Compiled by Lindsey Hernandez
Featured Photo Credit: Least Sandpiper Great Meadows NWR, Concord, MA Credit: Steve Arena/USFWS
The Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is a small shorebird and the smallest member of the sandpiper family, often referred to as “peeps.” These migratory birds are known for their distinctive yellow-green legs and high-pitched, rapid call. They are found across North America, migrating between the Arctic tundra during the breeding season and various coastal areas and inland wetlands during migration and winter.
The Least Sandpiper can be seen year-round in Austin at Horsnby Bend and Lady Bird Lake; the numbers dipping in May and June. It is often in the company of other shorebirds such as Western Sandpipers or Semipalmated Sandpipers.
The genus name “Calidris” is derived from the Ancient Greek term “kalidris” or “skalidris,” used by Aristotle for certain grey-colored waterside birds. The species name “minutilla” comes from Medieval Latin, meaning “very small,” accurately describing the bird’s diminutive size.
At just 5 to 6 inches long and weighing about 1 ounce, the Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world. Its plumage is warm brown on the upperparts with a white underbelly, providing excellent camouflage on muddy shorelines.
Juvenile least sandpiper Photo by USFWS
In flight, the bird’s rump appears whitish, marked by a black line running down the center. Its bill is short, thin, and slightly decurved, well-suited for probing the mud for food. The bird’s yellowish-green legs can sometimes appear darkened by mud, and juveniles have rustier plumage compared to adults. While the Least Sandpiper is common in suitable habitats, its small size and cryptic coloration can make it challenging to spot.
Least Sandpipers breed in the far northern regions of North America, including tundra and boreal forests. They typically nest in wet coastal environments, such as bogs, sedge meadows, and tussock heaths. Males establish the nesting site by creating scrapes in the ground, which the female selects and finishes by lining with sparse vegetation. These birds migrate over vast distances, with eastern populations flying nonstop across the ocean from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and New England to their wintering grounds in northeastern South America. The migration spans up to 2,500 miles, and during this time, Least Sandpipers stop at inland habitats, such as muddy edges of lakes, flooded fields, and wet meadows, as well as coastal mudflats and rocky shorelines.
In winter, Least Sandpipers migrate as far south as Chile and Brazil, where they are found in lagoons, saltmarshes, tidal sloughs, and wet fields. These habitats provide the necessary resources for feeding, roosting, and breeding. The wide-ranging migration is essential to their survival, as they rely on different ecosystems at different stages of the year.
Little Sandpiper from Birds of America (1827) by John James Audubon, etched by William Home Lizars.
Least Sandpipers feed primarily on small invertebrates such as amphipods, isopods, midges, dragonflies, and mollusks. Unlike other small sandpipers, they prefer slightly drier ground for foraging and can often be seen probing damp mud with their bills. Researchers have discovered that these birds use the surface tension of water to quickly transport prey from their bill tips to their mouths. Females, with longer bills, are able to reach deeper in the mud for larger prey items, and both males and females supplement their diets with seeds from marsh grasses like panic grass and smartweed.
During the breeding season, males perform intricate aerial displays to attract females, involving noisy calls, circular flight patterns, and diving descents. Once paired, males and females share incubation duties, with the male typically taking the longer day shift. After hatching, the chicks are left to fend for themselves, though the male often stays nearby to protect them from predators like ravens, gulls, and foxes.
Sources include Cornell Lab of Orinthology and eBird
