The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
ISSN 2307-8235 (online)
IUCN 2008: T22693373A38788283
Calidris pusilla, Semipalmated Sandpiper
Assessment by: BirdLife International
View on www.iucnredlist.org
Citation: BirdLife International. 2012. Calidris pusilla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012:
e.T22693373A38788283. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.20121.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
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THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Charadriiformes
Scolopacidae
Taxon Name: Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common Name(s):
• English:
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Taxonomic Source(s):
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife
International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International.
Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria:
Near Threatened ver 3.1
Year Published:
2012
Date Assessed:
May 1, 2012
Justification:
This species has been uplisted to Near Threatened because it is estimated to have undergone a
moderately rapid decline over the past three generations (22 years). Over-exploitation in the nonbreeding range (in particular in Suriname) may be the principal driver of declines, with easternbreeding populations also potentially declining due to reduced food supply at key staging sites, but
further information on the rate and drivers of declines is needed.
Previously Published Red List Assessments
2009 – Least Concern (LC)
2008 – Least Concern (LC)
2004 – Least Concern (LC)
2000 – Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
1994 – Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
1988 – Lower Risk/least concern (LR/lc)
Geographic Range
Range Description:
Calidris pusilla is a common breeder in the Arctic and subarctic from far-eastern Siberia (Russia) east
across Alaska (USA) and northern Canada to Baffin Island and Labrador (Chandler 2009). In the nonbreeding season the species uses coastal estuarine habitats, wintering on the Pacific coast from Mexico
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
1
to Peru, and on the Atlantic coast from the Yucatan and the West Indies south to central Argentina, with
large non-breeding concentrations occurring along the coast of Suriname and French Guiana (del Hoyo
et al. 1996, Chandler 2009, D. Mizrahi in litt. 2009). The population was formerly estimated at 3.5 million
individuals, but this was revised downwards to 2.2 million individuals in 2006 (Morrison et al. 2006, A.
Lesterhuis in litt. 2009) assuming annual declines of 5% in 75% of the North American population.
Trends are hard to quantify, but aerial surveys conducted along the coasts of Suriname and French
Guiana suggest that the non-breeding population in the region could have declined by c.80% between
the early 1980s and 2008, from c.2 million to c.400,000 individuals; the possibility that there has been a
shift in the wintering range seems unlikely but has not been completely ruled out (D. Mizrahi in litt.
2009).
Country Occurrence:
Native: Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Aruba; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda;
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Brazil; Canada; Cayman Islands; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba;
Curaçao; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Grenada; Guadeloupe;
Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Martinique; Mexico; Montserrat; Nicaragua; Panama;
Paraguay; Peru; Puerto Rico; Russian Federation; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Martin (French
part); Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Sint Maarten (Dutch part);
Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; United States; Uruguay; Venezuela, Bolivarian
Republic of; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.
Vagrant: Albania; Denmark; Djibouti; France; Germany; Greenland; Iceland; Ireland; Israel; Mauritania;
Morocco; Netherlands; Portugal; Spain; Sweden; United Kingdom
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
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Distribution Map
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
3
Population
The population was formerly estimated at 3.5 million individuals, but this was revised downwards to 2.2
million individuals in 2006 (Morrison et al. 2006, A. Lesterhuis in litt. 2009) assuming annual declines of
5% in 75% of the North American population.
Trend Justification
This species is conservatively estimated to have declined at a rate approaching 30% over three
generations (22 years). Determining the exact population trajectory is very difficult, but aerial surveys
along the coasts of Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana (which may support c.85% of the population
wintering on the coast of South America) suggest that the non-breeding population may have declined
by c.79% between the early 1980s and 2008 (Morrison et al. 2012), while data from the Bay of Fundy
show a 68% decline during southbound migration between 1982 and 2005, with the greatest reductions
taking place since the mid 1990s. Preliminary results from surveys of the Brazilian coast (Belem to Baia
de Sanadi) in 2011 suggest that declines have also taken place here since 1982, making it unlikely that a
southward shift in wintering range accounts for the declines in Suriname and French Guiana (D. Mizrahi
in litt. 2011). Long-term population trend indices also suggest that Semipalmated Sandpiper has
declined significantly since the 1980s, especially populations migrating along the Atlantic Coast en route
to eastern Canadian breeding areas (Mizrahi et al. 2012). However, data from the breeding range
suggests that the species was generally increasing or stable in the western and central portions of the
range and had an uncertain status in the east (Smith et al. 2012), making the overall picture difficult to
determine.
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)
It breeds in high and low Arctic and subarctic wet sedge or heath tundra, oftern near pools, rivers and
lakes (del Hoyo et al. 1996). In the non-breeding season it is mainly coastal, favouring sandy beaches
and intertidal mudflats, sometimes also shallow lagoons and saltmarsh (del Hoyo et al. 1996). On
migration also at inland wetlands, lake edges etc (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Food is mainly chironomid
larvae in the breeding season, along with other small invertebrates and seeds. Various small aquatic,
marine and terrestrial invertebrates taken on migration, including horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus
eggs on spring migration in eastern USA (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Makes non-stop flights of up to 4,000
km on migration, with flocks of up to 350,000 gathering at key stopover sites (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Systems: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine
Threats (see Appendix for additional information)
Hunting of shorebirds in northern South America, which is legal in French Guiana but illegal in
Suriname, is widespread and thus a potential threat to C. pusilla. Shorebirds killed by hunters in
Suriname are estimated to number several tens of thousands annually, involving mainly C. pusilla and
Tringa flavipes: if 20,000 C. pusilla were removed from a population of two million annually (1%
decrease, net after recruitment), the decline would amount to some 26% over 30 years, independent of
other mortality, suggesting hunting could be a significant factor in the observed declines (Morrison et al.
2012). Poaching in Suriname may have increased over the last c.20 years owing to improvements in
weaponry and transportation. Another potential threat is the harvesting of horseshoe crabs Limulus
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
4
polyphemus in Delaware Bay, an area which reportedly sees the passage of c.60% of the total
population of C. pusilla during the spring migration. The species feeds primarily on horseshoe crab eggs
during episodes of rapid mass accumulation, but harvest pressure from 1995-2005 dramatically
reduced egg availability (Mizrahi et al. 2012). Significant changes in the intertidal profile, for unknown
reasons, have taken place along the coast of the Guianas, although numbers of birds were also lower in
areas with no obvious changes in mudflat area (Morrison et al. 2012). Use of pesticides in agricultural
areas such as rice fields may affect shorebirds using those habitats directly, and drainage of pesticides
into coastal areas and onto mudflats also has the potential to affect shorebirds (Morrison et al. 2012).
Small-scale gold mining has increased considerably in the northern South American wintering range, and
mercury, which is used in the extraction process and can reach the coast via the rivers, has the potential
to affect shorebirds in coastal areas (Morrison et al. 2012). Oil exploration has also begun in Suriname
and Guyana, with spills representing a further potential threat. Increasing frequency and severity of
hurricanes during southbound migration may be causing increased mortality during this period
(Morrison et al. 2012).
Conservation Actions (see Appendix for additional information)
Conservation Actions Underway
No species-specific actions are known. Hunting of shorebirds is illegal in Suriname, but this is poorly
enforced. An adaptive management plan for Delaware Bay was formally adopted by the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission in 2012. The plan links harvest decisions to information on the welfare of
both horseshoe crab and Red Knot Calidris canutus population levels as well as the use of crabs for bait
and by the medical industry, and calls for crab harvest levels to be regularly adjusted in response to
data on Red Knot and horseshoe crab populations.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out systematic monitoring in breedng areas, key staging sites and wintering sites. Evaluate key
threats, in particular mortality from hunting. Campaign for better enforcement of hunting regulations
and the introduction of these where they do not currently exist. Support adaptive management plan for
horseshoe crab harvest in Delaware Bay.
Credits
Assessor(s):
BirdLife International
Reviewer(s):
Taylor, J. & Butchart, S.
Contributor(s):
Andres, B., Mizrahi, D., Brown, A. & Lesterhuis, A.
Facilitators(s) and
Compiler(s):
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Symes, A.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
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Bibliography
Andres, B.A.; Gratto-Trevor, C.; Hicklin, P.; Mizrahi, D.; Morrison, R.I.G.; Smith, P.A. 2012. Status of the
Semipalmated Sandpiper. Waterbirds 35(1): 146-148.
Butler, C. J. 2003. The disproportionate effect of global warming on the arrival dates of short-distance
migratory birds in North America. Ibis 145: 484-495.
Chandler, R. 2009. Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere. Christopher Helm, London.
Delany, S.; Scott, D. 2006. Waterbird population estimates. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The
Netherlands.
del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., and Sargatal, J. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks.
Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 19 June 2012).
Mizrahi, D.; Peters, K.A.; Hodgetts, P.A. 2012. Energetic Condition of Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers
during Northbound Migration Staging Periods in Delaware Bay. Waterbirds 35(1): 135-145.
Morrison, R. I. G.; McCaffery, B. J.; Gill, R. E.; Skagen, S. K.; Jones, S. L.; Page, G. W.; Gratto-Trevor, C. L.;
Andres, B. A. 2006. Population estimates of North American shorebirds, 2006. Wader Study Group
Bulletin: 67-85.
Morrison, R.I.G.; Mizrahi, D.S.; Ross, R.K.; Ottema, O.H.; de Pracontal, N.; Narine, A. 2012. Dramatic
Declines of Semipalmated Sandpipers on their Major Wintering Areas in the Guianas, Northern South
America. Waterbirds 35(1): 120-134.
Smith, P.A.; Gratto-Trevor, C.L.; Collins, B.T.; Fellows, S.D.; Lanctot, R.B.; Liebezeit, J.; McCaffery, B.J.;
Tracy, D.; Rausch, J.; Kendall, S.; Zack, S.; Gates, H.R. 2012. Trends in Abundance of Semipalmated
Sandpipers: Evidence from the Arctic. Waterbirds 35(1): 106-119.
Citation
BirdLife International. 2012. Calidris pusilla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012:
e.T22693373A38788283. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
Disclaimer
To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.
External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
6
Appendix
Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Habitat
Season
Suitability
Major
Importance?
4. Grassland -> 4.1. Grassland - Tundra
Breeding
Suitable
No
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.1. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent
Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)
Breeding
Suitable
No
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.5. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater
Lakes (over 8ha)
Breeding
Suitable
No
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.7. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater
Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)
Breeding
Suitable
No
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.10. Wetlands (inland) - Tundra Wetlands (incl.
pools and temporary waters from snowmelt)
Breeding
Suitable
Yes
5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.13. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Inland Deltas
Breeding
Suitable
No
12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.2. Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or
Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc
Nonbreeding
Suitable
Yes
12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.4. Marine Intertidal - Mud Flats and Salt Flats
Nonbreeding
Suitable
Yes
12. Marine Intertidal -> 12.5. Marine Intertidal - Salt Marshes (Emergent
Grasses)
Nonbreeding
Suitable
No
13. Marine Coastal/Supratidal -> 13.4. Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal
Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes
Nonbreeding
Suitable
No
Use and Trade
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
End Use
Local
National
International
Pets/display animals, horticulture
No
No
Yes
Threats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Threat
Timing
Scope
Severity
Impact Score
3. Energy production & mining -> 3.1. Oil & gas
drilling
Future
Minority (50%)
Slow, significant
declines
Low impact: 3
Stresses:
1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation
2. Species Stresses -> 2.1. Species mortality
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
7
3. Energy production & mining -> 3.2. Mining &
quarrying
5. Biological resource use -> 5.1. Hunting & trapping
terrestrial animals -> 5.1.1. Intentional use (species is
the target)
5. Biological resource use -> 5.4. Fishing & harvesting
aquatic resources -> 5.4.4. Unintentional effects:
(large scale)
9. Pollution -> 9.3. Agricultural & forestry effluents ->
9.3.3. Herbicides and pesticides
11. Climate change & severe weather -> 11.1. Habitat
shifting & alteration
11. Climate change & severe weather -> 11.4. Storms
& flooding
-
Minority (50%)
Negligible declines
Stresses:
1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation
Ongoing
Majority (5090%)
Stresses:
2. Species Stresses -> 2.1. Species mortality
Ongoing
Majority (5090%)
Stresses:
2. Species Stresses -> 2.3. Indirect species effects ->
2.3.2. Competition
Ongoing
Minority (50%)
Stresses:
1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation
2. Species Stresses -> 2.1. Species mortality
Future
Whole (>90%)
Stresses:
1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.2. Ecosystem degradation
1. Ecosystem stresses -> 1.3. Indirect ecosystem effects
Ongoing
Minority (50%)
Stresses:
2. Species Stresses -> 2.1. Species mortality
Rapid declines
Slow, significant
declines
Negligible declines
Unknown
Unknown
-
Medium
impact: 7
Medium
impact: 6
Low impact: 4
Unknown
Unknown
Conservation Actions in Place
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Conservation Actions in Place
In-Place Research, Monitoring and Planning
Action Recovery plan: No
Systematic monitoring scheme: No
In-Place Land/Water Protection and Management
Conservation sites identified: Yes, over entire range
Occur in at least one PA: Yes
Invasive species control or prevention: No
In-Place Species Management
Successfully reintroduced or introduced beningly: No
Subject to ex-situ conservation: No
In-Place Education
Subject to recent education and awareness programmes: No
Included in international legislation: Yes
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
8
Conservation Actions in Place
Subject to any international management/trade controls: No
Conservation Actions Needed
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Conservation Actions Needed
2. Land/water management -> 2.1. Site/area management
5. Law & policy -> 5.4. Compliance and enforcement -> 5.4.2. National level
Research Needed
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Research Needed
1. Research -> 1.5. Threats
3. Monitoring -> 3.1. Population trends
Additional Data Fields
Distribution
Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO): Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): No
Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²): 1220000
Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO): Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): No
Continuing decline in number of locations: Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations: No
Population
Continuing decline of mature individuals: Yes
Extreme fluctuations: No
Population severely fragmented: No
Continuing decline in subpopulations: Unknown
Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations: No
All individuals in one subpopulation: No
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
9
Habitats and Ecology
Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat: Unknown
Generation Length (years): 7.4
Movement patterns: Full Migrant
Congregatory: Congregatory (and dispersive)
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Calidris pusilla – published in 2012.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693373A38788283.en
10
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The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN
Red List Partners are: BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation
International; Microsoft; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas
A&M University; Wildscreen; and Zoological Society of London.
THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™