Bird of the Month: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Written by Andy McCormick
Andy McCormick, Volunteer and Former Board President of Eastside Audubon
Most sightings of this Eastern Hemisphere sandpiper in North America are of juveniles in fall migration. One such visitor spent more than two weeks on the mudflats on the Seattle side of the SR 520 bridge from September 22 to October 10, 2022, sparking a newspaper story and interest from birders and nonbirders.
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper appears similar to its close relative, the Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotos). The brightly colored juveniles are striking in appearance and are the age group most often seen in North America. The bright rufous crown is set off by a white supercilium which widens behind the eye. The upperparts of the juvenile are marked by rufous fringes on feathers and snipe-like white lines along the back (Paulson 1993). At times the sharp-tailed can behave like a snipe when it crouches in the grass (Hayman et al).
Extensive buff coloration on the breast sets it apart from the Pectoral Sandpiper which has a heavily streaked breast (Alderfer). However, adult sharp-tails have streaking on the breast during breeding and also retain the orange-buff coloration (Van Gils, et al). Photos, videos, and vocalizations of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper can be found at The Macaulay Library.
SIBERIAN BREEDER
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper breeds in grassy tundra in June. Its nest is a shallow depression lined with grass and leaves into which the female deposits four olive-gray eggs marked with dark brown spots. The male leaves during the incubation period and the female incubates and cares for the young (Van Gils, et al). The breeding territory of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is completely within the breeding territory of the Pectoral Sandpiper, and the two species often associate while foraging and in migration.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Scientific Name: Calidris acuminata
Length: 8.5”
Wingspan: 18”
Weight: 2.4 oz (68 g)
AOU Alpha Code: SPTS
ASIAN MIGRANT
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are long-distance migrants and large numbers of them stage during migration in China around the Yellow Sea. The vast majority of sharp-tails migrate through eastern China, the Philippines, and Indonesia and winter in southeastern Australia. Since the breeding area overlaps with that of the Pectoral Sandpiper, some observers suggest that some sharp-tails get caught up with the eastward flight of the pectorals as the latter birds migrate along the western North American coast. Sharp-tails are found almost annually from the Alaskan coast to the Pacific Northwest, and in some years, sharp-tails are observed in locations along the California coast.
POPULATION AND CONSERVATION
The worldwide population of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers is estimated to be between 60,000 and 120,000 individuals and due to rapid population decline from habitat degradation and climate change, the species has been listed as vulnerable by BirdLife International. The sharp-tailed is comfortable using a variety of types of wetland habitats. This flexibility appears to provide some protection from environmental problems which might occur in any one wetland area. Most of the population winters in southeastern Australia, an area of much human activity, and management of coastal and inland wetlands is essential for the ongoing protection of this shorebird (Van Gils, et al).
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is placed in the genus Calidris, from the Greek kalidris, used by Aristotle to denote a speckled waterbird. Twenty-four shorebirds in this diverse genus have been recorded in North America. The species epithet acuminata is from the Latin acuminatus meaning sharp or tapered, descriptive for the bird’s tail (Holloway).
Photo credit Gary Luhm. References available upon request from amccormick@eastsideaudubon.org.