Western Sandpiper

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Western Sandpiper in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Sandpiper sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 108 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Western Sandpiper in Saguaro National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Western Sandpiper in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

Calidris mauri

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
GenusCalidris (Calidris Sandpipers)
SpeciesCalidris mauri (Western Sandpiper)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Saguaro National Park

108 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026

8,769 Verified sightings across all 58 parks From 2019 to 2026

September Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Western Sandpiper

The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is a small migratory shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific mauri commemorates Italian botanist Ernesto Mauri (1791–1836).

This is one of the most abundant shorebird species in North America, with a population in the millions. Within the genus Calidris the western sandpiper is most closely related to the semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla).

Adults have dark legs and a short, thin, dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds, especially the semipalmated sandpiper. This is particularly the case in winter plumage, when both species are plain grey. The western sandpiper acquires winter plumage much earlier in the autumn than the semipalmated sandpiper.

Measurements: Length: 14–17 cm (5.5–6.7 in) Wingspan: 35–37 cm (14–15 in) Weight: 22–35 g (0.78–1.23 oz) Their breeding habitat is tundra in eastern Siberia and Alaska. They nest on the ground usually under... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Calidris minutilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Calidris bairdii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Calidris melanotos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Calidris himantopus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Calidris alba

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Actitis macularius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Gallinago delicata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Numenius hudsonicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tringa melanoleuca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tringa solitaria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tringa flavipes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
2	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
3	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
4	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
5	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
6	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
7	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
8	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
9	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
10	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
11	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
12	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
13	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~10%
14	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
15	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
16	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
17	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
18	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
19	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
20	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
21	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
22	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
23	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
25	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
26	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
27	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
28	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
29	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
30	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
31	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
32	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
34	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
35	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
36	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
37	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
38	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
39	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
41	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
42	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
43	Gates of the Arctic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
44	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
45	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
46	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
47	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
48	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
49	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
50	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
51	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
52	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
53	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
54	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
55	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
56	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
57	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
58	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Western Sandpiper in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Sandpiper sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 108 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Western Sandpiper in Saguaro National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Western Sandpiper in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Saguaro National Park

Western Sandpiper

About the Western Sandpiper

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Least Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

Sanderling

Spotted Sandpiper

Wilson's Snipe

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Greater Yellowlegs

Long-billed Dowitcher

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers