Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rock Sandpiper
Calidris ptilocnemis
Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 81.3 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 ptilocnemis
Where it lives
Coastal low Arctic to subarctic tundra of far northern Pacific: eastern Chukotskiy Pen. to (disjunctly) southern Kamchatka, Commander and (perhaps) northern Kuril is. (eastern Russia), Aleutian and Bering Sea is., western Alaska from Seward Pen. to Gulf of Alaska is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 81.3 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rock Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Rock Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia, North America — coastal low Arctic to subarctic tundra of far n Pacific: e Chukotskiy Pen. to (disjunctly) s Kamchatka, Commander and (perhaps) n Kuril is. (e Russia), Aleutian and Bering Sea is., w Alaska from Seward Pen. to Gulf of Alaska is..
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rock Sandpiper?
The Rock Sandpiper is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 81.3 g.
Where does the Rock Sandpiper live?
The Rock Sandpiper is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering PAL, NA coastal low Arctic to subarctic tundra of far n Pacific: e Chukotskiy Pen. to (disjunctly) s Kamchatka, Commander and (perhaps) n Kuril is. (e Russia), Aleutian and Bering Sea is., w Alaska from Seward Pen. to Gulf of Alaska is, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Rock Sandpiper belong to?
The Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Rock Sandpiper eat?
The Rock Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Rock Sandpiper migrate?
The Rock Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Rock 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 Rock Sandpiper make?
1 real field recording of the Rock 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 Rock Sandpiper's range?
The Rock Sandpiper has a mapped global range of about 321,000 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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