Data Zone
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.
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: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | A2b+4b | A2b+4b |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Near Threatened | A2b+4b |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 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 |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 16,100,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 39,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 5000000-15000000 mature individuals | good | estimated | 2023 |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | estimated | 2014-2026 |
| Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 0-62,20-29% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 0-62,20-29% | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 3.98 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 1 | - | - | - |
| Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 100% | - | - | - |
Population justification: The population was estimated as 700,000 in 2012 (Andres et al. 2012) but was recently substantially revised upwards. Arctic PRISM surveys in the species' Canadian range identified a population of c.2.6 million birds, but these surveys covered only c.10% of the species' range (Bart et al. in prep.). This led the latter authors to precautionarily estimate a population size of c.5 million, but when accounting for the large area of suitable habitat in Alaska, this seems to be the minimum plausible population size. Here, an estimate of 5,000,000-15,000,000 breeding individuals is used.
Trend justification: Population trend previously estimated to be stable (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). However the majority of both the breeding and wintering range of the species are poorly covered by these surveys, and migration surveys are considered to cover a greater portion of the population and consequently generate more reliable trends. Smith et al. (2023) used updated migration count data on the Atlantic coast to estimate a population reduction equivalent to 36.2% over three generations, though with wide confidence intervals between a reduction of 61.58% and an increase of 1.5%. This data is also used in the Avian Conservation Assessment Database December 2023 update (Partners in Flight 2023). Other datasets also suggest declines in this species, albeit ones that are less alarming. On the Pacific coast the Migratory Shorebirds Project (unpublished data) has estimated rates of decline equivalent to 26% over three generations. Across North America, using eBird data between 2011 and 2021, Fink et al. (2023) estimated declines of a much slower rate equivalent to 5% over three generations.
To incorporate the range of uncertainty within these data, the rate of reduction is here estimated to fall within the wide band of 0-62%, with the best estimate between 20-29% over three generations.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Antarctica | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bahamas | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Barbados | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Belgium | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Belize | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Brazil | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cape Verde | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Chile | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Colombia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Costa Rica | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cuba | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Dominica | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Dominican Republic | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ecuador | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| El Salvador | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Finland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | vagrant | ||||
| French Guiana | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Germany | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Grenada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guatemala | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guyana | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Haiti | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Honduras | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Ireland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Jamaica | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Japan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Martinique (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mexico | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Nicaragua | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Panama | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Peru | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Portugal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| South Korea | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Spain | extant | vagrant | ||||
| St Barthelemy (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Kitts and Nevis | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Lucia | extant | native | ||||
| St Martin (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | extant | native | ||||
| Suriname | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Kingdom | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Uruguay | extant | vagrant | ||||
| USA | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Venezuela | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | native | yes | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Mexico | Bahía Santa María |
| Mexico | Lago de Texcoco |
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | North, Middle and East Caicos Ramsar Site |
| 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 | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | 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 - 1500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture - Industrial aquaculture | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture - Subsistence/artisinal aquaculture | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (commercial use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (domestic use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water - Run-off | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents - Oil spills | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/least-sandpiper-calidris-minutilla on 27/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 27/12/2024.