Distribution Map
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Calidris falcinellus
NativeStatus
RareRarity
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Species Description
The Broad-billed Sandpiper (*Calidris falcinellus*) is a small, distinctive shorebird visitor to Australia, known for its unique long, broad bill that curves downward at the tip. It stands out among small waders for its methodical, slow-paced feeding style and bold head pattern. This species migrates from breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere to spend the non-breeding season along Australia’s northern coasts.
Fun Facts
Their specialized bill allows for a unique sideways feeding motion, rarely seen in other sandpipers.
1. Distinctive long, broad, down-curved bill
2. Double supercilium (split eyebrow) forming a bold head pattern
3. Deliberate feeding style and tendency to fly low and land quickly when flushed
This species breeds in wet taiga bogs and aapa mires of Arctic northern Europe and Siberia, laying four eggs in a ground scrape. In Australia, they are present only in the non-breeding season, arriving mainly from late October after their long migration. Broad-billed Sandpipers are specialized feeders, probing soft mud for marine worms, small mollusks, crustaceans, and insects, often using a unique sideways motion with their bill. They are less gregarious than many other sandpipers, sometimes holding small feeding territories even during migration.
Broad-billed Sandpipers favour soft intertidal mudflats, brackish lagoons, saltpans, and shallow muddy edges of coastal wetlandsmainly in northern Australia, but occasionally recorded further south. They are most active at dawn and dusk, often feeding alone or in small groups among faster-moving waders. Look for them in places with exposed soft mud, especially along the northern coastline.
Physical Attributes
Height
19 cm
Size Relative to Other Birds38%
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