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Calidris himantopus

(Bonaparte, 1826)

Stilt Sandpiper

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100427
Element CodeABNNF11190
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyScolopacidae
GenusCalidris
Synonyms
Micropalama himantopus
Other Common Names
Bécasseau à échasses (FR) Maçarico-Pernilongo (PT) Playero Zancón, Chorlito Zancudo (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Often placed in the monotypic genus Micropalama (AOU 1983).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-07
Change Date1996-11-26
Edition Date2014-09-04
Edition AuthorsJue, Dean K.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
Better information is needed on its actual population number but assuming 800,000 is an accurate estimate of this species' numbers then G5 is an appropriate ranking.
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: northeastern Alaska across northern Canada to northeastern Manitoba and northern Ontario, and probably locally south to borders of taiga; north to Victoria and Jenny Lind islands, Northwest Territories. NON-BREEDING: primarily in South America (mainly Bolivia and southern Brazil to northern Chile and northern Argentina), casually north to southeastern California, Gulf Coast and Florida (AOU 1983).
Occurrences Comments
This species is found only in North and South America and there is differences in opinion on the actual population numbers of this bird. Hence the large range limits for number of element occurrences. Depending on the source, the populatoin size of this bird ranges from 200,000 to 800,000 (Morrison, et. al. 2006).
Threat Impact Comments
The recovery of the Canada Goose and Snow Goose may be harming the Stilt Sandpiper on its breeding grounds by altering the tundra habitat (National Audubon Society, 2014). Wetlands destruction continue at a rapid place in many places along the migratoin route for this species. Climate change may impact this species northern latitude breeding grounds.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: mudflats, flooded fields, shallow ponds and pools, and marshes (AOU 1983). Nests in sedge tundra near water, often near wooded borders of the taiga (AOU 1983), on the ground in a shallow scrape, often on a slightly raised site (e.g., atop small sedge hummock or on low well-drained gravel ridge crossing sedge meadow). Tends to return to same nesting site in successive years.

Ecology

During migration often seen in association with dowitchers and greater and lesser yellowlegs. Forage up to 8 kilometers from nest (Jehl 1973).

Reproduction

Egg laying peaked during the second week of June on Victoria Island. Both sexes (male by day, female by night) incubate 4 eggs for average of 20 days. Hatching peaks in early July. Nestlings are precocial, leave nest soon after hatching, independent in about 14 days (fledging period reported as at least 17 days). At Churchill, Manitoba, nesting density was 5-25 pairs per sq km (see Johnson and Herter 1989).
Terrestrial Habitats
Tundra
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5M
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanS5MYes
Island of NewfoundlandSNRMYes
Nova ScotiaSNAYes
QuebecS3MYes
ManitobaS3B,S4MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
AlbertaSUMYes
NunavutS4BYes
Yukon TerritoryS3BYes
British ColumbiaS3MYes
New BrunswickSUMYes
OntarioS3B,S4MYes
United StatesN3B,N4N
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNAYes
OhioSNAYes
PennsylvaniaSNAYes
New YorkSNRNYes
WashingtonSNAYes
LouisianaS4NYes
KansasS4NYes
ColoradoS4NYes
Navajo NationS2MYes
MaineSNAYes
IndianaSNAYes
IdahoSNAYes
WisconsinSNAYes
DelawareSNAYes
South DakotaSNAYes
NevadaSNAYes
UtahSNAYes
IllinoisSNAYes
ArizonaS3MYes
OregonSNAYes
IowaS4NYes
KentuckySNAYes
GeorgiaSNRNYes
VirginiaSNAYes
MontanaSNAYes
North DakotaSNAYes
ArkansasS3MYes
North CarolinaSNAYes
OklahomaS3NYes
MinnesotaSNRMYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
AlaskaS3BYes
New HampshireSNAYes
South CarolinaS3MYes
AlabamaSNRNYes
MarylandSNAYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
MississippiSNAYes
New JerseyS4NYes
MassachusettsS3NYes
District of ColumbiaS1NYes
New MexicoS3NYes
WyomingS4NYes
MissouriSNRMYes
FloridaS3MYes
MichiganSNRNYes
TexasS3Yes
Rhode IslandS3NYes
TennesseeS3NYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (3)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lower Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest1,165
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
WildhorseCleveland National Forest1,483
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
References (34)
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  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
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  11. Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
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  28. Robbins, M. B., M. J. Braun, and D. W. Finch. 2004. Avifauna of the Guyana southern Rupinuni, with comparisons to other savannas of northern South America. Ornitologia Neotropical 15:173-200.
  29. Robert, M., R. McNeil, and A. Leduc. 1989. Conditions and significance of night feeding in shorebirds and other water birds in a tropical lagoon. Auk 106:94-101.
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