Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Nunavut Birds of Ontario Birds of Prince Edward Island

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of Alberta Sandpipers & Allies of British Columbia Sandpipers & Allies of Manitoba Sandpipers & Allies of New Brunswick Sandpipers & Allies of Newfoundland and Labrador Sandpipers & Allies of Nova Scotia Sandpipers & Allies of Northwest Territories Sandpipers & Allies of Nunavut Sandpipers & Allies of Ontario Sandpipers & Allies of Prince Edward Island

See what's near you right now

The Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 27.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Calidris
Species pusilla

Where it lives

Low (locally high) Arctic to subarctic tundra of far northeastern Palearctic and Nearctic: eastern Chukotskiy Pen. (northeastern Siberia), western, northern Alaska and northern Canada including most of mainland Nunavut, around Hudson and James bays and east to northern Labrador, and southern Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Baffin (northeastern Canada)

Quick facts

Weight: 27.5 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauri

Critically Endangered

Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Calidris pygmaea

Least Concern

Little Stint

Calidris minuta

Least Concern

Long-toed Stint

Calidris subminuta

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Semipalmated Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — low (locally high) Arctic to subarctic tundra of far ne Palearctic and Nearctic: e Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Siberia), w, n Alaska and n Canada including most of mainland Nunavut, around Hudson and James bays and e to n Labrador, and s Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Baffin (ne Canada).

Songs & calls

Semipalmated Sandpiper — Song, song

Recorded by Benjamin Drillat Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Semipalmated Sandpiper?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is a small bird that weighs around 27.5 g.

Where does the Semipalmated Sandpiper live?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL low (locally high) Arctic to subarctic tundra of far ne Palearctic and Nearctic: e Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Siberia), w, n Alaska and n Canada including most of mainland Nunavut, around Hudson and James bays and e to n Labrador, and s Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Baffin (ne Canada), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Semipalmated Sandpiper belong to?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Semipalmated Sandpiper eat?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Semipalmated Sandpiper migrate?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Semipalmated Sandpiper endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Semipalmated Sandpiper make?

1 real field recording of the Semipalmated 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 Semipalmated Sandpiper's range?

The Semipalmated Sandpiper has a mapped global range of about 2.6 million km².