Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
The Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) is a common sandpiper found in 61 countries, weighing about 48 g. The solitary sandpiper is a small shorebird.
About the Solitary Sandpiper
The solitary sandpiper is a small shorebird. The genus name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific solitaria is Latin for "solitary" from solus, "alone".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This species measures 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) long, with a wingspan up to 50 cm (20 in) and a body mass of 31–65 g (1.1–2.3 oz). It is a dumpy wader with a dark green back, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. It is obvious in flight, with wings dark above and below, and a dark rump and tail centre. The latter feature distinguishes it from the slightly larger and broader-winged, but otherwise very similar, green sandpiper (T. ochropus) of Europe and Asia, to which it is closely related. The latter species has a brilliant white rump.
What the Solitary Sandpiper sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, France, Sweden, Spain, Cape Verde.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, July, August, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Solitary Sandpiper?
- This species measures 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) long, with a wingspan up to 50 cm (20 in) and a body mass of 31–65 g (1.1–2.3 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Solitary Sandpiper?
- The Solitary Sandpiper is a small sized bird weighing about 48 g.
- Where can you see a Solitary Sandpiper?
- The Solitary Sandpiper occurs in 61 countries, including the United States, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.
- What does a Solitary Sandpiper sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Solitary Sandpiper on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Solitary Sandpiper?
- The Solitary Sandpiper is most easily confused with the Green Sandpiper, the Wood Sandpiper and the Common Greenshank.
- Is the Solitary Sandpiper endangered?
- The Solitary Sandpiper is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Solitary 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.
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