Curlew sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Josh Emm · Chesapeake Bay
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 18–23 cm, wingspan 38–46 cm; 44–117 g
- Diet
- Worms, molluscs, small crabs, insects
- Status in Georgia
- Migrant
- Recorded regions
- Adjara; Kvemo Kartli; Abkhazia
- Habitat
- Mudflats, lagoons, lake edges
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Conservation
- Global VU (2024); Georgia NT (2024)
The curlew sandpiper breeds on the Siberian Arctic tundra and spends the winter in Africa, South Asia and Australasia. It is 18–23 cm long, with a wingspan of 38–46 cm, and weighs 44–117 g. The bill is black, 32–44 mm long and gently curved along its whole length, and the legs are dark grey to black. In every plumage it has a large white patch on the rump, and in flight it shows a white wingbar. It is harmless to people. If on the seashore or the muddy edge of a lake you see a rusty-breasted or pale grey sandpiper with a curved bill that shows a white rump as it takes off, it is most likely a curlew sandpiper. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant. In Georgia it is seen in May and in August–September. Most records come from Adjara, from Batumi and the Chorokhi Delta, followed by Kvemo Kartli, at Kumisi Lake, and Abkhazia, at Gagra and Lake Inkit. Globally it is rated Vulnerable (VU), and in Georgia Near Threatened (NT).
Identification
Curlew sandpiper: how to identify it
It is recognised by its long black bill, curved along its whole length, its black legs and its white rump. In summer the head, breast and belly are rusty red. In winter it is grey above and white below, with a clear white eyebrow.
It is 18–23 cm long, with a wingspan of 38–46 cm, and weighs 44–117 g. The bill is 32–44 mm long and black, the eyes dark brown and the legs dark grey to black. Birds of all ages and plumages have a large white patch on the rump, and in flight a white stripe runs across the wing.
In breeding plumage the head, breast and belly are deep rusty red, more intensely in males. In winter plumage it is grey above and white below, with fine grey streaks on the breast and a clear white eyebrow. Juveniles have pale fringes to their feathers, so they look scaly and buff-tinged above.
The dunlin is stouter, with a shorter, straighter bill, a faint eyebrow and a rump that is dark in the centre. The juvenile ruff is larger and darker, with a shorter bill and yellow legs. As it takes off, the curlew sandpiper gives a short "chirrup" that drops in the middle.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
It breeds only on the far Arctic tundra of Siberia, from the Yamal Peninsula to Chukotka, on coastal lowlands and islands, by boggy hollows and pools. Outside the breeding season it is found on sheltered mudflats, brackish lagoons, in estuaries, salt marshes and saltpans, and inland on the muddy edges of marshes, rivers and fresh or saline lakes, in flooded areas and at sewage ponds. In Georgia most records come from Adjara: from Batumi and the Chorokhi Delta, in May and in August–September. In Kvemo Kartli it has been seen at Kumisi Lake, in May and August. In Abkhazia it is seen near Gagra and at Lake Inkit, from July to September. There is one record from Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, from the coast south of Poti.
The curlew 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. Three regions have enough records: Adjara, Kvemo Kartli and Abkhazia.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It eats polychaete worms, bivalve and gastropod molluscs, small crabs, and insects and their larvae. On the breeding grounds it feeds mainly on crane flies and midges. It forages in large flocks in wetlands and on muddy shores, searching the mud and sand with its bill.
It is a long-distance migrant: it arrives on the breeding grounds in June and leaves in August or September. On migration it flies at about 70–75 km/h. At high tide it roosts in large mixed flocks on sandbars and lagoon islets. First-year birds do not breed and spend the whole summer in the wintering range. Pairs form during the northward migration. The male's courtship is complex: he prepares a fake nest for the female, chases her in the air with warbling calls, and on the ground dances around her, showing off his tail and rump. The female lays a single clutch, usually at the end of June, of up to 5 eggs, which hatch after 20 days. The chicks are mobile soon after hatching. The males leave the breeding grounds once the females start incubating. Breeding success depends on lemmings: when lemmings are plentiful, predators hunt them and leave the sandpipers' nests alone more often.
Globally the curlew sandpiper is rated Vulnerable (VU, 2024). Over the last three generations, 15 years, its number has probably fallen by 30–49%. There are 420,000–960,000 mature birds. The exact causes of the decline are unknown, but they probably include the loss and degradation of stopover and wintering sites, climate change reducing breeding success, disturbance and hunting. Lemming cycles in the Arctic are weakening, which may also be affecting its chicks. The 2024 Georgian checklist rates it Near Threatened (NT) in Georgia.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant. It is seen in May and in August–September. It breeds in the Siberian Arctic and spends the winter in Africa and South Asia.
Most often near Batumi and in the Chorokhi Delta. It is also often seen at Kumisi Lake, in May and August, and in Abkhazia, near Gagra and Lake Inkit. Look for it on muddy shores, in flocks of other sandpipers.
By its long black bill, curved along its whole length, its black legs and its white rump, which shows well as it takes off. In summer the breast and belly are rusty red; in winter it is grey above and white below, with a white eyebrow.
The curlew sandpiper is more elegant, with longer legs and bill, a bill curved along its whole length and a clear eyebrow. Its rump is white. The dunlin is stouter, with a shorter, straighter bill, and in summer a black patch on the belly.
It is 18–23 cm long, with a wingspan of 38–46 cm, and weighs 44–117 g. The bill is 32–44 mm long.
Worms, molluscs, small crabs, and insects and their larvae. On the breeding grounds it eats mainly crane flies and midges. It feeds in large flocks on muddy shores.
It is harmless to people. Globally it is rated Vulnerable (VU, 2024): over the last 15 years its number has probably fallen by 30–49%. In Georgia it is rated Near Threatened (NT). 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.
