Curlew Sandpiper Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesCurlew Sandpiper
Breeding adult
A medium-sized shorebird with a long, downcurved bill and long, black legs. Breeding adult ranges from brick-red to chestnut on the face, neck, breast, and belly, with a white vent and undertail coverts, and spangled rufous, black, and white upperparts. In fresh breeding plumage, underparts can have a scalloped look due to fresh white feather tips.
© Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang / Macaulay LibrarySamut Sakhon, April 15, 2015Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adult has gray upperparts, white underparts with some gray streaking across the breast, and a prominent white eyeline bordered by a gray cap.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryOromia, December 29, 2014Juvenile
A medium-sized shorebird with a long, downcurved bill and long wings that give an overall “stretched out” look. Juvenile has scaly brown upperparts, a prominent white line above the eye, and mostly white underparts with limited streaking on the breast.
© Don DesJardin / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 22, 2020Juvenile
Juvenile has scaly upperparts (due to white edges on dark feathers), a buffy wash and fine streaking on the side of the breast, a dark line running from the base of the bill to the eye, a white line above the eye, and a dark cap.
© Tammy McQuade / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 17, 2020Nonbreeding adult
In flight in all plumages, note the white rump, gray tail, and white wing stripe.
© Steven McBride / Macaulay LibraryNew South Wales, December 05, 2018Breeding adult
Nests on arctic tundra, where the female typically incubates four eggs in a shallow depression on dry ground.
© Laurent Demongin / Macaulay LibraryRussia, July 05, 2008Molting adult
Molting birds in late summer are a patchwork of breeding and nonbreeding plumages.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 25, 2012Habitat
Frequently occurs on tidal mudflats during migration and the nonbreeding season.
© joshua Dsilva / Macaulay LibraryGoa, September 19, 2016Nonbreeding/immature
Often occurs in large flocks during migration and on nonbreeding grounds. Uses its long bill to probe for prey on tidal mudflats, salt pans, sandy beaches, rice fields, lake edges, and sewage lagoons.
© Greg Baker / Macaulay LibraryErongo, November 30, 2007Similar SpeciesRed Knot
Breeding adult
Red Knot is larger than Curlew Sandpiper, with a shorter, thicker bill and proportionately shorter legs.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, May 25, 2013Similar SpeciesRed Knot
Breeding adult
In flight, Red Knot has extensive dark markings on the rump, while Curlew Sandpiper has a white rump.
© Matti Rekilä / Macaulay LibrarySaaremaa, August 03, 2021Similar SpeciesDunlin
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Dunlin has a less distinct white eyeline, shorter legs, and a thicker, less evenly curved bill than Curlew Sandpiper. (Dunlin’s bill is straighter at the base, and then droops noticeably at the tip.)
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryTexas, November 06, 2019Similar SpeciesDunlin
Juvenile
In fresh juvenile plumage, Dunlin is richly colored above with extensive rufous feather edging, while juvenile Curlew Sandpiper is plainer above, with limited white edging to grayish feathers. Note also juvenile Dunlin’s black spotting on the flanks, versus Curlew Sandpiper’s mostly white underparts.
© Michel Bourque / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, August 31, 2019Similar SpeciesDunlin
Nonbreeding adult
In flight, Dunlin has a broad blackish stripe through the rump, while Curlew Sandpiper has a white rump.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 16, 2020Similar SpeciesStilt Sandpiper
Nonbreeding/immature
Stilt Sandpiper has longer, yellowish legs compared with Curlew Sandpiper's shorter, black legs; and Stilt has a straighter bill with a blunt tip.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, October 20, 2016Similar SpeciesStilt Sandpiper
Juvenile
In flight, Stilt Sandpiper lacks the white wing stripe of Curlew Sandpiper, and Stilt’s long, yellowish legs extend well beyond the tail.
© Pablo Re / Macaulay LibrarySanta Fe, December 08, 2020Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Sandpipers and Allies(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae)
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