Calidris ferruginea
The Curlew Sandpiper, *Calidris ferruginea*, is an elegant medium-sized shorebird renowned for its exceptional migratory prowess and striking seasonal plumage. Measuring 18-23 cm in length with a wingspan of 38-41 cm, its most distinctive feature is a long, slender, decurved black bill, reminiscent of a miniature curlew's, giving the species its common name. In breeding plumage, adults display rich, brick-red underparts with fine dark streaking, contrasting sharply with a dark brown, intricat...
Breeds on low-lying Arctic tundra plains, favoring damp areas with sedges and mosses. During migration and winter, it primarily inhabits coastal intertidal mudflats, estuaries, lagoons, and saltmarshes, typically at sea level.
Primarily consumes small marine and freshwater invertebrates, including polychaete worms, small crustaceans, molluscs, and insect larvae. It forages by probing its decurved bill deep into soft substrates.
Curlew Sandpipers are highly social, typically foraging in small to large flocks, especially outside the breeding season, often mixing with other *Calidris* species. They are diurnal foragers, actively probing soft mud and sand with their long, sensitive bills, employing a characteristic 'sewing ...
The Curlew Sandpiper breeds exclusively in the high Arctic tundra of north-central and eastern Siberia, from the Taymyr Peninsula east to the Kolyma River. After breeding, it embarks on an epic southward migration, utilizing major flyways across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its extensive wintering g...
Near Threatened
- The Curlew Sandpiper undertakes one of the longest migrations of any shorebird, traveling thousands of kilometers from Arctic Siberia to southern continents. - Its long, decurved bill is a specialized tool, allowing it to probe deep into mud and sand where other 'peeps' with shorter bills canno...