Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Calidris melanotos

Malay Name: Kedidi Dada Hitam

Chinese Name: 斑胸滨鹬

Range: A long-distance migrant breeding across far northern Russia and wintering in southern Australia and South America; recorded as a vagrant in southeast Asia.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 19-23 cm

Identification: A medium-sized sandpiper, recalls Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, but differs from that species by sharply-demarcated white belly (clearly contrasting with brown patterning on breast), clean flanks, colder (less red) tones on crown, more distinct white supercilium, and usually pale-based bill. From the much smaller Long-toed Stint, told by stockier and taller appearance, and thicker bill. Wood Sandpiper is thinner-billed and slimmer.

Similar looking species: Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Habitat: Primarily occupies flooded grasslands, freshwater wetlands, and marshes.

Behaviour/Ecology: Walks slowly and leisurely while feeding, unlike most smaller waders.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 28 Oct 1999
Late date 03 Jan 2000
Bar chart not displayed for this species; no records in the given time period.
Few freshwater wetlands capable of supporting this species remain in Singapore.
Adult non breeding Pectoral Sandpiper at Yataity Calle, Corrientes Province, Argentina. Photo Credit: Eric Tan
Adult female breeding Pectoral Sandpiper at Zaliv Kuetkuyym, Kolyuchinskaya Guba, Chukotka, Russia. Photo Credit: Eric Tan

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Pectoral Sandpiper)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Calidris melanotos. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693408A93404396.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Farmer, A., Holmes, R. T., & Pitelka, F. A. (2020). Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos), version 1.0. In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A., & de Juana, E. (Eds.), Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pecsan.01

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Pectoral Sandpiper. Retrieved on June 9, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/pectoral-sandpiper.

To top