Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

Description: Western sandpipers are a small shorebird that has a round body, short neck, and long legs. They have a speckled back that ranges in color from tan to red-brown to black. Their neck has tan spots that fades to white on their chest and underside. They have black legs and a black beak. In Oregon they are typically found on sandy beaches near the water line where they search for food.

Habitat: Breeding along the coastline of Alaska and migrating as far South America, Western sandpipers have an extensive range. During winter, (and sometimes summer for non-breeding adults), Western sandpipers can be found along the Pacific from Washington State to the Southern tip of Peru. On the Atlantic, they range from New Jersey to French Guiana. They can also be found inland across the Southern United States.

Nesting: Females choose a nesting site on the tundras of Northern Alaska. Both parents help build a “scrape”, a style of nest building that involves scraping away rocks and debris to create a comfortable dip in the ground. Females lay 4 eggs and both parents incubate for around 21 days. Female leaves around the time that the eggs hatch, sometimes before, and the male cares for the chicks. Young is fairly independent and can quickly feed themselves. They fledge after 17 to 21 days.

Diet: Like all sandpipers, the Western sandpipers forage by poking their long beak into sand and mud to find invertebrates. Western sandpipers primarily eat marine worms, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• Female Western sandpipers are larger than males and have a longer beak.

• Along side the dunlin, Western Sandpipers have one of the largest ranges of any shore bird during non-breeding season.

• Western sandpipers migrate in massive flocks and it is believed that the entire population leaves Alaska after breeding season in just a matter of weeks.

Reference: The Cornell Lab, Audubon