Listen to the western sandpiper
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the western sandpiper
The western sandpiper is a bird in the family Scolopacidae (order Charadriiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 33 cm and weigh around 31 g.
What does the western sandpiper sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as calidris mauri. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is a small migratory shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific mauri commemorates Italian botanist Ernesto Mauri (1791–1836).
This is one of the most abundant shorebird species in North America, with a population in the millions.
Related birds in the genus Calidris
More from the family Scolopacidae
Frequently asked questions
What does a western sandpiper sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the western sandpiper on this page, including its calidris mauri. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the western sandpiper endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the western sandpiper as “least concern”.
What family does the western sandpiper belong to?
The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) belongs to the family Scolopacidae in the order Charadriiformes.
Sources & credits
- Calidris mauri by Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov, Arkhivov – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q488341 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Western sandpiper – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Alan D. Wilson – CC BY-SA 3.0