Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
Photo: Joel Poyitt
Description
- The Curlew Sandpiper is a small to medium-sized wading bird.
- It grows up to 18–23 cm long, has a wingspan of 38–41 cm, and weighs about 57 grams.
- It has a long, black bill with a pointed tip and has longish black legs and feet.
- They have grey-brown feathers on their backs with white underparts, and a white wing-bar and rump which is visible when in flight.
- They eat small aquatic invertebrates, and insects and larvae when they breed outside of Australia.
Find out more about the Curlew Sandpiper on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where to find them
- The Curlew Sandpiper breeds in the arctic region of northern Siberia and then migrates to Australia every year. It usually arrives in September and returns north in April.
- During their non-breeding season, Curlew Sandpipers are found mostly in coastal sites in the north-west or far south-east of Australia. They can also be found in some inland wetlands, large rivers and lakes of the Murray Darling Basin. They roost in mixed-species flocks usually sheltering in mudflats.
ACT sightings
- From September to January, there have been irregular sightings (10% of years 1974-2014). This pattern appears to coincide with severe droughts across south-eastern Australia, when freshwater was more limited than in the ACT.
- You can find them at Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve, Kelly's Swamp, Jerrabomberra Creek, or the Fyshwick Sewage Ponds.
Conservation threats
The main threats to the Curlew Sandpiper are loss and damage to wetlands. Other threats include:
- increased frequency of severe drought
- disturbance from recreational activities
- predators such as foxes, dogs and cats
- poor water quality, light and noise pollution caused by closeness to urban areas.
Conservation status
- International – Vulnerable (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List).
- National – Critically Endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
- Australian Capital Territory – Critically Endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
In the ACT, the wetlands where the Curlew Sandpiper feeds and roosts are mostly in protected areas. Conservation actions to improve its habitat include to:
- manage threats, especially those relating to urban development
- examine population trends and habitat
- encourage and support community involvement.