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Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Low |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 4,970,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 10,400,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 7.4 | - | - | - |
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing (Wetlands International 2006). This species has had stable population trends over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antarctica | Vagrant | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belgium | Vagrant | No | |||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Bolivia | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Cape Verde | Vagrant | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | Yes | ||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Finland | Vagrant | No | |||
| France | Vagrant | No | |||
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| Germany | Vagrant | No | |||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Iceland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Ireland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Paraguay | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Portugal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Russia (Asian) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| Spain | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Vagrant | No | |||
| Uruguay | Vagrant | No | |||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Lagune du Havre aux Basques et plage de l'Ouest |  |
| Canada | Marais de Pointe-au-Père | |
| Canada | PEI National Park | |
| Canada | Point Lepreau/Maces Bay | |
| Canada | Quill Lakes | |
| Colombia | Ciénaga Grande, Isla de Salamanca and Sabana Grande RAMSAR biosphere reserve | |
| Costa Rica | Nicoya Gulf mangroves and coastal areas | |
| Costa Rica | Sierpe Wetlands and Osa Peninsula | |
| Cuba | Delta del Cauto | |
| Cuba | Humedal Sur de Sancti Spiritus | |
| Ecuador | Ciénaga de La Segua | |
| Ecuador | Lagunas de Ecuasal-Salinas | |
| French Guiana | Amana | |
| French Guiana | Ile de Cayenne | |
| French Guiana | Littoral | |
| French Guiana | Littoral Kourou | |
| French Guiana | Littoral Macouria | |
| French Guiana | Littoral Sinnamary | |
| French Guiana | Plaine Kaw et Pointe Béhague | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Jobos Bay | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Suroeste | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | North, Middle and East Caicos Ramsar Site | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | Boreal | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Tundra | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Boreal | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Tundra Wetlands (incl. pools and temporary waters from snowmelt) | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Calidris minutilla. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
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
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and allies) |
| Species name author | (Vieillot, 1819) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 4,970,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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