Species
Stilt sandpiper
Calidris himantopus
A long-legged sandpiper that feeds like a dowitcher, passing through Georgia's impoundments in migration.
Photo Joseph Morlan (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 18 to 23 cm long
- Weight
- About 40 to 70 g
- Habitat
- Shallow ponds and impoundments
- Diet
- Insect larvae, snails and seeds
- In Georgia
- An uncommon migrant, mostly in autumn
- Voice
- A soft, trilled "kirr"
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Long greenish legs; long bill slightly drooped at the tip; white rump; in spring, barred underparts and a rusty ear patch
- Told apart from
- Lesser yellowlegs, which has bright yellow legs and a straight bill
- Told apart from
- Dowitchers, which are stockier with longer bills
- Where to look
- Coastal impoundments, July to October
Behaviour
Stilt sandpipers feed in belly-deep water, probing straight down with a sewing-machine motion.
Why they matter
Stilt sandpipers breed in the Arctic and winter in South America, depending on shallow freshwater wetlands along the way. Managed impoundments on the coast give them places to feed during migration.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A scrape on tundra
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 19 to 21 days
Chicks — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about 17 to 18 days
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Shallow impoundments managed for shorebirds give them food on migration.
Misconceptions
- All small sandpipers are "peeps". Stilt sandpipers are taller and feed in deeper water.
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 | In South America | In South America | In South America | Migrants passing | Migrants passing | Nesting in the Arctic | Adults returning | Migrants | Migrants | Last migrants | In South America | In South America |
Where it lives
Recorded in 87 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamapassing through
- Alaskabreeding
- Arizonapassing through
- Arkansaspassing through
- Californiain winter
- Coloradopassing through
- Connecticutpassing through
- Delawarepassing through
- District of Columbiapassing through
- Floridain winter
- Georgiapassing through
- Idahopassing through
- Illinoispassing through
- Indianapassing through
- Iowapassing through
- Kansaspassing through
- Kentuckypassing through
- Louisianain winter
- Mainepassing through
- Marylandpassing through
- Massachusettspassing through
- Michiganpassing through
- Minnesotapassing through
- Mississippipassing through
- Missouripassing through
- Montanapassing through
- Nebraskapassing through
- Nevadapassing through
- New Hampshirepassing through
- New Jerseypassing through
- New Mexicopassing through
- New Yorkpassing through
- North Carolinapassing through
- North Dakotapassing through
- Ohiopassing through
- Oklahomapassing through
- Oregonpassing through
- Pennsylvaniapassing through
- Rhode Islandpassing through
- South Carolinain winter
- South Dakotapassing through
- Tennesseepassing through
- Texasin winter
- Utahpassing through
- Vermontpassing through
- Virginiapassing through
- Washingtonpassing through
- West Virginiapassing through
- Wisconsinpassing through
- Wyomingpassing through
Canada
- Albertapassing through
- British Columbiapassing through
- Manitobabreeding
- New Brunswickpassing through
- Newfoundland and Labradorpassing through
- Northwest Territoriesbreeding
- Nova Scotiabreeding
- Nunavutbreeding
- Ontariobreeding
- Prince Edward Islandpassing through
- Quebecpassing through
- Saskatchewanpassing through
- Yukonbreeding
Mexico
- Baja Californiapassing through
- Baja California Surin winter
- Campechein winter
- Chiapasin winter
- Chihuahuapassing through
- Colimain winter
- Durangoin winter
- Guanajuatoin winter
- Guerreroin winter
- Jaliscoin winter
- Mexico Cityin winter
- Michoacanin winter
- Nayaritin winter
- Nuevo Leonpassing through
- Oaxacain winter
- Queretaroin winter
- Quintana Rooin winter
- Sinaloain winter
- Sonorain winter
- State of Mexicoin winter
- Tabascopassing through
- Tamaulipasin winter
- Veracruzin winter
- Yucatanin winter
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