Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos (Vieillot, 1819) PP PECSA 5070
Family: Charadriiformes > Scolopacidae

Pectoral Sandpiper, Edmund Fellowes

A medium-sized wader that breeds on the wet tundra of northern Siberia and North America, Pectoral Sandpiper is a scarce migrant.

Breeding males have an inflatable throat sac, which expands and contracts rhythmically during display flights, generating a series of hollow hoots.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Pectoral Sandpiper

  • Breeding
  • Winter
18k records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
18k records

BTO RECORDS

Identification

Pectoral Sandpiper identification is sometimes difficult.

Develop your bird ID skills with our training courses

Our interactive online courses are a great way to develop your bird identification skills, whether you're new to the hobby or a competent birder looking to hone your abilities.

Browse training courses

Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

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

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

DISTRIBUTION CHANGE

This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

SEASONALITY

Pectoral Sandpiper is a rare but regular vagrant, with two clear pulses of birds arriving in autumn; comparatively rare on spring passage.

Weekly occurence of Pectoral Sandpiper from BirdTrack
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Pectoral Sandpiper, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

BIOMETRICS

Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

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

Gaelic: Luatharan-broillich
Welsh: Pibydd Cain
Catalan: territ pectoral
Czech: jespák skvrnitý
Danish: Stribet Ryle
Dutch: Gestreepte Strandloper
Estonian: kiripugu-rüdi e. kiripugu-risla
Finnish: palsasirri
French: Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée
German: Graubrust-Strandläufer
Hungarian: vándorpartfutó
Icelandic: Rákatíta
Irish: Gobadán Uchtach
Italian: Piovanello pettorale
Latvian: tundras šnibitis
Lithuanian: raibakrutis begikas
Norwegian: Alaskasnipe
Polish: biegus arktyczny
Portuguese: maçarico-de-colete / pilrito-de-colete
Slovak: pobrežník škvrnitý
Slovenian: prekomorski prodnik
Spanish: Correlimos pectoral
Swedish: tuvsnäppa

Would you like to search for another species?