NT
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: #http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of _the_WP15.xls#.
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: #http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm#.
Turbott, E.G. 1990. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand. Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Near Threatened A4abc
2015 Near Threatened A4abc
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 does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 3,050,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 139,000,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor estimated 2012
Population trend decreasing - estimated 2005-2028
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 20-29% - - -
Generation length 7.6 years - - -

Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.1,085,000-1,285,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The minimum European population in winter is estimated at 1,000-1,800 individuals, which equates to 690-1,200 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). The population wintering in West Africa is estimated at 350,000-450,000 individuals (van Roomen et al. 2015). The East Asian-Australasian Flyway population has been estimated at 90,000 individuals (Hansen et al. 2016).

Trend justification: Population trends are very difficult to determine for this species, however overall it is suspected to be declining. The population wintering in south-west Asia, the Middle East and east and southern Africa is estimated to have undergone a moderate long-term increase and a large decline in the short-term (since c. 2007) (Nagy et al. 2014, M. Taylor in litt. 2015). However the data had limited coverage, particularly in the Red Sea and southern Gulf. A wintering population of c. 45,000 individuals at Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour in Namibia was stable between 1990 and 2013 (Simmons et al. 2015).

In West Africa count data show the population experienced a short-term decline between 2003 and 2014 and a long-term decline between 1979 and 2014 (32.9% decline over three generations (23 years)) (van Roomen et al. 2014). At Banc d'Arguin (Mauritania) and Bijagos (Guinea Bissau), the strongholds of the West African wintering population, the population has been decreasing (M. van Roomen in litt. 2015). However Dodman (2014) did not find a population decline, instead suggesting that the population was continuing to increase. This population trend is therefore uncertain. The population trend in the south Asian wintering population is unknown (Wetlands International 2015). Approximately 11-12% of the global population uses the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. An analysis of monitoring data from around Australia and New Zealand estimated the population had declined by 80.5% in three generations (Studds et al. in prep.). The decline observed in Australia may be representative of the whole flyway, however Amano et al. (2010) found no clear trend between 1978 and 2008.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Afghanistan extant native yes
Albania extant native yes
Algeria extant native
Angola extant native
Anguilla (to UK) extant vagrant
Antigua and Barbuda extant vagrant
Armenia extant native
Australia extant native yes yes
Austria extant native
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Bahrain extant native yes yes
Bangladesh extant native yes
Barbados extant native
Belarus extant native
Belgium extant native
Benin extant native yes
Bermuda (to UK) extant vagrant
Bhutan extant vagrant
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native
Botswana extant native
British Indian Ocean Territory extant native
Brunei extant native
Bulgaria extant native yes
Burkina Faso extant native
Burundi extant native
Cambodia extant native
Cameroon extant native
Canada extant vagrant
Cape Verde extant native
Central African Republic extant native
Chad extant native
China (mainland) extant native yes
Christmas Island (to Australia) extant native
Comoros extant native
Congo extant native
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native
Costa Rica extant vagrant yes
Côte d'Ivoire extant native
Croatia extant native yes
Cyprus extant native
Czechia extant native
Denmark extant native yes
Djibouti extant native
Dominica extant vagrant
Ecuador extant vagrant
Egypt extant native
Equatorial Guinea extant native yes
Eritrea extant native
Estonia extant native
Eswatini extant native
Ethiopia extant native
Finland extant native yes
France extant native yes
French Southern Territories extant vagrant
Gabon extant native
Gambia extant native
Georgia extant native
Germany extant native yes
Ghana extant native
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant
Greece extant native yes
Grenada extant vagrant
Guadeloupe (to France) extant vagrant
Guam (to USA) extant native yes
Guinea extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native
Hong Kong (China) extant native yes
Hungary extant native
Iceland extant vagrant
India extant native
Indonesia extant native yes
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes yes
Iraq extant native yes
Ireland extant native
Israel extant native
Italy extant native yes
Japan extant native yes
Jordan extant native yes
Kazakhstan extant native
Kenya extant native
Kuwait extant native yes
Kyrgyzstan extant native
Laos extant vagrant
Latvia extant native
Lebanon extant native yes yes
Lesotho extant vagrant
Liberia extant native
Libya extant native
Luxembourg extant vagrant
Madagascar extant native
Malawi extant native
Malaysia extant native yes
Maldives extant native
Mali extant native
Malta extant native
Marshall Islands extant vagrant
Martinique (to France) extant vagrant
Mauritania extant native
Mauritius extant native
Mayotte (to France) extant native
Mexico extant vagrant
Micronesia, Federated States of extant native yes
Moldova extant native
Mongolia extant native yes yes
Montenegro extant native
Montserrat (to UK) extant vagrant
Morocco extant native
Mozambique extant native
Myanmar extant native yes
Namibia extant native
Nepal extant native
Netherlands extant native yes
New Caledonia (to France) extant native
New Zealand extant native yes
Niger extant native
Nigeria extant native
North Macedonia extant native
Norway extant native yes
Oman extant native yes yes
Pakistan extant native
Palau extant native yes
Palestine extant native yes
Papua New Guinea extant native yes
Peru extant vagrant
Philippines extant native yes
Poland extant native yes
Portugal extant native yes
Puerto Rico (to USA) extant vagrant
Qatar extant native yes
Réunion (to France) extant native
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant native yes yes
Russia (Asian) extant native yes
Russia (Central Asian) extant native yes
Russia (European) extant native yes yes
Rwanda extant native
São Tomé e Príncipe extant vagrant
Saudi Arabia extant native yes yes
Senegal extant native
Serbia extant native
Seychelles extant native
Sierra Leone extant native
Singapore extant native yes
Slovakia extant native
Solomon Islands extant native
Somalia extant native
South Africa extant native
South Korea extant native yes
South Sudan extant native yes
Spain extant native yes yes
Sri Lanka extant native yes
St Kitts and Nevis extant vagrant
St Lucia extant vagrant
St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) extant vagrant yes
St Vincent and the Grenadines extant vagrant
Sudan extant native
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) extant vagrant
Sweden extant native yes
Switzerland extant native
Syria extant native yes
Taiwan, China extant native yes
Tajikistan extant native
Tanzania extant native
Thailand extant native yes
Timor-Leste extant native yes yes
Togo extant native
Trinidad and Tobago extant vagrant yes
Tunisia extant native yes
Türkiye extant native
Turkmenistan extant native
Uganda extant native
Ukraine extant native yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes yes
United Kingdom extant native yes
USA extant native yes
Uzbekistan extant native
Vietnam extant native
Virgin Islands (to UK) extant vagrant
Western Sahara extant native
Yemen extant native yes yes
Zambia extant native
Zimbabwe extant native

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Greece Amvrakikos gulf
Russia (European) Torna-Shoina watershed
France Bassin d'Arcachon et Banc d'Arguin
France Camargue
Gabon Akanda
Ghana Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site
Ghana Songor Ramsar Site
Guinea-Bissau Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo
Kenya Tana River Delta
Namibia Walvis Bay
Namibia Sandwich Harbour
Tunisia Salines de Thyna
Tunisia Îles Kneiss
Tanzania Rufiji Delta
South Africa Olifants river estuary
South Africa Berg River Estuary
South Africa West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands
Oman Barr al Hikman
Saudi Arabia Sabkhat al-Fasl lagoons
Sri Lanka Araly South-Punalai
Sri Lanka Amaipaddukkai
Sri Lanka Periyakalapuwa mouth
Sri Lanka Seguwantive mudflats
Malaysia North-central Selangor coast
India Kaliveli Tank and Yeduyanthittu estuary
Malaysia Sadong-Saribas coast
Kazakhstan Kushmurun Lake
Australia Lake MacLeod
Germany Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park (includes the Halligs, Kniepsand/Amrum, Lister Koog, Rantumbecken, Rickelsb
Romania Danube Delta
Spain Ebro delta
Myanmar Gulf of Mottama
Netherlands Wadden Sea
Guinea-Bissau Rio Cacheu
Guinea-Bissau Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary
Guinea-Bissau Lagoas de Cufada
Guinea-Bissau Arquipélago dos Bijagós
Guinea-Bissau Cantanhez forests
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone River Estuary
Sierra Leone Yawri Bay
Senegal Djoudj wetlands
Senegal Guembeul Avifaunal Reserve and St Louis lagoons
Senegal Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie
Senegal Niayes (from Dakar to St Louis)
Senegal La Petite Côte
Senegal Delta du Saloum
Senegal Parc National de Basse Casamance
Senegal Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve
Mauritania Banc d'Arguin National Park
Mauritania Aftout es Sâheli
Mauritania Chott Boul
Mauritania Diawling National Park
Guinea-Bissau Ilha de Bolama - Rio Grande de Buba
Montenegro Ulcinj saltpans
Russia (Asian) Lower Nizhnyaya Taymyra river
Russia (Asian) Gusikha river basin and lower Balakhnya river

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Salt Exploitation Sites suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Grassland Tundra major breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable non-breeding
Marine Intertidal Mud Flats and Salt Flats major non-breeding
Marine Intertidal Rocky Shoreline suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Rocky Shoreline suitable non-breeding
Marine Intertidal Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc suitable non-breeding
Marine Intertidal Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches suitable non-breeding
Marine Intertidal Tidepools suitable breeding
Marine Intertidal Tidepools suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Coral Reef - Back Slope suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Coral Reef - Foreslope (Outer Reef Slope) suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Coral Reef - Inter-Reef Rubble Substrate suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Coral Reef - Inter-Reef Soft Substrate suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Coral Reef - Lagoon suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Coral Reef - Outer Reef Channel suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Estuaries suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Tundra Wetlands (incl. pools and temporary waters from snowmelt) major breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture Marine & freshwater aquaculture - Industrial aquaculture Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather Droughts Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather Habitat shifting & alteration Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Whole (>90%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Human intrusions & disturbance Recreational activities Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Species disturbance
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Clostridium botulinum Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Viral/prion-induced diseases - Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1 subtype) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Species mortality
Natural system modifications Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (commercial use) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications Dams & water management/use - Dams (size unknown) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications Other ecosystem modifications Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development Commercial & industrial areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development Housing & urban areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Transportation & service corridors Roads & railroads Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation
Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Food - human - - non-trivial recent
Sport hunting/specimen collecting - - non-trivial recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Calidris ferruginea. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/curlew-sandpiper-calidris-ferruginea on 19/03/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org on 19/03/2024.