# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Stilt Sandpiper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Stilt_Sandpiper_by_Dan_Pancamo.jpg&width=800) Photo: Dan Pancamo, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stilt_Sandpiper_by_Dan_Pancamo.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Calidris ## 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 - **Deep-Water Dabbler:** Stilt Sandpiper can probe deep into soft mud with its long, sensitive bill to find hidden invertebrates in shallow wetlands. - **Leggy Navigator:** Stilt Sandpiper has super long legs, allowing it to wade into deeper water than other small shorebirds to find hidden food. - **Arctic Marathoner:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — as a migratory prey item - **Eaten by:** [Merlin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to catch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Stilt Sandpiper? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Stilt Sandpiper? 18-23 cm ### What is Stilt Sandpiper's wingspan? 40-45 cm ### How much does Stilt Sandpiper weigh? 0.04-0.07 kg ### How long does Stilt Sandpiper live? 6-10 years ### How fast can Stilt Sandpiper move? 60 km/h ### What does Stilt Sandpiper eat? They eat tiny bugs and other small critters found in mud and shallow water. ### Where is Stilt Sandpiper usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Pueblo Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pueblo-zoo) — Colorado, US · Zoo - [Sedgwick County Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sedgwick-county-zoo) — Kansas, US · Zoo - [Crowley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crowley-historic-district) — Louisiana, US · Historic District - [Fort Supply](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-supply) — Oklahoma, US · Historic Site - [Sioux County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sioux-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Stilt Sandpiper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/stilt-sandpiper) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Stilt Sandpiper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stilt-sandpiper)