Justification This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Family/Sub-family Scolopacidae

Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Christidis and Boles (1994), Christidis and Boles (2008), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996), Turbott (1990)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

1,100,000

unset

1,610,000 km²

No

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: Behaviour This species is a full long-distance migrant that utilises few stopover sites or staging areas¹. The species breeds from June to August² in solitary pairs¹, travelling in flocks on migration² and remaining highly gregarious in winter often foraging in flocks of 300-10,000 individuals¹ at select feeding and roosting sites². Habitat Breeding The species breeds in the high Arctic¹ on dry upland tundra including weathered sandstone ridges, upland areas with scattered willows Salix spp., Dryas spp. and poppy, moist marshy slopes and flats in foothills, well-drained slopes hummocked with Dryas spp.³ and upland glacial gravel close to streams or ponds¹. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species is strictly coastal, frequenting tidal mudflats or sandflats, sandy beaches of sheltered coasts, rocky shelves, bays, lagoons and harbours, occasionally also oceanic beaches and saltmarshes¹. Diet Breeding During the breeding season the species's diet consists predominantly of insects (mainly adult and larval Diptera, Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera and bees) as well as spiders, small crustaceans, snails and worms¹. When it first arrives on the breeding grounds however, the species is dependant upon vegetation (including the seeds of sedges, horsetails Equisetum spp. and grass shoots) owing to the initial lack of insect prey³. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species takes intertidal invertebrates such as bivalve and gastropod molluscs, crustaceans¹ (e.g. horseshoe crab Limulus spp. eggs)⁸, annelid worms and insects, rarely also taking fish and seeds¹. Breeding site The nest is an open shallow depression⁴ either positioned on hummocks surrounded by mud and water or on stony or gravelly ground³ on open vegetated tundra or stone ridges¹.

Threats The species is vulnerable to extensive land reclamation projects that encroach upon staging areas in Western Europe¹, and is threatened by the over-exploitation of shellfish^{1, 6} which leads directly and indirectly to reductions in prey availability¹. The species also suffers from disturbance in the non-breeding season as a result of tourism⁶, foot-traffic on beaches⁷, recreational activities and over-flying aircraft, which together reduce the size of available foraging areas¹. It is also potentially threatened by industrial pollution and oil exploration (Argentina)⁶, and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus⁵. Utilisation The species is hunted illegally in New Zealand¹.

References 1. del Hoyo et al. (1986). 2. Hayman et al. (1986). 3. Johnsgard (1981). 4. Flint et al. (1984). 5. Melville and Shortridge (2006). 6. Goldfeder and Blanco (2006). 7. Burton et al. (2002). 8. Karpanty et al. (2006).

Further web sources of information

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Calidris canutus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 6/9/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

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