Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world, weighing only about 1 ounce—roughly the same as a single AA battery.
- Scientific name
- Calidris minutilla
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Scolopacidae › Calidris
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Mudflats, salt marshes, damp meadows, and sandy shores.
- Diet
- Small invertebrates including crustaceans, insects, snails, and marine worms.
- Range
- North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean
- Size
- 13-15 cm in length; wingspan of 27-28 cm
- Lifespan
- 4-9 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland degradation, coastal development, and climate-induced changes to Arctic breeding grounds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These birds are sensitive to disturbance while feeding. Maintain a distance of at least 30 meters; if the bird stops foraging to watch you, move back. Do not allow dogs to chase them.
The least sandpiper ( Calidris minutilla ) is the smallest shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris , a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific minutilla is Medieval Latin for "very small".
Photo: Bill Levine, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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