Photo: Christoph Müller / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 48 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
- Genus Actitis
- Species hypoleucos
Where it lives
Widespread, subarctic to temperate inland waterbody margins of Palearctic: British Isles north to Scandinavia south to Iberian Pen., east through temperate Russia to east-central Chukotskiy Pen. (northeastern Russia), south from Turkey, Caucasus, Iran, central Asia to Kashmir (northwestern Himalayas), northern Mongolia, northeastern China and Japan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 48 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Common Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia — widespread, subarctic to temperate inland waterbody margins of Palearctic: British Isles n to Scandinavia s to Iberian Pen., e through temperate Russia to ec Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Russia), s from Turkey, Caucasus, Iran, c Asia to Kashmir (nw Himalayas), n Mongolia, ne China and Japan.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Sandpiper?
The Common Sandpiper is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 48 g.
Where does the Common Sandpiper live?
The Common Sandpiper is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, subarctic to temperate inland waterbody margins of Palearctic: British Isles n to Scandinavia s to Iberian Pen., e through temperate Russia to ec Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Russia), s from Turkey, Caucasus, Iran, c Asia to Kashmir (nw Himalayas), n Mongolia, ne China and Japan, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Common Sandpiper belong to?
The Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Common Sandpiper eat?
The Common Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Common Sandpiper migrate?
The Common Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Common Sandpiper endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Sandpiper make?
1 real field recording of the Common Sandpiper — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Sandpiper's range?
The Common Sandpiper has a mapped global range of about 25.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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