Calidris himantopus

Named for its long, thin legs, the Stilt Sandpiper appears to most North American birders as a grayish wader with a white breast, light gray neck, and long white eye-stripes. However, this species’ breeding plumage gives it a brown-scalloped breast and rusty-red cheek patch. In all plumages, the Stilt Sandpiper may be separated from other related species by its tall stature. Males and females are similar at all seasons. The Stilt Sandpiper winters locally along the arctic coast of North America from the Hudson Bay to northern Alaska. This species is a long-distance migrant, wintering primarily in south-central South America. However, smaller wintering populations exist further north, including in central Mexico, along the western Gulf coast, and locally in Florida and South Carolina. The Stilt Sandpiper breeds on wet tundra. On migration and during the winter, this species may be found along the edges of ponds and in shallow coastal lagoons and mudflats. Stilt Sandpipers primarily consume small invertebrates, particularly insects and larvae. Due to its remote breeding habitat, most birdwatchers never see the Stilt Sandpiper during the summer. On migration or during the winter, this species may be seen probing the mud for food with its bill while wading in shallow water. The Stilt Sandpiper is primarily active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

Breeds n North America; winters sw US to s South America.

Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, North West Atlantic, Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone

Caribbean; North America

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDING: northeastern Alaska across northern Canada to northeastern Manitoba and northern Ontario, and probably locally south to borders of taiga; north to Victoria and Jenny Lind islands, Northwest Territories. NON-BREEDING: primarily in South America (mainly Bolivia and southern Brazil to northern Chile and northern Argentina), casually north to southeastern California, Gulf Coast and Florida (AOU 1983).

Length: 22 cm

Weight: 60 grams

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

Comments: Nonbreeding: mudflats, flooded fields, shallow ponds and pools, and marshes (AOU 1983). Nests in sedge tundra near water, often near wooded borders of the taiga (AOU 1983), on the ground in a shallow scrape, often on a slightly raised site (e.g., atop small sedge hummock or on low well-drained gravel ridge crossing sedge meadow). Tends to return to same nesting site in successive years.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Migrates northward through U.S. from March into May; begins to arrive in breeding areas in late May. Migrates mainly through central U.S.; rare along east coast in nortward migration, common when moving south; rare but regular along west coast. Adults begin southward migration in early to mid-July; juveniles depart by end of August. Flies in dense flocks.

Comments: Feeds on worms, fly and mosquito larvae, and small mollusks; also feeds on seeds, roots, and leaves of aquatic plants (Terres 1980). Forages at water's edge in compact flocks; may immerse head under water to feed. Does not feed extensively on nesting territory; forages in small tundra ponds up to 8 km from nest (see Johnson and Herter 1989).

100,000 - 1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Morrison et al. (2001) roughly estimated the total population to be 200,000.

During migration often seen in association with dowitchers and greater and lesser yellowlegs. Forage up to 8 kilometers from nest (Jehl 1973).

Comments: See Robert et al. (1989).

Maximum longevity: 11.1 years (wild)

Egg laying peaked during the second week of June on Victoria Island. Both sexes (male by day, female by night) incubate 4 eggs for average of 20 days. Hatching peaks in early July. Nestlings are precocial, leave nest soon after hatching, independent in about 14 days (fledging period reported as at least 17 days). At Churchill, Manitoba, nesting density was 5-25 pairs per sq km (see Johnson and Herter 1989).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 7
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 3 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4B - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N3B,N4N : N3B: Vulnerable - Breeding, N4N: Apparently Secure - Nonbreeding

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure