The Rock Sandpiper is a small, stocky shorebird that winters in small numbers along the entire Oregon Coast. They are usually found in rocky intertidal zones, often foraging alongside Black Oystercatchers, Surfbirds, and Sanderlings. Only one subspecies, Calidris ptilocnemis tschuktschorum, is known to winter in Oregon.
Rock Sandpipers measure between 180 and 235 millimeters in length. They breed in the Arctic and spend the winter farther north than any other shorebird along the Pacific Coast of North America.
In Oregon, Rock Sandpipers show what’s called “basic” plumage during the winter months (October through March). This plumage is mostly gray on top and white underneath, with spots on the breast. The crown, neck, and back (mantle) are gray, with a grey collar and gray streaks from the neck to mid-breast and down the flank to the undertail coverts.
Plumage begins to change just before the Rock Sandpiper departs Oregon in the spring. Alternate (or breeding) plumage is brighter and more highly contrasting than basic plumage, with chestnut, black, and white markings on the back, a dark belly patch, chestnut crown, and dark cheek patch. Males and females look similar, but females usually have more mottling (speckling) on the throat and neck and a less defined dark patch on the breast.
The bill is relatively long and slightly drooping, a dull yellowish green overall during the winter with a yellow base. During the breeding season, the bill is black. Legs are bright yellow in winter, becoming duller in color to yellowish olive in the breeding season.
Overview
- Species Common Name Rock Sandpiper
- Species Scientific Name Calidris ptilocnemis tschuktschorum
- State Listing Status Sensitive
