About the Curlew Sandpiper
The curlew sandpiper is a small wader. It is a long-distance migrant, breeding in the bogs and coastal lowlands of the Siberian Arctic, arriving there in June and staying until August or September. After the breeding season, it migrates south to spend the winter in Africa and along the coasts of Oceania and southern Eurasia, occupying tidal mudflats and saltpans.
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The curlew sandpiper is a small wader 18–23 cm in length and weighing 44–117 g. It has a wingspan of 38–46 cm, a bill length of 32–44 mm, and a tarsus (the bone between the "knee" and the "ankle") length of 26–34 mm. It has a black bill, dark brown irises, and dark grey to black feet. All plumages have a large white patch on the rump, occasionally barred with red in some adults, and in flight show a distinctive white stripe going across the wing. Like most waders, the curlew sandpiper has seasonal plumages and moults yearly, shedding its old feathers and growing new ones. Voice: Only the male sings. Each song lasts for 10–15 seconds and consists of several parts, starting with several introductory notes, followed by multiple trilled doublets, a four-part phrase, and several drawn-out whine calls. Both genders vocalise calls. The alarm call is a whik, whik, whik repeated or wik-ki-ki-ki...
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Curlew Sandpiper sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Chile, Luxembourg, Brazil, Chad, Mali, Togo, French Guiana, Martinique, Brunei, Benin, Costa Rica, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Trinidad & Tobago, Syria, Guernsey, Guam, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
When to see it
Peak activity in August · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Little StintCalidris minutaIts small size, fine dark bill, dark legs and quicker movements distinguish this species from all waders except the other dark-legged stints.
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusThe stilt sandpiper resembles the curlew sandpiper in its long bill, long neck, pale supercilium and white rump.
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiAdults have black legs and a short, straight, thin dark bill.
Side by side: Curlew Sandpiper vs Little Stint · Curlew Sandpiper vs Stilt Sandpiper · Baird's Sandpiper vs Curlew Sandpiper
Learn the Curlew Sandpiper for real
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