Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Introduction

Slightly smaller than a Dunlin, with long wings (so the primaries project beyond the tail), Baird's Sandpiper is a rare but regular autumn visitor from North America.

The female Baird's Sandpiper lays a clutch of eggs that is up to 120% of her body mass in just four days, shortly after arriving in the Arctic, with essentially no stored fat.

Key Stats

Status

Rare

Weight

43g

Seasonality

<1%

BTO Records

2.4k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

No current data

No data

No current data

0% no change

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

St Kilda, 1911

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

0.07%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Winter Distribution for Baird's Sandpiper

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

Distribution Change

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This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Seasonality

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Baird Sandpiper is a rare vagrant in autumn.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Baird's Sandpiper movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Baird's Sandpiper, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Baird's Sandpiper

Classification and Codes

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Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Scientific name: Calidris bairdii
Authority: Coues, 1861

BTO 2-letter code: BP
BTO 5-letter code: BAISA
Euring code number: 5060

Alternate species names

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Catalan: territ de Baird
Czech: jespák dlouhokrídlý
Danish: Bairdsryle
Dutch: Bairds Strandloper
Estonian: eskimo risla e. eskimo rüdi
Finnish: eskimosirri
French: Bécasseau de Baird

German: Bairdstrandläufer
Hungarian: Baird-partfutó
Icelandic: Leirutíta
Irish: Gobadán Baird
Italian: Gambecchio di Baird
Latvian: garsparnu šnibitis
Lithuanian: baltapilvis begikas
Norwegian: Gulbrystsnipe

Polish: biegus dlugoskrzydly
Portuguese: maçarico-de-bico-fino / pilrito-de-bico-fino
Slovak: pobrežník plavý
Slovenian: vrtorepi prodnik
Spanish: Correlimos de Baird
Swedish: gulbröstad snäppa
Welsh: Pibydd Baird

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.