Calidris minutilla
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is the smallest shorebird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific minutilla is Medieval Latin for "very small".
Within the genus Calidris, the least sandpiper is most closely related to the white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis). This species has yellow-green legs and a short, thin, dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least sandpipers are grey above. The juveniles are brightly patterned above with rufous colour and white mantle stripes.
This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints". In particular, least sandpiper is very similar to its Asian counterpart, long-toed stint. It differs from that species in its more compact, shorter-necked appearance, shorter toes, somewhat duller colour, and stronger wingbar.
Measurements: Length: 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) Wingspan: 27–28 cm (11–11 in) Weight: 19–30 g (0.67–1.06 oz) Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Monterey Bay Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Least Sandpiper sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 87 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 89th most-seen of the 241 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Least Sandpiper in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March and May–June, the lowest months. Those are among Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve's wettest months, with about 470 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in February.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Least Sandpiper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
19th of 63
Of the 63 parks where we can rate Least Sandpiper sightings, Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve ranks 19th at about 10%. The best odds are in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 40%), Isla del Coco National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%) and Celestún Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Least Sandpiper is recorded against all the birds logged in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (87 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
