Actitis hypoleucos

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	SCOLOPACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Actitis hypoleucos

Species Authority:

Linnaeus, 1758

Common Name/s:

English	–	Common Sandpiper
French	–	Chevalier guignette

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Comoros; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Guam; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macao; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mayotte; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Caledonia; Niger; Nigeria; Northern Mariana Islands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palau; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Réunion; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Sao Tomé and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Viet Nam; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Faroe Islands; Fiji; French Southern Territories (the); Iceland; Kiribati; New Zealand; Samoa; United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Comoros; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Guam; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macao; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mayotte; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Caledonia; Niger; Nigeria; Northern Mariana Islands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palau; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Réunion; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Sao Tomé and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Viet Nam; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Faroe Islands; Fiji; French Southern Territories (the); Iceland; Kiribati; New Zealand; Samoa; United States

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Total regarded as a minimum by Wetlands International (2006).

Population:

Total regarded as a minimum by Wetlands International (2006).

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is a full migrant, migrating at night overland on a broad front across both deserts and mountains¹. Small numbers may also remain in the northern maritime climatic zone (e.g. the British Isles, Mediterranean and Japan) throughout the year^{1, 2}. The European population that overwinters in West Africa migrates south between mid-July and August (juveniles following one month later), and returns to the breeding grounds from late-March to April^{1, 2}. Immature individuals may also remain in the winter range throughout the summer breeding season². The species breeds from May to June in scattered single pairs 60-70 m apart in optimal breeding habitat¹, and migrates singly or in small flocks¹, although it usually remains solitary in its winter range³. It forages diurnally¹ and may aggregate at night⁴ into roosts of over 100 individuals¹. Habitat Breeding During the breeding season this species shows a preference for pebbly, sandy or rocky margins of fast-flowing rivers^{1, 2}, as well as small ponds, pools² and dams³, clear freshwater lake shores, sheltered sea coasts with rocky or sandy beaches, tidal creeks and estuaries³, and often forages in patches of dry meadow¹. It occurs from sea level up to 4,000 m or more in the mountains, but generally avoid frozen, snow-clad or very hot areas². Non-breeding In its winter range this species inhabits a wide variety of habitats, such as small pools, ditches, riverbanks^{1, 2}, streams, dam shores⁵, marshy areas⁴, estuaries, freshwater seeps on coastal shores, tidal creeks in mangrove swamps and saltmarshes, harbours, docks^{2, 5} and filtration tanks of sewage works⁵. It will also forage on grassland along roadsides and occasionally in gardens^{1, 5}, but it generally avoids large coastal mudflats¹. Diet The diet of this species consists of adult and larval insects (such as beetles and Diptera), spiders, molluscs, snails, crustaceans, annelids, and occasionally frogs, toads, tadpoles and small fish, as well as plant material (including seeds)^{1, 3}. Breeding site The nest is a shallow depression, sometimes amongst shrubs and trees¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is a full migrant, migrating at night overland on a broad front across both deserts and mountains¹. Small numbers may also remain in the northern maritime climatic zone (e.g. the British Isles, Mediterranean and Japan) throughout the year^{1, 2}. The European population that overwinters in West Africa migrates south between mid-July and August (juveniles following one month later), and returns to the breeding grounds from late-March to April^{1, 2}. Immature individuals may also remain in the winter range throughout the summer breeding season². The species breeds from May to June in scattered single pairs 60-70 m apart in optimal breeding habitat¹, and migrates singly or in small flocks¹, although it usually remains solitary in its winter range³. It forages diurnally¹ and may aggregate at night⁴ into roosts of over 100 individuals¹. Habitat Breeding During the breeding season this species shows a preference for pebbly, sandy or rocky margins of fast-flowing rivers^{1, 2}, as well as small ponds, pools² and dams³, clear freshwater lake shores, sheltered sea coasts with rocky or sandy beaches, tidal creeks and estuaries³, and often forages in patches of dry meadow¹. It occurs from sea level up to 4,000 m or more in the mountains, but generally avoid frozen, snow-clad or very hot areas². Non-breeding In its winter range this species inhabits a wide variety of habitats, such as small pools, ditches, riverbanks^{1, 2}, streams, dam shores⁵, marshy areas⁴, estuaries, freshwater seeps on coastal shores, tidal creeks in mangrove swamps and saltmarshes, harbours, docks^{2, 5} and filtration tanks of sewage works⁵. It will also forage on grassland along roadsides and occasionally in gardens^{1, 5}, but it generally avoids large coastal mudflats¹. Diet The diet of this species consists of adult and larval insects (such as beetles and Diptera), spiders, molluscs, snails, crustaceans, annelids, and occasionally frogs, toads, tadpoles and small fish, as well as plant material (including seeds)^{1, 3}. Breeding site The nest is a shallow depression, sometimes amongst shrubs and trees¹.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The size of the breeding population in England is threatened by disturbance from recreational anglers⁵.

Major Threat(s):

The size of the breeding population in England is threatened by disturbance from recreational anglers⁵.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Actitis hypoleucos. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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