Calidris subruficollis
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-breasted Sandpiper sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 191st most-seen of the 351 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and April–November, the lowest months. That is one of iSimangaliso Wetland Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain against 30 mm in July.
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.
Yes
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Buff-breasted Sandpiper sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Hortobágy National Park (Hungary, under 5%) and Caroni Swamp (Trinidad and Tobago, under 5%).
Same genus: Calidris
The closest relatives of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (genus Calidris, Calidris Sandpipers) are Sanderling (about 10%), Curlew Sandpiper (about 10%) and Little Stint (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 iSimangaliso Wetland Park (5 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.
