Semipalmated sandpiper

Scientific name: Calidris pusilla

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small shorebird with grey-brown upperparts and white underparts; short, straight black bill; dark legs; slight webbing between front toes (semipalmated). Breeding plumage shows rusty tones on crown and back; non-breeding birds appear plainer grey.

Size and weight

Adults typically weigh 20–30 g; body length 14–16 cm. Sexual dimorphism is minimal, though females average slightly larger.

Habitat

Semipalmated sandpipers breed in open tundra and coastal plains of the high Arctic, often near freshwater pools and sedge marshes. During migration and winter, they inhabit coastal mudflats, sandy beaches, and shallow estuaries.

Distribution

Breeds across northern Canadian and Alaskan Arctic tundra. Migrates through coastal regions of North and Central America, wintering along Caribbean and South American coasts and in estuaries throughout the Americas.

Diet

Feeds primarily on small invertebrates including amphipods, polychaete worms, small crustaceans, and insect larvae gleaned from mud and sand surfaces.

Behaviour

Highly gregarious, often seen in large flocks during migration and winter. Diurnal and crepuscular forager; walks rapidly along waterlines with frequent pecking motions. Highly migratory, with some populations traveling 10,000+ km annually between Arctic breeding grounds and South American wintering areas.

Hunting tips

Look for concentrated feeding flocks along tidal flats and beach edges during migration periods; birds are most active at dawn and dusk. Approach low and use terrain features for concealment, moving during feeding pauses. Success depends on locating large flocks at optimal tide stages when mudflats are exposed and birds concentrate densely.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Barbados

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.