Bird Guide

Pectoral Sandpiper vs Semipalmated Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Medium80 gWetland

This bird looks similar to the widely sympatric sharp-tailed sandpiper (C. acuminata), which is not however a member of the same clade in the genus. The pectoral sandpiper is a largish calidrid (19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) in length, with a wingspan of 37–46 cm (15–18 in)) with a grey-brown back, brownest in the summer male, and greyest in winter. The pectoral sandpiper has a grey breast, sharply demarcated at its lower edge, which gives this species its English name; this clear dividing line is particularly conspicuous if the birds are turned towards the observer.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: USFWSAlaska · Public domain
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Small28 gGrassland

It is a small sandpiper, 15–18 centimetres (6–7 inches) long and weighing around 18–51.5 grams (0.63–1.82 ounces). Wingspan ranges from 13.8 to 14.6 in (35 to 37 cm). Adults have black legs and a short, stout, straight dark bill. The body is dark grey-brown on top and white underneath. The head and neck are tinged light grey-brown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds, in particular the western sandpiper; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints". Jonsson, Lars & Peter J.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomaz de Carvalho Callado · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Pectoral Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper.