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 Tsavo West National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Tsavo West National Park
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Spur-winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
Black-headed Lapwing
Vanellus tectus
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 Tsavo West National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Sandpiper sighting in Tsavo West National Park, based on 117 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Sandpiper in Tsavo West National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Common Sandpiper in Tsavo West National Park in our monthly data.