Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Silhouette: Rebecca Groom · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusActitis (Common and Spotted Sandpipers)
- SpeciesActitis hypoleucos (Common Sandpiper)
About the Common Sandpiper
The common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the spotted sandpiper (A. macularia), make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize. Hybridization has also been reported between the common sandpiper and the green sandpiper, a member of the closely related genus Tringa.
The common sandpiper was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tringa hypoleucos. The species is now placed together with the spotted sandpiper in the genus Actitis that was introduced in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. The genus name Actitis is from Ancient Greek aktites meaning "coast-dweller" from akte meaning "coast". The specific epithet hypoleucos combines the Ancient Greek hupo meaning "beneath" with leukos meaning "white". The species is monotypic and no subspecies are recognised.
The adult is 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) long with a 32–35 cm (13–14 in) wingspan. It has greyish... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Common Sandpiper in Pilanesberg National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Pilanesberg National Park
African Snipe
Gallinago nigripennis
Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
African Wattled Lapwing
Vanellus senegallus
Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Spotted Thick-knee
Burhinus capensis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Sandpiper in Pilanesberg National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Sandpiper sighting in Pilanesberg National Park, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Sandpiper in Pilanesberg National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Common Sandpiper in Pilanesberg National Park in our monthly data.