Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

Near Threatened · IUCN Red List

NTNear ThreatenedInvertebratesWetlandScrapeSmall · 57 g

ID tip

The stilt sandpiper resembles the curlew sandpiper in its long bill, long neck, pale supercilium and white rump. It is readily distinguished from that species by its straighter bill (only slightly curved, not obviously so), its longer and greenish-yellow (not black) legs, and in flight, by the lack of a wingbar. It also lacks an obvious wing bar in flight. Breeding adults are distinctive, heavily barred with blackish bars on a white background beneath, and with reddish-orange patches above and below the white supercilium. The back is brown with darker feather centres.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Stilt Sandpiper

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is August, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Stilt Sandpiper

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 57 countries with regular records, and 9 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Australia, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, France, Taiwan, Japan, Hungary, New Zealand.

About the Stilt Sandpiper

The stilt sandpiper is a small shorebird. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek; the genus name kalidris or skalidris is a term used by Aristotle for a gray-colored waterside bird. The specific himantopus means "strap foot" or "thong foot", and also refers to the stilt.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Little Stint vs Stilt Sandpiper · Curlew Sandpiper vs Stilt Sandpiper · Baird's Sandpiper vs Stilt Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper vs White-rumped Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper vs Temminck's Stint

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