) Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
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Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySmall crustaceans, marine worms, midge larvae
Predators
  • falcons
  • gulls
  • Arctic foxes
ThreatsLoss of tidal feeding areas, coastal disturbance, pollution, and changing Arctic conditions
HabitatsArctic tundra for nesting and coastal mudflats, beaches, and marsh edges during migration
Life spanOften several years, with banded individuals recorded beyond ten years
Classification
  1. OrderCharadriiformes
  2. FamilyScolopacidae
  3. GenusCalidris
  4. SpeciesCalidris pusilla
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Keep well back from feeding flocks so they can replenish energy.
Responsible observation
  • Compare: Judge bill length and body shape among nearby small sandpipers.
  • Watch: Remain stationary and let feeding flocks move naturally across the flat.
Related species

Related species have not been added yet.

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