Common sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Alexander Abuladze · Tskaltubo, Imereti Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 18–20 cm, wingspan 32–35 cm; 40–80 g
- Diet
- Insects, spiders, molluscs, crustaceans, worms
- Status in Georgia
- Breeding bird, migrant, winter visitor
- Recorded regions
- Kvemo Kartli; Abkhazia; Shida Kartli; Mtskheta-Mtianeti; Adjara; Tbilisi; Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti; Samtskhe-Javakheti
- Habitat
- Riverbanks, lakes, reservoirs, sea coast
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2025); Georgia LC (2024)
The common sandpiper walks along the shore or in shallow water, bobbing its tail and head with every step. It flies low over the water with stiff, rapid wingbeats. It is 18–20 cm long with a wingspan of 32–35 cm and weighs 40–80 g. It is greyish-brown above and white below, with short, dark yellowish legs and a bill that is pale at the base and dark at the tip. It is harmless to people. If you see a small bird on a stony riverbank that keeps bobbing its tail and, when startled, flies off low over the water, it is most likely a common sandpiper. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a breeding bird, migrant and winter visitor. In Georgia almost all records fall between March and September, most of them in April and in July and August. It occurs from the sea coast up to the Kazbegi mountains, in eight regions, most often in Kvemo Kartli, at Kumisi Lake. It is rated Least Concern (LC) both globally and in Georgia.
Identification
Common sandpiper: how to identify it
A small wader with greyish-brown upperparts, a white belly and short, dark yellowish legs. As it walks it constantly bobs its tail and head. It flies low over the water with stiff, rapid wingbeats.
It is greyish-brown above and white below. The legs are short and dark yellowish, and the bill is pale at the base and dark at the tip. It is 18–20 cm long with a wingspan of 32–35 cm and weighs 40–80 g.
In winter plumage it is duller, with more noticeable barring on the wings that is still only visible at close range. Young birds are more heavily barred above and have buff edges to the wing feathers.
It finds food by sight on the shore or in shallow water. It is usually alone or in small groups and seldom joins flocks of other species. At night it sometimes gathers in roosts of more than 100 birds.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
When breeding it prefers pebbly, sandy or rocky banks of fast-flowing rivers, as well as small ponds, reservoirs, clear lake shores and sheltered stony or sandy sea coasts. It often feeds in patches of dry meadow too. It occurs from sea level up to 4,000 m. In winter it uses a wide range of places: pools, ditches, riverbanks, harbours and sewage filtration tanks. It avoids large mudflats. In Georgia most records come from Kvemo Kartli: from Kumisi Lake and Gardabani Municipality. It is often seen in Abkhazia, at Gagra, Lake Inkit and Ochamchire, in Shida Kartli, at Nadarbazevi Lake, and in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, in Kazbegi and Dusheti municipalities. You can also find it in Adjara, near Batumi and in the Chorokhi Delta, in Tbilisi, at Lisi Lake and in Old Tbilisi, in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and in Samtskhe-Javakheti, in Ninotsminda Municipality. There are single records from Kakheti, Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi.
The common sandpiper map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Eight regions have enough records: Kvemo Kartli, Abkhazia, Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Adjara, Tbilisi, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It eats insects and their larvae, such as beetles and flies, as well as spiders, molluscs, snails, crustaceans and worms. Sometimes it also takes frogs, tadpoles and small fish, and eats seeds. It finds food by sight on the ground or in shallow water and picks it up, and sometimes catches insects in flight.
It is fully migratory: it travels at night on a broad front, crossing deserts and mountains. European birds that winter in West Africa leave from mid-July to August, the young a month later, and return from late March to April. Small numbers spend the winter further north, for example on the Mediterranean. Some young birds also spend the summer in the wintering areas. It breeds from May to June in single pairs spaced 60–70 m apart. The nest is a scrape on the ground near fresh water, lined with plant material and often well hidden among shrubs. The female usually lays 4 eggs, and incubation lasts about three weeks. When threatened, the young may cling to a parent's body and be carried to safety.
Globally the common sandpiper is rated Least Concern (LC, 2025). A 2021 estimate puts the number of mature birds at 3,230,000–5,190,000, with 1,030,000–1,490,000 pairs in Europe, and the trend is stable. In Europe numbers have changed little over three generations. It faces no serious threats. Locally, disturbance by visitors and anglers on riverbanks harms nesting. In Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC, 2024).
Alexander Abuladze · granzh26 · Nastya Klimova · natalia1704 · Katia Setrinen · Donsky · Dmitry Ivanov · Nikita Tiunov
Related guides
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Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a breeding bird, migrant and winter visitor. It is seen mainly from March to September, most often in April and in July and August.
On almost every river and lake. Most often at Kumisi Lake, in Gardabani Municipality and at Nadarbazevi Lake. It is also seen at Gagra, Lake Inkit, near Batumi, in Tbilisi and in Kazbegi Municipality.
It is a small, greyish-brown bird with a white belly and short, yellowish legs. As it walks it constantly bobs its tail and head, and in flight it goes low over the water with stiff, rapid wingbeats.
It is 18–20 cm long with a wingspan of 32–35 cm and weighs 40–80 g.
Insects and larvae, spiders, molluscs, crustaceans and worms, and sometimes frogs, tadpoles, small fish and seeds. It picks food from the shore and from shallow water.
From May to June, in single pairs near fresh water. The nest is a scrape on the ground lined with plants, often hidden among shrubs. The female usually lays 4 eggs, and incubation lasts about three weeks.
It is harmless to people. It is rated Least Concern (LC) both globally and in Georgia, and its numbers are stable. If you find an injured bird, call 112 or the environmental protection service.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
