Species
Least sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
The world's smallest sandpiper, a brown, yellow-legged peep of muddy edges.
Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 13 to 15 cm long
- Weight
- About 20 to 30 g
- Habitat
- Muddy pond edges, marshes and mudflats
- Diet
- Insects, small crustaceans and worms
- In Georgia
- A common migrant and winter visitor
- Voice
- A high, rising "kreeet"
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Tiny; brown back; streaked brown breast; thin, slightly drooping bill; yellowish legs
- Told apart from
- Semipalmated and western sandpipers, which have black legs and greyer backs
- Where to look
- Muddy margins of ponds, impoundments and marshes
Behaviour
Least sandpipers feed along muddy edges, often among plants, picking and probing. They are among the tamest of shorebirds.
Why they matter
The least sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world, and it migrates between the northern forests and tundra and the southern United States and South America. It uses even small inland ponds, bringing shorebird migration into farmland and suburbs.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A scrape in moss or grass in the north
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 19 to 23 days
Chicks — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about 14 to 16 days
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Muddy pond edges left unmown give them places to feed.
Misconceptions
- Such a tiny bird cannot migrate far. Least sandpipers travel thousands of kilometres each year.
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.
| 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 | Wintering | Wintering | Wintering | Migrants passing | Last migrants | Nesting in the north | Adults returning | Migrants | Migrants | Wintering birds settle | Wintering | Wintering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 95 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamain winter
- Alaskabreeding
- Arizonain winter
- Arkansasin winter
- Californiain winter
- Coloradopassing through
- Connecticutpassing through
- Delawarepassing through
- District of Columbiapassing through
- Floridain winter
- Georgiain winter
- Idahoin winter
- Illinoispassing through
- Indianapassing through
- Iowapassing through
- Kansaspassing through
- Kentuckypassing through
- Louisianain winter
- Mainepassing through
- Marylandpassing through
- Massachusettspassing through
- Michiganpassing through
- Minnesotapassing through
- Mississippiin winter
- Missouripassing through
- Montanapassing through
- Nebraskapassing through
- Nevadain winter
- New Hampshirepassing through
- New Jerseypassing through
- New Mexicoin winter
- New Yorkpassing through
- North Carolinain winter
- North Dakotapassing through
- Ohiopassing through
- Oklahomain winter
- Oregonin winter
- Pennsylvaniapassing through
- Rhode Islandpassing through
- South Carolinain winter
- South Dakotapassing through
- Tennesseepassing through
- Texasin winter
- Utahin winter
- Vermontpassing through
- Virginiapassing through
- Washingtonin winter
- West Virginiapassing through
- Wisconsinpassing through
- Wyomingpassing through
Canada
Mexico
- Aguascalientesin winter
- Baja Californiain winter
- Baja California Surin winter
- Campechein winter
- Chiapasin winter
- Chihuahuain winter
- Coahuilain winter
- Colimain winter
- Durangoin winter
- Guanajuatoin winter
- Guerreroin winter
- Hidalgoin winter
- Jaliscoin winter
- Mexico Cityin winter
- Michoacanin winter
- Morelosin winter
- Nayaritin winter
- Nuevo Leonin winter
- Oaxacain winter
- Pueblain winter
- Queretaroin winter
- Quintana Rooin winter
- San Luis Potosiin winter
- Sinaloain winter
- Sonorain winter
- State of Mexicoin winter
- Tabascoin winter
- Tamaulipasin winter
- Tlaxcalain winter
- Veracruzin winter
- Yucatanin winter
- Zacatecasin winter
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