Least Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper has surged: up 924% on the route-weighted index since 1984.
About the Least Sandpiper
The Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is a North American member of the Sandpipers & Allies (Scolopacidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the shorebirds.
- Size
- 5–26 in long (13–66 cm) — a probing shorebird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Shorelines, mudflats, beaches, flooded fields and wet meadows.
- Diet
- Invertebrates probed or picked from mud, sand and shallow water.
- Range
- Recorded on 42 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Scolopacidae · Shorebirds
Notable Least Sandpiper Trends
No notable trend signals for Least Sandpiper. See the full index history below.
Least Sandpiper Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Least Sandpiper is projected to fall about 72% by 2029 — from 0.06 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.02 (95% range 0.00–0.04). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±63.2%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2026 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2027 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2028 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2029 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
Where the Least Sandpiper Is Detected
BBS routes recording Least Sandpiper, sized by most recent count.
Least Sandpiper Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +278% | 1984 | 42 |
Least Sandpiper Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | +636% | 1985 | 15 |
| BCR 4 | -43% | 1986 | 20 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -34% | 2003 | 4 |
Least Sandpiper Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 924% since 1984. Many shorebirds have declined steeply, reflecting pressure on the coastal and wetland stopovers they depend on.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.