in front of the folded wing. Green sandpiper has a white rump and dark underwing. Wood sandpiper has a more prominent white eyebrow, and longer, yellower legs.
Distribution and habitat
The common sandpiper breeds across Europe, central and northern Asia east to Japan. Its global population is estimated at over two million birds. During the non-breeding season it is found throughout Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-eastern Asia, Philippines, New Guinea and Australia. Within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the common sandpiper is considered the most widely distributed shorebird species, but the southern limits of its regular migration are the southern coastlines of Australia.
New Zealand records
The common sandpiper is a rare visitor to New Zealand. Since the first verified record in 1964 there have been less than eight records per decade, with the vast majority in the North Island. There have been eight South Island records and one sighting on Stewart Island. All records in New Zealand have been of single birds on a range of habitats including tidal riverbanks, braided riverbeds, brackish lagoons and oxidation ponds.
Behaviour and ecology
Generally solitary in the non-breeding season, common sandpipers tend to avoid flocks of other waders on estuarine mudflats and high tide roosts. Instead they visit a wide range of freshwater and brackish wetland habitats and a sizeable proportion of those reaching New Zealand no doubt occur at sites (such as riverbanks, rivermouth lagoons and farm ponds) that ornithologists seldom visit. They forage in shallow water and on muddy and stony substrates. They often bob their head and teeter their tail up and down as they walk about, exaggerating this action when they become wary of an approaching human or potential predator.
Common sandpipers consume aquatic and terrestrial insects and their larvae, worms, small crustaceans and molluscs. No New Zealand data.
Chandler, R. 2009. Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere. Christopher Helm, London.
Hayman, P.; Marchant, J.; Prater, A.J. 1986. Shorebirds; an identification guide to waders of the world. Christopher Helm, London.
Heather, B.D.; Robertson, H.A. 1996 (rev 2000). The field guide to the birds of New Zealand. Viking,Auckland.
Higgins, P.J.; Davies, S.J.J.F. (eds). 1996. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic birds. Vol. 3, snipe to pigeons. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Li, Z.W.D.; Bloem, A.; Delany, S.; Martakis, G.; Quintero, J.O. 2009. Status of Waterbirds in Asia - Results of the Asian Waterbird Census: 1987-2007. Wetlands International, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Wetlands International. 2006. Waterbird Population Estimates - fourth edition. Wetlands International: Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Crossland, A.C. 2013 [updated 2015]. Common sandpiper. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
- Breeding season
- Egg laying dates