Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea)
Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Calidris pygmaea

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Calidris pygmaea, is a diminutive wader, instantly recognizable by its unique spatulate bill. During the breeding season, adults don a red-brown plumage on their head, neck, and breast, adorned with dark brown streaks, while their upperparts are blackish with buff and pale rufous fringing. In contrast, non-breeding adults exhibit a more subdued pale brownish-grey upperparts with white underparts and black legs. This species measures a modest 14–16 cm in length.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, look for the following key features: a wing length of 98–106 mm, a bill length of 19–24 mm with a tip breadth of 10–12 mm, a tarsus of 19–22 mm, and a tail length of 37–39 mm. The bird's most distinctive feature, its spoon-shaped bill, is unmistakable when viewed from the side or above.

Habitat

The breeding habitat of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper is found along sea coasts and adjacent tundra on the Chukchi Peninsula, extending southwards along the Kamchatka Peninsula isthmus.

Distribution

This species embarks on a remarkable migration down the Pacific coast through Japan, Korea, and China to reach its wintering grounds in South and Southeast Asia. It has been recorded in a range of countries, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.

Behaviour

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper exhibits a distinctive feeding style, moving its bill side-to-side while walking forward with its head down. It nests in June–July in coastal tundra areas, preferring sites with grass near freshwater pools.

Song & Calls

The contact calls include a quiet "preep" or a shrill "wheer," while the song during display is an intermittent buzzing and descending trill "preer-prr-prr." The male's display flight involves brief hovers, circling, and rapid diving while singing.

Diet and Feeding

This species forages on moss in tundras and consumes a variety of smaller animals such as mosquitoes, flies, beetles, and spiders. It also feeds on marine invertebrates like shrimp and worms.

Conservation Status

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is critically endangered, with fewer than 2500 mature individuals remaining, and possibly fewer than 1000. The primary threats include habitat loss on breeding grounds and the loss of tidal flats across its migratory and wintering range. Conservation efforts are underway, including protected areas and a breeding program in the United Kingdom aimed at increasing survival rates.

Similar Species

There are no other species with a bill shape similar to that of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, making it quite unique and easily distinguishable from other waders.

Breeding

Breeding occurs in the tundra, where the Spoon-billed Sandpiper selects grassy areas near freshwater to lay its eggs. Conservation efforts have included collecting eggs for a captive breeding program, which has shown promising results in increasing the survival rates of this imperiled species.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper Fun Facts

Did you know?
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper’s Spoon-bill is completely unique amongst shorebirds, allowing it to filter water for invertebrates and small crustaceans.

Spoon-billed Sandpipers on Birda

Sightings

More Sandpipers, Snipes

A photo of a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.