Photo: Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotos
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 79.7 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 Calidris
- Species melanotos
Where it lives
High to low Arctic wet tundra of Holarctic: Yamal Pen. (northwestern Siberia) east to Chukotskiy Pen., south to Anadyr, including New Siberian and Wrangel is. (northeastern Russia); western, northern Alaska through northeastern Canada, including Arctic islands from Banks to Devon and Southampton (northeastern Canada)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 79.7 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pectoral Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Pectoral Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — high to low Arctic wet tundra of Holarctic: Yamal Pen. (nw Siberia) e to Chukotskiy Pen., s to Anadyr, including New Siberian and Wrangel is. (ne Russia); w, n Alaska through ne Canada, including Arctic islands from Banks to Devon and Southampton (ne Canada).
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pectoral Sandpiper?
The Pectoral Sandpiper is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 79.7 g.
Where does the Pectoral Sandpiper live?
The Pectoral Sandpiper is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL high to low Arctic wet tundra of Holarctic: Yamal Pen. (nw Siberia) e to Chukotskiy Pen., s to Anadyr, including New Siberian and Wrangel is. (ne Russia); w, n Alaska through ne Canada, including Arctic islands from Banks to Devon and Southampton (ne Canada), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Pectoral Sandpiper belong to?
The Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Pectoral Sandpiper eat?
The Pectoral Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Pectoral Sandpiper migrate?
The Pectoral Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Pectoral 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 Pectoral Sandpiper make?
1 real field recording of the Pectoral 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 Pectoral Sandpiper's range?
The Pectoral Sandpiper has a mapped global range of about 2.4 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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