Calidris bairdii
The Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) is a small to medium-sized shorebird, measuring approximately 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length with a wingspan of 38-42 cm (15-16.5 inches) and weighing 35-65 grams (1.2-2.3 ounces). Its most distinctive field mark is its exceptionally long primary projection, giving the appearance of wings extending well beyond the tail, a key identifier even at a distance. The plumage features a striking scaly pattern on its brown-mottled upperparts, a buffy wash acro...
This species primarily inhabits dry, sparsely vegetated Arctic tundra during the breeding season, often at higher elevations or inland areas. During migration and winter, it favors inland grasslands, high-altitude wetlands, and agricultural fields rather than coastal mudflats.
The diet of Baird's Sandpipers consists mainly of insects and their larvae, including beetles, flies, and midges, along with small crustaceans, mollusks, and some plant material. They primarily forage by gleaning from the surface and shallow probing.
Baird's Sandpipers are typically diurnal, foraging actively during daylight hours and often gathering in mixed-species flocks for roosting outside the breeding season. Their foraging strategy involves visual hunting, where they quickly snatch insects from the surface or perform shallow probing in...
The Baird's Sandpiper has an extensive breeding range across the High Arctic, spanning from Alaska, through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland, and into northeastern Siberia. After breeding, these remarkable migrants embark on one of the longest avian journeys, migrating broadly across No...
Least Concern
- The Baird's Sandpiper is named after Spencer F. Baird, a prominent 19th-century American ornithologist. - It undertakes one of the longest migratory journeys of any shorebird of its size, traveling from the High Arctic to southern South America. - Unlike many 'peeps,' it prefers drier, often hi...