Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Spitsstertruiter |
| Asturian | Mazaricu acuminñu |
| Bulgarian | Остроопашат брегобегач |
| Catalan | territ acuminat |
| Chinese | 尖尾濱鷸 |
| Chinese (Hong Kong SAR China) | 尖尾濱鷸 |
| Chinese (SIM) | 尖尾滨鹬 |
| Croatian | oštrorepi žalar |
| Czech | jespák klínoocasý |
| Danish | Spidshalet Ryle |
| Dutch | Siberische Strandloper |
| English | Sharp-tailed Sandpiper |
| English (United States) | Sharp-tailed Sandpiper |
| Finnish | suippopyrstösirri |
| French | Bécasseau à queue pointue |
| French (France) | Bécasseau à queue pointue |
| Galician | Pilro acuminado |
| German | Spitzschwanz-Strandläufer |
| Greek | Οξύουρη Σκαλίδρα |
| Hebrew | חופית חדת-זנב |
| Hungarian | Hegyesfarkú partfutó |
| Icelandic | Ósatíta |
| Indonesian | Kedidi ekor-tajam |
| Japanese | ウズラシギ |
| Korean | 메추라기도요 |
| Lithuanian | Smailiauodegis bėgikas |
| Mongolian | Сүүл элсэг |
| Norwegian | spisshalesnipe |
| Polish | biegus ostrosterny |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Pilrito-acuminado |
| Romanian | Fugaci cu coadă ascuțită |
| Russian | Острохвостый песочник |
| Serbian | Sibirska crnogruda sprutka |
| Slovak | pobrežník ostrochvostý |
| Slovenian | Ostrorepi prodnik |
| Spanish | Correlimos Acuminado |
| Spanish (Chile) | Playero acuminado |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Playero Coliagudo |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Playero de Cola Afilada |
| Spanish (Panama) | Playero Acuminado |
| Spanish (Spain) | Correlimos acuminado |
| Swedish | spetsstjärtad snäppa |
| Thai | นกชายเลนกระหม่อมแดง |
| Turkish | Kıl Kuyruklu Kumkuşu |
| Ukrainian | Побережник гострохвостий |
Revision Notes
Steven G. Mlodinow revised the account. Dave Bakewell and Peter Pyle contributed to the Plumages, Molts, and Structure page, and Guy M. Kirwan contributed to the Systematics page. Huy Truong updated the distribution map. Otse K. Attah copyedited the draft. Arnau Bonan Barfull curated the media.
Calidris acuminata (Horsfield, 1821)
Definitions
- CALIDRIS
- calidris
- acuminata / acuminatus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata Scientific name definitions
Version: 2.0 — Published May 31, 2024
Photos from this Account
Breeding adult
Nonbreeding adult
Juvenile
Juvenile
Breeding adult
Nonbreeding adult
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).
Similar species: Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos).
Juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Juvenile Plumage differs rather substantially from later plumages, unusually so for Calidris sandpipers. Crown reddish creating well-defined cap bordered by prominent white supercilium; upperpart feathering, upperwing coverts, and tertials dark with rufous and buff fringes creating a scaled appearance, the feathers tipped or fringed narrowly with white when fresh. Sides of neck and breast largely bright cinnamon buff.
Juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Upperpart feathers and upperwing coverts evenly fringed ruffous and buff, forming scaled appearance. At this time of year older birds are worn and show mottled body and abraded flight feathers.
Juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Upperwing coverts are evenly fringed forming scaled appearance. Juvenile primary coverts and remiges (other than tertials) similar in color to basic feathers but evenly fringed whitish; juvenile flight feathers are narrower and more tapered or rounded at the tips than formative and basic feathers and are fresh at a time of year when older birds show abraded flight feathers.
Formative Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Formative Plumage is variable, especially during transitional stages, showing a mix of cinnamon-buff characters of juvenile plumage and grayer appearance of Definitive Basic Plumage. Here note the molt limits among the secondary coverts, with some very worn juvenile feathers evident, and the worn juvenile puter primaries and rectrices. The tertials have been replaced ,contrasting with the juvenile primaries.
Formative Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Some formative birds can retain a few to most upperwing secondary coverts, showing contrasts between newer formative lesser and median coverts and more worn retained juvenile greater coverts. These birds also retain all juvenile primaries, pointed at the tips, brownish, worn, and not showing molt clines indicating replacement.
Formative (right) and Definitive Basic (left) Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.
In most formative birds the outer primaries and inner secondaries are replaced in an eccentric pattern and are contrastingly fresh. On the right-hand bird, note fresher outer three primaries (p8-p10), tertials, and inner secondaries, with remaining remiges juvenile, worn and brown. The bird on the left, by contrast, shown molt clines from more brown inner to darker and fresher outer primaries, and outer secondaries fresher than inner primaries. Caution that suspended prebasic molts for migration can result in a similar appearance to formative plumage following eccentric molts.
First Alternate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
First Alternate Plumage is variable, some individuals remaining in Formative Plumage or showing a few scattered alternate feathers but many resembling Definitive Alternate Plumage and being seperable only by molt limits among remiges. This bird appears to be largely in Formative Plumage but with scattered alternate back feathers and sparse spotting to the breast. Note the worn and brown juvenile scecondaries, visible under the coverts, contrasting with replaced formative tertials.
First Alternate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Most birds in First Alternate Plumage are similar to Definitive Alternate Plumage and can only be identified by molt limits among remiges. Note here the eccentric pattern, with outer primaries (p5-p10) and inner secondaries (proximal to s5) formative, while inner primaries (p1-p4) and outer secondaries (s1-s4 are contrastingly brown, narrow, and worn juvenile feathers. See also ML251110261 of the same bird.
First Alternate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Some formative birds can gain definitive-like body feathering but retain juvenile outer greater coverts and remiges, as here. Note thee generations of inner secondaries, first-alternate tertials, 1-2 formative feathers distal to these, and the remaining secondaries juvenile. The rectrices may also contain three generations, with central feathers alternate, middle feathers formative, and outer feathers juvenile.
Definitive Basic Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Definitive Basic Plumage is generally rather plain. Crown is brown or slightly tinged reddish, upperpart feathers are brown with duskier centers or shaft streaks and narrow white fringing, and sides of head with whitish streaked supercilum and lower cheeks. Separated from Formative Plumage by basic upperwing coverts uniform in wear and quality, basic tertials uniform in wear within tract and with other secondaries, and basic primaries uniformly darker, fresher, and broader at tips.
Definitive Basic Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Underparts are white except for brown wash and fine streaks across breast and diffuse narrow streaking to flanks. note uniform basic wing coverts and broad, dark, and fresh outer primaries and rectrices. Formative birds with eccentric molts are still replacing primaries through January.
Definitive Basic Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Protracted prebasic molts result in molt clines from more worn inner to fresher outer primaries and with the outer secondaries appearing fresher than the inner primaries. Some birds can suspend molt for migration and show more abrupt contrasts among these tracts but not as severe as those following eccentric molts in formative birds. Note also the unifomr basic secondary coverts, the centers to the lesser coverts approaching blackish.
Definitive Alternate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Definitive Alternate Plumage is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage but most upperpart feathers and some to many upperwing coverts replaced and variably fringed dull to bright rufous. Underparts variably brown to cinnamon with distinct spots across the breast, changing to chevron-shaped marks ventrally and along the sides and flanks. Note the black basic outer primaries and rectrices. Some birds in First Alternate Plumage difficult to seperarate, although birds this well marked are likely in Definitive Alternate Plumage.
Definitive Alternate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
This individual shows more rurous to the cap and cinnamon to the breast than many. Most upperwing secondary coverts appear to be alternate. Note the even molt cline from more-worn inner to fresher and blacker outer primaries, helping to distinguish this bird from one in First Alternate Plumage.
First and/or Definitive Alternate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.s
First and Definitive Alternate Plumages show variably brighter or duller rufous to the crown, rufous fringing to upperpart feathers, and cinnamon wash to the breast. Variation may relate to age and sex; study is needed. Ages can be inseparable without examining remiges. The bird on the left shows formative or basic outer rectrices and four replaced alternate inner rectrices; note the black rump, perhaps in part resulting from wearing of fringes from fresher basic or formative feathers.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper undergoing Preformative Molt.
During Preformative Molts, body feathers, tertials, and central rectrices are typically replaced in October–December whereas outer primaries can be replaced in eccentric sequence in December or January–April, later on average than primary replacement during Definitive Prebasic Molt. Here body feathers have largely been replaced, upperwing coverts are molting, and eccentric molt has begun with p6.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper undergoing Preformative Molt.
Body feathers have largely completed molt, tertials, upperwing coverts, and central rectrices are being replaced, and primary molt is beginning with p6. Note that the juvenile primaries and secondaries have become quite worn and brown by the end of the calendar year.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper undergoing Preformative Molt.
Replacement of primaries averages much later in timing during the preformative than during the prebasic molt. Here, eccentric primary molt appears to have commenced at p2-p3 and s2-3 (with p1-p2 and/or s1-s2 juvenile) and has only reached p8 by early February. Completion of preformative molt of primaries often overlaps the first prealternate molt.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper undergoing Second Prebasic Molt.
Prebasic Molts take place primarily on non-breeding grounds, with most body feathers replaced October-December and primaries replaced November-January. Here. most body feathers have completed molt and distal replacement of primaries has reached p6. Upperwing coverts and tertials are also molting. The outer primaries and secondaries appear to be worn juvenile feathers, indicating that this is the Second Prebasic Molt following a partial Preformative Molt the previous year.
are replaced distally (p1 to p10), secondaries replaced bilaterally from the 2nd or 3rd tertial and proximally from s1 and perhaps s5, and rectrices are generally replaced distally (r1 to r6) on each side of tail, with some variation occurring.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper undergoing Definitive Prebasic Molt.
During prebasic molts, primaries are replaced distally, secondaries replaced distally from the tertials and proximally from s1 and perhaps s5, and rectrices are generally replaced distally on each side of tail. Here, primary molt has reached p6 and the outer secondary (s1) and central rectrices (r1) have dropped, indicating typical inter-tract sequence. The relatively fresh, broad, and dark outer primaries and secondaries indicates this to be a Definitive rather than the Second Prebasic Molt, although it could be the latter following a complete Preformative Molt.,
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper undergoing Definitive Prebasic Molt.
Here, molt of primaries has reached p7 and secondaries are rectrices are in full replacement, a few secondaries (among s8-s11) and the outer two rectrices yet to drop.
Adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
Adults during the molting and non-breeding seasons have grayish bills, darkening toward the tip and with small pale bases. The legs and feet are usually olive to greenish. At all ages he iris is dark brown.
Adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
During prebreeding and breeding periods the base of the bill can brighten to horn or yellowish and the legs become brighter yellow.
Juvenile's habitat in its fall migration in Alaska; Alaska, United States.
Juvenile's habitat in its fall migration in Alaska; Alaska, United States.
Juvenile's habitat in its fall migration in Alaska; Alaska, United States.
Two birds in their overwintering habitat; Tasmania, Australia.
Two birds foraging in their overwintering habitat; Southland, New Zealand.
Bird feeding on earthworm.
Juvenile foraging in Alaska in September.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper can be aggressive during the nonbreeding season.
Macaulay Library Photos for Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
