Common Sandpiper

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Common Sandpiper, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Amber listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	No
Birds Directive Annex 1	No
Listed on the Annexes of	Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA

WBS/WBBS results for this species show a decline from 1985 onwards (after a more gradual increase) that has yet to be explained. This decline is also evident in BBS squares in England, although the BBS decline in Scotland has been shallower. Following declines during the 1990s in the large Swedish and Finnish populations, the European status of this species is no longer considered 'secure' (BirdLife International 2004). There has been a decline across Europe since 1980 (PECBMS: PECBMS 2020a>). The species was moved from the green to the amber list in 2009 on the strength of its declines in UK and across Europe.

UK breeding population

-25% decrease (1995–2022)

Common Sandpipers breed in the uplands of Wales, northern England, much of Scotland and western Ireland, with only small numbers outside these areas. Small numbers winter, mostly in southern parts of Ireland, England and Wales.

Common Sandpiper breeding range has contracted by 20% across Britain & Ireland since the 1968–72 Breeding Atlas. Losses have been greatest in Ireland, central Wales and on lower ground adjacent to the uplands in England and Scotland.

Common Sandpipers are very localised winter visitors but mostly summer visitors from April onwards. Arrivals merge into the autumn return passage which can begin from June.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing	15 years 1 months 5 days (set in 2007)
Typical Lifespan	8 years with breeding typically at 2 year
Adult Survival	0.844±0.062   (Male: 0.72± Female: 0.67±)
Juvenile Survival	0.57 (in first year)

Wing Length	Adults	112.2±3.3 | Range 107–117mm, N=464
	Juveniles	112.3±3.4 | Range 107-118mm, N=458
	Males	110.8±3.1 | Range 106–115mm, N=33
	Females	115.2±3 | Range 111–120mm, N=41

Body Weight	Adults	58.0±10.2 | Range 44.0–76.0g, N=363
	Juveniles	55.5±9.3 | Range 42.1–71.0g, N=369
	Males	49.8±5.9 | Range 41.5–58.5g, N=31
	Females	62.8±9.7 | Range 49.5–80.5g, N=36

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	B+
Field Codes	2-letter: CS | 5-letter code: COMSA | Euring: 5560

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Causes of change

The drivers of the decline of this species are unclear; however it is unlikely to be caused by changes in the wintering area and hence probably relates to problems occurring during either the breeding season or on migration, or both.

Further information on causes of change

Poorer breeding success and reduced survival of first-year birds over the winter in West Africa were both suggested as possible reasons for the failure of the Peak District population to recover after a hard-weather event in 1989 (Holland & Yalden 2002). The reasons for poor recruitment to the breeding population are hard to assess in the absence of firm information on where British birds spend the winter (Dougall et al. 2010). However recent tracking of ten adult birds from Scotland identified coastal Guinea-Bissau as the most important wintering area and concluded that it was unlikely that habitat change in this area had been sufficient to cause the observed decline. The tracked birds did experience some unfavourable weather during northward migration but further work would be needed to confirm whether this could have affected population levels (Summers et al. 2019).

UK clutch sizes appear to have shown a slight decline from the 1960s to the 1990s, which has since been almost reversed, although this is based on a small sample.

Information about conservation actions

In one study in the Peak District, disturbance from anglers restricted the area available to sandpipers at the study site and hence reduced the breeding population (Yalden 1992). Whilst it remains unclear whether similar disturbance has been widespread enough to have contributed to the population declines, actions to prevent disturbance at key sites would be prudent.

In the absence of any evidence identifying other specific recommendations, actions to conserve existing habitats and water quality should also be considered.