Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Calidris pygmaea

Critically endangered and utterly distinctive, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper sports a spatula-shaped bill tip unlike any other shorebird. It breeds on coastal tundra in northeastern Russia and winters in Southeast Asian mudflats. Fewer than 500 adults remain, making every sighting a conservation milestone.

Fun Fact

Fewer than 500 Spoon-billed Sandpipers remain, making it one of the world's rarest shorebirds.

Attributes

TypeShorebird

Habitatcoastal, tundra

SizeTiny

Dietinsects

FlightStandard

Colorsbrown, white, red

MigratoryYes

ContinentsAsia, Oceania

Nest Typeground

ConservationCritically Endangered

Difficulty: hard