Birds of North America Home Page

Field Guide for all the Birds of North America


Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Bécasseau spatule

Calidris pygmea

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

Birds of North America
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  • Birds of North America
  • Birds of North America
  • Birds of North America
  • Birds of North America
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Thanks to Nick Upton, an excellent Thailand bird guide who spotted the bird.

Life, Habitat & Pictures of North American Sandpipers

B L W W W Family Latin Name
6" 15.2cm 11.4" 29cm 1.25oz 35.4g Scolopacidae Calidris pygmea

  • Summer
  • Year Around
  • Winter
range map

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a native bird of Asia. This small sandpiper is one of the rarest birds seen in the world. It has one of the smallest populations of bird species known, and is listed as threatened with great concern. It has been seen in northern Alaska, and is recognized as a vagrant.


References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.


Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB