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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Scolopacidae
  4. ›
  5. Calidris
  6. ›
  7. White-rumped Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Photo · Tim Bowman, USFWS

BirdUp · Species

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis(Vieillot, 1819)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Calidris

At a glance

The White-rumped Sandpiper, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The white-rumped sandpiper is a small migratory shorebird that breeds in the northern tundra of Canada and Alaska. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints". In flight, it is more easily picked out by its namesake white rump.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a White-rumped Sandpiper?

The White-rumped Sandpiper is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the White-rumped Sandpiper live in Australia?

The White-rumped Sandpiper is native to Australia, recorded across 11 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning high to low Arctic wet tundra of far north Nearctic.

BreedingHigh to low Arctic wet tundra of far north Nearctic: North Slope Alaska, coastal north Canada to north-west Hudson Bay, and Banks to Devon and Baffin is. (north-east Canada)

Non-breedingCoastal and inland wetlands of temperate south South America: south Chile, south-east Brazil, north-west to south-east Argentina, and Falkland Is.

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Breeding
  • Passage
  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded