Family Sandpipers, Snipes, Phalaropes (Scolopacidae)

Least Concern

Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus)

figure, drawing, illustration of Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus)

Taxonomy

French: Bécasseau falcinelle German: Sumpfläufer Spanish: Correlimos falcinelo
Taxonomy:

Scolopax Falcinellus

Pontoppidan

, 1763,

Denmark

.

Hitherto placed in monotypic genus, Limicola, but recent study indicates that latter is embedded within Calidris#R (see also under Tribe Calidrini). Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution
  • C. f. falcinellus (Pontoppidan, 1763) – Scandinavia and NW Russia; winters from E Africa (rarely to South Africa) through S Red Sea and Arabia to W & S India and Sri Lanka.
  • C. f. sibirica (Dresser, 1876) – NE Siberia (Taymyr, and R Lena E to R Kolyma); winters from NE India through SE Asia, Philippines and Indonesia to Australia.

    • Descriptive notes

    16–18 cm; 28–68 g; wingspan 34–39 cm. Small sandpiper with long, broad bill decurved at tip; distinctive split supercilium; short legs; black mantle and... read more

    Voice

    Male has two song types associated with different flight speeds in display: firstly, a rhythmic... read more

    Habitat

    Race falcinellus breeds in subarctic montane and lowland zone, usually at altitudes above... read more

    Food and feeding

    Mainly marine worms, including nereids; also small bivalves and snails, crustaceans (e.g. amphipods), adult and larval insects, including... read more

    Breeding

    Laying early to late Jun in Fennoscandia, mid Jun to early Jul in Russia. Monogamous. Breeds in loose colonies, of 2–10 pairs, 80... read more

    Movements

    Adults depart breeding grounds in Fennoscandia Jul, juveniles Aug; migrates in broad front SE... read more

    Status and conservation

    Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Total population of nominate 13,000–22,000 pairs, with 200–1000 pairs in Norway (1990), 3000–5000 pairs in Sweden (... read more

    Recommended citation

    Van Gils, J., Wiersma, P. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53940 on 16 February 2019).