Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Calidris pygmaea
Tiny, restless, and impossibly rare, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper is known for its spoon-shaped bill and epic migrations. It breeds in Russia’s Arctic tundra and winters along Asia’s southern coasts. But as wetlands vanish across its flyway, its numbers have plummeted. Fewer than 500 remain. Conservationists now race to protect key stopovers and hatchlings, knowing the loss of this bird would silence a song that spans continents.
Critically Endangered
Population: 500
Years Until Extinction: 5 - 10 years
Habitat
Arctic Tundra, intertidal mudflats, coastal wetlands
Main Threat
Coastal development, land reclamation
Description
A tiny sandpiper with a white chest, russet cap, and a flattened bill shaped like a spatula. In breeding plumage it shows a rich rufous face and breast with dark speckling, white underparts, and mottled dark upperparts edged warm brown.
Wingspan: 24 inches
Diet: Worms, crustaceans, insects
Nesting: Ground nests in Arctic moss hummocks
Mating: Male displays in midair, calling and fluttering over territory
A critically endangered shorebird from the Arctic, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper is recognized for its spoon-shaped bill and its delicate, rapid movements along coastal mudflats. With a short dress in soft beige and brown, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper’s dance is light and agile, featuring low steps, short bursts, and quick directional shifts that reflect the bird’s active foraging style.
Unlike most birds, Spoon-billed Sandpiper chicks can begin feeding themselves within hours of hatching.
Learn the Dance
Choreography Suggestions:
Skitter run: tiny, fast steps close to the ground.
Probe pecks: soft forward taps with cupped hands forming a “spoon.”
Flock turn: quick 90° pivot followed by a brief freeze.
Nimble and alert; brisk footwork with crisp micro-pauses.
Not a dancer? Co-create with AI!
Costume Ideas: Sandy-gray top/shorts, pale belly panel; minimal spoon-shape wrist band
Prompt Ideas: Dancer imitates spoon-billed sandpiper: tiny quick steps, cupped-hand peck taps, clean 90° pivot and brief freeze; sandy-gray costume; tidal mudflat look, overcast light.
