White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCNTVUVulnerableENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Caroni Swamp

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

45 Verified sightings at Caroni Swamp From 2019 to 2026
600 In all 21 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-rumped Sandpiper

The white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) is a small migratory shorebird that breeds in the northern tundra of Canada and Alaska. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints". In flight, it is more easily picked out by its namesake white rump.

The white-rumped sandpiper is a relatively small bird measuring only 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in), with a wingspan of 36–38 cm (14–15 in). The top of its body is a dull grey-brown colour and it has a white eye stripe. Its beak is of medium length, thin and dark, and its legs are very dark. This bird is often mistaken with many similar-looking sandpipers that live in its range or along its migration path.

The plumage is much less distinct during the winter; however, during all seasons males and females remain similar in their appearance. In adult breeding plumage, the crown and face have a brownish tinge. The supercilium is pale, there are black feathers on the back and there are grey edges on the wing coverts. The breast and flanks are streaked and the underparts are white. In adult winter plumage, the upperparts are a dark grey and at the... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:30

Brazil · 2024

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC940082 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:05

France · 2019

© Stanislas Wroza · XC526459 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:08

Argentina

© Bernabe Lopez-Lanus · XC48612 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
2 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~10%
3 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
4 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
5 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
6 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
7 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
9 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
10 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
11 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
12 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
13 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
15 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
17 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
18 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
19 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
20 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Santa Cruz de la Sierra 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
2 Montevideo 🇺🇾 Uruguay
<5%
3 Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
4 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Santos 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
6 Havana 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
7 Asuncion 🇵🇾 Paraguay
<5%
8 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Caracas 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-rumped Sandpiper in Caroni Swamp?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-rumped Sandpiper sighting in Caroni Swamp on a given day, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 97th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-rumped Sandpiper in Caroni Swamp?

September

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-rumped Sandpiper in Caroni Swamp on a given day, against under 5% in January–April and June–August, the lowest months. That is one of Caroni Swamp's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 25 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a White-rumped Sandpiper?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-rumped 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.

Is Caroni Swamp the best place to see a White-rumped Sandpiper?

Among the best

Of the 21 parks where we can rate White-rumped Sandpiper sightings, Caroni Swamp ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, about 10%).

Which relatives of the White-rumped Sandpiper live in Caroni Swamp?

Same genus: Calidris

The closest relatives of the White-rumped Sandpiper that you can see in Caroni Swamp (genus Calidris, Calidris Sandpipers) are Least Sandpiper (about 20%), Semipalmated Sandpiper (about 10%) and Pectoral Sandpiper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-rumped Sandpiper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-rumped Sandpiper is recorded against all the birds logged in Caroni Swamp (45 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.

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