Calidris subruficollis
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The buff-breasted sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) is a small shorebird. The species name subruficollis is from Latin subrufus, "reddish" (from sub, "somewhat", and rufus, "rufous") and collis, "-necked/-throated" (from collum, "neck"). It is a calidrid sandpiper, notable for its long annual migration, from the artic region of North America to the pampas region of South America.
This species is brown above and has a buff face and underparts in all plumages. It has a short bill and yellow legs. Males are larger than females. Juveniles resemble the adults but may be paler on the rear underparts. C. subruficollis breeds in the open arctic tundra of North America and is a very long-distance migrant, spending the non-breeding season mainly in South America, especially in Argentina and Uruguay.
It migrates mainly through central North America and is uncommon on the coasts. It occurs as a regular wanderer in Western Europe and is not classed as rare in Great Britain or Ireland, where small flocks have occurred. Only the pectoral sandpiper is a more common American shorebird visitor to Europe.
This species nests as far north as Canada including... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Caroni Swamp | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 4 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 9 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-breasted Sandpiper sighting in Caroni Swamp on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 150th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Caroni Swamp on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Caroni Swamp's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 25 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Buff-breasted 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.
3rd of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Buff-breasted Sandpiper sightings, Caroni Swamp ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Hortobágy National Park (Hungary, under 5%).
Same genus: Calidris
The closest relatives of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that you can see in Caroni Swamp (genus Calidris, Calidris Sandpipers) are Least Sandpiper (about 20%), Semipalmated Sandpiper (about 10%) and White-rumped Sandpiper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Buff-breasted Sandpiper is recorded against all the birds logged in Caroni Swamp (7 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.
