The Status and Occurrence of Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin. Revised: June 20, 2023.

The Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) is an elegant species of shorebird that breeds from Taymyr Peninsula in the central Russian Arctic, east along the shorelines of the Arctic Ocean to the coastline of the Chukotka Peninsula in the Russian Far East and has bred in Alaska at Barrow, Oliktok Point and Deadhorse (Hayman et al. 1986, Paulson 2005, O’Brien et al. 2006, West 2008, Brazil 2009). This species is highly migratory with the entire breeding population moving south over a large area of both Europe and Asia to spend the winter from Sub-Sahara Africa, east through coastal regions of India, into Bangladesh, Burma, throughout Southeast Asia and south into Australia and New Zealand (Hayman et al. 1986, Paulson 2005, O’Brien et al. 2006, Brazil 2009). Small groups of birds are also known to winter in Israel, Iraq and occasionally in Western Europe (O’Brien et al. 2006). In North America, the Curlew Sandpiper is a regular vagrant along the Atlantic coast with scattered records for the interior states and Provinces (O’Brien et al. 2006). Along the west coast, the Curlew Sandpiper is a rare species in Alaska where it is considered a casual migrant in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea regions as well as the northern regions of the state (West 2008). The Curlew Sandpiper is ever rare in the southeastern regions of the state and is considered accidental in the southern Panhandle region of Alaska (West 2008.) South of Alaska, the Curlew Sandpiper is a rare bird with California having only thirty-three accepted records (Hamilton et al. 2007). There are only sixteen accepted records for Oregon, and Washington has only ten accepted records (Wahl et al. 2005, OFO 2012, WBRC 2012). Birds have been found both along the coastline and inland down the west coast of North America (Roberson 1980). In British Columbia, the Curlew Sandpiper is an accidental species that is rarely reported with the first record since September 1993, occurring in September 2013, showing how infrequently this Siberian gem is encountered in the Province (Toochin et al. 2013).

 

Identification of the Curlew Sandpiper is covered in all standard North American field guides. In adult breeding plumage, this species is one of the most spectacular looking sandpipers in the Calidris family of shorebirds (Roberson 1980). In overall size and shape, Curlew Sandpipers are a slender to medium to large sized sandpiper (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). Adults in breeding plumage are rusty-red on the head with dark streaks on the crown and variable white at the base of the bill (Brazil 2009). The eyes are black (Brazil 2009). The bill is black and is long and decurved with a fine-tip and evenly decurved throughout its length (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The neck down to the breast and belly are a rich rusty-red colour with dark streaks on the lower ventral area and flanks (Brazil 2009). The undertail and ventral area are white and have fine black streaks (Brazil 2009). The legs are long in length and black in colour (Brazil 2009). The mantle area is a combination of black feathers that have rusty edges and white tips (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The wing coverts and tertail feathers lack colour and are a plain gray-brown colour (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The bright breeding plumage of adult birds is only held briefly during the high breeding season of June (Hayman et al. 1986). Adult Curlew Sandpipers seen in migration periods such as April through May and late July into August often have less red on the face and head (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). This gives the bird a molted red and white look as the paler feathers representing winter-plumaged feathers either being replaced by breeding plumaged feathers in the spring or are losing breeding plumage feathers by winter plumaged feathers in the fall (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). In flight all birds show a bold white stripe in the secondaries and a pure white rump and gray tail (Brazil 2009). Adults in winter plumage are very pale looking with birds having a gray-coloured crown and a pale gray face with a bold white eye stripe that splits over the eye and runs up the forehead slightly (Brazil 2009, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). From the base of the black bill to the eye is a distinct dark line (Brazil 2009).  The back and wings are plain gray (Hayman et al. 1986, Paulson 2005). The throat and breast and belly are very white (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The legs are black (Brazil 2009). Juvenile plumage is very distinct with birds having a bold eye-stripe that is split over the eye and runs up the forehead slightly. There is a dark line that runs from the base of the bill to the eye. (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The face, neck and upper breast have a distinct peach wash (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The back and wings have a scaly edge pattern that lacks any V patterns (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). Streaking on the underparts is confined to the sides of the neck and uppermost breast area with the lower sides and flanks white and unstreaked (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The legs are black (Brazil 2009). The Curlew Sandpiper often likes to feed in shallow standing water up to its knees, but can also be found feeding on open mudflats (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The calls of the Curlew Sandpiper are a “chirrup” or ”kururip” which is low-pitched and coarse sounding (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). 

 

The most similar looking species to the Curlew Sandpiper is the Dunlin (Calidris alpina) in winter plumage (Hayman et al. 1986). The Dunlin has a decurved bill but it is overall straighter, thicker throughout with a straighter tip (Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The Dunlin is much smaller and has short legs in relation to the Curlew Sandpiper (Hayman et al. 1986, Brazil 2009). In flight the Dunlin has a dark rump and a black tail (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The call notes of the Dunlin are buzzing rolling “chrrreet” (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009).

 

Another species that can be confused for the Curlew Sandpiper is the juvenile-plumaged Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) (Hayman et al. 1986, Brazil 2009). Both species share a long decurved bill, but Stilt Sandpiper doesn’t have a split eye-stripe over the eye and has rusty ear coverts (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The juvenile Stilt Sandpiper has an extensive neck and breast streaks and greenish-coloured legs (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). Be aware that Stilt Sandpiper has a white rump which is easily visible in flight (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The Stilt Sandpiper also like to feed in standing water up to its knees like the Curlew Sandpiper, and both species can, on migration, use similar habitats to feed (Hayman et al. 1986, Mullarney and Zetterstrom 2009). The Stilt Sandpiper gives a “kirrr” call that is similar to the Curlew Sandpiper, but Stilt Sandpiper also gives a whistled “whu” and a husky sounding “toof “call (Brazil 2009). 

 

The Curlew Sandpiper is an extremely rare and infrequent visitor anywhere in British Columbia. There are only nineteen records for the Province with records split into seven records of adults and twelve records of juvenile birds, with the adults occurring in July, September and in March into April and the juveniles all occurring in late August into September (Toochin et al. 2013, Please See Table 1). There are more records from Oregon and California, likely reflecting the more extensive coverage given coastal regions by observers in both States (Hamilton et al. 2007, OFO 2012). The pattern of occurrence remains the same as British Columbia with birds appearing from July to September but there are additional observations with records occurring from October to December (Hamilton et al. 2007, OFO 2012). Records of Curlew Sandpiper in November and December are intriguing and open up the possibility for British Columbia observers to have a chance to find a winter record of this species. Given the scant coverage of winter shorebirds in places like Roberts Bank and Boundary Bay, a winter record could be possible in the future. A record from Haida Gwaii in March into April was likely of a wintering bird that moved north up the coast with the first wave of shorebirds (P. Hamel Pers. Comm.). Washington has the same fall pattern as British Columbia, Oregon and California with records occurring from July to September (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). California has a few spring records that span from late April through mid-May from various parts of the State (Hamilton et al. 2007). What is interesting is that Washington is the only state, in the Pacific Northwest, to have two spring records from the month of May (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). Like the Little Stint and Red-necked Stint that have spring Provincial records, the Curlew Sandpiper has only a single spring record in British Columbia (Toochin et al. 2013). The spring Washington records are from both the coast and the interior which is very interesting (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). Given the massive numbers of shorebirds that come through the Fraser River Delta region this species is very likely to found there again in the future and explains why the bulk of British Columbia’s records are from the Vancouver area (Campbell et al. 1990). With more coverage, luck and identification knowledge, and given that this species can be found either along the coast or at inland shorebird hotspots, the Curlew Sandpiper is a species that can turn up anywhere in the Province and should be watched for every year by keen observers. 

1.(1) adult male breeding plumage July 31, 1936: Allan Brooks (specimen: MVZ 101094) 19 km east of Masset, Haida Gwaii (Brooks 1937)

2.(1) adult  breeding plumage July 30-31, 1977: Bruce A. MacDonald, Ed Sing, mobs (RBCM  Photo 491) Iona Island Sewage Ponds, Richmond (MacDonald 1978, Campbell et al. 1990)

3.(1) adult breeding plumage July 11, 1981: Jenny Hards, Mary Narod:  Kye Bay (Harrington-Tweit et al. 1981, Campbell et al. 1990)

4.(1) adult breeding plumage July 14-24, 1981: Vic Goodwill, mobs (RBCM Photo 643) Witty’s Lagoon (Harrington-Tweit et al. 1981, Campbell et al. 1990)

5.(1) juvenile  August 31- September 1, 1981: WCW, mobs: Iona Island Sewage Ponds, Richmond (Weber 1982, Campbell et al. 1990)

6.(1) juvenile  September 17, 1983: Dave Aldcroft, mobs: Iona Island Sewage Ponds, Richmond (Campbell et al. 1990)

7.(1) juvenile  September 4, 1984: Richard J. Cannings, mobs: Iona Island Sewage Ponds, Richmond (Campbell et al. 1990)

8.(1) juvenile September 20, 1987: James Steele: Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park south of Tofino (Mattocks 1988, Campbell et al. 1990)

9.(1) juvenile September 2, 1990: Ian McLaren (photo) Chesterman’s Beach, south of Tofino (Siddle 1991, Toochin et al. 2013)

10.(1) juvenile September 15-28, 1993: Mike Toochin, MW, ST, mobs (photo)  Iona Island Sewage Ponds, Richmond (Davidson 1994, Dorsey 1996, Toochin 2012a)

11.(1) juvenile September 28, 2013: Andrew Keaveney (photo) Sandspit,  Haida Gwaii (A. Keaveney Pers. Comm.)

12.(1) juvenile September 20, 2016: Peter Hamel: Sandspit Airport, Haida Gwaii (P. Hamel Pers. Comm.)

13.(1) adult molting into basic September 10, 2017: Mary Taitt and Anne Murray, mobs (photo) Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Ladner (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

      (1) adult molting into basic September 17, 2017: mobs (photo) foot of 96th St., Boundary Bay (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

14.(1) juvenile August 28, 2020: John Reynolds (photo) off 96th Street, Boundary Bay (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

15.(1) juvenile September 8-10, 2020: John Reynolds, mobs (photo) Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Ladner [possibly the same bird as above] (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

16.(1) juvenile September 9, 2020: Derek Isbister, mobs (photo) end of Johnstone Road, Parksville (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

17.(1) adult winter plumage March 23 & April 26, 2021: Margo Hearne, Peter Hamel: Little Spit, Sandspit, Haida Gwaii

                (P. Hamel Pers. Comm.)

18.(1) adult breeding plumage May 23, 2021: Ilya Povalyaev, mobs (photo) Brunswick Pt., Ladner (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

19.(1) juvenile September 2-7, 2022: Melissa Hafting, mobs (photo) between 104th-112th St., Boundary Bay (D. Cecile Pers. Comm.)

 

I want to thank Barbara McKee for editing this article. I also wish to thank Andrew Keaveney for sharing his observation and photographs of a Curlew Sandpiper found at Sandspit, Haida Gwaii. All photos are used with permission of the photographer and are fully protected by copyright law.

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