Bird Guide

Broad-billed Sandpiper vs Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus)

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Calidris falcinellus

Small37 gWetland

Broad-billed sandpipers are small waders, 16–18 cm long, slightly smaller than the dunlin, but larger than the little stint; it has a longer, straighter bill with the tip distinctly kinked down, and shorter legs than dunlin. The breeding adult has dark brown upperparts patterned with narrow, pale feather fringes, and white underparts with blackish markings on the breast. It has a pale crown stripe, and a distinctive double (split) supercilium.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Broad-billed Sandpiper
Recorded by Alfonso Maffezzoli · Flight call · Riserva Statale Le Cesine, Lecce, Puglia, Italy · CC0
Photo: Tokumi · Public domain
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Calidris acuminata

Medium66 gWetland

A small-medium wader, the portly sandpiper has a pot belly, flat back and somewhat drawn-out rear end. It has a mottled chestnut-brown upper body with sharp-looking feathers with a dark centre, a chestnut cap on its head and a brown stripe through each eye. Its bill is dark grey to black and straight, and its legs are olive- to yellow-coloured. The underparts are white or paler in colour, with the mottling similar to that on the breast and sides of the belly. The plumage is more vivid during the breeding season and duller in its winter plumage.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: William Harland (william-harland) · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Broad-billed Sandpiper and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.