A photo of a Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)
Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

The pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) is a small, migratory wader that breeds in North America and Asia, wintering in South America and Oceania. This bird looks similar to the widely sympatric sharp-tailed sandpiper ("C." acuminata), which is not a member of the stint clade however. The pectoral sandpiper is a largish calidrid with a grey-brown back, brownest in the summer male, and greyest in winter. The pectoral sandpiper has a grey breast, sharply demarcated at its lower edge, which gives this species its English name; this clear dividing line is particularly conspicuous if the birds are turned towards the observer. The legs are yellowish, and the bill is olive with a darker tip. The juveniles are more brightly patterned above with rufous coloration and white mantle stripes. This species differs from the sharp-tailed sandpiper in its breast pattern, weaker supercilium and greyer crown. It eats small invertebrates. Its nest, a hole scraped in the ground and with a thick lining, is deep enough to protect its four eggs from the cool breezes of its breeding grounds.
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Pectoral Sandpipers on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A photo of a Pectoral Sandpiper photographed in Levo Dolphin Tours & Chalets Namibia
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Buzzy Joell
Saturday 11 Mar 2023 - 10:35am
Namibia
A map showing the sighting location
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Ernesto Reyes
Friday 20 Jan 2023 - 12:55pm
United States
A map showing the sighting location
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Bruce Niland
Sunday 08 Jan 2023 - 8:17am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
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Jacqueline Coertzen
Tuesday 27 Dec 2022 - 3:43pm
Botswana
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