Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Calidris acuminata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusCalidris (Calidris Sandpipers)
- SpeciesCalidris acuminata (Sharp-tailed Sandpiper)
About the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
The sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is a small-medium migratory wader or shorebird, found mostly in Siberia during the summer breeding period (June to August) and Australia for wintering (September to March).
Within the genus Calidris the sharp-tailed sandpiper is most closely related to the broad-billed sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus). The genus name calidris comes from the Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific acuminata is from Latin acuminatus, 'sharp, pointed'.
A small-medium wader, the portly sandpiper has a pot belly, flat back and somewhat drawn-out rear end. It has a mottled chestnut-brown upper body with sharp-looking feathers with a dark centre, a chestnut cap on its head and a brown stripe through each eye. Its bill is dark grey to black and straight, and its legs are olive- to yellow-coloured. The underparts are white or paler in colour, with the mottling similar to that on the breast and sides of the belly. The plumage is more vivid during the breeding season and duller in its winter plumage. The juveniles are brighter in colour in autumn and early... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Great Knot
Calidris tenuirostris
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Red-necked Stint
Calidris ruficollis
Long-toed Stint
Calidris subminuta
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Grey-tailed Tattler
Tringa brevipes
Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 13 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 15 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 17 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Raja Ampat?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Raja Ampat?
November has the highest sighting rate for Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.