Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauri
Range Map

The Western Sandpiper breeds on Alaska’s west coast, from the Alaskan Peninsula to the Beaufort Sea. They fly south in winter to the southern USA, the east and west coasts of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Most of these birds migrate along the Pacific Flyway, especially during their spring journey north. But during fall migration south, a portion of their population travels through the continental interior.

These birds have one of the biggest populations of all shorebirds. When they gather, at staging stops during migration, the spectacle of their flocks numbers in the hundreds, or thousands. The resulting murmurating flights can be impressive.

Western Sandpipers nest in the tundra, often under cover of some vegetation. After the female lays her clutch of eggs, both parents incubate. After hatching, the female usually leaves the breeding grounds, leaving the male to care for the young.

Science regards Western Sandpipers as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).

Peeps are busy little foragers that specialize in shallow shorelines and boggy mudflats. They can be very entertaining to watch. I’ve found they will scurry away when approached, but by sitting quietly, they often will return to feed, and provide an opportunity to capture images.

Most of my photo-ops with Western Sandpipers have been on the Pacific Coast of Oregon and California. There, I’ve met them along the full length of the California coast, from San Diego to Crescent City, and north to the southern and central Oregon shores. Inland, I’ve enjoyed their company as far as the Salton Sea, and at Mono Lake, east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In winter, they might show up anywhere on the west coast.

62 Photos

Click map markers to reveal further information