Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus Scientific name definitions

16–18 cm; 28–68 g; wingspan 34–37 cm. Small sandpiper with long, broad bill decurved at tip; distinctive split supercilium; short legs; black mantle and scapulars with whitish fringes in fresh plumage, and whitish lines on edges; wing-coverts grey-brown with whitish fringes. Female averages larger. Non-breeding adult  has grey-brown upperparts with dark streaks or feather centres and white fringes; underparts white, but breast has faint grey-brown streaks; resembles C. alpina, but supercilium always apparent. Juvenile like breeding adult, but has chestnut and whitish fringes on upperparts; wing-coverts pale brown with pale buff fringes; breast washed buff-brown with faint brown streaks. Race <em>sibirica</em> has brighter rufous fringes  to feathers of upperparts; also distinguished by broader ‘lower’ supercilium and narrower ‘upper’ supercilium.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Race falcinellus breeds in subarctic montane and lowland zone, usually at altitudes above 200 m (to at least 1000 m), possibly to northernmost taiga, in wet bogs and on open peatland; race sibirica breeds in wet Arctic tundra. Some suggestion that species’ range is moving upslope in recent years in Scandinavia (2 Green, M., Hungar, J. and Rankin, R. (2009). Is the breeding distribution of Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus moving uphill? Ornis Svecica. 19: 244–246. Close ). During migration, species occurs in soft muddy areas at shores of ponds and lakes; also on windflats, shallow freshwater to saline, occasionally hypersaline, lagoons, overgrazed meadows, temporary small swampy patches, inlets of fjords, harbours, flooded rice fields, and further S also riverine sandbanks. Winters mainly on large, soft intertidal mudflats, in brackish lagoons and also saltpans.

Adults depart breeding grounds in Fennoscandia Jul, juveniles Aug; migrates in broad front SE across Europe; substantial numbers stage in Sivash, S Ukraine, in late May, apparently the last stopover before reaching the breeding grounds (3 Verkuil, Y., van der Have, T.M., van der Winden, J., Keijl, G.O., Ruiters, P.S., Koolhaas, A., Dekinga, A. and Chernichko, I.I. (2006). Fast fuelling but light flight in Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus: stopover ecology at a final take-off site in spring (Sivash, Ukraine). Ibis. 148(2): 211–220. Close ); also Middle East coasts, Caspian Sea and Sivash in Jul (adults) and Aug (juveniles), and Bulgarian seaboard in Sept; evidently some cross Sahara from Mediterranean and some pass E Mediterranean, from late Apr to late May and in early Oct. Present in Africa mainly Sept to early Apr, first adults from Aug; in Sind, Pakistan, adults arrive late Jul to early Aug, juveniles late Aug to early Sept. In E, probably overflies taiga in broad front, concentrating in S to cross the mountains; at least some apparently migrate via Minusinsk depression and Tuva (SC Siberia) and Transaltai Gobi (Mongolia) in autumn; migrates through Hong Kong, along E Chinese coast, Taiwan and Japan in Apr–May and Sept–Oct, taking a more westerly route northward; large numbers pass Jiangsu, NE China, in Aug. Present in NW Australia mainly from late Oct. Return migration mid Apr to early Jun, reaching breeding grounds in Fennoscandia mid May to mid Jun. A few remain at wintering sites. Migrates singly or in small parties, but on spring migration flocks of up to several hundred. Vagrant to North America (very rare autumn visitor to Alaska, with singles in New York and Massachusetts, at same season) (4 Howell, S. N. G., I. Lewington, and W. Russell (2014). Rare Birds of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), W Europe (exceptional Iceland, but regular in Britain, where c. 250 records by end of 2014) (5 Hudson, N. and the Rarities Committee (2015). Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 2014. British Birds. 108(10): 565–633. Close ), S Africa (e.g. once in Malawi, three times in Zambia) (6 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close , 7 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), Seychelles (four records) (8 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and New Zealand (c. 20 records, all since 1960)External link , with an unconfirmed record from the Solomons (9 Dutson, G. (2011). Birds of Melanesia: The Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Mainly marine worms  , including nereids; also small bivalves and snails, crustaceans (e.g. amphipods), adult and larval insects, including beetles, flies, grasshoppers and ants; also seeds. While feeding, walks slowly , picking from side to side and occasionally drilling and probing, often with head at typical sideways angle; may make short runs; feeds on soft mud or wet sand and occasionally wades in shallow water. Singly or in small flocks, sometimes mingling with other waders, e.g. C. ferruginea, C. alpina and C. minuta. In Namibia, recorded holding a feeding territory along a beach.

Male has two song types associated with different flight speeds in display: firstly, a rhythmic buzzing trill rendered “SUirr-SUirr-SUirr...” or “dsrui-dsrui-dsrui...”, with each unit repeated 4–5 times, which is given during slow flight, whereas in fast flight (which bird can suddenly switch to mid-display) the bird gives a more whirring “virrrirrirrirrirrirr...” or “dsri-dsri-dsri-sri-sri-sri-ri-ri-ri...”, likened to trilling songs of C. alpina or C. temminckii, but with quality like twitter of Common Sand Martin (Riparia riparia), which is most typically given when two singing males approach each other too closely, and enter into a spirited chase, at turns both high and low above ground. Typical territorial flight, however, is slow, 10–20 m above ground, with alternately shivering wings and glides. Calls include a low, trilled “chrrreep”, “chr-reek” or “chiprit”, typically uttered in flight.

Laying early to late Jun in Fennoscandia, mid Jun to early Jul in Russia. Monogamous. Breeds in loose colonies, of 2–10 pairs, 80–100 m apart, minimum 9 m; densities of up to 20 pairs/km² locally in Finland; males aggressively territorial. Nest a cup (70–80 mm wide by 25–30 mm deep) (10 Snow, D. W., and C. M. Perrins, Editors (1998). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Concise Edition. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) lined with vegetation such as leaves, often on top of tussock. Four eggs, sometimes three, pale buff or stone-coloured speckled red-brown or brown, mean size 32·1 mm × 22·8 mm (11 Harrison, C. J. O., and P. Castell (2002). Bird Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of Britain and Europe with North Africa and the Middle East. Second revised edition. HarperCollins, London, UK. Close ); single brood; no evidence of replacement clutches; incubation 21–22 days (two records); chick has chestnut or hazel-brown upperparts, with bold black bands and lines of powder-puff, contrasting white underparts and buff-tinged breast; young initially tended by both parents, but female deserts before fledging; fledging period unknown. Oldest ringed bird at least ten years.

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 (1987), 10,000–15,000 pairs in Finland (1992), and 100–1000 pairs in NW Russia, but all numbers uncertain, especially those in Russia; 25,000 estimated to winter in E Africa and SW Asia, with possibly up to 6000 on Saudi Arabian Gulf coast. Race sibirica has population estimated at c. 16,000–18,000 birds, of which c. 6000 pass through Yellow Sea, mainly in China (12 Barter, M. A. (2002). Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea: importance, threats and conservation status. Wetlands International Global Series 9, International Wader Studies 12, Canberra, Australia. Close ). Breeding range poorly known, due to inaccessibility of habitat and skulking habits; Swedish population decreasing since 1970s, and range has probably contracted, especially towards E. Local extinctions in Norway, partly due to habitat changes, but also some new breeding areas discovered in S Norway in 1970s, thereafter probably stable. However, most recent evidence from Scandinavian breeding grounds is that population is declining at rate of 8·6% per year (13 Lindström, Å., Green, M., Husby, M., Kålås, J.A. and Lehikoinen, A. (2015). Large-scale monitoring of waders on their boreal and Arctic breeding grounds in northern Europe. Ardea. 103(1): 3–15. Close ). Reportedly common on coast of Pakistan and recently discovered to be more numerous than previously thought in adjacent Gujarat, India (14 Ganpule, P., Varu, M., Zala, K.V. and Trivedi, A. (2015). Status and distribution of Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus in Gujarat, India. Indian Birds. 10(6): 147–149. Close ). Much of breeding habitat probably too wet for afforestation, perhaps safeguarding it for future. In Finland some peatland areas have been flooded to create artificial lakes. Most important site for European population during migration is Sivash, S Ukraine, with 6000–8000 birds estimated staging in spring, including 2000–2500 in third week of May (3 Verkuil, Y., van der Have, T.M., van der Winden, J., Keijl, G.O., Ruiters, P.S., Koolhaas, A., Dekinga, A. and Chernichko, I.I. (2006). Fast fuelling but light flight in Broad-billed Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus: stopover ecology at a final take-off site in spring (Sivash, Ukraine). Ibis. 148(2): 211–220. Close ); up to 600 birds stage in Bulgaria in Sept. Important wintering sites are Bahrain with 1500–2000 winterers, Rud-i-Hara, Hormozgan, S Iran (15 Roth, T., R. Aye, R. Burri, and M. Schweizer (2005). Bird observations from Iran in February–March 2001, including a new species for the Middle East. Sandgrouse 27(1):63–68. Close ), Barr Al Hikman in Oman, As-Sayhat Bay and lagoons in Tarout Bay in Saudi Arabia, and Khor Dubai in Dubai, with up to 1000 wintering birds each (in Barr Al Hikman 1648 birds in 1989/90 and 5000 in Jan 1992) (16 Eriksen, J. (1996). The birds of Barr Al Hikman, Sultanate of Oman. Sandgrouse. 18(2): 19–29. Close ). Seven sites in SE Asia hold more than 100 birds each, with up to 400 in Samut Sakhon in Gulf of Thailand; c. 8000 birds winter in Australia, of which typically ¾ in N Western Australia (17 Minton, C. D. T., and R. J. Chandler (1996). Palearctic waders in Western Australia. British Birds 89(4):177–184. Close ), with Port Hedland Saltworks holding up to 6000 birds and SE Gulf of Carpentaria up to 1740 birds.