Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

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

Scientific Name: Calidris acuminata

Malay Name: Kedidi Ekor Tajam

Chinese Name: 尖尾滨鹬

Range: Breeds in northeast Siberia; winters south to New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, and eastern Australia.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 17-21 cm

Identification: A medium-sized sandpiper similar to the equally-rare Pectoral Sandpiper, recalls Long-toed Stint but ~50% larger. From Long-toed Stint, told by size, at least slight rufous tones on crown in all plumages, significantly longer legs giving taller appearance, and thicker bill. From Pectoral Sandpiper, distinguished by presence of streaking on flanks (versus clean flanks in that species), less distinct white supercilium, more warm tones on crown, and in breeding plumage, chevron-shaped (as opposed to pure streaked) markings on underparts; Pectoral also almost always shows pale tones on bill-base while Sharp-tailed often has all-dark bill.

Similar looking species: Long-toed Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper

Habitat: Mudflats, sandflats, flooded grasslands, and brackish lagoons.

Behaviour/Ecology: Typically feeds at water’s edge on insects, snails, and crustaceans.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2022)

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):

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2016 to Jun 2023 (all records)
Early date 14 Sep 1980
Late date 12 Jan 1989
Bar chart not displayed for this species; no records in the given time period.
The last record of this rare shorebird in Singapore was in Nov 2001 at Tanah Merah.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Leanyer Sewage Works, Australia. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Sharp-tailed Sandpiperat Derby Wetlands, Derby, Western Australia. 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 (Sharp-tailed Sandpiper)

References:

BirdLife International. (2022). Calidris acuminata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T22693414A152588591.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Van Gils, J., Wiersma, P., & Kirwan, G. M. (2020). Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), 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.shtsan.01

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. Retrieved on November 21, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/sharp-tailed-sandpiper.

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