Spoon-Billed Sandpiper
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
Aves › Charadriiformes › Scolopacidae › Calidris
Conservation status: critically_endangered
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a tiny shorebird with an extraordinarily flattened, spoon-shaped bill that is unique among all sandpipers and allows it to feed by sweeping through shallow water and mud. This critically endangered species breeds in remote northeastern Russia and migrates to Southeast Asia, making it one of the world's rarest birds with fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild.
How To Identify
A small, delicate sandpiper characterized by its strikingly elongated and flattened bill—giving it the appearance of a spoon. It typically features mottled brown plumage on the back and wings, contrasting with pale underparts.
Habitat
Breeds on coastal tundra in northeast Russia; winters on mudflats in Southeast Asia.
Behaviour
Feeds by sweeping its spoon-shaped bill side to side through shallow water and soft mud.
Did You Know?
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper has a unique spatula-shaped bill found in no other bird.
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