About the Rock Sandpiper
The rock sandpiper is a small shorebird in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae. This is a hardy sandpiper that breeds in the arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska and the Chukotka and Kamchatka Peninsulas. It is closely related to the purple sandpiper that breeds in arctic regions of northeast Canada and the northwest Palearctic, and in the past was often considered conspecific with it.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black. The nominate subspecies from the Pribilof Islands shows a bold black belly patch in breeding plumage; the other three subspecies more closely resemble purple sandpiper than they do the nominate subspecies.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Long-toed StintCalidris subminutaThe long-toed stint is a very small wader measuring just 13 to 16 cm (5.1 to 6.3 in) in length with a wingspan of 26.5 to 30.5 cm (10.4 to 12.0 in).
Great KnotCalidris tenuirostrisThe great knot is a medium-sized wader.
Spoon-billed SandpiperCalidris pygmaeaThe most distinctive feature of this species is its spatulate bill.
Learn the Rock Sandpiper for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.