Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

The Stilt Sandpiper is a small, elegant bird with long legs and a slender body. It loves to wade in shallow waters, searching for tasty bugs and tiny fish to eat.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Stilt Sandpiper has remarkably long, yellowish-green legs, giving it a stilted appearance. Its plumage is mottled brown and streaked above, with a white belly and a distinct white eyebrow stripe. A long, slightly decurved bill helps identify this slender shorebird.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderCharadriiformesFamilyScolopacidaeGenusCalidris

Stilt Sandpiper

Interesting facts

Baby Stilt Sandpipers leave their nest just hours after hatching, ready to explore!

Their name "Stilt" comes from their super-long legs, which look like stilts!

These tiny birds are Olympic flyers, migrating from the Arctic all the way to Chile!

When feeding, they often move their bill back and forth, like a sewing machine!

Special abilities

Stilt Sandpiper can probe deep into soft mud with its long, sensitive bill to find hidden invertebrates in shallow wetlands.

Stilt Sandpiper has super long legs, allowing it to wade into deeper water than other small shorebirds to find hidden food.

Stilt Sandpiper can fly thousands of kilometers between its Arctic breeding grounds and South American wintering areas, finding food.

Measurements & details

Length: 18-23 cm
Wingspan: 40-45 cm
Weight: 0.04-0.07 kg
Lifespan: 6-10 years
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Clutch Size: 3-4
Incubation: 19-22 days
Migration Distance: 15000 km

Diet & Feeding

They eat tiny bugs and other small critters found in mud and shallow water.

Primary Foods

aquatic insect larvae
brine flies
small crustaceans
marine worms
some plant material

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

as a migratory prey item

eaten by

Merlin

Falco columbarius

predator on smaller birds

eats

Common Midge

Chironomus plumosus

preys on larvae in mud

eats

Brine Shrimp

Artemia salina

filters from saline waters

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.