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. Records currently under review are also not displayed. For a full list, click here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

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