Species

Baird's sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

A long-winged, buffy sandpiper that migrates from the high Arctic to the Andes, passing Georgia only occasionally.

Photo Stephan Sprinz (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Migration

At a glance

Size: About 14 to 18 cm long
Weight: About 30 to 60 g
Habitat: Dry mudflats, pond edges and short grass
Diet: Insects and small invertebrates
In Georgia: An uncommon autumn migrant, mostly August and September
Voice: A dry, trilled "kreep"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Buff breast; scaly-looking brown back; long wings that extend past the tail when folded; black legs
Told apart from: Least sandpiper, which has yellow legs and shorter wings
Told apart from: White-rumped sandpiper, which shows a white rump in flight
Where to look: Drying edges of ponds and impoundments in late summer

Behaviour

Baird's sandpipers feed on drier ground than most small sandpipers, picking insects from the surface.

Why they matter

These small sandpipers make one of the longest migrations of any shorebird, from the high Arctic to southern South America, much of it through the middle of the continent. Their appearances in Georgia are a glimpse of that route.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A shallow scrape on dry tundra
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 21 days
Chicks — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about 20 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Drying pond edges and impoundments in late summer are important stopovers.

Misconceptions

All small sandpipers are the same. Georgia sees several species of "peep", each with its own route.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	In South America	In South America	Migrating north through the interior	Migrating north	Arriving in the Arctic	Nesting	Adults leaving	A few passing through Georgia	A few passing through	In South America	In South America	In South America

Where it lives

Recorded in 76 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

United States

Canada

If you found one

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