Sandpipers

Western Sandpiper

Bergstrandläufer

Calidris mauri

Sandpipers10 photosFirst seen: 11 July 2026

The Western Sandpiper is a very small shorebird with black legs and a thin bill that curves slightly downward. It breeds mainly in western Alaska and migrates in large numbers along the Pacific coast. The species feeds on small invertebrates and biofilm on tidal mudflats. Females usually have longer bills and probe more deeply than males. Major staging sites can hold very large flocks during migration.

ID tip: Against a Least Sandpiper, look at the legs: Western's are black, Least's are yellowish-green, and Western is paler, greyer and longer-billed overall.

First seen: 11 July 2026 · Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area · 10 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area11 July 2026

Family: Sandpipers (Scolopacidae)
Length: 14–17 cm
Wingspan: 28–37 cm
Regional status: Migrant (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Tidal mudflats, estuaries, shorelines
Diet: Small crustaceans, worms, biofilm, insect larvae

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Selected photographs

Complete photo archiveAll 10 published photographs of this species, including the selected main gallery.Open all 10 photos in the archive →